Does My Business Have a Bad Brand?

How to Recognize Whether an Update is Needed

Branding is an identity that can have a positive or negative influence on your business. Because your brand is an expression of everything about your company —values, mission, and integrity — you don’t want to have a bad brand. So, how can you know whether it’s good or bad? Here is some insight to help you understand.

Three signs of a bad brand

If you know your service or product is great for your target audience, but you’re just not getting a response, here are some common issues to consider:

Outdated brand: If the buzz about your business has faded and now you’re not getting the same kind of attention, consider when you established your brand. It could be stale and boring by today’s standards.

Note that it’s not unusual for a business with a long track record to outgrow its brand. Simple things like company name or color scheme can drag you down and make the brand appear dated. After more than 60 years,  Dunkin’ Donuts realized how important it is to stay fresh. Additionally, if your website isn’t providing a good user experience, including being mobile friendly and ADA compliant, your customers know you’re not keeping up with the times.

Being reactive: If your brand changes to keep pace whenever the competition makes a move, or you simply follow something new in the marketplace, you are being reactive. This signals a bad brand because it takes you away from your original intent. It’s also likely that your brand now confuses the consumer. Your target audience needs to immediately understand what you are offering and how your product or service benefits them. If they have to guess because you are ever changing, you need to rebrand to better align with your values, which may have changed over time, to meet your customer’s expectations.

Damaged reputation: Take note if your brand is being viewed in a negative light by consumers. This can happen for many different reasons including, poor customer service, bad reviews, failure to live up to expectations, dishonesty, corporate controversy, or outside factors in the public sphere that reflect badly on your brand. For example, using symbols or names that are offensive and racist have required sports teams, such as the Washington Redskins, to rebrand.

Finding a fix

An effective brand gives you an edge over the competition in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If you don’t address bad branding, it can leave consumers believing your business doesn’t care and poor quality service or products are acceptable.

If you find a bad brand may be the underlying issue for your company, it’s important to take steps to rebrand. Start by understanding your mission and values. Investing time to develop or redefine brand vision and what makes the brand special when stacked against the competition helps as you develop a rebranding strategy.

At T.E. Digital, we are experts in branding and know how important it is to your identity. Our team can take the guesswork out of it for your business and help your brand freshen up. Contact us to discuss ways a branding or rebranding strategy can work for you.