Brand Gardening: Uprooting Weaknesses and Growing Strengths
Over the last few months, I’ve been slowly developing green fingers. Gardening has gone from being a daunting mystery to something I genuinely enjoy — and the more I get my hands in the soil, the more I realise it has a lot in common with building and maintaining a strong brand.
One thing I’ve noticed recently, especially with all the rain we've had, is just how quickly weeds can take over. You can be making great progress with your garden — beautiful flowers blooming, strong shrubs growing — and then out of nowhere, weeds creep in. If you leave them too long, they start to dominate. But interestingly, most weeds have shallow roots. Once you spot them, they’re fairly easy to remove.
Brands work in much the same way.
At their core, the strongest brands are like thriving gardens — rooted in purpose, nurtured with consistency, and designed with vision. But even the best brands are not immune to the odd "weed" creeping in. These weeds can take many forms: confusing messaging, inconsistent visuals, a lapse in customer experience, or a diluted sense of purpose. They’re not always obvious at first, but they spread. And if you’re not keeping a close eye, they can overshadow your strongest assets.
Spotting the Weeds (Brand Weaknesses)
Just like in a garden, the first step is observation. Here are some tell-tale signs that weeds may be creeping into your brand:
- Inconsistency: Is your tone of voice shifting too often? Does your visual identity vary across platforms?
- Loss of clarity: Has your audience stopped understanding what you stand for?
- Low engagement: Are customers not responding the way they used to?
- Internal misalignment: Are your team members unsure of the brand's direction or values?
The good news is, once spotted, many of these issues are shallow-rooted. With a bit of care and focus, they can be cleared out to make space for stronger, healthier growth.
Nurturing the Roots (Brand Strengths)
Strong brands, like strong plants, have deep roots. These are the foundational elements that support growth even in challenging environments:
- Clear Purpose: Know why you exist and let everything you do reflect that.
- Consistency: In your voice, your visuals, and your values.
- Customer Experience: Every touchpoint should feel intentional and authentic.
- Adaptability: Healthy brands, like healthy gardens, evolve with the seasons.
When you invest in these strengths — when you water them, protect them, and give them room to grow — your brand becomes more resilient and recognisable.
A Gardener’s Mindset
Branding isn’t a one-time job, it’s a practice. Just like a garden, it requires regular maintenance, attention to detail, and a bit of love. And just like the joy I get from seeing a new bloom or a healthy patch of green where weeds once were, there’s something incredibly satisfying about watching a brand grow stronger through intentional care.
Whether you're just starting out or are knee-deep in a brand refresh, adopting a gardener’s mindset can be transformational. Be observant. Be patient. Don’t be afraid to pull out what no longer serves the bigger picture. And most of all, celebrate the growth — because you’ve earned it.