You scored as a
Copycat brand.

(001)

Do you feel like your sales and marketing materials require long-winded explanations to unpack what you do? Your clarity score suggests customers may have a limited understanding of your offerings or even be confused about your category altogether. Confusion is often found in emerging markets, scaling and growing brands, or merger & acquisition scenarios. This happens most often when you have complicated relationships between your sub-brands or products. (Spoiler: Not everything deserves a logo).

Action Items:

• Look at your noun–how do you describe your business or category? Don’t sacrifice clarity on the altar of distinction. Is there an opportunity to add more clarity through how you describe the organization?
• Review your brand’s visuals and messaging. Are you using terms and vocabulary that your audience understands?
• Sketch out your current brand architecture. Are the relationships between your sub-brands or products creating more confusion than clarity? Hint: Don’t brand your org chart.

(002)

You’re doing ok here, but opportunity awaits. This distinction score suggests your brand may be expressing a differentiated offering, look and feel, or message, but not enough to confidently stay ahead of competitors or market trends in your category. Truly standing out in your competitive set can give you numerous advantages.

Action Items:

• Revisit your brand’s position in the market. Does your position support the needs and challenges of your audience today? Is it future-proofed enough to keep you ahead of your competitors?
• Consider developing a brand system that is so distinct that competitors won’t be able to easily duplicate you. For example–if most in our space use cheesy stock imagery, maybe you should invest in a custom photoshoot or hire an illustrator to create a new style that is more ownable.

(003)

Your brand is struggling with consistency, right? Your control score suggests an inconsistent and fragmented approach to brand communications. For example, you may be inconsistent with your use of color, type, photography, brand voice, product claims, message, etc. Low-control brands often inadvertently make skeptics of their prospects during the buying process, because their unpredictability creates a subconscious lack of trust.

Action Items:

• Take a look at your brand toolkit–do you have what your marketing teams need to create consistent communications? They could be limited by an outdated or shallow brand system.
• Consider how you manage your brand. Do you have a role that can act as brand quality control?
• Do you have easily accessible templates for non-designers to use? Most people want to be brand-compliant, if you equip them they will use it.

(004)

Is your brand creating more blank stares than sparks? Your attraction score suggests the brand is not instantly connecting with your audience. This could be due to an outdated or unappealing message and look, or simply one that isn’t speaking to the full value you provide. Low-attraction brands are often legacy organizations that have long relied on relationships and word-of-mouth for new business. Consumers may describe them as dated or irrelevant.

Action Items:

• Do audience research to understand better what your audience wants or needs. Then retool your brand accordingly.
• Revisit your brand’s value proposition–is your message relevant and aligned?
• With your research in mind, what are other brands that are relevant to your target audience? What visual cues can you take from leading brands that inspire a refresh for yours?

(005)

Well done, your devotion score is well-earned! Your devotion score suggests your brand provides a valuable experience that keeps audiences engaged and coming back. High-devotion brands consistently deliver on their customers’ expectations, having successfully operationalized their brand positioning throughout the organization. As a result of devotion, these beloved brands often enjoy the privilege of premium pricing.

Keep it up! And don’t forget:

• Keep a pulse on audience shifts–new audiences might have different expectations that could put your overall brand devotion at risk.
• Keep customer devotion top of mind when considering the impacts of any brand refresh.

(006)

Seems like you’re pretty aligned, but is it felt by all? Your alignment score suggests there might be a sense of internal alignment around the brand story, values, and vision but it isn't deeply felt or consistently communicated enough to build a strong emotional connection to the brand. These brands suffer from challenges in recruiting talent and struggle to maintain important stakeholder engagement.

Action Items:

• Take a look at your brand toolkit–does it reinforce the vision of the organization? Does it feel like a memorable rally cry for your team?
• Gain an understanding of your team’s perception of the brand. Is there an opportunity to align our brand with what lights their fire?