Why Brand Consistency Is Essential
Have you ever clicked from an online ad to the website and thought, “This isn’t the same company. Is this spam?” If a company doesn’t use the same look and messaging from one product to the next, consumers will get confused and not trust the company. Inconsistent branding can significantly impact a company’s market presence. According to LinkedIn, conflicting brand usage can lead to a 56% decrease in brand recognition, resulting in consumer confusion. Businesses must prioritize consistency in their branding strategies and messaging to maintain a strong and memorable brand presence. Most companies know this however, if you look at each project an employee is working on, do they look similar? One marketing piece should not look different from another employee working on a different project, as both are being viewed by your customers.
It also takes an average of 5 to 7 brand interactions for consumers to recall a brand. Creating multiple touchpoints through strategic planning and design enhances visibility and increases consumers’ remembering a brand during purchasing decisions. Here are some tips to keep your brand consistent throughout all marketing.
How to Be Consistent Across Your Brand
Make Your Logo Prominent. Add it to all your business documents, including invoices, proposals, and receipts.
Tip: If your logo includes your business name and an icon, use the icon in smaller spaces where your business name would be hard to read, such as social media profile pictures.
Pick Your Brand Colors and Use Them Everywhere. It is no secret that colors evoke emotion and can even trigger memories. Candy brands like Reese’s use their colors in obvious places—on their packaging, websites, and ads—and also in more subtle ways, such as the color of an actor’s shirt in a commercial. If used consistently, colors are an effective way to reinforce your brand.
Tip: Create a brand guideline that includes primary and secondary colors for your employees to use so that each marketing project will look similar.
Refine Your Messaging for Consistency. Do you speak to your audience like a best friend or like a teacher? Who is your audience? If your target market is an older generation, don’t craft your message with lots of hashtags or snaps. Or if they are a higher-end, sophisticated audience, don’t pick up Canva templates that are appealing to a younger type with quick and flashy gifs. Your content can also include your company’s mission and values. To keep you from confusing or alienating your audience, first nail down your tone and messaging. Then keep it consistent between all advertising and company documents.
Choose Photos Carefully. Does an image of a duck taking a soapy bath make you think of Dawn Dish Soap? Dawn Dish Soap’s carefully crafted visuals are so consistent they’ve created a powerful, lasting message that is recognized everywhere. You can use this strategy by choosing photos with a specific theme, color, or message and displaying them in consistent framing and angles across your brand.
Tip: Create your own company templates that have the same messaging and photos so they do not get changed over time.
Conclusion
As a business, you can do an internal audit on your projects. Looking at each project, from online ads to emails to your printed folders. Do they look like they are coming from the same office? Do they have the same fonts, colors, and feel? Your customers do notice these slight nuisances, help them understand your brand.
Are you looking for help staying consistent with your brand messaging and visuals? Schedule a consultation to learn how we can help your brand develop consistent branding that connects you with the right audience!