Why don’t people like my brand?

What have I done wrong and how do I fix it?

Good question. We’re glad you asked. We know it’s a painful thing to have to contemplate – no one likes to think they’re being talked about behind their back, after all. But, hey, it’s out there now. It’s in the world and you can’t take it back. Sorry.

More to the point, though, you shouldn’t want to take it back: if things aren’t going right, asking difficult questions is the only way to really find anything like a workable solution. So, once more (just to really twist the knife): Why don’t people like your brand? Why is no one buying your product? Is it really that terrible?

There’s good news and there’s bad news on that front, and we’re going to take a look at both.

We’ll lead with the good news. Because who doesn’t love to receive good news?

Okay – first things first: people probably don’t hate your brand. Your product probably is not that terrible. And, we’re sure you’ll be relieved to hear, people probably aren’t talking about you behind your back.

The problem is, that’s just not as good as it sounds. In fact, it might seem like a dirty trick but this “good news” we promised you is actually the bad news.

Think of it like one of those viral videos where you think you recognise some banal everyday object, but then someone cuts into said object it and it turns out to be a cake. Only, in this analogy, the everyday object is your product and instead of cake on the inside it’s, well, nothing at all. And that’s the problem. Which brings us to…

The bad news. (For real this time.)

You’re an empty vessel. And that’s great for vases. But you’re not trying to sell vases.

So what do you do?

Fill that void!

In a 2020 post on HubSpot, Kathryn Wheeler astutely points out that “a brand identity is made up of what your brand says, what your values are, how you communicate your product, and what you want people to feel when they interact with it.” It’s a neat summary and it gets right to the heart of the problem for most fledgling brands. That is to say, the heart of problem is the heart of your brand.

In 2020 it’s just not enough to have a great product. Or even a niche product that comes with a captive audience. Your audience wants to know who you are – or, if not you exactly, who your brand is. And, if you can’t answer that question, how do you expect anyone else to be able to?

So, with that in mind, we’ve broken down three simple changes you can make to ensure your brand as relatable as it is recognisable.

1. Stay consistent, stupid.

Fonts, colours and even the way you talk on social media all make up part of your brand identity. That’s why it’s important all these things stay as constant as possible. If you want people to remember your name, then it’s probably best that your word mark isn’t in comic sans on Twitter and Times New Roman on your website.

In short: make sure what you’re saying today doesn’t contradict what you said yesterday.

2. Know who you’re talking to.

There’s no sense in speaking if you don’t know your audience. Ask yourself: why do people come to you in the first place? Who buys your product and what does that say about them? Build a picture of a person in your mind and, with everything you do, speak to that.

3. Be yourself.

You might want their customers, but you can’t actually be your competitors. By all means take a very hard look at what they do, think about their strengths and weaknesses, but don’t just go ahead and rip it off.

Consumers are great at spotting insincerity – so don’t give them the chance.

Try those on for size and see what a difference it makes. In the mean time, just remember – your mum was right. They don’t hate you, they just don’t know you yet.