Identifying

and

avoiding

key branding

pitfalls.

After many years’ experience in brand communications, we have been able to

compile a list of what we refer to as the...

Seven Deadly Sins Of Branding.

Study them carefully because one or more of these may apply to your brand and

could be costing you dearly in terms of dollars, sales and visibility.

1Copyr ight 2013, Lopez-Boni l la Resources , LLC lb rdes ign .com

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DPride1. Brand Pride

It’s believing that your company has no equal, andthat you’re at the top and no one can touch you. When you believe that you have reached a level where competitors’ strategies do

not affect your sales, you are very vulnerable. This is when you need, as we call it,

a dose of humility. The fact is you will always be vulnerable, so you will always

need constant brand innovation and feedback to stay grounded in reality.

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22. Brand Greed

This is failing to allocate the resources necessary to communicate your brand messagingto your audiences positively and consistently.This is when competitors’ strategies can take advantage of your lack of position in

the market place. By allocating the resources to develop and execute appropriate

strategies and tactics, you can be sure you are presenting your offering of

products and/or services in a compelling consistent manner.

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3Copyr ight 2013, Lopez-Boni l la Resources , LLC lb rdes ign .com

3. Brand Envy

This is arriving at a position where you underestimate the true value of your competitor’sequity in the market place. Never underestimate the competitor’s brand equity and value in the market place.

You are vulnerable. Your customers are vulnerable.

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4. Brand Wrath

When you respond in an angry or disrespectful way to what your customer is saying, you aredemonsrating brand wrath.Keep your eyes and ears open to customers responses and actions. Take a healthy

view of what they’re saying and doing. Understanding your customer’s opinions

and taking action will provide growth opportunities for your brand. There is

something to be said for the “Customer Knows Best” philosophy.

Copyr ight 2013, Lopez-Boni l la Resources , LLC lb rdes ign .com

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55. Brand Lust

To lose self-control is to develop what we call brand lust. Strong brands exercise

self-control to stay focused and true to their mission. It is not about getting

caught up in how great you think you are, but more about how you really add

value to your customers.

To develop brand lust is to fail in recognizing thetrue value of your ideas to your customers.Realize when your ideas are not fitting the market. Don’t just push the

ideas because they’re your ideas, but tighten up your belt and exercise some

self-control.

Copyr ight 2013, Lopez-Boni l la Resources , LLC lb rdes ign .com

Gluttony

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6. Brand Gluttony

Don’t over extend yourself, because when you do you fail to deliver on your brand promise andcommit brand gluttony. The old saying, don’t bite off more than you can chew, probably is as true here

as ever. Let’s face it, every company wants to grow. However, that growth needs

to be aligned with delivering on your brand promise. If you grow too fast, or

without purpose and strategy, you dilute your efforts in the marketplace and

potentially lose customers as a result.

Copyr ight 2013, Lopez-Boni l la Resources , LLC lb rdes ign .com

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7. Brand Sloth

This is when you to take the position that yourbranding initiative is going to solve your problems.Every company has inherent flaws in their products and services and needs to

be proactive in fixing those problems before implementing a branding initiative

that will do nothing more than highlight those problems. When you have an

automobile that has a rusty surface that needs to be treated and you paint over

the rust, that’s a temporary fix. But the rust will come through eventually. Well,

the same thing is true with a branding initiative. You have to fix those problems

first before you exercise a branding initiative that will do nothing more than

enhance those negative qualities. Fix your problems and then put in place

strategies and tactics to implement a solid branding initiative.

Copyr ight 2013, Lopez-Boni l la Resources , LLC lb rdes ign .com

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If you want us to help you identify how you can avoid committing some of

these branding sins, please contact us.

"Ready for a Brand Checkup?

We'd be happy to assess and discuss your current branding efforts in person or on

the phone. Call us today to schedule your Brand Checkup and discover where

you may be losing opportunities, profits and customers."

502-635-5711

Lopez-Bonilla Resources,LLC has over 30 years of experience in branddesign. We are located inLouisville, KY.

Scan the QR code below fora close look at our work.