How to Tell If Your Brand Is Confusing (And What to Do About It)
Have you ever seen a brand and thought, Wait… what do they actually do? You’re not alone. In one study, nearly 70% of consumers said they couldn’t explain what most brands offer after visiting their websites.
That’s the cost of confusion. When people can’t follow your story, they move on. Here are five clear signs your brand is confusing — and how to get people back on track.
1. People keep asking what you actually do.
If you’re explaining your business in every conversation, something’s off. Clever headlines and abstract language sound nice — but they don’t stick.
Fix: Develop your baseline positioning and focus on clarity. Say what you do in simple, strong words before adding personality or polish. Try asking your employees how they explain your business to their friends and family. Find common words and phrases to form your baseline positioning.
2. Your service hierarchy is messy.
If your offerings feel scattered, people don’t know where to start. And they definitely don’t know what matters most. When everything looks equally important, nothing stands out.
A clear hierarchy tells your audience what to pay attention to first, what’s secondary, and what’s optional. It’s the difference between a menu and a map to your business.
Fix: Lead with your core offer — the thing that defines you — then show how everything else supports it. Simplify the path so your customer knows exactly where to begin.
3. Your services are grouped in ways that don’t make sense.
When unrelated things are lumped together, people can’t connect the dots. It’s like walking into a store where the shoes, snacks, and shampoo all live on the same shelf. Super disorienting!
Grouping services by external logic (how they buy) instead of internal structure (how you operate) makes sense for your customers. People want to see patterns that make sense from their perspective, not yours.
Fix: Organize by logic, not logistics. Survey your audience and host user interviews to understand their POV of your offering. Then, use clear categories that make your offerings feel intentional, not accidental.
4. Your visuals and your voice don’t match.
If you look like a Gen Z lifestyle brand but talk like a corporate consultant, your audience won’t know who you’re for. That mismatch creates cognitive dissonance — people sense something’s “off,” even if they can’t name it.
A brand’s look and language should tell the same story. When they clash, it feels like a costume on the wrong character.
Fix: Align tone and visuals. If you manage a large brand team, make sure your tone of voice expert and visual expert are attached at the hip.
5. Your team tells ten different stories.
When everyone describes the brand their own way, confusion spreads internally and externally. One person says you’re a strategy firm. Another says you’re a creative studio. A third says you “do marketing.” Suddenly, even you’re not sure what you do anymore.
That lack of alignment seeps into meetings, marketing, and messaging. If your team isn’t clear, your audience certainly will be confused.
Fix: Get everyone reading from the same page. Clarify your story, codify your key messages, and make sure everyone can explain what you do in one sentence. A clear internal story becomes a consistent external one — and that’s what builds trust.
Ready to unconfuse things?
A confusing brand doesn’t mean you’re bad at what you do. It just means people can’t see it clearly yet. It takes time to really hone in your brand identity.
Strong brands don’t just have a logo and a tagline — they have a clear position in the market, defined audience segments, a sharp message, and a voice that sounds unmistakably theirs. They know their values, mission, and vision. They’ve built creative guidelines that keep everything consistent… from the first headline to the hundredth post.
That’s the work we do at Zage. Strategy, messaging, positioning, tone, and creative, all aligned around one clear story. Ready to find yours? Book your free consultation.
