How many social media sites are you on today, scrambling for more followers, more friends – more likes or comments for your credit union? The ever-expanding volume of technology and communication channels makes it all too easy to lose sight of the one thing that will truly move the needle: Your brand and how your target audience perceives it.
Today's power to connect can be used to simply say things – to put the kind of noise out there that people are trying their best to tune out. Or it can be used strategically, to reach members and non-members in a way they'll want to remember.
Your brand can achieve the same level of emotional connection that brands like Apple or Disney have achieved. It doesn't take a high-dollar budget. It just takes evoking the right kind of response – leveraging a simple and relevant idea to make the audience feel something.
Recommended For You
In our brand practice, we've discovered five reasons that cause brands to fail in making the right connection with their audience (and therefore, fail all together):
They play it safe.
Success doesn't come to those who are afraid to take a risk. It can be difficult to go your own way, yet make differentiation the thing you won't compromise on. Be bold and lead with what makes you distinctive and memorable. And keep it simple. See if you can communicate your credit union brand's difference on the back of a business card. What is the single, simple message you can send about your brand that you know people will care about?
Urgency trumps consistency.
A common trap – especially as more new people come into an organization and want to make things fresh – is to respond to what others are doing and not think long term for the brand. Taking the long view can be the difference between wildly successful and wildly off mark. You need to make sure your brand comes first and your branding (brand signals) second. Be different and relevant, yes, but always stay true to your brand.
The audience hasn't been defined and refined.
If everybody is a target, nobody pays attention. When you make the commitment to narrow your target audience (not down to a few audiences, but to one), you're not leaving opportunity behind. You're reaching those who will care the most – creating impassioned champions who will help you get others to love you, too. Stay close to your audience. Tap into their cultural cues.
The positioning isn't consumer-centric.
The only way to win is to begin with the end in mind. Smart brands take a consumer position. When someone is exposed to your brand, what response do you want to evoke? Rethink the traditional response, which is unlikely to lead to action. Maybe your audience wants to feel like a savvy consumer, rather than a customer being sold something.
Being too nice.
Great branding doesn't come without a fight. Every organization has something it needs to overcome, and being too nice won't get the job done. The competition isn't always a bank or another online lending option – it could be a misconception. And it has to be beat.
These five reasons apply equally to any brand trying to achieve success, no matter the size or the cause. What is your brand strategy, and does it avoid these pitfalls?
Before you hit "post" or run your next campaign, think about how the message conveys your difference, and how your target audience will perceive it. Remember, it's not what you say, it's what they hear.
Jeff Madden is a senior brand strategist for Trozzolo Communications Group. He can be reached at 816-842-8111 or [email protected].
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
