Keeping your brand alive is much like tending to a garden. If you don’t nurture it, then your brand could wither on the vine.

And the results can be devastating for a business. As the brand begins to fall behind, it becomes harder to keep up with competitors and continue to grow as a company.

Let’s go through a few other issues you could face if you aren’t paying attention.

The Brand Becomes Irrelevant

What’s one of the biggest challenges companies face when it comes to maintaining their brand? Keeping it relevant. Consumer trends and tastes are constantly in motion. And companies have to do more to keep up with them or risk becoming irrelevant in the eyes of their audience.

As Chris Ross, vice president analyst at Gartner, said, “Brand relevance and resonance can be extremely fluid based on a polarized marketplace, new disruptive business models and ever-changing consumer requirements,” he continues, “Marketers who want to stay relevant must be highly attuned to their customers, competitors and larger cultural and economic trends.”

The Fix?
We’ll admit it’s hard to keep up with these changes, and companies have to continuously position themselves as intuitive and innovative. And with so many competitors claiming the same, how can you prove that you’re truly changing the industry?

Listen to your customers.

What are they talking about and looking for? Use these insights to build initiatives and tactics that align with their needs.

Your Brand Could Lose Credibility

When a person lands on your website, it takes around 50 milliseconds for them to decide whether they want to stay. First impressions are based on how well a brand presents itself visually and through its messaging.

According to Jeff Torczon, founder of InfinityHR points out, “Research shows us that 94 percent of people notice the look-and-feel of a website or application first, then decide from there if they will continue to navigate through it or move on to another with more visually appealing aesthetics.”

If you aren’t investing in maintaining the visual aspects of the brand, people may begin not to take your business seriously. And no one wants to be known for causing people to turn their noses up at the mere mention of your company’s name.

Once you lose credibility, it’s going to be an uphill battle to regain what you’ve lost.

The Fix?
Update your visual assets and invest in creating a positive experience for consumers at every touchpoint. If the company website looks like it’s straight from the ’90s, then it’s time for a much-needed refresh.

If the entire brand is outdated, then conduct an audit to evaluate and identify its weak points.

The Company Starts Losing Customers

By the time a business is at the stage where they’re losing customers, it’s safe to say more than a few problems contributed to it. One of which might be because there is something “off” with the brand.

Remember, your brand reflects the company’s footprint at every touchpoint. Even the interactions a customer has with sales teams and marketing campaigns. Nearly 50% of customers will stop doing business with companies after a poor sales experience.

Brand loyalty is directly tied to how much customers feel like a company “gets them.” When people believe that a brand truly understands them, they’re willing to remain faithful to it and spend more with the company.

The Fix?
Your marketing generates a response from people, but the brand builds loyalty. So give people a reason to believe in it. Don’t focus solely on tactics, but the overall feeling your customers can expect from each interaction with your business.

Your Company Is Attracting the Wrong Customers

On par with losing customers is bringing in the wrong ones. Unless your business serves everyone, your messaging can affect the types of people coming to you for services. If you find that you’re attracting low-quality leads, it’s worth examining how your brand is perceived.

• Has your messaging become stale?
• Are you not taking a position on social or other issues that are important to your target audience?

Be honest and objective with the answers to discover whether there’s a disconnect between how you want the brand to be seen and how it’s actually perceived.

The Fix?
Break down all of the parts of the brand, and more importantly, ask your target audience what they think of your company. Their responses may result in your company tearing down the brand and rebuilding it from the ground up.

Conclusion

Each part of the brand deserves attention. As trends change and your brand ages, it’s important to evolve with your customers. Remember, it’s more than a logo. Your brand is the “why” of your business.