WARNING: Brand Fatigue. Five Signs Your Branding Is Over The Hill

"People do not buy products and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic."

— Dan Wieden

What happens when your customers get tired of you?

At that point, chances are you are in significant peril as a brand and business. You will find it difficult to assert yourself in your industry and target market, ceding ground to competitors who can offer your audience a better version of those relations, stories, and magic.

At its core, it's usually a branding problem.

Your product or service likely still has value and soothes key audience pain points. It's just not exciting enough anymore to get that point across effectively and in a way that makes your potential customers pay attention.

Fortunately, most organizations can act before it gets to that point.

You just need to know what warning signs to look for.

Consider these the five most important warning signs that your audience have brand fatigue, and that you need to make a change. 

1. Your Website Looks (and Feels) Clunky

Your website is the modern hub of your marketing efforts. It's where your audience can not just learn about your product, but experience your brand. If it's outdated, you have a problem.

It might be outdated colors or shapes, or outdated graphics and images.

The navigation may be counterintuitive, or the internal search function missing. It may just be a lack mobile-friendliness.

When your website begins to look bad, and your users start leaving more quickly, you might have a branding problem.

2. Your Prospects Become Price-Sensitive

Pat attention when your prospects are telling you that your products are too expensive. It's usually a sign that your positioning is out of alignment with your brand, placing price at the forefront rather than your intended unique selling proposition or brand promise. 

Great brands never have to be the cheapest in their industry. Apple, Nike, and even CPG brands like Hillshire Farm can charge premium prices because they're selling that experience and perception of quality as much as the actual product.

3. Your Digital Marketing Stops Bringing in Results

Many marketing campaigns start out successful. But over time, their results may start to dip, bringing in fewer and fewer impressions, web visits and conversions. That's a tell-tale sign you might need to address your brand.

Your audience sees thousands of brand messages every day. Fewer clicks and conversions mean you're not standing out enough within that noise, getting ignored and scrolled past. A fresh brand, with unique messaging and visuals, can go a long way towards changing that trend.

4. Your Competition is Starting to Outshine You

Sometimes, you don't need to look further than your closest competitors. Through their visuals and website, they may stand out within your audience and industries. It's a judgment call in many cases, but one your audience will be glad to make.

To catch this warning sign, actively monitor your competition. Check in frequently on their website, social media profiles, and other digital experiences. When they begin to outshine you, it's time to think about a branding refresh.

5. Your Content Doesn't Match Your Audience

Finally, don't make the mistake of assuming audience research to be a one-time process. Customer preferences change over time, even if your target audience remains the same — and that's not always a given. Regular research is essential to ensure continually successful content and marketing strategies.

As you perform that research, you might notice your audience preferences becoming out of alignment with your promotional efforts. They prefer visuals, you still rely on text. They like animation, while you film talking heads. No matter the disconnect, it's a sign that your brand needs a closer look and potential refresh.

How to Stop Triggering Brand Fatigue and Start Converting Customers Again

Branding is a complex, strategic process. It might look easy but marketing is not a game for amateurs.

Because your brand is a matter of often intangible perceptions rather than physical product features, it can subtly become a problem over time. By the time you notice, it might be too late to turn around the ship.

Fortunately, it doesn't need to be that way. Focusing on the above 5 warning signs can go a long way towards catching brand fatigue early and taking action against it.

Got questions about your branding? Shoot us a message and we’d be happy to email you an answer.