Spent Big on Branding But No Results? Here’s Why

The short answer is that a new brand and logo only make up about 10% of your business. A good brand can definitely help improve performance, especially in boosting sales, but it’s not the whole picture.

To really elevate your business, let’s break it down into a few layers:

1. Does Your Product/Service Actually Solve a Customer Pain Point?

First and foremost, is the product or service you’re offering really addressing the needs of your customers? If it doesn’t solve a real problem, no amount of branding will save it.

2. Is the Solution Easily Accessible?

Is it easy for customers to access your solution? This could be in terms of pricing, availability, or ease of use. If it’s too hard to obtain or too expensive, customers might look elsewhere.

3. How Is the Customer Experience?

When a customer buys and uses your solution, what’s their experience like from start to finish? Is it satisfying, or are there gaps that leave them frustrated? This experience is crucial for repeat business and referrals.

4. First Impressions Matter

Before a customer even decides to try your product, what’s their first impression of your brand? Is the mood right? Is the communication clear? Do your visuals look consistent across all platforms where your potential customer might encounter your brand?

Building a Strong Brand Takes Time

Building a successful business or brand is a long journey.

A good brand is a great start, but it’s not enough. Just like a plant, a brand needs to be maintained—watered, fertilized, and cared for consistently. Some things can be sped up tactically, but many require time and consistency.

Today, I want to highlight the importance of visual consistency in building a strong brand. While it might not sound sexy, this consistent effort plays a huge role in creating a strong brand and a profitable business. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Establish a Cohesive Brand Guideline and Visual Communication

Once your logo and brand identity are finalized, the next step is to establish a versatile brand guideline. This guideline will be used across various channels, ensuring a cohesive visual unity.

Visual unity builds trust, and trust is easier to convert into transactions or engagement.

2. Consistent Visual Design Production

This part is tough but necessary. I know how challenging it is to maintain consistency. There are several ways to approach this—hiring an in-house team, working with freelancers who understand your brand guidelines, or partnering with a big agency to handle end-to-end visual communication production. Each option has its pros and cons.

At NTMY, this is our focus. We know that having a great brand identity isn’t enough; it needs to be maintained and sustained, which is why we offer subscription solutions tailored to this effort.

3. Regularly Review Branding Activities Across All Channels

This isn’t easy, but it’s essential. At least every six months, or at the very least annually, review your branding activities. Look at metrics like customer perception, repeat purchase rates, sentiment from reviews and testimonials, and social media engagement. These metrics and data will help you refine your branding and marketing activities going forward.

Conclusion

In the end, building a brand that resonates with customers and a business that’s profitable isn’t impossible. But it does require a good process and persistence.