Ever notice that your favorite brands seem to keep the same look and “vibe,” whether you’re scrolling through their Instagram page or opening their latest product? It’s the power of brand consistency. And studies have shown a consistent brand presentation—across marketing elements like a business’ website, social media pages, email marketing templates, and in-store signage—can boost revenue by up to 20 percent! Brand consistency isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the secret sauce that keeps consumers hooked and engaged.
What is Brand Consistency?
Brand consistency is all about creating a uniform visual identity, strong brand voice, and seamless experience throughout the customer journey. The goal is to make it easy for your customers to identify your brand, while building trust and loyalty over time.
In this week’s blog, we’ve compiled actionable steps your company can take to transform your brand into a powerful, recognizable force across all marketing channels.
1.) Establish Your Brand Identity
The first step in building and maintaining brand consistency is clearly defining your business’ brand identity. A brand identity serves as the conceptual foundation that determines how a business presents itself to the world. It often includes a mission statement, vision statement, core values, and brand voice. Use the following questions to help guide the process:
Mission Statement:
Why are we in business? What problems are we solving? Who do we serve?
Vision Statement:
What do we care about most? What kind of impact do we want to have within our industry or community? What do we want to become?
Core Values:
How did we get to where we are today? What makes our culture unique? What makes me proud to work for this business?
Brand Voice:
What adjectives can be used to describe our brand? What emotions do we want to evoke?
2.) Create Brand Standards
Brand standards give clear instructions on the visual and messaging aspects of your brand. Also known as a style guide, the comprehensive resource ensures that everyone, from your social media team to vendors, can easily align their work with the established brand.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for developing brand standards, guides often include:
- The business’ brand identity
- Logo variations
- Instructions on how to properly use the business’ logos
- Sub-brand & alternative marks
- A color palette
- Typography
3.) Educate Employees and Marketing Partners
Once your brand standards guide is finished, the next step is to discuss it with employees. A meeting will help you explain the thought process behind certain guidelines, address questions and concerns, and foster a shared understanding among different teams. By answering questions early on, it lessens the chance of future misunderstandings that could be damaging to your brand.
Also, be sure to make the guide easy for all team members to access by adding it to your website or intranet. If you collaborate with a printer or marketing agency, make sure they have the latest version of the document to reduce the need for back-and-forth communication and revisions.
4.) Review Existing Marketing Materials
Conduct an in-depth review of all your marketing materials to ensure they follow your brand standards. Check all marketing content and designs, including business cards, printed collateral, the company website, email marketing templates, online advertisements, product packaging, event signage, and promotional items. Then address any inconsistencies found in logo usage, colors, typography or overall brand message.
5.) Prioritize Consistency in Customer Interactions
Customer service is an integral part of brand consistency. If you’ve defined your brand voice as uplifting and positive, then that tone should be evident in all communication. Customers expect employees to project the same voice they see and hear in your social media pages, radio ads, and other marketing. Furthermore, consistent problem resolution in line with brand standards helps maintain a positive image even during challenges.
Brand consistency lies at the heart of every successful marketing strategy. It’s not a one-off tactic; it’s a commitment to building trust and creating meaningful relationships with your customers. By crafting a thorough style guide, diligently reviewing your marketing materials, and clearly communicating the strong vision with your team, you can turn every interaction into living proof of your business’ core values.
If the challenge of creating or maintaining brand consistency seems daunting on your own, Baer Performance Marketing is ready to help. Our experts can assist in creating a comprehensive brand standards guide, or offer advice on sustaining brand consistency that’s already rock solid. Reach out to us today for a free consultation.
