One of the things I love most about my line of work is the insider’s glimpse I get into a variety of business models and modes of operation as I help companies hone in on their brand, get clear with their messaging, and reach out to prospects and potential customers with effective tools.  Sometimes the view is a tidy, happy one…and sometimes it’s anything but.  And all too often, companies make mistakes that directly damage the brand they have worked so hard to establish.  Here are five surefire ways to do just that:

Be right all the time. I struggle with this myself all the time.  There’s a certain line between conviction and inflexibility that can be hard to distinguish and even harder to return to once you’ve gone too far.  The need to be right, have the last word, get 100% on the test, and bat near 1000 is endemic to entrepreneurs and high-powered business personalities…but it can also be a damaging trait for your brand.  When you need to be right, you close yourself off to information, input, flexibility, change, and evolution…and that can undermine all of the hard work you’ve put into your brand to date.

Plug your ears. It’s scary to put yourself “out there” as a businessperson or as a brand.  “You say social media’s about conversation,” say potential clients.  “But what if I don’t want to hear what’s being said?”  My answer is always simple:  criticism and frank dialogue will happen whether you want to participate or not.  Would you rather be part of a dialogue or miss out on the opportunity to create your own message?  When you plug your ears, you fail your brand by avoiding opportunities along with challenges.

Waffle. There’s something to be said for flexibility…after all, didn’t I just tell you not to close your business off to opportunity?  But waffling is something else entirely.  When you fail to commit to a plan of action, no matter how small, you fail to start on a path toward progress of any kind.  I’ve seen brands that are debilitated by their decision-makers’ inability to make a plan and stick to it…even a tiny plan with plenty of flexibility built in.  Let me put it this way:  if you’re busy waffling, your default mode is “on hold.”  Do you really want to convey that to your customers?

Play it safe. Yes, the economy sucks, yes, your customers are a finicky, picky, and easily-offended bunch.  But why do you think companies like Crispin Porter + Bogusky and the brands they represent are on top while many other agencies have faltered in a tough economic environment?  Like their in-your-face tactics or not, CP+B exemplifies a fearless approach…a commitment to find ideas that resonate and then make them stick.  If you’re too afraid of your clientele to even try out a message that’s anything but ordinary, you could be compromising your brand in an insanely competitive environment.

Lose your values. The number one mistake I see in businesses of every size is failure to recognize and adhere to a set of core values and tenets.  When you lose sight of your company’s values, you have nothing to translate into your brand identity…nothing to stick to, nothing with which to differentiate yourself, and nothing to stand for.  A quick values check before committing to any plan, approving any copy, or making any business decision can go a long way towards enhancing your brand.  And looking the other way while your values go buh-bye is a great way to flush your brand’s integrity and uniqueness down the toilet. – Erin

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