Dan Henderson, Head of Design

Why is it that some brands captivate their consumers or impress investors effortlessly while others blend into the background? The answer could lie in the unseen power of branding and design.

94% of first impressions are design-related, and it takes just 0.05 seconds for people to form an opinion about your website. According to Forbes and a report by Lucidpress, consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by up to 23%.

Despite the evidence, the power of branding is often overlooked. In this first instalment of a three-part series, The Unseen Power of Branding and Design, we’ll explore four signs that it’s time for you to prioritise your branding. By understanding these pain points, you’ll be better equipped to appreciate its critical role in business success.

1. Your online presence isn’t getting the traction you wanted.

You’ve launched your business with a basic website and minimal investment in design and branding, believing that your product or service alone will drive success. However, as the months go by, you notice that customer engagement is low, website traffic is minimal, and social media posts are getting little to no interaction.

Design plays a crucial role in brand building and helping to establish your business in your market sector. It takes 5-7 interactions to build brand awareness, so it’s essential that those interactions are positive and memorable, and that your branding authentically represents your values and mission. These positive interactions will help you build strong relationships with your target consumers that will ultimately drive business success.

2. Your customers aren’t connecting with your brand.

You’ve been closely monitoring your business’s performance metrics, focusing on sales, customer engagement, and retention. Even with a top-notch product, your KPIs have plateaued. Curious about this disconnect, you delve into customer feedback and realise that your brand lacks a strong identity and cohesive message, which makes it difficult for customers to connect with your story and remember your business.

According to research, around four in five consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying from it, and to develop trust, your branding must authentically represent your values, mission and purpose. If you look, sound, or act differently across any of your touchpoints, the trust you’ve worked hard to build can be broken. It can then be a lot harder to maintain positive long-term relationships.

3. You receive negative feedback at the investor stage.

You’ve developed a technology that could revolutionise your industry and make a tangible difference to people’s lives. You have 10-15 slides to make investors feel as excited as you do about your business proposal. As you start to go through your pitch, you notice the investors’ expressions shifting from interest and enthusiasm to confusion and scepticism. One investor asks for clarity on the financial projections slide, which was almost unreadable due to poor design. Another investor points out that the brand identity doesn’t convey the professionalism and innovation of your intended mission. Despite having a revolutionary product, your poorly designed brand and pitch deck has overshadowed its potential.

VC analysts review approximately 3,000 pitch decks each year, yet only invest in about nine. It’s imperative that you maximise your chances of success by ensuring your message is being clearly and concisely communicated, with impact. Well-crafted design transforms your pitch from just another presentation into a compelling narrative that investors can’t ignore. If you are pitching for £20 million investment, and have a 10-slide pitch deck, each slide is worth a potential £2 million to your company. This further highlights the potential return on investment in prioritising design.

4. You doubt the benefits of branding and design.

Your marketing budget has primarily gone towards direct sales strategies, but you notice that growth is slow, and customer familiarity and loyalty is lacking. You doubt the tangible benefits that branding efforts can bring to your business which leaves you hesitant to commit resources to building a strong brand identity.

It’s common to be sceptical about the potential return on investment when it comes to branding and design. Even when it’s implemented successfully, it can often be difficult to isolate and measure the effect of branding from the other aspects of your marketing and business strategies. This lack of clarity can lead to the power of branding being under-appreciated.

However, research suggests that this is a mistake. Harvard Business Review reports that businesses with robust brand strategies can achieve 10-20% revenue growth. A strong brand strategy improves recognition, cultivates emotional ties with the audience, and strengthens customer loyalty, which can lead to a higher brand value.

Discover the benefits of branding and design.

Branding and design are more than just aesthetic choices – they’re strategic tools that can deeply impact your business’s success. From failing to recognise the value in branded assets to underestimating the importance of a cohesive brand identity, these pain points highlight the risks of neglecting your brand.

In the next blog of our series, we delve into the numerous advantages of effective branding and design, showing how they can transform these challenges into opportunities. Check it out to learn how a strong brand strategy can drive growth, foster customer loyalty, and set your business apart in a competitive market.

Or, if you’d like to book a free, 30-minute consultation, you can do so by clicking here.