OUR WORK
SERVICES
Contact us

10 Common Branding Mistakes You're Probably Making Right Now!

03/11/2025

Branding / Marketing Strategy

Even the best brands can make mistakes—this guide uncovers 10 common branding missteps and how to fix them to build a stronger, more memorable brand.

Abstract illustration of a faceless figure wearing a blue-patterned suit and shirt, set against a bold red background, symbolizing identity or branding concepts.

Look, we get it. You've put blood, sweat, and probably a few too many tequila shots into building your brand. But here's the brutal truth: you're probably messing up. And not in a cool, punk-rock kinda way. So sit down, grab that artisanal coffee you're so proud of, and let's get real.

Sloane Avery
Play IconPause Icon
0:00
0:00

The Identity Crisis – Finding Your Brand’s True Self

Close-up of hands working at a shared desk with laptops, sticky notes, and color swatches, suggesting collaborative creative work.
Hands drawing app wireframes on paper with a smartphone placed on top, representing user interface and mobile app design planning.
3D graphic showing happy, neutral, and sad faces next to rows of gold stars with a cursor pointing at the five-star row, illustrating user feedback or reviews.
No items found.

Dive in as we dissect the gnarly branding gaffes that are turning your gold into fool's gold.

1) The Clone Wars:

‍You think taking a little 'inspo' from Apple or Nike is gonna make you the next big thing? Think again. You’re not fooling anyone with that knock-off aesthetic.

2) Look At Me Syndrome:

‍Stop with the self-obsessed, chest-thumping monologues. Your brand should be more about 'them' (you know, the people you want buying your stuff) and less about your own epic saga.

3) Identity Crisis Central: ‍

Rebranding more often than you change your socks? Stop. You're confusing everyone, including yourself. Constant rebranding without strategy is pointless.

‍

The Bland, The Bad, and The Forgettable

Young man standing in a modern office filled with plants, focused on a digital tablet, reflecting casual work or creative thinking.
Abstract glowing looped neon light against a black background, creating a sense of modernity, creativity, or inspiration.
Wall with handwritten text "SUPREME LOGO" and a red spray-painted "SUPREME" below, evoking street art and branding culture.
Top-down view of a person sketching ideas in a spiral notebook surrounded by crumpled paper, representing the brainstorming or creative process.

4) The Beige Blob:

Trying to please everyone? Yawn. You'll end up so bland that you vanish into the background noise of the internet void.

5) Global Goofs:

‍So your slogan kills it in English? Cool, but watch it crash and burn in another language or culture. Remember, it's a big world out there.

6) Digital Dead Zone:

‍If you're not riding the digital wave, you're probably under it. Neglecting online realms in the age of the smartphone? Seriously bad move.

Want to learn more about brand platforms, Brand Strategy and Brand Identity? Keep reading!

If you need help with your companies brand strategy and identity, contact us for a free custom quote.

Our Services

The Digital & Design Disasters

Man sitting on a sofa with his head in his hand, looking frustrated while using a laptop, conveying stress or creative block.

7) Echo Chamber Enthusiast:

Surrounding yourself with "yes-men"? Preparing to go down with the ship? Feedback is the lifeboat you didn't know you needed.

8) DIY Design Disaster:

‍Unless you're a graphic design wizard, cool your jets, put down the Canva and hire a pro. Some things are best left to the pros, and your brand's image is one of 'em.

9) Blissfully Ignorant:

‍You think your brand exists in a vacuum? Look around, take notes, adapt. Being oblivious to your competition is business suicide.

Strategy Blind Spots & Big Money Mistakes

Tablet displaying various digital design projects with a stylus beside it, highlighting branding, logos, and graphic inspiration.

10) Trust Fund Tactics:

Believe it or not, throwing money at your brand ain't the silver bullet solution. Some companies think they can buy their way to the top with glossy ads and celebrity endorsements. Newsflash: if the core message is hollow or the product sucks, no amount of cash can gloss it over. You can't purchase authenticity or loyalty, and thinking you can? That's a straight-up branding bust. Hint: start with your “why.”

In a nutshell: branding ain't for the faint of heart. It's a wild ride of decisions, strategies, and sometimes, brutal facepalm moments. Avoid these pitfalls, and maybe, just maybe, you won't be the next cautionary tale we're chatting about. 😉🚀

An image of the author Sloane Avery

Sloane Avery

As entrepreneurs, they’ve built and scaled their own ventures from zero to millions. They’ve been in the trenches, navigating the chaos of high-growth phases, making the hard calls, and learning firsthand what actually moves the needle. That’s what makes us different—we don’t just “consult,” we know what it takes because we’ve done it ourselves.

Read More

Want to learn more about brand platform?

If you need help with your companies brand strategy and identity, contact us for a free custom quote.

Our Services

We do great work. And get great results.

