This article over at Fast Company suggests that there’s too much time spent and money on branding. I agree wholeheartedly. Just look at these two examples from the article:

Consider that some of the most successful brands do little overt “branding” to achieve their status. Chelsea Milling Co. hasn’t changed the packaging on its well-known Jiffy mix boxes in more than 50 years. Though the company has never advertised, it dominates the muffin-mix category with a 55% market share by unit sales. Betty Crocker and Pillsbury have spent decades and untold millions trying to catch up.

The $310 million In-N-Out Burger chain, another iconic brand that rarely advertises or speaks to the press, has been putting the rest of the fast-food industry to shame for years. McDonald’s spent an estimated $1.5 billion on branding efforts last year, producing little more than one day’s worth of sales more per store than In-N-Out. Have you ever met anyone who’s had an In-N-Out Burger who doesn’t believe it’s one of the best burgers they’ve ever had? Meanwhile, just who, exactly, is really “lovin’ it”?

The lesson: spend your time creating great products and services that your customers love. The things we normally associate with brands — logos and advertisements — provide a simple way for your customers to recall their experience. They aren’t a substitute for the experience itself. Improving the taste of a McDonalds burger is where I think they should be spending their branding dollars.

If you’re an entrepreneur building a business don’t worry too much about your visual presence. Hire a Graphic Designer you trust and let her/him go to work. Your efforts should be spent listening to customers and then constantly improving your product/service to better serve them. Dazzle them. Give them something to talk about. That, in my opinion, is what brand building is all about.

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