4 signs that your branding is actually holding your business back – with Cara Bendon

Welcome to the Bring your Product Idea to Life podcast. This is the podcast for you if you're getting started selling products or if you'd like to create your own product to sell.

I'm Vicki Weinberg, a product creation coach and Amazon expert. Every week I share friendly, practical advice as well as inspirational stories from small businesses. Let's get started.

Hello and welcome to Bring your product Idea to Life. So today on the podcast, my guest is Cara Bendon.

Cara is a brand consultant and she is my most, most frequently returning guest, if that's the right way to phrase it. I believe this is Cara's third time on the podcast. Cara is a branding expert.

She specializes in working with product businesses and I've invited her on TODAY to talk about the four signs that your branding is actually hindering your business rather than help it move forward. So Carver shares the signs that your branding might be holding you back and crucially, what you can do if you recognize yourself in any of these.

So this is a really great conversation. We did go off on quite a few tangents, but it's all relevant, I promise.

And whether you are really happy with your branding, whether you don't haven't thought about your branding, maybe you're something you're looking at now. I really do think there's something to take from this for everyone, because branding, as Cara explains, is so much more than your logo.

So I really hope you enjoy this conversation with Cara and do listen right to the end because I've got something really exciting to share with you. So. Hi, Cara, thank you so much for being here again. I think you are. You might be my most returning guest, actually.

Oh, what an honour. It's so lovely to be here again.

It's lovely. Thank you so much for joining me. So today you were joining me to talk about something slightly different.

We're going to talk about how your branding might actually be hindering your business rather than helping it.

But before we get into that, for anyone who hasn't heard your previous episodes, please could you just give us a reminder of who you are and what you do?

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. My name is Cara Bendon and I am a branding consultant.

I work with ambitious businesses, mostly product businesses, but in lifestyle areas as well. The kind of businesses who have got a really big vision of where they want their business to be.

Maybe they've invented something and they just know it could have a really big impact on the world, or they imagine seeing it stocked in, you know, really high profile retailers or even gaining investment for their business and that's why they need to invest in branding, to set them apart. So that's what I do. I help businesses achieve their goals by setting them up with really strong branding.

Amazing. Thank you. Now you've shared to me ahead of recording, that there are actually four signs that your branding might be holding your business back.

So let's talk through each one in turn. What is the first sign that people might want to look out for?

So I kind of classified this into four to make it kind of easier for the podcast.

But I think it's interesting because a lot of people would think that branding is just a nice to have, but actually people form an impression of your business extremely quickly.

And even though we'd like to say we're not judgmental, it's just natural for the human brain to process things extremely quickly and make snap judgments. So, yeah, so these are four ways that I've noticed that people's branding is actually holding them back.

And the first way is that I see that people just don't really understand what the product is.

Perfect. So this is almost a sign, I guess, that things your branding might not be hitting the mark.

So if people don't understand what your product is, that could be a sign that there's something in your branding that isn't quite working. Is that correct?

Absolutely. It's, you know, branding and communication go hand in hand.

And really, branding, effective branding is a wordless communication of who and what your business is in as much as somebody should be able to look at your business, your brand, not even read what it is, and kind of get a sense from maybe the colors or the style, that whether it is a luxury thing, an aspirational thing, or a practical thing, but kind of some of the more specific ways that this could kind of show up is that somebody may have a really good website or whatever, but they have a low conversion or they have like a really high bounce rate on their sites.

They maybe have people who are liking their posts on social media, but it's not the same people who they're making sales to, or even if they are at fairs or in person events, they have to explain what their product is. They get a lot of questions and they have to explain it. And they might even get quite a quiet reception as they're talking through their product.

These are all signs that your product is either a little complicated and you need to work on how to present it snappily and simply, or perhaps that you have the wrong audience.

I think I know what you mean.

If there comes to be A bit of a disconnect between the branding and the product and I can't think of example, but even if I could, I don't think it'd be fair for me to say.

