Read
In the world of branding, are you commitment phobic?
- 17/01/2017
- Written by Lawrence Flude

With brands, it’s like speed dating. You try one, and then you move onto the next. Like people, brands are subjective by nature. So what you may like, the next person might not.
Not everyone is going to love your brand
Some may like the name, some the logo colours, for others, packaging could be everything! You never know which part of your brand could appeal to which person and that is why it is important to remember the famous words by Oscar Wilde, ‘Be yourself, everyone else is already taken’.
Branding is like falling in love
As a person you never know which trait of yours would appeal to whom, some may think you are amazing while others might find you absolutely obnoxious but you have to keep your spirits up to keep trying right?
The difference between dating and a relationship is: commitment.
Commitment is not easy to come by, even more so when it is not a product
It only happens when it is a mutually enriching relationship. As human beings we are constantly looking for new experiences. We get bored easily as there’s something new and better around the corner. Or that’s at least what we believe. There are so many options available in today’s world, so easily that we just don’t want to be restricted. We want to experiment. We keep trying something new even though it includes a risk of failure because the excitement of trying something new is nothing compared to the comfort of an established action (sounds familiar?)
Branding is making people fall in love with you
It means standing for something. It is hard but it is worth it and it all begins with dating. It requires building emotional connections with your target audience.
They have to like:
- What you are (product)
- Who you are (name, personality, positioning)
- What you stand for (purpose)
- The way you look (packaging)
- The whole deal (experience)
Once they realize what they have discovered is valuable to them that is when you can ask for loyalty.
Like all relationships branding too is a give and take one where you give value and take their loyalty and thus forms a mutually enriching relationship. You can easily make someone be interested in you by the way you look or talk (packaging and communications) but sooner or later everybody can see beyond the façade and that is when they either love you for who you are (the product) or hate you for being a fraud.
Knowing yourself is as important as knowing your market
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses, work on them
- Know what your target market
- what they like
- how they think
- what they respond to
- what’s their style
- Not only demographics but psychographics as well
Make yourself interesting. Hopefully, they will see your strengths above your weaknesses 😉
Most importantly, always remember to be yourself
Have your own personality. Find your space in the market. If you try to be something you are not (a lowly product in an expensive box), everybody will be able to see past it.
Be honest. Be Confident. Be yourself
Find your target market, and if you toss in the aspiration to live a similar lifestyle you might just find yourself committed.
Lawrence Flude
Share Article