💰 How to Build a Premium Brand (Without Blending In)

You’ve probably said it. I’ve definitely said it. “I want my brand to feel premium.” 

But here’s the thing, when everyone’s trying to look luxe, it all starts to look the same. In this episode, I’m calling out the Pinterest-perfect branding trap and sharing why chasing the “premium” vibe might actually be holding your business back.

We’ll chat about:

• What premium really means (hint: it’s not beige with gold foil)
• The branding mistakes that make you blend in
• Why playing it safe is the opposite of high-end
• And how to build a brand that’s actually aligned, magnetic, and irresistible

Plus, I’m giving you five practical steps to shift your branding from meh, without losing yourself in the process. 

So if your brand feels flat, safe, or too similar to someone else’s... this one’s for you.

x Morgan

Connect with me:

• Follow The Fearless Designer on Instagram
  @the.fearless.designer
  
  
• Head to The Fearless Designer Website for more info
  www.thefearlessdesigner.com.au

Transcript

Hello. Welcome back to the Fearless Designer podcast. I am Morgan, as always, and I am the fearless designer. And today I am attempting to be fearless. As I record this episode, I've had to have a quick pep talk to myself. A couple of deep breaths calmed the brain down, and here I am. So I'm really excited to chat to you today about something that I think all of my episodes are about, something that I find a common thread in with what I do as a graphic designer and a brand designer. And there's probably one word that I hear more often than not, and it's probably because I work with a very specific audience, a very specific client, and the word that's thrown around in a lot of these branding conversations, and to be honest, I think it's lost its meaning, is the word premium.

Everyone wants a premium looking brand. Everyone, everyone wants to look luxe. Everyone wants it to look elevated or high end. And to be honest, I've probably used it to describe my brand at some point. You probably have too, and so has million of other business owners. And I think that's where the problem comes in. It's because everyone's trying to make their brand look premium. And when everyone starts to do that, it kind of starts to look the same.

So trying to look premium. Here's my little truth bomb. Trying to look premium is not actually the same as being premium. So today I wanted to dive into the branding choices that are actually keeping your business stuck and why mimicking a vibe instead of owning your own space is going to be really detrimental to your brand's growth. So I can't wait to show you more of what to do instead and kind of demystify this word premium. Hello and welcome to the Fearless Designer podcast. I'm your host, Morgan MacDonald, aka the fearless designer, and I'm here to help you embrace your fears, level up your visual brand, and take your business to fearless new heights. For two decades, I've worked with business owners just like you, designing brands that are bold, consistent and authentic.

I've lived a profesh corporate life as a graphic designer and I've also spent the last 13 years running my own brand and graphic design business. So whether you're running a six or seven figure business, craving a brand refresh, or just ready to add a little more wow to your visuals, I got you. Each week we'll dive into fearless brand strategies, design tips that you actually can use, live brand audits, and interviews with fellow business owners who have dared to do things differently. So if you're ready to stop Playing small. Take control of your brand and lead with confidence. You're in the right place. Let's go. Okay, let's break it down.

To start with. When a client says, I want my brand to feel premium, what they usually mean is that they want to attract higher paying clients, that they want their brand to look polished and professional, that they want their brand to feel intentional and high quality. And they want to feel like a big deal, like their business is a big deal. And I totally, totally get it. It's valid and I love all of that. But when the visuals come in, it kind of feels like they've kind of hopped onto Pinterest, typed premium branding into the search bar and have used all of that inspiration that's come up. And most of these pins probably come from 2017. And you know what they are? They are soft blush pink.

They are off white or warm beige. It's gold foil effects in logos. It's maybe a clean serif font with a little swoosh through it. And there's totally nothing wrong with those elements. But when they're used because you think that they look premium without actually having a brand strategy behind them, that's when it totally falls flat. Because premium isn't a color palette, premium isn't a font, Premium isn't your logo looking like that girl's from Instagram. Premium is an energy. It's a feeling.

It's a full body. Yes. That your client, your dream client gets when they land on your site or they scroll through your feed and they go, oh, wow, this person, this brand knows exactly who it's for. Now let me give you a couple of examples of what trying to look premium usually ends up looking like. It usually ends up looking like a minimalistic aesthetic with zero personality. Just white space and really, really vague messaging. The generic website that looks fine, but it actually says nothing. And you kind of have to pick your path through and decipher what and where to go because it actually says nothing at all.

The overly curated grid with no real voice and branding that's safe and inoffensive. So it's totally forgettable. And this is where I see so many brilliant business women in particular, especially those in service based industries, get stuck. They've got the experience, they've got the creds, they've got the results, but their branding is not doing them any justice at all. And let's just be honest, part of it is fear. Part of it, it's fear of standing out too much. It's fear of being too different, too Bold, too much. But most of all, it's probably the fear of turning someone off by being different.