But I've definitely come across brands before where I've been maybe following them on social media and what I thought they did or sold because this can work for service businesses as well, was actually not it. This has definitely happened to me before. I've seen a business and I thought I knew who they were and then it suddenly found out later down the line.

Oh, actually that's not what they do. But there's been something about their branding or how they've shown up that's given me a different impression.

And perhaps they're not really being crystal clear in their messaging.

So things like your social media bio, the first sentence that people read on your website, if you are, you know, in your packaging, are you showing the product, are you clearly stating what it is?

Because actually you don't want to make something so beautiful, but you're actually neglecting some of the key communication that's going to be essential in people understanding and wanting and buying your product.

So I think that this could be solved really by going through a process where you're really thinking about what your product is and explaining in it, in it in an For Dummies way.

So that's what I always do when I write a client brief, I'm distilling what they're telling me, which, you know, we might have had an hour long or an hour and a half long conversation to understand their business and its goals and nuances and then I write a simple one liner of what that business is in plain terms because it's essential that everyone that I work with on my team, my designers, fully understand the business and if it's a bit difficult or niche, then we'll spend some time on that communication piece before we go into visuals. It actually reminds me. Sorry, I was just going to say it reminds me of your client, Fix it. And you did a whole pod.

You, I remember on your podcast you interviewed them about this exact issue of how do you communicate something when it's never existed.

Yes. And actually thank you for sharing that because that was a good episode.

We can link to in the show notes people to go and listen to again if they're not sure of, of that brand. But yes.

So Chris from Fix it shared in that, in that interview how he had such a challenge because his product was so unique that often people, it was really hard to communicate what it was and people were misunderstanding what it could be used for.

But I think he did a brilliant, brilliant job mainly by using video, I have to say, because of the type of product that it was of really showing people what it did.

Yeah, absolutely. I was just going to say that communication is not just messaging on words.

And actually, you know, selling a product like that on Amazon, when you're browsing things, it's the images and the use case scenarios that sell you on it. But I can see why video would be so good.

So, yeah, basically it's if you're, if you do have a product that's really original and there's nothing really out there like it, then definitely, I think video is really good and storytelling in general. The other thing is making a comparison in another industry.

So sometimes people will say, so I've worked with a client and can't disclose much about their project right now. But they said to me they want to be the Netflix of their industry. And that really helps people in pitch meetings quickly understand it.

I saw another product, I think Charlotte, Charlotte Tilbury makeup product that she was dubbing the Spanx for under eye bags.

And it's like actually they've done some of that work in forging that idea of what that other brand is that you can help, you can leverage that to help explain to people what your business is. Even if it's quite a new and original product.

Amazing. Thank you. And before we move on to the next sign, I'd love to know if you are someone and you're thinking, okay, I do get asked lots of questions.

People often misunderstand what my product is, what's something you recommend that they would then go and look at.

Yeah, I think that you need to have a one liner. It's the classic elevator pitch, isn't it?

It's basically, if you are finding that people are still confused, you really need to look at how you're explaining it.

Perhaps you don't have a line that you can go to and you're just thinking up on the spot every time, which, you know, maybe it's getting more muddled. And I think also ask some people who are not involved in the business, you know, if they would understand it.

Ideally, people who've never even come across your product, do a bit of market research and see if people understand it from one sentence or if you have to, two or three. And try that tip of maybe bringing in another brand from another industry.

Because sometimes that's the aha moment when somebody goes, oh yeah, the Spanx of under eye bags. Yeah, I get that. I get totally what you mean. It's transformative, you know, so maybe try that.

Definitely try asking a few people who don't know what your business is to get a bit of feedback. And it is really well worth refining that sentence because you're going to use it all the time.

Amazing. Thank you.

Before we move on, something else I'll add to people is that if you're selling your products online, which I'm sure a lot of you are, have a look at your reviews as well.

