In business, just like in life, the things we neglect tend to come back and bite us hard.
But here’s the thing. You wouldn’t drive your car for years without a service—ignoring oil changes, skipping brake checks, and hoping the red flashing light gives up and goes away. Yet, so many brand owners do exactly that, a set and forget approach rather than a growth mindset. They push forward without maintaining their most valuable asset: their brand.
So then, when sales stall, customer loyalty drops, or competitors overtake them, they panic and slam the brakes—pouring millions into a complete overhaul that could have been avoided with regular brand maintenance.
This isn’t just a gut feel—it’s backed by science from the world cleverest marketing academics, and my 28 years of experience. International marketing guru David Aaker warns brand owners that neglecting your brand identity erodes equity and trust—two things you can’t afford to lose in an oversaturated market. Enter 2025—global political upheaval, an unstable Australian economy and an even greater reason for consumers to be cynical of change. Professor Jenni Romaniuk’s research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, proves that brand growth comes from consistent reinforcement of distinctive assets and mental availability. And while some brands absolutely have left it too long, if you service regularly- this is an effective strategy.
When you ignore regular servicing on your car, problems build up under the hood. The same happens within the ecosystem of brands. Ignore the warning signs that protect your relevancy and you could be dealing with:
🚨 Brand Drifting – Your messaging, identity, and customer experience become disjointed, confusing consumers. One day you’re premium, the next day you’re discount—what do you actually stand for?
🚨 Loss of Distinctiveness – Ehrenberg-Bass research shows that brands grow by owning unique, consistent brand assets—visual assets, colour system, packaging, digital footprint, tone of voice. Lose them, and you lose recognition. A bolt comes loose.
🚨 Market Irrelevance – Consumer needs shift. Competitors evolve. If you don’t adapt, you become the Blockbuster in a Netflix world.
🚨 Rebrand Backlash – Skip the tune-ups, and suddenly you’re forced into a high-risk overhaul—often with catastrophic results (Tropicana, Twitter – anyone?).
If you wait too long, your only option is a high-cost, high-risk brand reinvention—the equivalent of waiting for your engine to seize before you take it to a mechanic.
Take Gap’s 2010 brand disaster. In an attempt to modernise, they ditched their iconic blue square for a sterile, corporate-looking typeface. The backlash was so immediate and intense that they reverted back within six days. That’s a $100 million lesson in why you don’t mess with brand equity overnight. And more recently Jaguar? Time will tell on that example.
Compare that to Arnott’s approach. Over the decades, they’ve refreshed Australia’s beloved Tim Tam, never reinvented—modernising through playful and unexpected flavour innovations without stripping away the core. Injecting energy through innovation and playful collaborations. Their iconic brown, classicTim Tam script, and product imagery is recognised by millions from London to Dubbo. They have evolved, I know that from experience, but that’s brand maintenance done right.
To service your brand regularly, here’s my top principles:
✅ Regular Distinctive Asset Audit – Are your visual assets, colour strategy, visual and written ecosystem (website, packaging, advertising, socials, annual reports etc) still recogniszable? Do people associate them with your brand? If not, you need a tune-up.
✅ Check Brand Alignment – Is your positioning still relevant? Does your messaging match what customers expect from you today? Has your positioning evolved but your brand assets stayed the same?
✅ Track Mental Availability – When consumers think about your category, does your brand come to mind? If not, you’re fading into the background. Engage with highest quality research you can afford to help
✅ Test Your Market Presence – Are you showing up in the right channels, with the right tone of voice, at the right time?
✅ Evolve, Don’t Overhaul – Refresh your look, refine your tone, and update your assets gradually. Major overhauls should be strategic, not reactive.
Brand neglect is like ignoring that flashing ‘check engine’ light. You might not see the impact today, but down the track, you’ll pay for it. And by then, you might be stuck on the side of the road, doom scrolling on LinkedIn to keep your options open!
The most valuable brands in the Australia—from Bunnings to Aesop, invest in their brand constantly, not just when there’s a crisis. They don’t panic-rebrand. They strategically recalibrate – often.
So, the question is: Is your brand roadworthy, or are you one flashing light away from disaster? 🚗💨
