5 Reasons Why Brands Fail to Launch

Ever wonder why brands fail to launch even though they have a fantastic product or unique offering? The truth is- it’s not about having a great product there’s an entire strategy that goes into crafting a brand from idea to something tangible customers need in their life.

Branding failure doesn’t just happen to start up brands but also well-established brands as well. According to Kristina Monllos, Senior Editor of Adweek, brands such as Pepsi, Dove, Uber, and even Mcdonalds have had their moment.

Brands who are consistent thrive in the marketplace while those who are chaotic tend to not resonate with customers. There are 2 categories that brands fall into.

For those brands who miss the mark usually are exhibiting few or all of these symptoms:

1. Identity Crisis

Be sure of what you want to portray to customers. Don’t decide that you’re going to be a sophisticated brand this week and next week you decide to discount all your products to $0.99. It’s impossible for you to attract the right customers if you’re sending out mixed messages.

2. Not Knowing Your Value

This happens too often where brands aren’t sure or don’t have a clear value system in place. The haphazard approach of throwing sh*t to the wall and seeing what works is a guaranteed failure. Sit down and write out what your brand’s core values are. For inspiration here’s one of Zappos, “deliver WOW through service.”

3. Going At it Alone

Yes, we know the “Hero’s Journey,” is so sexy, strong and very true in many cases. But when it comes to branding don’t try to be the “Hero Brand,” find a strategic partner. It’s ok to collaborate with another brand or even influencers, this doesn’t make you weak. In fact, it makes you look stronger and much sexier because you’ll be connecting with customers that you couldn’t reach before.

4. Not Designing The Customer Experience

This is a deliberate process of mapping out from start to finish what you want your customer to experience both online and offline. It can start with your logo and website but it needs to also be much larger than that. This requires that you pull in how you want your customers to feel from the moment you say hello. At each step, you want to make sure that customers are consistently feeling the same emotions.

5. Ignoring Your Team

Your team ones on the front lines when it comes to working closely with clients. You need to figure out ways to have your team drink the proverbial company Kool-Aid. This has to be done in an organic manner. The same way you serve organic ads to customers is the same way you need to approach your team. Get to know them as people what are their passions, dreams, and goals. What makes them light up and what makes them sad are equally important things you want to know about. Keeping your team happy, inspired and engaged will help move your brand to the next level.