Because if you're often getting reviews where people say, this isn't what I thought it was, or something along those lines, that's just another sign that people. There's some sort of disconnect in how you're communicating your products and what people perceived it to be when they brought it.

So that could be another clue for you as well.

Yeah, absolutely. There's one in there as well that taking people's exact wording that they use is a really good way of describing it as well.

So seeing how your customers describe your product might be slightly different from the language that you've been using internally, but then that messaging is more likely to resonate with your audience.

That is a brilliant hit. Thank you so much. So, if it's okay, Cara, let's move on. What's the second sign that there might be something a bit off with your branding?

So I touched on this briefly earlier, and it's about attracting the wrong people. So this would suggest that your branding isn't speaking to your ideal customer.

So this often shows up, like having people like your posts and follow for content, but only really making sales when it's a big sale, or getting more engagement when it's a giveaway, but not having a steady stream of kind of custom, because that would suggest that maybe the people who are following you, you know, for whatever reason, they either want to champion you online, maybe their friends and family, or. Or the price point is an issue. They like the idea of your products, but you haven't quite positioned correctly for the price point that they are at.

That makes sense. And I wanted to ask you a little bit about this.

I was thinking about this when we were talking about the previous sign, but I thought I'd save it for this question. How do we. Or I'll talk out loud enough, formulate the question as I go, because I think sometimes you can see a disconnect.

So, for example, you might see a brand that you. You perceive to be really luxury based on how they're positioned online, perhaps the website, their social media.

And you order a product and you go, this is really poor quality, it's not a luxury product.

Equally, I've definitely bought things where I feel like the packaging or how it's positioned has really let it down and I've been really pleasantly surprised when it's arrived and I've almost felt like this is underpriced, it's been undersold, undervalued. I guess my question is how do we. It's a big question, Cara, but how do we get that right?

So I think it's really about thinking about your audience deeply. And Vicky, we did your branding some years ago, so you'll know we did this. We create like a little avatar for each of your key audience.

So we kind of, we try to distill it down to three profiles of ideal customers, maximum three, just to kind of keep it relatively focused.

And we think about not just the top line demographics, like their age and gender, but we think about their lifestyle, their pain points, pressures, how your product is going to solve a problem and make their life better.

But furthermore, and really crucially, we look at where they shop and which brands they are loyal to and trust and we also look at what that looks like. Does that give us a picture of a person?

If somebody is buying their groceries from Waitrose, we immediately know that there's a level of expectation that your business, if it falls within that price bracket, that that is your ideal customer.

You are going to have to have a certain level of premium in your branding to set the expectation for not only the product experience but the price as well. Because it's no good having an. Absolutely, you know, you, you can have a, you know, sorry, I've gone about this a bit backwards.

I was going to say it's great to just get started with marketing and showing up online and pushing your product and trying to make sales really organically. I think that's wonderful.

However, if you are going out there before you've got your branding and your website and your packaging all in place in a considered way, then you are potentially losing customers because people are going to judge on what they see.

And for example, if they see something that looks a little bit diy, but then your price point perhaps because you're a small business and you have small run, is a little bit higher.

They're probably going to, you know, abandon the process at that point because they would think, oh, I'll only buy it if it's cheap because it seems, you know, like a More small, DIY brand. So, you know, that's what you don't want to get into that position where people only buy because you're the cheapest.

You always, as a business, as a brand want to be able to differentiate based on your USP and not just be the cheapest. Because if you're the cheapest, that's a USP that is very easily replaced by somebody just low balling you. And also you'll make no profit.

It's so complex, isn't it? There's so many moving parts here.

Because as you were talking, I was thinking I've definitely brought a lot of things from small businesses, often handmade products, often they're not cheap because they're handmade. But I value the handmade aspects. I'm happy to pay for that. And the packaging is usually fairly simple, let's say.

But that, that's never concerned me as a customer because I think the brand, well, I know it's handmade, I kind of understand the value. Yeah.

So that's what it is, is the brand isn't just the visual, it's the storytelling.

