4 Common Mistakes That Cheapen a Luxury Brand

Research has shown that the visual appeal of a website can be assessed in just 50 milliseconds.

So if you’re not instantly projecting luxury from the moment someone lays eyes on your site, it could be game over before your audience even knows what you have to offer. 

Because a luxury brand can still look cheap. And if the first impression someone has of your brand is that your products, services or standards are cheap, it can be hard to overcome that first impression. 

As someone who has spent the last 15+ years working with luxury brands, there are some simple mistakes I’ve seen luxury businesses make that cheapen their brand and plant seeds of doubt in their audience’s minds. 

So let’s take a closer look at the 4 most common mistakes so you can avoid them when building your brand…

Mistake 1: The Trend Obsession

With ‘Go viral’ becoming a pretty big goal for most businesses in recent years, the idea of jumping on every trend that circulates on social media can be tempting.

While going viral can be beneficial for certain businesses, it’s not a magic solution and absolutely shouldn’t be sought after at the expense of your reputation or of the branding you’ve worked so hard on perfecting.

The reality is that, in a marketing sense, not every trend is going to be a right fit, match your tone, products or services. 

Yes, some trends will absolutely align with your brand, but not everything will. And ultimately, nothing is worth sacrificing your brand value for the purpose of getting a few extra views because something is trending.

My advice: Use trends strategically. Be discerning and only follow a trend if it truly aligns with your ethos, standards and wider branding. 

Mistake 2: Taking the Middle Road

It turns out it’s true what they say: If you try to speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one. 

Leaning into your unique brand personality and your distinctiveness can feel scary. 

It can be polarising and leave you vulnerable because when you hold a certain stance and stay rooted in what you believe, you naturally isolate people who don’t align with your brand. 

But this is a good thing!

In fact, it’s an essential part of building a strong, luxury brand. You aren’t meant to appeal to everyone. You’re meant to draw in clients who resonate with your brand. 

Staying neutral and safe just makes you blend in and can result in you looking less confident, cheapening your brand in the process.

My advice: Distinction is an asset in luxury branding; don’t stay in the middle lane because it’s safe! You have a message to share; don’t be afraid to stand proud in it!

Mistake 3: Inconsistent Photography

Think of a luxury brand. 

Now think about their brand photography. 

I bet you weren’t thinking of an iPhone photo or a group of images with mismatched lighting and backgrounds. 

When it comes to luxury branding, especially photography, two things can make a huge difference: consistency and the details.

And nothing can cheapen a brand faster than product photos with bad styling or lighting. 

It doesn’t matter how great the design of the brand is; if you’re using photographers with different styles, not using good lighting or editing each photo differently, you’ll be giving off mixed messages.

Your audience wants recognisable, polished consistency and rushed or ill-thought-out photography is one of the biggest ways I see brands accidentally cheapening the look and feel of their businesses.

My advice: Have a clear direction with your photography and maintain consistency throughout the shooting and editing process. 

Mistake 4: Polished but forgettable

Unfortunately, I’ve seen it time and time again in my years as a luxury brand designer. Pretty and polished brands that lack substance.

It’s easy to create a sleek brand, but if you’re not careful and intentional with each element, your branding can become polished but forgettable pretty quickly.

This is what makes luxury branding, luxury.

Because it’s designed to project your passion, capture your uniqueness and pour depth and meaning into every part of the brand. 

Luxury branding isn’t just choosing something neutral for the sake of aesthetics.

It’s about intentionally building something that is infused with purpose and blends strategy with artistry and emotional intelligence so that every element is communicating with your audience. 

My advice: When it comes to luxury brand design, you need to go beyond what looks polished. You need to have the substance to back it up, as this is what will draw your people in. 

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If you want to explore how luxury branding can transform the way people engage with, remember and represent your brand, get in touch and let’s chat about how we can make sure your brand represents the talent, love and vision you poured into creating it in the first place!