Here’s the thing—your brand is your baby. We get that. We feel that. We live that. And yes, as the saying goes, “it takes a village.” So, you want your team involved. That makes total sense… until it doesn’t.

Because when branding decisions are made by consensus instead of clarity, the result is almost always the same: watered-down work that pleases no one and inspires even less.

And honestly? Your baby deserves better. No one puts Baby in the corner. Especially not us.

Why it happens

While we will absolutely die on this hill – we get why it happens, and it’s usually because founders (at least the ones we work with) are really f*cking good people. They want to be democratic leaders, and they want their people to buy in 100%. Who wouldn’t? But in our experience, you need your team to buy into your “Why” rather than “Why is the Z in your logo shaped like that?”. 

The hidden cost of too many opinions

Oh gurl, we could rant about this for years, but we’ll keep it short and obvious: The more opinions, the more revisions, the more money, honey. Simple as that.

We also like the adage “If you tried to make an ice cream flavor that pleased absolutely everyone, you’d end up with vanilla.” and unless you’re Breyers, it’s gonna be pretty hard to make solid revenue on vanilla money.

Playing it safe doesn’t just dilute the creative – it makes it harder to stand out, connect with your audience, and build long-term brand value. So in summation: too many opinions don’t just cost more during the process – they can cost you when you launch, too.

What strong brands do instead

They don’t try to cram every opinion into the process or smooth every edge until the work is safe and sterile. Instead, they’re decisive. They’re thoughtful, but they don’t overthink. They understand that bold choices – and even a bit of friction – are necessary for something great to take shape.

They also know that trying to appeal to everyone is a fast track to being forgettable. So they own their niche. They make intentional choices. And once they’re in, they stay in. And a fun statistical fact for all our fellow nerds out there: Consistency can increase revenue by up to 23%. 

And when it’s time to launch? They execute hard. Blume’s SuperBelly rollout is a prime example: a tight, cohesive campaign from every angle. That only happens when you protect the creative from getting watered down – and trust the process enough to run with it.

How to give better feedback (without killing the creative)

We love feedback. For real. But the kind that keeps the work moving forward – not sideways, upside down, and over to your Great Aunt Jean’s house.

Here’s how to keep things apple crisp: assign a single point of contact to collect and distill internal notes before they reach your creative team. A unified voice = a unified vision. 

Next, focus on what’s not working, not how to fix it. We do a set of yes and no traits prior to our concept phase, so we always tell our clients to focus on those words; “This feels fussy” or “This feels too cold” is gold. “Can you try a pink leopard print background?” is… not. Let your creative team solve the problem – we promise that’s where the magic happens. 

And finally: if your sister, the aforementioned Great Aunt Jean, or group chat doesn’t “get it,” take that with a grain of salt. Good design isn’t made by consensus, remember? It’s made with intention.

And once everything’s said and done

Protect your baby. The best brands don’t just hire talented designers – they protect the creative vision from too many cooks in the kitchen. If you want bold, beautiful, effective work, make space for it to thrive and please, for the love of god, don’t make anything in Canva without studying your brand guide like you’re taking your last exam in med school tomorrow. 

Okay that’s all. Love you bye. 

Rik

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