DrTung’s
Breathed new life into a storied oral care brand with a smarter site and marketing for scalable growth.

+2.3x
Increase in revenue YoY

+126%
Increase in repurchase rate YoY

READ MORE
Smiling man with bright teeth on a light blue background, surrounded by floating DrTung’s herbal tooth powder tabs and packaging.
Smartphone on a textured blue surface displaying a DrTung’s ad with the text “Make the Switch” and an image of a woman holding herbal tooth powder tabs.
Flat lay of DrTung’s oral care products, including floss, tooth powder tabs, perio sticks, tongue cleaners, and toothbrushes, arranged with a blue pouch on white tile.
Pattern of DrTung’s Activated Charcoal Floss in brown and blue packaging, arranged diagonally on a bright blue background.
Smiling man with bright teeth on a light blue background, surrounded by floating DrTung’s herbal tooth powder tabs and packaging.
Smartphone on a textured blue surface displaying a DrTung’s ad with the text “Make the Switch” and an image of a woman holding herbal tooth powder tabs.
Flat lay of DrTung’s oral care products, including floss, tooth powder tabs, perio sticks, tongue cleaners, and toothbrushes, arranged with a blue pouch on white tile.
Pattern of DrTung’s Activated Charcoal Floss in brown and blue packaging, arranged diagonally on a bright blue background.
Mary Louise Cosmetics
Scaled a heritage-inspired clean beauty brand with modern performance marketing and farm-to-face storytelling.

+93%
Revenue growth in first 90 days

+144%
Increase in attributed revenue

READ MORE
A jar of Mary Louise Lilac & Shea Body Butter with the lid open, showing creamy texture, placed on a beige surface beside sprigs of lavender.
A Mary Louise Miracle Serum bottle with a dropper cap, lying on a bed of small yellow flowers.
Mary Louise promotional print materials featuring the body butter, with images of skincare application and product photography on a textured beige background.
A close-up overhead view of multiple Mary Louise Miracle Serum bottles with yellow dropper caps arranged tightly together.
A jar of Mary Louise Lilac & Shea Body Butter with the lid open, showing creamy texture, placed on a beige surface beside sprigs of lavender.
A Mary Louise Miracle Serum bottle with a dropper cap, lying on a bed of small yellow flowers.
Mary Louise promotional print materials featuring the body butter, with images of skincare application and product photography on a textured beige background.
A close-up overhead view of multiple Mary Louise Miracle Serum bottles with yellow dropper caps arranged tightly together.
Eyecart
Made eye care feel modern, then marketed it like a DTC darling—with the results to match.

+91%
Increase in conversion rate

+46%
Increase in AOV

READ MORE
A smiling woman holds a magnifying lens with the word "eyecart" printed on it over her eye, creating a playful optical effect against a mint green background.
A billboard ad reads “Discover the ease of keeping your eyes healthy,” featuring Eyecart branding and Blephaclean eye care wipes packaging.
Multiple laptop screens display the Eyecart website, showcasing product pages and banners promoting eye care items.
A person walks past large Eyecart posters on a city wall, featuring product photography of eye care serums and creams with clean, modern branding.
A smiling woman holds a magnifying lens with the word "eyecart" printed on it over her eye, creating a playful optical effect against a mint green background.
A billboard ad reads “Discover the ease of keeping your eyes healthy,” featuring Eyecart branding and Blephaclean eye care wipes packaging.
Multiple laptop screens display the Eyecart website, showcasing product pages and banners promoting eye care items.
A person walks past large Eyecart posters on a city wall, featuring product photography of eye care serums and creams with clean, modern branding.
Lucky Girl Rosé
We turned a zero-carb rosé into a lifestyle brand that makes every moment worth celebrating.

+200%
Increase in conversion rate

+688%
Increase in attributed revenue

READ MORE
A bottle of Lucky Girl rosé wine nestled among pink and white flowers in a rustic outdoor setting.
Lucky Girl rosé wine on a red-and-white checkered picnic blanket with cherries, strawberries, sunglasses, and a pink notebook titled The Lucky Club.
A wine glass filled with rosé on a gold tray surrounded by hands with red-painted nails, overlaid with the text “Pour yourself some luck.”
A bottle of Lucky Girl rosé wine with floral label design, dramatically lit against a soft pink background with a shadow cast.
A bottle of Lucky Girl rosé wine nestled among pink and white flowers in a rustic outdoor setting.
Lucky Girl rosé wine on a red-and-white checkered picnic blanket with cherries, strawberries, sunglasses, and a pink notebook titled The Lucky Club.
A wine glass filled with rosé on a gold tray surrounded by hands with red-painted nails, overlaid with the text “Pour yourself some luck.”
A bottle of Lucky Girl rosé wine with floral label design, dramatically lit against a soft pink background with a shadow cast.