Branding requires many steps. One of them is to ensure that brand consistency is maintained.
Brand consistency is the delivery of your brand messaging (identity, values, strategy, vision, mission) across all touch points. Some examples are presenting the brand logo in a certain way, using corporate colours and ensuring that the colour scheme is applied to all communication channels, using the same font type and style etc. However, it is not limited to visual elements – it also applies to tone of voice, customer experience and values.
Consistent branding leads to awareness, trust and loyalty from your customers as they identify with your brand on all levels and channels. In a world where people consume information and content at breakneck speed, having a consistent and reliable voice will make you stand out.
Here are 5 rules for to ensure consistent branding to boost your business value:
- Know your brand promise
The brand promise must be clear with every interaction each stakeholder experiences at every touchpoint. Being positioned by your brand promise, mission and vision is already a unique advantage that you inhabit. By consistently reinforcing your position, you make it difficult for competitors to erode your unique advantage.
From there, apply your brand message to your brand guidelines.
- Set brand guidelines
The rule here is to create rules!
Establishing brand consistency requires a clear set of guidelines for all visual and written materials. Having a consensus on even the most minute details may seem like hard work (and it is!), it does make the job much easier and more effective in the long run.
Based on your brand positioning and messaging, determine how these elements will be communicated: Tone and Voice, Colour Scheme, Visuals, Logo, Fonts, Copy, Frequency and Delivery.
- Have visibility of all marketing assets
Having a panoramic view of all marketing assets is essential to ensuring brand consistency. Invest in a content software, a comprehensive marketing calendar or an asset management tool to help you get the job done.
Marketing is often about straddling across multiple channels and constantly having to deliver assets that are effective. Thus, it pays to be organised.
Using an asset management tool or calendar would make ensuring a consistent branding so much easier!
Your team is able to create offline advertising print and promotional banners that can be adapted for web campaigns.
You will also know what is going out at a glance and can easily keep track of all outgoing assets for seamless campaign delivery.
- Listen, review and scale
Do not be mistaken: consistency does not mean no change. Having consistent branding that does not speak to your audience is not effective branding at all.
Take the time to monitor customer feedback, campaign performances, and check in with your clients and employees on their feedback on the brand.
Examine your internal processes to ensure that every department is able to effectively articulate and deliver the brand promise with their output.
You will be surprised how a one-time assessment will impact your brand strategy and clarify the brand promise and position for all employees.
- Be backed by internal support
The culture of the company will impact the brand experience. As the brand grows, keep in tune with all the different touchpoints that you have with your staff across various departments and be conscious of how your branding efforts translate to them.
You may even partner with your business development and sales team to conceptualise a sales playbook which is one step beyond the brand guidelines.
It acts as a framework for the sales team to communicate with potential clients to close more deals. Leverage on the sales teams’ front-facing experience to provide insights on brand assets and collaborate to brainstorm new ideas and processes – all brand consistent, of course!