If, if, if for example, you were buying from a potter and you saw some reels of, on their wheel, the pottery or you know, whatever, it might be that you're more engaged in their story and it will feel, you know, you're, you're going to forgive the fact they don't have glossy packaging or whatever because actually you'll know that you're supporting them and that's in line with your values. So actually that really comes down to the nuance of who your audience is and what they value.

So for example, for our homemade goods, handmade goods business, if they had someone like you on their avatar, a key priority for you is supporting small businesses. Maybe it's also having unique pieces in your home and things that tell a story.

So they need to make sure that they are making unique pieces that you can use in your home and showing you their story, you know, and that is a branding piece.

But on the other side you would find, and this can be a big reason for people having low conversion, is that they, they have a business but the price point actually dictates. Maybe it's a candle that has to be £40 or a makeup item that is in the sort of 20 plus pounds or whatever. It may be a fashion garment.

I've worked with brands, you know, and yeah, maybe it's because they're doing small runs, but the garments would, you know, customers do have a choice of just going to the high street. And therefore their brand is considerably higher than the price of mass produced, you know, competitors.

Some businesses, even when they are producing overseas, you know, it's because they are, they're ordering a thousand of something rather than a hundred thousand, you know, so it doesn't have to be absolutely tiny batch handmade goods that can have this as an effect. But essentially you need to align with people's expectations.

So for example, if you walked into a dive bar and after work and it was maybe even just a diner and you just ordered a burger and a beer and then you were presented with a bill for say £50 or £60 just for your portion, you would be like, what on earth? This just looks like a, you know, a service station, fast food place.

But if you suddenly walked into a beautiful hotel bar and then you open the menu and you see that a negroni is £14 50, but you're in a beautiful setting that you constantly, you're looking around, people are dressed beautifully, there's beautiful table displays.

You want to photograph it because it's such a lovely place and you feel the music is, you know, everything about the atmosphere feels premium that you absolutely don't mind tapping your card to that because it's, it's a treat experience. And so it's, it's, it's, it's understanding as well. If your brand is something that people just need, then that this matters less.

The more your brand, your business, your, your product is something that is a nice to have, then the more this is important. So I think of like Purdy and Fig and they do cleaning products but they are made with natural oils and they are more sustainable.

They come in glass bottles. But I feel like the whole way they are marketed, as a millennial woman, it really speaks to me.

And that is not, you know, not an accident, that is deliberate. The way they've presented their brand is so aesthetically pleasing and reminds you more of like a high end skincare brand.

You know that, you know it, it does make it more appealing.

So yeah, basically there has to be a sort of thread of commonality that sets people's expectation that when they see your social media, your website, your packaging, the price is not a like, oh God moment. It's like, oh, right, yes, of course.

That makes so much sense. Thank you.

And as you've been talking, I've really been reflecting because I think for me, from everything you've been saying, I think the key thing here is the customer and knowing your customer and knowing what your customer values. And I Guess that can then help you make those decisions, whether it's around how you package your products, how your products are like.

All of these aspects for me are really coming back to the customer because I've got so many examples which I won't share because I won't bore everyone of, you know, situations where I've been. So I should give you one. Yesterday I went somewhere with my husband for a pizza and he was like, I don't want to pay.

We did pay because we'd gone there with the kids and we'd sat down and we were going to eat. And as soon as we saw the menu, he said, I don't want to pay these prices. That's just ridiculous.

You know, and it was given, you know, all the context of where we were. He was saying, gosh, these prices are really expensive.

And we had a discussion afterwards about if we'd been somewhere else, if we'd got in somewhere that was beautiful and the service was amazing and just, you know, a few other things were different. I don't think we would have quibbled on the pricing. Do you see what I mean?

Absolutely. So what you've got there is you've got a captive audience.

You had to pay, you have a child with you, you needed to eat, you'd come inside, it was a heat wave, you had to sit down and eat, but you were resentful to do so or reluctant to do so. And you will probably not be rushing back. And we want in business is loyal repeat customers.

