3 biggest mistakes brand owners make and how to overcome them

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Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and don’t know what to focus on? You’re not alone!

As a branding agency, we are lucky enough to be working alongside a lot of brand owners and NGO leaders on their journey.

And as much as getting a hang of the practical things are key in creating a successful brand, what I think is even more important, especially when starting out, is actually mindset.

Having the right mindset is the most powerful tool you can have to overcome the challenges of brand building.

In this episode, I’ll share which mindset shifts can really help you get from a place of chasing perfection and procrastination, to feeling motivated and positive to get back on the brand building bandwagon.

Mindset Mistake #1: Not having a long term goal or being afraid to dream big

Not having a long term goal is a huge mistake to make, especially if you're investing money in it. If you’re starting something and you can’t answer what your 5 year or 10 year vision is, then I really encourage you to stop what you’re doing and really have a think about that.

Your goals should be your north star, and influence every branding, business, marketing decision that you make. Even down to the people that you hire and the brands that you partner with in the future.

Check out Episode 1: Why you shouldn’t invest all your money into a logo design to learn the #1 question you should ask yourself when starting a brand.

On the flip end of the spectrum, I come across brand owners who have a vision, but are really afraid. They hold themselves back with self-doubt, fear of failure, not knowing where to start.

Dare to dream, because in order to become a successful brand, you have to first believe that you will become a successful brand.

If you do have your 5 or 10 year vision and it doesn’t scare you a bit, or excite you, or make you think, omg can I really do this? It’s time to go back to the drawing board!

You have to believe that you can do it. That the world really needs you, and the value you can bring. Be brave, be bold, you’re here to do great things!

Mindset Mistake #2: Not understanding what your unique selling point (USP) is, and what’s in it for people

So often, I see business owners get super excited about an idea, but when it comes to mapping out what makes them unique, they can’t actually answer it.

Remember, people always buy out of convenience and habit, and it takes a lot to get people to change their behaviours. If someone has been using a brand for years, why would they switch to yours?

Finding a USP for charities

For charities, the idea of selling is really uncomfortable but consider what would make people stop in their tracks and think this charity is doing really important work, and they’re doing it differently—I wanna know more.

Always ask yourself, why does it matter? Not just for you, but for them. What’s in it for them?

Finding a USP for sustainable brand

Of course the public knows the work that you do is important. Many of you already know that education is a big part of brand building, so, educating people on the importance of sustainability, how it impacts the world and our future. But again, it comes back to habit.

Is what you’re proposing better, more beneficial, more convenient, than what’s already out there? What would make me choose you over something else?

Mindset Mistake #3: Waiting for things to be perfect to launch

This is the biggest killer of dreams. So often I see people take way too long to make a decision. Sometimes, they keep sitting on an idea and it never launches. Or someone else comes into the market before them and it’s too late. It’ll be too hard to catch up.

Sometimes, they go through iterations of a tiny detail on a website layout. And don’t go live because of that.

So really, how much is your indecision costing you? It’s costing you your time, your efforts, your money, your potential.

Building a brand is a long term game. It’s never going to be perfect because you’ll always come across new challenges, new competition, lots of shoulda woulda .

It’s helpful to keep focusing on the bigger picture. If it won’t matter in 5 years time, don’t spend more than 5 minutes stressing over it.

Putting yourself out there is scary. You’ll have moments of doubt that lead to inaction and procrastination, or obsessing over small things. But during these times, I remind myself of a very powerful quote by Zig Ziglar:

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Start small with these simple steps:

1. Create a prototype and get friends and family to try it out.
2. Do a soft launch—test, iterate, and make quick but strategic decisions.

You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a product, sitting on it for ages, waiting for the perfect moment, only to realise that the extra thousands you spent on perfecting a tiny detail caused you to miss launching at the right time, or even launching at all.

Most importantly, surround yourself with the right people like fellow entrepreneurs, friends, family who really believe in your vision as well.

To sum it up:

• Mindset shifts will help you on your journey to building the brand of your dreams
• Strategise your 5 or 10 year goal. Dream big, and think about the small, actionable steps that can take you there.
• Think about what makes you unique and why it matters to people
• Don’t let your indecision cost you time, effort, money and potential.
• Surround yourself with people who will root for you

Links mentioned

Episode 1: Why you shouldn’t invest all your money into a logo design

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