I seek a peaceful life.

My perfect break is being in the middle of nowhere with a beautiful view and zero phone signal. As far away from any other soul who isn’t my wife or my strange little dog.

He’s called Bean if you were wondering, and is about the size of a toaster.

But do I think everybody should do this? Of course not. Your ideal trip could be swimming with hungry sharks or riding a quad bike through fire. You might be one of those people who jumps out of an aeroplane and trusts that a giant bedsheet will land them safely on the ground.

Or it might not be as extreme as that, you probably just have slightly different preferences to me.

And that’s exactly the sort of thing that can threaten your next branding project. (Note: not the hungry sharks, the personal preference thing.)

The danger of letting what you like overshadow what’s best for your clients

Let me begin with a cautionary tale.

A financial planner I worked with (let’s call him Norbert) was in the process of a rebrand. It was time to freshen up the visual identity of the business, so we were exploring how the logo and the colour palette might look.

Now, Norbert was an intense football fan. Naturally, this meant that for him, certain colours were illegal. Any colours even remotely associated with a rival team caused a visible reaction when spoken about.

Blue good! Red bad! Or maybe it was the other way around, but you get the point.

“Norbert, are your clients big football fans then? This seems to be the only thing driving your opinion on colour”.

“No, not at all. Many of my clients are rugby fans. In fact, I don’t think any of them care much about football”.

Rather than think about what was right for his clients, Norbert’s blinkers blocked out most of the colours in the rainbow. This limited our ability to develop a coherent palette that would encapsulate the values of the business and attract ideal clients.

And of course, what about if the few clients that were interested in football supported the rival team?

Now, Norbert is no outlier. All of us, myself included, get caught up in our own tastes and instincts. But here’s the truth: your brand isn’t about you. It’s about your clients.

Personal preference peril

Why is it so easy to confuse “what I like” with “what is right”?

It’s natural – we all gravitate toward things that resonate with us personally. But when we let those preferences dictate our branding, we risk creating a disconnect with the people who matter most: our clients.

Think about it. Branding is your promise to your audience.

It’s the way you show them you understand their hopes, fears, and values. If your branding speaks more about your personality than theirs, you’re leaving an opportunity on the table to build trust and connection.

What does client-centric branding look like?

It starts with stepping into their shoes. Ask yourself:

• What do my clients care about?
• How do they need to feel when they engage with my brand?
• Why would they choose me over my competitors?
• Where can I demonstrate my values visually?

This approach isn’t about guessing or projecting. It’s much easier than that!

It’s about listening and learning. You already know your clients, and you know the type of client you want to attract more of. Building a brand that represents you and your values, and also demonstrates you understand the things that are important to your audience, is a fine balance – but, it’s an important one.

Can you avoid personal bias?

The simple answer: of course not.

Bias exists everywhere, but rather than avoid it, you should work to understand it.

A good friend of Yardstick, the lovely Neil Bage, has written extensively on bias. In fact, you can order a copy of the guide he produced with us on behavioural biases to use with your own clients. It’s focused on how bias impacts financial decisions, but much of the logic applies to your own marketing.

As financial advisers and planners, you already know the value of putting your clients first. Your brand should do the same. By focusing on what’s right for your clients – not just what you like – you’ll build a brand that connects, resonates, and drives loyalty.

My challenge to you

The next time you’re faced with a branding decision, pause. Ask yourself, “Is this for me, or is this for them?”

That’s where we come in. Our team know how to support you when negotiating the tricky waters of personal preference. And we can certainly identify when football colours might be playing a larger part than they have any right to. Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.