soul proprietor

Last week, a lesson on branding unfolded on my Instagram page. I already wrote a bit about this incident on my weekly Hit List but I’ve decided to write about it again because I think there is an important takeaway for soulful businesses.

Here’s what happened:

I posted a quote on my Instagram page using one of the wonderful graphic squares that artist Jacquelyn Tierney had designed for me a few years back. These squares coordinate beautifully with my website, with pops of purple, turquoise and gold, the colors I’ve been using for my business for years.

The next day, I noticed that someone had left a comment. Expecting something sweet from a friend or fan, I went to look. Instead, the comment was from a fellow tarot reader, someone I had never met. She was insinuating that I had stolen the branding of another tarot reader.

And irony of all ironies, the person she accused me of copying – is the same person who stole my web copy a few years ago. This lead to a flurry of comments from friends and fans – and me. Needless to say, although I’m one who likes to allow people to save face, this commenter unwittingly outed her friend and now it’s up there for the world to see.

How did this happen?

The person who stole my web copy a few years back had recently gone through a rebrand. Instead of keeping her original colors, she decided to go with purple and turquoise. The exact same colors I have been using for years.

Now that her brand colors match mine, her associate mistakenly assumed that I copied her. (Note to associate: as if!) In the future, other people might too.

The lessons in here are three fold.

One, never copy someone else’s work. Period. It’s just not cool. Being yourself in your business means a business you can be proud of. Plus, people like to do business with the “real” you, not a pale imitation of someone else.

Two, ripping off your peers is one day going to backfire. You may be able to hide or switch things around enough to cover your tracks but eventually things come out in the open. Keep your eyes on your own paper and you’ll be fine. If you can’t resist other people’s ideas, it’s time to look outside your industry for inspiration. (I look to hip hop, cooking, movies, and regular doses of Naked and Afraid for my creative inspiration.)

Three, when you are branding or rebranding, choose your aesthetic with care. Using similar colors, fonts, logos, etc. as another person in your industry not only waters down your brand but it can create brand confusion as our example above so brilliantly illustrates. This harms brand equity and integrity. It hurts both businesses.

Keep in mind that people can sell exactly the same thing but it’s important to have your own swag ’n flavor. Take Coke and Pepsi for example. Both sell colas, right? Yet they taste different and their branding is unique to them. There are cheap knockoffs out there too but who wants that when they can have the real thing? (Pun intended.)

The ultimate takeaway from all this mess is to be you. Right down to your colors. It’s all I have ever been and all I ever will be. As should you.

In the meantime, I’m going to keep on doing me. And the colors I chose will remain. Because those are my true colors and they don’t run.

Blessings,
Theresa

© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady 2017

Soul Proprietor Monday Memos

Grow your mind, body, soul business... without losing your mind, body or soul.

I respect your email privacy

Pin It on Pinterest