Every business owner knows there are warning signals and danger signs of a brand.
But which ones are vital to address first? (And which ones should you ignore, knowing they’re just symptoms and not the root cause of the situation needing your attention?)
Where to Start?
It’s true that branding has become so complicated that most companies don’t even know where to start.
What’s worse is that too many companies are still using the same old outdated strategies to build their brands, and wondering why they see dwindling returns and microscopic traction.
Wasting Money is a Symptom, Not a Cause
The result is way too many of us desperately seek help spending thousands (and more) on agencies, consultants, and “experts” who (we discover only too late) don’t know what they’re talking about.
This is precisely why I wrote Brand Intervention which has been called “the most important marketing book in the worldâ because it’s helped companies like yours create a stable brand with loyal customers (as well as helping many of them become household names).
The reasons for this success are simple:
- Now, they know what not to do,
- They know the danger signs to avoid when building a brand, and most importantly,
- They’re no longer using outdated strategies that no longer work.
It’s why Daymond John agreed to write the Foreword to the book and why I finally created the Brand Intervention Masterclass that has a 94% completion rate compared to the dismal 10% range for most online programs.
This is why I decided to write this article on these warning signs every brand needs to know to its core.
They’re easily missed, often considered “normal” and are in fact the key danger signs of a brand.
The 7 Easily Missed Danger Signs of a Brand
- “The Everything’s OK Epidemic”
Signs and symptoms: Complacency and acceptance of the status quo. - “The Ignore-the-little-details Outbreak”
Signs and symptoms: Only paying attention when the problems are big and obvious, ignoring the dropped balls that appeared earlier. - “The Everyone-lowers-their-prices Disorder”
Signs and symptoms: Using low price as “a value differentiator” and ignoring the actual benefit customers want as a differentiator. - “The Bandaid-should-work Misdiagnosis”
Signs and symptoms: Ignoring foundational issues within the organization and trying to use “little happy patches” to cover things up, make everything acceptable, and never solving the actual problem. - “The Innovation-is-an-option Virus”
Signs and symptoms: Using the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” to excuse slow response to change and shifts. - “The Blockbuster Gene”
Signs and symptoms: Being married to your solution as Blockbuster did. They ignored the cultural shift toward digital distribution and streaming and refused to change whereas Netflix knew they were there to satisfy their customer’s desire: entertainment in whatever form it was desired.Marriage to your customer’s desire allows you to pivot. Marriage to your own idea keeps you fixed and unable to pivot and evolve. Click here for a more in-depth analysis. - “The ‘We’re Great, The Universe Will Reward Us’ Delusion”
Signs and symptoms: Entitlement, griping over not “getting what we deserve” and the worst offender, “Those who really matter will discover us.” Get over it. If inferior brands are outperforming you, that’s on you. Stop complaining and up your hustle. It’s your dreams (and quotas) that are at stake.
It’s connecting dots like these that make the difference. And probably why the CEO of Netflix included me in the new bestseller.
Never ignore the early danger signs of a brand. They can be deadly.