So, you know, that's why it's important that you sort of communicate it.

And it comes again back to the storytelling and communicating the value of your product as well, because people will pay if it is, you know, a high value for them. So I say this within a framework of completely understanding how difficult it has been recently, the cost of living crisis for small businesses.

It's been really difficult, difficult. And I might, I. I truly understand it. But I also do feel that people are probably more value driven now than ever before.

And actually, when people are in hard times, they need products and purchases that are going to be dopamine hits for them. They need things that are going to cheer them up.

Whether that's a beautiful planter they look at every day that they know was handmade, or whether it's a new lipstick that just makes them feel pizzazz as they walk out the door, or, you know, getting a new pair of gold boots or something, or whatever it might be, whatever your product is, there's such a purpose and it doesn't have, you know, let's not ever put a, you know, secondary. The emotional benefits of products as well as their practical ones. And when things are hard, people need those even more.

You're right. And even though things are hard, there are still people out there spending money. There are still people out there who can spend money.

So I think again, it comes back to connecting with your customer.

Because I know now, yes, you know, we all have a lot of us or most of us maybe have less disposable income, but there are still things that I will personally spend money on and those are the things that I value. And there are definitely things I'm not spending money on anymore.

But there are other things I will continue to spend money on because those are the things that matter to me.

And when we buy something, and I often say this in the workshops I hold, online purchases are often self gifting. So it's the whole experience.

You enjoy looking at the item, choosing the item, then anticipation of when it's going to arrive and then when the package does arrive. That's why I really enjoy including some kind of unboxing experience and good customer follow up.

Because I think that it can really make the difference. You buy something and it just comes in a blank box with no thank you note.

Even if that brand is, you know, a maker brand that can't afford to get, you know, really beautiful custom packaging made and they're just using standard boxes. If they've written a little handwritten thank you note, that's going to make such a big difference.

You know, if there is maybe a little ribbon or tissue paper and I mean going, you know, all the way up to.

If your business is one that has aspirations of getting stocked on the shelves of high profile retailers, then your packaging needs to be able to sit beside the brands that they stock. So having branding and packaging that is well designed and thoughtful at that level can have a dual purpose.

Not only does it give people a nice feeling when they receive their order, but it also does that thing we were saying about setting expectations straight away, completely non verbally, just by the look, the materials of your packaging, you know whether this is going to be a certain level of premium or not.

That makes sense. Thank you. So let's move on Carver to the third sign. So what is the third sign? That your branding might actually be hindering your business?

Yeah. Thank you. So I think that the third sign I see is where there is a lack of cohesion and definition in the brand.

So to explain, I think that would come through as Somebody having a certain product but not necessarily having a tone of voice that they know how to write in and therefore just writing captions in their own tone of voice in the way that you would chat with your friends.

Or conversely, it could be trying too hard at everything, seeing all these different trends that people are doing and thinking, oh, I ought to do that and sort of hopping about without having a true conviction about what your brand is and how it stands out.

So, you know, also, I love Canva but it be can such a culprit for this because especially before people have defined their branding, there's such a tendency to just want to play about because it's so easy to do so and all the templates in there look so nicely put together that you just jot about.

And it's no judgment for people who do that in the early days, but it's just that they might not realize how people perceive that and that it does come through.

Even people who have no idea about branding and design in the way that I do will just sense a little bit of a disconnect, a little bit of a lack of clarity in the brand, in its visuals, in its language.

Thank you.

And actually, if you don't mind me jumping in, another example, a real example that I sometimes see is where brands are selling their products on Amazon and they have their own website and there's a bit of a disconnect.

So either it might be that they've updated their branding and their website is rebranded, it looks beautiful, but they haven't got round to updating Amazon so the brand identity doesn't match or maybe it's to do with wording.

