Clients and prospects alike often tell me that they are sick of looking at their brand. They complain that everything looks the same. All of their printed collateral, their web site and corresponding PDF downloads, their social media graphics, etc… ALL LOOK THE SAME! They are frankly bored with their brand identity, and want to change it up due to some perceived notion that everyone else is getting bored with it too.

Here’s the thing: If you are sick and tired of looking at your brand, then you are doing it right.

The reality is that YES, as business owners or brand managers, we get sick of looking at our respective brand identities day in and day out. Even someone like me—who specializes in developing brand identity—gets sick of looking at my own brand. The reason is because you are immersed in it on a daily basis, especially if you are a small business owner or “solopreneur”.  You may get sick and tired of looking at your brand, but the most important thing to remember is that your clients and prospects are not. In fact you would be doing them a disservice—not to mention yourself and your business—if you were not consistent on delivering your brand identity in all client touch points.

Your clients and prospects do not live, breathe, eat, and sleep your business like you do so it is vital that you are consistent in all facets of your branding. From print to web, from written word to live conversation—and every other interaction your clients have with your business—they expect it to be the same every time. This occurs mostly on a subconscious level. There is obviously a psychology to this and we think something is amiss if things are different each time we interface with a business.

Case in point, remember the backlash The Gap had when it drastically changed their logo and identity a few years back? People were in an uproar because of it and it cost the brand lots of money and market share. The Gap is a huge company and they survived after reverting back to their original brand identity. Small business may not be able to survive something like this so it is imperative to be consistently consistent with your brand. How would you feel if Coke changed its color from Red to Orange because they were sick of red? Do you remember the branding disaster that was New Coke?

Now there is a time and a place when changing or updating your brand is appropriate. If your business mission changes or the market itself changes and your identity no longer aligns with the business you are offering, then changing it is probably a good idea. I could write a whole separate post about this so I will leave it at that.  If you find yourself in this situation though, consult with a brand expert or schedule a free consult with me.

The bottom line is this: If your business is thriving, and your mission, offerings, or the market itself haven’t changed, then don’t change up your branding because you are bored with it. Stay the course. Your clients will thank you for it, and so will your bottom line.