/

October 6, 2020

Top 10 Branding Mistakes Nigerian Startups Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Starting a business in Nigeria is no small feat. From unstable power to unpredictable policies, entrepreneurs have enough to deal with. But one thing that’s often neglected, yet crucial for long-term growth is branding. Many Nigerian startups treat branding as just a logo or a social media handle, but it’s much more. Branding is how people perceive your business, trust it, and connect with it emotionally.

Here are the top 10 branding mistakes Nigerian startups make and how you can avoid them:

Not Defining a Brand Strategy

Too many startups dive straight into marketing without answering basic questions like: Who are we? What do we stand for? Who are we talking to?
Solution: Define your brand strategy from day one. Clarify your mission, vision, values, and target audience. This foundation will guide everything from your tone of voice to your product packaging.

Inconsistent Visual Identity

If your logo is orange today and blue tomorrow, your font changes every week, it confuses customers and makes you look unprofessional.
Solution: Create a simple brand style guide. Stick to the same logo, colors, fonts, and imagery across all platforms, both online and offline.

Copying Big Brands Blindly

Many Nigerian startups mimic successful global brands — assuming that if it worked for them, it’ll work here. But what works for Apple or Amazon might not work for your Lagos-based tech or food startup.
Solution: Learn from big brands, but don’t clone them. Build a brand that reflects your own values, culture, and audience.

Ignoring Local Context

Your brand name sounds cool in English, but it doesn’t connect with your Nigerian audience. Or worse, it means something odd in a local language.
Solution: Always test your brand name and messaging with locals. Use language, stories, and images that resonate with your target audience’s daily life.

Confusing Branding with Marketing

Your brand name sounds cool in English, but it doesn’t connect with your Nigerian audience. Or worse, it means something odd in a local language.
Solution: Always test your brand name and messaging with locals. Use language, stories, and images that resonate with your target audience’s daily life.

Trying to Appeal to Everyone

Some startups try to target “everyone”: students, the working class, retirees, and even toddlers. That’s a recipe for confusion.
Solution: Start with a niche. It’s better to deeply connect with 1,000 loyal customers than to vaguely appeal to 10,000 uninterested ones.

Overcomplicating the Message

If your brand description sounds like a PhD thesis, people will scroll past. Nigerian customers value simplicity and clarity.
Solution: Use plain, everyday language. Instead of saying “we provide disruptive logistics solutions,” say “we help you deliver packages faster and cheaper.”

Not Investing in Quality Design

Many startups use poorly designed logos, blurry flyers, and crowded Instagram posts. You have invested so much into your product or service setup, but when it comes to branding for marketing, you don’t put your best foot forward. This gives off a cheap or unserious impression.
Solution: Good design is an investment, not a luxury. If you can’t hire a full-time designer, work with a freelance branding expert to set you up properly.

Neglecting Customer Experience

If customer service is rude, your delivery takes forever and your app crashes, these experiences damage your brand.
Solution: Your brand is not just what you say, it’s what you do. Treat every customer interaction as part of your brand story. Train your staff. Streamline your systems. Deliver on your promises.

Not Evolving With Time

Many startups never revisit their branding after launch. But as your audience grows or shifts, your brand should evolve too.
Solution: Do a brand audit at least once a year. What’s working? What’s outdated? Don’t be afraid to refresh your look or message if it no longer reflects your business goals.

Branding isn’t just for big companies. In fact, in a crowded and competitive market like Nigeria’s, your brand may be the only thing that makes people choose you over your competitors.

If you’re a startup founder or business owner looking to build a brand that connects, converts, and lasts, don’t wait until it’s too late. 

Are you ready to build a brand that people trust, or are you looking to improve on your branding? Let Leading Digitals help you create a brand that truly stands out.

From the same category