Why Most Companies and Organizations Waste Time on "Branding"

Typical branding campaigns focus on the fluff and not the substance.  Graphic identity - logos, taglines, fonts, colors and other design aspects - is the focus of many branding campaigns as well as the effort to "refresh" the brand.  Ask yourself. Do you ever make a customer or client choice based on a logo or because your hospital, insurance company  or non-profit changed their logo?  Not likely. Unfortunately, much time and money is spent on applying the makeup and avoiding the grunt work.  Brands are built and sustained by how you treat your customers, their interactions with you, the products and services you offer, and the points of contact with your employees. Relationship building shapes and fortifies your brand. This is challenging and never-ending work.  And why the easier road to 'brand" building through graphic identity is travelled more often and with disappointing results.