So their website might be written in quite a playful tone and then you look at their Amazon listings and I'm sorry to always talk about Amazon, but obviously that's what I'm always looking at. And maybe their listing text is very factual and it just doesn't feel like the same brand.

And for me as a consumer, so it's not thinking as me as an Amazon expert, but as a consumer, if I find a product, whether that's on Amazon or Etsy or third party Marketplace and I'm interested in the brand and I think, oh, I'll go and look at their website, same as if I find someone on Instagram and I go and look at their website, if the two don't match up, I always don't have that question mark. Is, is this a real thing? Is this business still going? I have.

It raises questions for me and I'm sure I'M not the only one where I go, something doesn't feel quite right. And of course it probably usually just is the fact that things aren't lining up. But it does make you question, is this actually the right brand?

Am I, am I in the right place?

Confusion is the biggest loss of sales when you're not clear about your message or you know that it's not the same as your social media and you're causing people some confusion where they're questioning, am I in the right place? Did I type the right URL? Is this the right brand? Was this the right name? Was it spelled this way?

Suddenly, you know, they're having all these doubts and people who have got a lot of doubts in their mind are not going to be really trusting to whack down their credit card details and, and buy from you. So it's, you know, it's again, a way you can lose sales.

So I think it's really important, you know that if you do have that time of experimentation that you then draw a line under it and make some decisions. Because actually it can be confusing to people.

People might literally not understand that you just are working on your website and that's why it looks different. And they might think that you don't have a website or they're in the wrong place.

So you're kind of losing people and kind of similarly, it was something that you just said there that made me realize that I do this all the time. If I'm checking out a new restaurant or a bar or a place to go and get my hair done or whatever it might be, I always go to their social media.

And I'm sure it's, I don't know, I've noticed I do it more with service based things, but I'm sure I do it with product things as well.

And I, because you kind of want to see are they still alive and ticking or have they just got a really outdated listing on this third party site such as Amazon. You know, I mean, with Amazon you feel fairly trusting that Amazon will refund you if anything goes wrong.

But if you're buying from, if you are trying a new business in any capacity that isn't going through such a big kind of third party that you know will have your back.

You know, you want to know that it's kind of active and I think it comes back to that loop that we had earlier of saying about your love of handmade things and buying from small businesses. And actually it's not necessarily that you're expecting that Instagram to be a perfect slick showcase.

It's actually that you might want to see the maker and actually if you can't see a face in a few videos or posts, that might be a level of disconnect as well, because the, the selling point there is that it is handmade. So you want to see that process, that person.

Yeah.

And coming back to the Amazon or Etsy example, actually, even though the purchase is going through a third party, I will say I feel like the more expensive the product is, the less likely I, and I'm sure I'm not the only one is still going to trust it if there is that level of disconnect because it's something about the hassle, it's something to do with expectations.

So you kind of get the impression, okay, if this brand isn't, you know, doesn't have this really strong brand identity everywhere, what does that say about their products, fairly or unfairly? And it probably is unfair, but I do think there is, there is that element to it where you.

It just doesn't give the impression that this is a brand, that everything's going to be really slick and high quality.

Actually, that's true.

When I have been shopping on Amazon actually, and I've looked at product listings things, I will always go straight to the customer reviews and if the product sounds different or the product looks different, the packaging or whatever, I'll think, well, I can't trust any of this because I might not be getting the same thing.

So, you know, if somebody is showing something and it has a very different packaging and they've now decided to go cheaper or whatever, it might be something like that, I'll think, oh, is it only the packaging's changed or can I not trust any of this now?

That's really interesting. I think there's a lot to this, isn't there? So what would you say are the key ingredients of a really cohesive brand identity?

So what does good look like?

So that's it. It's like it's being consistent. But consistent doesn't mean, you know, completely visually perfect or just replicating the same thing everywhere.

It means looking at your channels as a whole.

So channels is a bit of a marketing term, forgive me for that, but when I say channels, it's anywhere that you would have an interaction with a potential customer.

