Why your brand might be blocking your growth and how to fix it

Your brand positioning can seriously limit its ability to connect with its audience. Outdated branding can hold your business back and leave you trailing behind competitors, whereas a fresh look can revitalise a tired brand and give it new direction, appeal and purpose.

Even a simple brand refresh can make a big impact. As an agency acclaimed for our rebranding successes, we speak from experience, with our track record of helping brands overcome hurdles around messaging, positioning, branding and creative.

Just a few of the brands we’ve done it for include Northwood, West Midlands Safari Park, Air IT, Clifton Trade Bathrooms, and Angel Remy.

Common issues brands have

Outdated branding

Branding must evolve in the same way a business does. If the style of your visuals or text doesn’t change with the times, they’ll no longer represent who you are, your core values and your current offerings. Even some of the world’s most famous brands have made revisions through the years.

No correlation between brand and service / industry / audience

Maybe your main offering has changed, but not your messaging. It often happens that a business starts out as one thing and transitions into something else that doesn’t accurately indicate what you do. It might be as simple as your logo doesn’t have that iconic feel to it, or a connection to the wider brand.

Positioning

Check your logo design, graphic design, fonts, colours, marketing materials and web design. Do they still accurately reflect what you’re offering? A brand refresh could be needed to connect you with the right audience. Something as simple as a black and gold colour scheme can imply a premium and expensive brand, whereas bright colours can have the opposite effect. Your brand should never look solely the way you want it to; it needs to be tailored to your customers.

No brand recognition

Your logo or branding isn’t memorable, unique or visually attractive enough to stick in customers’ minds. Your logo is a mental shortcut to help customers engage with your business. Make sure it’s working.

Evaluate your brand’s tone and style – does it still resonate with your audience? If your brand isn’t grabbing attention or you’re losing ground in the market, it’s a clear signal you’re not maximising your potential.

Your messaging is wrong and doesn’t connect with the real pain points

One way to check is in your lead quality. A decline in MQL to SQL conversions over the last several months could mean your messaging needs a review.

A lack of data

Without effective data collection from visits, reviews, surveys, website analytics and social media, you lack deeper insights into shifting customer values and demands, and can’t provide personalised experiences.

How to fix branding problems

The starting point for any brand refresh or rebrand should be consumer research. Run workshops, send out customer surveys, and try to gather more data around what your customers (and non-customers) really think about your branding, to identify where it needs improvement.

Ask your customers directly about their perception of your brand. Look for feedback on social media and reviews and engage with them directly.

Colours, shapes, fonts, icons – they all have meaning, and they can all help create a bridge between what the brand looks like and how your customers respond to it.

What level is your brand actually on. If a brand is positioned as very premium, it might look unaffordable and might be instantly dismissed. It’s important to understand who your customers really are and be honest about what your brand offers.

If research reveals that you have low brand recognition, the best option is a full brand identity refresh, built on strategy and data. The most successful brands are flexible, and regularly updating your branding ensures it stays effective and aligned with your services and audience.