Is your brand worn out?
Has your branding run its course?
Revive or Retire 🤔?
Our washing machine gave up the ghost this week (and very ungracefully too!). Smoke, fumes, oil, and a roaring rattle that made me think it was about to take off into flight!!
I could have sworn it was only a couple of years old but it turned out to be seven years exactly since the previous one gave up the good fight!
Longevity and your brand
Heading into our local electrical supplier to choose a washing machine is not my idea of a fun day out ;) There are so many to choose from and very small feature differences to separate one from another. A+ rating seems to be standard now; it wouldn't have been a few years ago, but baselines change, depending on consumer preferences and trends.
[Sidenote: what has become a standard expectation in your own line of business?]
After that, the key differentiator is price (with a wide variation from low to high) and the main ones for me: length of guarantee and brand reputation.
Without going into the shocking topic of built-in obsolescence (will do another day though!), and unfixable appliances, changing something you rely upon every day is a bit of a nuisance, and involves additional cost and decision-making.
Choosing a brand identity for your business can be like this. Under pressure for time and/or funds, you might go for what appears to be the cheapest option. Sure it'll do, and you can't discern the difference between good and mediocre anyway. But as time goes on, it doesn't match up with the level of expertise or kind of service you provide.
It's a niggle at the back of your mind and might even become something you apologise for…
“Here's my website / business card / presentation; sorry, I'm a bit embarrassed! It's not a true reflection of what we do…”
Rather than hanging on to something that doesn't work, now's the time to re-assess what you need your brand identity to do. As your most valuable business asset, your brand deserves to be well-considered - and to provide you and your audience with clarity about what you do, and stand for.
Your brand ecosystem needs to have longevity and grow-ability!
Unlike a washing machine, when nurtured over time, your brand is an asset which grows in value and usefulness.
Right, I'm off to the shops!! As with a brand identity, I'm looking for a machine I can depend upon, does what it's supposed to, and which makes running the rest of my life smoother. I don't want to have to think about it once it's installed. Is that too much to ask for?
Feeling foggy about your brand?
I always love to hear from you, please get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about any aspect of your branding. Let's have a chat over a cup of tea (or coffee!).