Failure Stories: Lessons Learned from Branding Attempts and Strategies to Avoid Mistakes

Failure is an inevitable reality in the business world. There are many challenging stories in the

experiences of entrepreneurs, even in the early stages of building major brands. However, these obstacles and difficulties can also provide significant learning opportunities. How does failure during branding attempts provide a learning opportunity, and how can these experiences lay the foundation for successful brands?

Brand Purpose: Making a Difference with Your Belief

The first step in creating a brand is to clearly understand "what your brand exists for." This is where the brand purpose comes into play. The brand purpose expresses what a brand aims to achieve in the industry and why it exists. For example, Harley Davidson clearly states its belief in timeless adventure and freedom for the soul. The brand purpose reflects the unique identity and values of the brand and its ability to convey them clearly to customers. Failed brands often struggle due to the lack of a clear purpose or belief.

Values: Responding to Customer Needs

Another critical factor in creating a brand is determining which values the brand embraces and how it responds to consumer needs. Values shape the identity and way of doing business for the brand. For instance, Apple embraces values like originality, creativity, and simplicity, which are clearly reflected in the design and marketing of its products. Values show consumers what the brand focuses on and what kind of experience it aims to provide. Successful brands express these values clearly and offer a value-focused experience to customers.

Brand Culture: Foster Internal Ownership

The process of creating a brand requires more than just external efforts; it also involves the establishment of an internal culture. Brand culture strengthens brand loyalty by creating a strong connection between employees and customers and provides uniqueness and consistency that sets the brand apart from competitors. Successful brands effectively establish brand culture and integrate it into all aspects of their organizations and communications.

For example, Starbucks is known not only for selling coffee but also for providing a unique experience to customers. Starbucks employees are trained with the aim of offering a friendly and personalized service. The presence of free Wi-Fi, spacious work tables, and the unique aroma of coffee has made Starbucks a preferred place for both students and business professionals to work outside of their offices. Despite the high prices of coffee, the sense of belonging it creates in customers is undeniable.

Famous Brands' Stories of Failure: Learning Opportunities

Great achievements often begin with great challenges.

When Walt Disney lost the rights to the animated character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, he experienced a significant disappointment. However, this failure fueled his creativity. Disney drew inspiration from this experience and created Mickey Mouse, whose popularity laid the foundation for Disney's worldwide entertainment empire.

Similarly, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs faced a major disappointment when he was ousted from the company in 1985, but this experience reignited his entrepreneurial spirit. He went on to establish Pixar Animation Studios and embarked on a successful animation career. When he returned to Apple, he led a major transformation of the company, making it known globally as an innovation and design-focused brand. Likewise, Henry Ford was a revolutionary figure in the automotive industry, but he initially failed when he established two automobile companies. However, these experiences helped him develop his vision for automobile production, eventually leading to the creation of Ford Motor Company and revolutionizing the automotive industry.

In conclusion, the success stories of many major brands include numerous obstacles and experiences, along with various brand strategies. The process of branding requires a brand to clearly define its purpose, values, and culture. Great entrepreneurs like Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, and others built internationally recognized brands by learning from their failures. These stories demonstrated that the challenges faced during the branding process are important steps on the path to success and paved the way for new communication strategies.

Elif Irmak Erkek