Ep 2. Why Your Brand Feels Bland (and the Ingredient That Fixes It)
Nourish Your Brand · Episode 2
Picture a pot of soup simmering away in front of you. It looks good. It might even smell amazing. Then you taste it and... hmm. Something's missing. It's a bit flat. A bit forgettable. Not nearly as good as it smelled.
That's a brand without salt. Today we're talking about the unassuming little ingredient that changes everything, your point of view, and why it's the thing that takes your brand from "fine" to actually memorable. Let's get into it.
Your point of view
The branding equivalent of salt is your point of view. It's the thing that brings personality into your brand. A pinch of it instantly lifts the whole flavour.
Your brand works exactly the same way as that pot of soup. Without a distinct point of view, or that dash of personality, it just feels a bit bland. It blends into the background, indistinguishable from every other brand out there. And that's not what we want, is it? The right amount of salt brings depth, it brings character, and most importantly it leaves a memorable taste in the mouth. Your audience goes "oh yeah, that one. I remember them."
Why a bland brand gets forgotten
Without your distinct flavour, without the essence of who you are, your brand risks becoming a bit meh. Not bad. Just fine. And fine is forgettable.
When you're forgettable, people don't notice you, and if they don't notice you they never get to find out about the brilliant things you actually do. The whole point is to be noticed, remembered, and connected with, so people stick around long enough to want to work with you.
How I made food my point of view
If you don't already know, my whole point of view is food. I talk about branding through food. It's fun, it's memorable, and it has made all the difference in the world for my business.
I'll be honest, at first I worried it might be confusing. Why is she talking about soup and branding in the same breath? But instead of confusing people, it did the opposite. It made me memorable. People go "oh you're the one who talks about food and branding, I love that." That's the salt doing its job.
How to find your own point of view
Start by not being afraid of adding that little extra something. Ask yourself what actually makes you you. What are your passions? What's a bit quirky about you? What do your friends say makes you interesting? How did you come to build your brand in the first place? There's usually something in there.
For me it was food. I leaned all the way into the thing I love and mashed it together with branding to create a point of view that's completely mine. Yours might be something that has nothing to do with your industry on paper. Bring it in anyway. That's often exactly what makes you stand out.
Getting the balance right
Balance is everything here. Too little salt and your brand fades into the background, with people not quite catching what makes you different. Too much and you risk overwhelming people and making it confusing. I've pushed it too far myself, and had to dial it back and get clearer about where my point of view comes from so it landed instead of muddling things.
So season to taste. Keep adjusting until your personality shines and genuinely resonates with the people who come across it. If you'd like a hand working out what your salt actually is, that's the kind of thing we get clear on in a Brand Recipe session.
Ask yourself this week
Have a taste of your own brand this week.
Is it memorable, or is it a bit meh?
Could someone describe what makes you different in one sentence?
If the answer's fuzzy, you probably need a bit more salt. Go back to the things that make you you, and start seasoning.
The bottom line
Your point of view is what makes you special. It's what makes you stand out, and in a sea of same, that's everything. Without it you blend in. With it, people connect, remember, and come back.
If you want a guiding hand figuring out what your salt is and how much to fold into your brand, that's exactly what I do inside the Brand Kitchen, my full rebrand sprint where we revamp your branding into something perfectly seasoned for you. Want to see if it's a fit? Book a free Brand Pairing call and let's have a proper chat. No pressure, no hard sell.
Related episodes:
Ep 1. Brand foundations: the two ingredients every brand needs
Ep 56. Do you have a signature offer?
Ep 61. Why your visuals struggle before you even start
Resources mentioned
Brand Kitchen – my 7-day full rebrand sprint to get your brand perfectly seasoned for you
The Spread – my email newsletter, with new episodes and branding bits straight to your inbox
Here's More…
What does "point of view" mean in branding?
It's the personality and perspective that makes your brand unmistakably yours, the salt that flavours everything. It's the reason someone remembers you instead of the ten other brands that do something similar.
Why does my brand feel bland or forgettable?
Usually it's missing its salt. The visuals might be fine, but there's no distinct point of view coming through, so nothing sticks. Lean into what makes you you and your brand stops blending into the background.
How do I find my brand's personality?
Look at your passions, your quirks, the things friends say make you interesting, and the story of why you started. There's often something there that has nothing to do with your industry on paper but makes you stand out the moment you bring it in. If you want help pinning it down, the Brand Recipe session is built for exactly that.
About the host
I'm Aiza, the brand chef behind Studio Coya, a branding studio with a food-themed twist. I help established coaches, creators and service providers brand their signature offers so their best work looks as good as it actually is, and sells like hotcakes.
