When being too close to your brand becomes a liability
Business owners often pour their heart, soul, and countless hours into building their brand or product. While this passion and dedication are crucial, there’s a hidden risk: being too close to your brand can make you blind to the very mixed messaging that quietly undermines your business.
Why proximity breeds blindness
When deeply involved in every detail, it’s easy to develop “brand blindness”, a phenomenon where you see your brand through your own lens, not your ideal customers’. This closeness can lead to:
- Overly complex messaging: Owners can often over-explain, use jargon, or focus on technical details that matter to them but confuse or alienate customers. This is known as the “curse of knowledge”-you know too much, and your audience knows too little.
- Ignoring customer perspective: Owners may instinctively communicate what they find important, missing the attributes that actually matter to buyers.
- Failure to spot mixed messages: Being immersed in the brand makes it harder to notice inconsistencies or contradictions in tone, values, or promises across different channels.
- Clinging to outdated features or narratives: Emotional attachment can make it difficult to let go of product features or stories that no longer serve the brand, leading to muddled messaging and “messaging debt”.
Consequences
Mixed messaging caused by brand blindness can result in:
- Customer confusion and mistrust
- Diluted brand identity
- Wasted marketing spend
- Missed opportunities for growth
How to break the cycle
- Seek external perspectives: Regularly gather feedback from customers, partners, and outsiders who can spot inconsistencies you can’t.
- Invest in research: Use market research and analytics to understand what really matters to your customers, not just what you assume matters.
- Simplify and Clarify: Focus on clear, simple messaging that resonates with the target audience, not just with you or your team.
- Align internally: Ensure everyone in your business understands and communicates the same core message.
In Summary
Being too close to your brand is a double-edged sword. Your passion can drive success, but unchecked, it can also close your eyes to the silent killer of mixed messaging. Step back, listen to your customers, and let clarity, not just closeness, guide your brand’s voice.
Richard is responsible for the creative direction of all our clients’ work at rhc, from strategy and concept development to the meticulous attention to detail and craft skills that ensure that every concept is executed to the highest possible standard. He has over 26 years of experience in the Design, Brand and Communications business as a creative consultant and creative director.