Think of your favourite brands. What is it about them that appeals to you so much? It could be their aesthetic, their values, and I bet a large part of it — whether you realize it or not — could be their brand consistency. Companies that deliver consistent brand experiences are able to increase their following and increase their revenue. This is one business strategy that has real power to impact your bottom line.
WHY BRAND CONSISTENCY MATTERS
Imagine your favourite restaurant. You go there for a myriad of reasons: the atmosphere, the impeccable service and, of course, the delicious food. The reason it’s become your favourite restaurant is because all of those things are consistently great!
You don’t go there because their ravioli is the best in town MOST of the time. You go there because the experience is dependable and comforting, which keeps you coming back time and time again. In fact, it’s the reason you bring your friends there too.
By striving to create this same positive brand experience for your own customers and followers, they too will want to recommend you to their friends.
The goal of branding is to connect with your audience. So, if your key message is all about buying local, don’t confuse your audience by shifting gears one day and boasting about an international sponsor or a product you love. This will only cause confusion. The people who were drawn to you in the first place will be left wondering why.
If you can deliver consistent imagery, messaging, and quality service–you will be able to earn the trust of your followers. And when it comes to attracting new customers, your consistency is how they gauge whether or not to hire you or buy from you.
INCREASE YOUR REVENUE WITH BRAND CONSISTENCY
Consider your customer journey. Let’s say they discover you on social media. They like your feed and eventually decide to visit your website, maybe even subscribe to your email list. These are three different brand touch points.
Are they all cohesive? According to MarTech:
"90% of customers expect to have a similar brand experience across multiple channels, so make sure your branding spans all of the channels and platforms you have a presence on."
From the logo on each platform to the tone of voice and messaging used along the way, if there’s a disconnect across your customer's journey, the chance of converting that person decreases.
Brand consistency has the ability to increase your revenue by up to 33%. By delivering a consistent brand experience, your audience builds a stronger, more reliable impression of you and you earn their trust. This trust is the tipping point to converting your leads into paying customers.
It’s not unlike the relationships you have with your friends or partner. They earn your trust by being dependable. Not by shifting gears all the time.
HOW TO MAINTAIN BRAND CONSISTENCY
This doesn’t just pertain to messaging. Maintaining brand consistency means upholding a visual consistency as well. On social media for instance, where you are able to encounter your target audience most often, you want people to instantly recognize your content as they scroll. You want them to stop and engage. If your content has no visual congruence and is different every time, it will get lost or overlooked.
When you work with a designer to create your brand, you will receive a brand style guide. This style guide is your handbook for perfecting brand consistency.
The guide will outline when and where to use your various logos, brand colours and typography. These have been carefully selected to reflect the tone of your brand and appeal to your target audience; each one with a specific role to play in your branding.
Your style guide may also include further helpful guidelines for the imagery that should accompany your brand. It may even cover the tone of voice to be used in social captions and even email copy.
Anyone who works on your brand should become familiar with this guide. Send it to designers, web developers, employees, project managers, and whoever else may be working with you. Ensure all of your creative is cohesive. It won’t take long before many of these guidelines will become second nature to your team.
Remember, each time someone interacts with your brand—whether it’s online, in store or in a magazine—if the elements are consistent, the brand experience will be stronger for it. Successfully maintaining brand consistency with high quality visuals and cohesive messaging will not just captivate your audience, but deliver a feeling of familiarity and trust. This boosts your brand equity and improves your bottom line.
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