So that would be your social media list, each of them out, your, maybe your business cards, your email signature, any emails that you that come from your website, your newsletter, if you have one, but especially any confirmation emails, things like that, your websites if you appear at markets, it's your signage, your in person materials and it's kind of. And your packaging as well. And saying, does this all marry up? Does this all make sense together?

So, you know, if you have got some packaging that has an old logo on and for sustainability reasons you want to use that at, absolutely fine.

But please put in a note, put one online and in your packages just say, you know, that you are using up a run of prints, you know, in order to not cause waste, but that you are the brand they found online or something like that. Because I think it's these communication pieces that make all the difference.

And I think if, in that really specific example, I think people would respond really well to that, that the business was being environmentally conscious. But yeah, basically I think it's that you are trying to create something intentional is the word I would use.

You look at it and it all comes together. So a bit like maybe if it was interior design. You're not just. Things aren't all going to be the same, but it needs to be cohesive.

If you've got copper accents in your house, then you're going to keep copper accents throughout. You're not going to, to suddenly have silver on something, you know, and it, and it flows and works, you know, together.

So that's what I would say matters the most. And obviously once you have locked down a logo, do use that one version of the logo because it really causes a lot of confusion. Otherwise.

That's brilliant. Thank you. So let's move on to the fourth sign. So what is the fourth sign that your branding might be holding, holding you back?

So this one is really, really common.

But it's just if you have designed your own branding or you did it on a budget, that can be that aching feel that you have that's holding you back as a founder, that you just don't think your branding is good enough. You question it, you are nervous that it's not up to scratch and that people will immediately look at it and go, you did that in Canva.

So if, if that is, you know, something that resonates with you, if you're hearing this, then really no judgment whatsoever for having had to do things on a budget to begin. In fact, that's the best way to start a business, is get out there and start doing things, see if there's an appetite, build it up.

But I do think that when you come to a certain point, you know, then it's time to take things up a level. If, if your goals for your business are really big and juicy things that I said in the intro.

You know, like getting investment, getting stocked, maybe having your own physical store or pop up having collaborations with labels or brands that you really admire, having a really strong E Commerce brand that is well recognized in its own right outside of just selling on third party platforms. These are the kinds of goals that you do need to step it up for.

But I think that realizing this could be such a great moment for you and your business because if you have that discomfort or embarrassment, you know, if you don't really want to take your business card out, if somebody asks and you'd rather take theirs, or somebody asks for your Instagram, you immediately apologize for your website or social media, whatever.

Then you know, start to observe that because that, that won't be making you feel good and you are not going to be showing up for and taking the opportunities that you want in your business if you have that energy around your, your brand and your marketing. So, you know, I see it as a growth edge that you've now outgrown that branding. It got you started.

It's, you know, you made it proven that your business could work and it sold you maybe on your business as well, which is brilliant.

But now if you have big ambitions for your business, you know, it's time to kind of level things up so that you can know with assurance that everything is really considered, really perfect for your audience and will help you stand out.

That makes sense. Thank you.

And I guess you're saying as well is that if you are just starting out and this is, you absolutely don't stress about this because it's, you know, it's absolutely fine to maybe do your own branding or have brands that you're not entirely happy with in the early days. But I'm thinking that if you, how might this show up for people?

So would it be that people may be embarrassed to put themselves out there, maybe they don't want to be visible. How would you see this sort of actually show up if someone isn't happy with their branding?

I think all of the above.

I think basically it's that voice in your head that you go to maybe a business event and they talk about some competition or some opportunity and you think one day, but not I'm not ready now, but if that comes up a few times for you or you get, you know, as well, sometimes if you see winners of things or people, other businesses having the achievements that you wanted to have, having a stall at a big accident expo, you know, pitching to a retailer, even like A local store. And you keep thinking, I love this shop. I'd love to have my products in here. But I just feel a bit embarrassed because it's not right.

