October 16, 2008

I just gave another webinar through CUES titled “The 7 Deadly Branding Sins.” These are the 7 biggest strategic errors financial institutions make. They are broad generalized observations based on my first-hand experience evaluating 75 financial brands over an 8-year period.

Here is the executive summary:

1. DELUSIONS OF BRANDEUR
   Thinking you have a brand strategy when you really don’t.
2. TOXIC SAMENESS
   Looking, acting and sounding like everyone else.
3. LCD SYNDROME
   Trying to appeal to everyone (e.g., the Lowest Common Denominator).
4. CRIMINAL NEGLECT
   A failure to commit. Not supporting the brand with time, energy and money.
5. CULTURAL AUTISM
   Staff don’t know what the brand is or understand how to live it out.
6. BRANDING SCHIZOPHRENIA
   Delivering an inconsistent look-and-feel and/or experience.
7. COSMETIC FIXATION
   Undue significance or attention placed on the brand’s identity (it’s look and feel).

Tip of the Hat: To Ron Shevlin, for his coining of the phrase “Delusions of Brandeur.”

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• 7 Things That Can Kill Your Bank’s Brand
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• Results 2.0: Social media for financial institutions
• The Future of Branches

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