But here's what I want to say to that. Playing it safe is not what premium brands do. Playing it safe is what brands do when they're scared to commit to their own greatness. Luxury, premium, whatever you want to say, doesn't blend in. It stands out with complete confidence. So let's flip this chat now. Let's talk about what a premium brand actually looks like. First of all, it's super consistent across every platform and every touch point.

It speaks really clearly to a specific audience, not everyone. It blends personality with polish. And I'm going to say that again, it blends personality with polish. It knows exactly what it stands for and it doesn't water that down to be likable. And it's designed with intention, not trend chasing. Think of your some of your absolute favorite high end brands, whether it's fashion, coaching, interiors, wellness, tech, whatever it may be. What they have in common isn't the colors, it's the clarity. They know what they're doing, they know who they're doing it for.

And they don't try to be anything else. That is premium. That's what builds trust. That's what makes people go, oh my God, take my money or oh my God, put me in your community or oh my God, I want to be around this business. And it's not always quiet. Some of the most high end brands are bold, fun, expressive, colorful, even quirky. But they are always deliberate about this, always aligned. So if you're just sitting there thinking, okay Morgan, that's cool, but what the hell do I actually do now? Here is your game plan.

I'm gonna break it down into five things to make sure that you're getting that premium look, that premium brand vibe in your business. First of all, start with your client, not your color palette. Who are they? What do they, what do they need to feel from you in order to trust and invest? Do not start with your color palette, please. Second of all, get really brutally clear on your brand vibe and voice. Not what looks good, what feels aligned, what feels like you, what will draw your right fit client into you and your brand. Third, don't pick fonts and colors because they are elevated. Now I'm doing a little elevated. Pick them because they match your energy.

Premium brands don't fit into a box. They create the box. Fourth, invest in execution. It's not about just having a logo. It's about making sure everything from your Instagram post to Your sales page, they need to feel cohesive, thought out and on brand. And I mean messaging, language, vibe, the whole lot, it needs to feel it's all coming from the one place. And lastly, choose bold alignment over beige approval. You can't attract premium clients with a brand you are not proud of.

Please make your brand undeniable. Make it. You turn the volume all the way up. Give them something different. There are no right or wrong ways to go about this. Make sure you are on fire. Stand out, stand up. It doesn't mean you have to use bright fluorescent colors.

It just needs to be something that you are super proud of. And I just want to add a tiny little point into that list when it comes to creating a visual brand. So putting together your fonts and your colors and all that, please really enmesh yourself into that process. You know what colors you like, you know what fonts that you like. You can do the Pinterest board. We are all in the same boat. We all have tastes that we like. We all have things from our past that connect us to colors and shapes or patterns.

We are all very aware of what we like and we don't like. At the level of business that you're in, it is very easy to outsource the creation of your visual brand, and that is 100% okay. And most designers go through a rigorous briefing process and get all the information that they need to create something really unique to you. But I really implore you to work hand in hand with the designer to make sure that you are getting an outcome that you are really happy with. If they are presenting a font that you are not liking, if your VA is choosing a font in Canva that you're not liking, or it doesn't sit in your brand guidelines or your brand style guide, please use your voice to make sure that what you're doing and what you're creating and what's going out there is on brand for you. All right, that's enough talking to you about that. I feel like I've been telling you off for this whole time. So I want to kind of lead us into a super practical kind of something that you can take away and implement in your branding right now.

Pick three touch points, whether it's your Instagram bio, your website homepage, maybe it could even just be one Canva graphic that you've made recently. And have a look at them and ask yourself these questions. Does this feel like me? Does it feel aligned with the type of client that I actually want to work with? And does it look intentional or does it look like I've just played it safe? And if the answer makes you cringe a little bit, perfect. That's the edge of change. Pick one element this week to upgrade. Not because it's trendy, not because you want to look premium, but because you want it to be undeniably aligned. And that, my friend, that is fearless branding. All right, that's it for me today.

I hope this episode maybe gave you a giggle or helped you understand what an actual premium brand is. And also this is my permission to go and deep in throw in the bin, get rid of all of those luxe premium looking brands from your mood board. You are going to redefine what premium is in your own brand. So please let me know if this episode has given you any thought bubbles or suggestions for you to adapt your own branding. And I am really looking, looking forward to coming back with another episode super, super soon. So thank you so much for joining me and I will catch you very soon. And that's it for today's episode of the Fearless Designer podcast. I hope you're feeling really inspired, fired up and ready to go make some bold moves with your brand.

If you love today's episode, don't forget to hit the subscribe button so that you never miss a dose of fearless branding goodness. And if you're feeling extra generous, drop us a review. It just helps with more fearless legends like you. Find this podcast. If you've got any ideas or questions for future EPS, please slide into my DMs or send me an email. I would love to hear from you. And until next time, keep being bold, keep being fearless and remember, your brand is your superpower. So go out there and dare to be different.