How to Be Unpopular in the Branding World

People are very loyal to the brands they love… and very vocal about the brands they hate. Be honest – at one time or another, you’ve probably grown excited about a new product just because it was being put out by your favorite brand, or have trash talked a product you’ve never even tried just because it was produced by a brand on your sh*t list. We all do it, but why? What makes us love one brand and hate another? What is it that makes some brands so darn unpopular? The following list of ways to become unpopular in the branding world will help you to better understand what turns consumers off so that you can avoid disaster.

Be a Clone

As much as it pains you to admit it, you’re not the only brand that’s offering products and/or services within your industry. You and numerous other competitors are all trying to carve out your own piece of the market and earn the business and trust of as many buyers as possible. That doesn’t mean that you all have to be carbon copies of each another, though. One of the biggest mistakes that smaller brands make when they’re first starting out is to parrot the values, packaging, and overall vibe of a larger, more successful brand. As soon as your target audience picks up on the fact that you’re just trying to piggyback off of someone else’s success, though, you’re a goner. Nobody likes a copycat. Instead, you’ve got to make your own unique mark on the industry and let your brand speak for itself.

Take the pizza market, for example. For years, Pizza Hut has been the leader in pizza franchises. Instead of trying to be exactly like Pizza Hut, Dominoes decided that it was going to focus on being the leader in pizza deliveries. It made ordering pizzas online extremely simple and even allows customers to keep an eye on the process, keeping them informed of when the pizza is being prepared and by whom, when the pizza goes into the oven, and when it’s on the way. Papa Johns then came along and put its emphasis on offering “better ingredients”. Little Caesars made its mark by offering two pizzas for the price of one, and then moved into its Hot ’n Ready era. The point is, you must findo find what makes your brand unique and embrace it.

Refuse to Listen

No brand should ever get too big for its britches. Customers like to know that their input and feelings are valued and appreciated, and it’s your job to listen and respond to their opinions. Remember when Coke changed its recipe? People were NOT happy. Had Coke been too proud to listen to the voices of the masses and tried to push on with its new formula, we’d probably be living in a 100% Pepsi dominated world today. Instead, however, the soda giant acknowledged the preferences of the people and reverted back to its classic recipe.

Be Unfocused

When you think of McDonalds, you think about burgers and fries. When you think of Luis Vuitton, you envision high-quality handbags. No matter how “common” or “luxurious” the brand may be, the best and most widely recognized and respected brands are those that focus on doing one thing extremely well. Attempting to be a Jack of all trades and master of none will only confuse and alienate your target audience, so make sure you stay focused on achieving a single objective.

Don’t set your brand up to be unpopular. Let the experts at Madison Taylor Marketing help you build a brand that’s unique, in tune with customer demands, and highly focused. Give us a call to get started today.