I put “marketing” in quotations because it is such a loaded word. In any case, I had coffee the other morning with Nelson Dickson and Amy Garland, and our conversation got my wheels spinning about something. As vitally important as we think the brand of every business is (and the sooner you address it, the better), are there efforts out there worth the money if you haven’t addressed your brand (or can’t afford to) yet? YES! Below, I’ve elaborated on what a few of those might be and why, along with a few—in our humble opinion—which ARE NOT worth a significant investment until you have addressed your brand in its entirety and why.

WORTH THE $$$

1 – Freelancer

This is the perfect solution if you need a quick, affordable logo or marketing materials to make your new venture exist without sinking too much chabba into your brand before you know what you want it to become. Our advice: keep it simple, and don’t go plastering it on everything. It’s important to remain flexible as your company grows and changes.

2 – Business Coach

No matter how old your business is, a business coach can bring much-needed perspective and advice. There is never a wrong time to invest in a business coach. And amidst their ongoing support, they will likely recommend dealing with some aspect of your brand, whether it be your core, visuals, messaging, internal alignment… the list could go on and on.

3 – Digital Marketing

Sometimes you just need to get money in the door. A digital marketing partner knows what buttons to push and what levers to pull to get your company in front of the right people. HOWEVER, save some (or all :)) of those new dollars to invest in your brand and maximize your digital investment. Combining great branding and strategic digital marketing is a recipe for magic.

4 – Hiring a CMO

Whether on staff or fractional, a CMO can free you up to do what you do best. I primarily recommend this for more established entities looking to grow or expand. The world of marketing/branding/culture is complex, and you can easily waste money if you don’t know where, who, or what to look for. And for the sake of all CMOs out there, please do not expect them to be designers, strategists, PR experts, event planners, culture cultivators, social media gurus, and brand creators all in one. They are not superhuman.  

NOT WORTH THE $$$

1 – A Website Beyond One Page

From my experience, buyer’s remorse and extensive frustration happens most often with websites. If you want to maximize your website investment, please, for the love, address your brand before you sink thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars into a website. And beware! It’s crucial to do your due diligence when choosing a company that claims to provide branding. Just because they say they can do it, doesn’t mean they really know how to do your brand justice. And in the case of web companies, it’s likely a means to an end—your website and monthly ongoing fees.

2 – Expensive (or Extensive) Brand Applications

What is the best way to limit your branding options in the future? Spend thousands and thousands of dollars on signage, websites, employee uniforms, a closet full of swag, truck wraps, packaging, interiors, collateral, pop-up banners—anything expensive and permanent you can get your hands on. There is no way you can change your logo now! Actually, you can, but you should have WAY before spending all that money. If there is a remote possibility you may change your brand in the future, be wise in your branding decisions, as they are often permanent and costly.

3 – Traditional Marketing

By traditional marketing, I mean advertising, social media, collateral, presentations, email campaigns, newsletters, etc. Let’s take advertising, for instance. You could be spending a significant amount on ad placements, but if your brand message is not clear or consistent, you might not see the desired return on investment. The same goes for social media-without a well-defined brand identity, your posts might not resonate with your audience. The point is, these marketing efforts can be wasteful if you have no clear understanding of who you are, what reputation you are trying to build, or what goals you are trying to accomplish. I’m not saying it’s not needed—it certainly is! It’s just WAY more effective when your brand leads the way. And to piggyback off my previous warning, most marketing companies “do” branding. So do your research and choose a company that first and foremost, understands branding is way more than just the logo and second, knows the right questions to ask and take more than just your consumers into consideration. Or you could just hire us and get it right the first time. 🙂      

4 – Expanding Your Business

This can mean adding new products or services, opening new locations, starting a franchise, growing your team, etc. Regardless of what you are doing to expand your business, the more complex it gets, the harder and more expensive it will be to rebrand. I HIGHLY recommend addressing your brand to clarify what currently exists BEFORE adding to the chaos. Rebranding after expansion can be a daunting task. Be smart and recognize pivotal change as an ideal time to address your brand.

Have anything to add?? Please share in the comments! And if I’ve made you think twice about where you are spending your money, you know where to find us.

#branding #brandbuilding #smartbusiness #smartmarketing #smartspending #smartinvestment