3 reasons imperfection makes for better branding
How do you feel about perfection? Do you openly refute the concept of perfection and allow yourself to just be an imperfect human? Or do you still expect only the best from yourself, despite not being a robot?
I'm in the 'logically knowing and acknowledging perfection isn't real but still expecting myself to be perfect even though I don't expect it from anyone else' camp.
What a waste of energy, huh.
The thing is, I see people seeking perfection in their business and their branding all. the. time.
The fear of "not getting it right' holds them back from pushing their product or service, or from sharing their business with the world.
I don't know if that's you but if it is, here's something that will help loosen the ties of your perfection straight-jacket. Imperfection makes for better branding. And I'm going to prove it to you.
Proof #1. The best musicians create imperfection on purpose.
Have you heard of the chorus effect? It's when musicians layer voices or instruments at almost the same pitch. It's purposeful imperfection to create a richer sound - think Gospel Choir vs autotune. Or going to see your favourite artists live vs on the radio.
The Beatles, Nirvana and Metallica all favour/ed it. That should be all the proof you need.
Proof #2. Native ad content engages better than polished.
Making ads look native to the platform they're on, means making them look like they would if they were created in that app. For example, a TikTok ad that looks like it was created in TikTok vs a TikTok ad created outside of the app. Or an advertorial in a magazine that feels like it's another article, vs an advertorial that looks and feels like an advertorial.
In the digital space, the ads that look native get on average 8.8x the number of click-throughs than the ones that are too polished.
Audiences don't want to feel like there's an ad interrupting them, skipping past anything that feels too 'addy'. And perfection is a dead giveaway.
Proof #3. Imperfection creates connection.
It's hard to connect with someone who doesn't have a personality, keeping all of their quirks and character inside to present a plastic ideal. There's no warmth, no authenticity. It's like trying to live in a show home vs living in a home that feels like you.
Look at it this way, home-made cookies get you compliments (even when they're a tiny bit
overcooked or less 'perfect' than you would like) while store-bought ones don't.
The jumper your nana knitted feels way more special than the one from ASOS.
My own imperfect circles in the doodle below have 1000x the personality and fun than a row of perfect circles would.
Why? Imperfection is different, so it catches the eyes and the brain. Not to mention it makes your brand feel human which, in a world of increasing AI content, is going to become even more unique (and therefore even more of a way to stand out).
Humans connect with imperfections. And since your audience is human your branding should take that into consideration.
On a final note, being imperfect doesn't mean not trying.
You still want your brand to be professional and polished, but with enough personality and character to stop it from being inhuman.
Whether that's:
- Using the little mistakes you make as content
- Having some fun with your branding shoots so they feel as far from stock photos as possible
- Sharing the grit behind the work (like I did with BonnyCo recently)
- Looking at creating enough imperfection in your ads to feel native
- Or getting super clear on the human characteristics of your brand, like its sarcastic tone of voice or obsession with dog memes...
Embracing your brand's imperfections will make for more connection - which is what branding is all about.
Have fun losing the straight-jacket.