So these are the kind of signs, I think that, you know, you're literally holding your business back, you know, and so I think that, you know, I've never seen a client not leave the process feeling so much more confident to show up. And it's one of those subtle things. It's like branding doesn't have, like a direct roi.

I'm never, like, come and do your branding with me and you're going to make five times as much money. Because it's, as you said, it's really nuanced. And it also depends on your product, how you're marketing, et cetera, et cetera.

But it is one of those things that every time I've worked with a client, I constantly hear, you know, that they are really, you know, they get compliments about their brand and their energy completely shifts and so they've been more likely to take speaking opportunities or.

Yeah, I've had clients have, you know, collaborations with quite big brands and get really good feedback from bigger brands that they've approached for things like that. And I mean, one of my clients recently got stocked in Harrods and I mean, that was such a huge win. And if we. Her products were always fantastic.

She does luxury cots and nursery furniture and furniture, soft furnishings, and her products always been exceptional.

But when, before we started, started the process, the branding was more diy and there's, you know, this was such a mood board, a vision board goal, you know, this kind of thing for her business. And she has a shop in Chelsea as well.

So, you know, those are the kinds of things that wouldn't be possible with the kind of shoestring, DIY branding, but that can open doors. When you have got a really good.

Strong brand, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

And thank you for all of this because I think you've given us all a lot of things to think about and I guess people can have a listen and maybe as you've been listening, you've been spotting yourself in one or more of these.

Oh, yes. Thank you so much. I hope I haven't been too, too wordy. But basically, you know, it doesn't have to be too complicated.

You know, that's a core belief, belief of mine that sometimes it might seem really complicated, but that I don't believe. Branding has to be at the heart of it.

Branding is communicating the value of your Business or your brand with, with humans, with the people who are going to buy it.

So I think, you know, if you listen to this and you feel, gosh, it's very complicated or you're just in the early stages, I think there's, there's things in here you can take forward about the fact that just being really clear about what your business is, being able to communicate that very succinctly and simply and maybe using an analogy or comparison with another business, another industry, and just, you know, having that thread of communication visually and in the language between your different channels, you're onto a really good start if you do those.

Thank you. And I've got one final question before we finish. That's okay, Cara.

So if someone listening recognizes themselves in one or more of these stages, what would your number one piece of advice be for how to approach it, where to begin?

Because as I'm sure you know, when you work with your clients, branding can feel, especially rebranding or thinking about branding maybe for the first time, can feel like a really big, big thing. What would you advise?

I think that people will immediately get drawn to things like Pinterest and say, what do I want my brand to look like?

Or Canva, and start trying to visualize a new logo or even look outwards to competitors and snap loads of pictures in shops of the kind of thing they love.

I mean, all of those are useful at different points in it, but I would say that the best thing you could do is to sit down with, you know, in a quiet place and just write down, if I was describing my business to an eight year old, how would I describe it?

And then after that piece, you know, and why would they want it, and after that, to just spend some time looking at your audience because as you so rightly said, basically understanding your ideal customer and what matters to them is absolutely the most foundational piece to branding and marketing.

So if you are clear about what your product is, you know, and it's USP and who it's for, then all of the rest of these decisions are going to flow so much more easily.

That's so helpful. Thank you so much, Cara.

You are so welcome. Thank you for having me back.

Thank you so much for listening all to the end.

I don't normally jump in here, but I wanted to let you know that Cara is very kindly offering a free branding audit to members of Amazon Made Easy my Amazon membership, and she's going to be doing that for us in September. We've got a couple of weeks.

It's about two weeks away yet, but I wanted to let you know that if you are on the fence about joining Amazon Made Easy, but this free audit from Cara is what might sway it for you.

There's still plenty of time to sign up, so if you go to the link in the Show Notes, you can sign up for Amazon Made Easy at any point and then you can be part of that free branding session with Karma that will take place on the 17th of September. If you want to know more, go to the link in the Show Notes or of course you can contact me for more information. I really hope to see you there.