When clients go rogue
Every branding agency has felt it. That deep, low rumble in the pit of the stomach. Something's wrong in the ether. A client has gone rogue!
You check their socials and, oh no. There it is. Comic Sans. In fluorescent green. On a logo you lovingly created with surgical precision.
Welcome to the wild west of branding, where guidelines are more like polite suggestions, and Canva is the sheriff in town.
“We just tweaked it a little…”
No, you didn't. You gave it a mullet and stuck it on a motorbike.
That carefully selected colour palette you approved after two rounds of revisions? Replaced by something they called “punchier” (read: neon headache). The typography? Now Comic Sans, because “it feels friendlier.” The tone of voice? Somewhere between chatbot and chaotic evil.
It's a special kind of heartbreak watching your brand baby grow up to become an awkward teen covered in glitter and clipart.
Why does this happen?
Well, it’s rarely malice. It's usually one of three things:
The DIY Temptation
“I saw this on TikTok and thought it looked cool!”
No hate to Canva, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Your brand isn’t a school newsletter.Design by Committee
Suddenly, everyone has an opinion. The receptionist thinks the logo should be bigger. The MD's nephew studied art once. You get a Frankenstein brand stitched together from vibes and vibes alone.The Rebellion
The client wants to “stand out.”
But instead of being bold within the brand, they opt for chaos.
Consistency is boring, right? (No. Consistency builds trust. Chaos builds confusion.)
The cost of going rogue
When a client starts hacking away at their own brand guidelines like a budget horror movie, the result isn’t innovation, it’s incoherence.
Here’s what gets lost:
Recognition - Your audience no longer knows it’s you.
Professionalism - You look messy, not bold.
Trust - Inconsistency makes people doubt your credibility.
Investment - All that time, money, and effort you put into getting the brand right? Gone in a blur of gradient text and novelty fonts.
The solution? Education + Boundaries
We get it, clients want to feel in control. But good branding isn’t about control, it’s about cohesion. That’s why we always say:
Your brand guidelines aren’t shackles. They’re care instructions.
They’re not there to limit creativity, they’re there to help it look its best.
Want to make something fresh for a campaign? Great. Let’s work within your brand’s framework to do it well. You don’t need to blow it up every time you want to be “different.”
And if you really want to get creative?
Call us. We’ll help you do it right, without breaking the system, terrifying your audience, or becoming a case study in what not to do.
P.S. If you're a serial guideline offender, it’s not too late. We offer brand audits (and emotional support) for businesses who’ve... drifted.
Author: Lance Corrigan
Creative designer with a passion for visual communication and brand development, and a vision to make a positive impact on the world through design.
