Consistency is Key
What is a brand?
Scott Bedbury, former marketing executive with Nike and Starbucks, says “A brand is not a product. It is the total sum of everything a company does — the good, the bad and even the off-strategy, that creates a large context or an identity in the consumer’s mind.”
Now, what is a visual brand?
It’s the visual representation of the brand identity — the combination of logo, colors, typeface and graphic elements that immediately tell a consumer who you are. This is undeniably the most conspicuous feature of a brand and while these elements may not be written words, they also help to tell a story about you and the products and services you offer.
The marketing or sales message you deliver may change depending on the target audience and communication channel, but your look and feel should remain consistent. Here are four reasons why:
Protect and nurture your brand.
A brand is one of the most valuable assets a company owns. You’ve probably spent a lot of time, money and other resources to develop and differentiate it from your competition. Maintaining a consistent look and feel across channels helps strengthen and protect your brand and keep that competitive advantage.
Establish brand awareness, equity and recall.
If you’re constantly changing how you look and visually communicate, how can you expect your customers to recognize and remember you?
Maintain a connection.
These days it’s all about building relationships with your customers; this is especially important if your product or service requires a long-term or large financial commitment. As you move your customers through the decision-making process, your message content and channel may change but their overall experience with your brand should stay consistent.
Communicate reliability and stability.
Your business goals likely include some combination of customer retention, earning repeat business and acquisition through referrals. Maintaining brand consistency through the visual elements of your communication can help demonstrate dependability, letting your customers know they can rely on you now and in the future.
If you haven’t looked at all of your marketing and communications channels side by side lately, it’s probably a good time for a visual brand audit.
Comments
Amen! Great post, Jennifer. I had a conversation with a colleague recently about the importance of integrated communications, which seems relevant here. Make your brand as powerful as it can be by communicating it with consistency - internally and externally. Through every channel. Across the organization.
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