Keeping It Consistent: Why Brand Consistency Matters

“Consistency is key” is a popular mantra, but why does it matter when it comes to branding? Think of it like going to a popular restaurant for the first time. You’re excited to try it out because you’ve read all the glowing reviews, looked at their website and menu and it seems really trendy and modern. But when you get to the restaurant, it turns out to look nothing like the photo – it seems more like an old school diner. You show the host the website and he says you’re in the right place, but you’re still confused – and since it didn’t turn out to be the place you expected, you leave and find another place to eat. Had this restaurant been more consistent with how it presented itself, it wouldn’t be driving customers away. That is the importance of being consistent with your branding. Successful branding is as simple as making sure your messaging and visual identity is the same across the board.

Control Your Brand’s Public Perception

Creating and implementing brand guidelines will take your brand’s consistency to the next level. Having rules to follow makes the process much easier when it comes to maintaining consistency. You control how and where your logo should be used, your color palette, which fonts you use for headlines and body copy, and the style of imagery you want your brand to be associated with. The list doesn’t have to be extensive, but setting some general ground rules is always helpful. Brand guides exist to ensure that the image and message remain consistent regardless of who is creating the content. 

Branding goes beyond using the same colors, fonts, and imagery – your brand’s voice and message must also be consistent to be successful. People ultimately rely on the words you use and how you use them to determine if they can trust your brand. Is your brand’s personality more casual and humorous, or formal and structured? Is your brand shaped by authentic experiences and the daily reality of your customers? People should be able to recognize your brand simply by reading the message. It’s important to clearly describe what your brand offers and highlight your uniqueness so that your brand’s image and message are easily understood.

Separate Yourself From the Competition

In today’s highly competitive market, it is imperative to make your brand stand out from the others. Brand consistency in this sense makes the difference between keeping your returning customers and losing them to competitors. Finding your brand’s niche and honing those particular skills will improve the quality of services and products your brand offers – people are loyal to brands with a maintained quality standard, and a consistent standard attracts new customers to your growing base. 

Think about the words and messaging you use to describe your brand. By associating brand consistency with positive words and emotions, people will follow suit. These positive emotions become synonymous with your brand’s logo and image, even if the words aren’t visible. Consistently positive experiences are the key to returning, loyal customers.

Another way to stand out brand consistency is by building trust with your customers. People want to feel confident that they made the right choice when engaging with your brand. For example, world renowned beverage company Coca-Cola has established a sense of trust with its customers based on the brand consistency over the years. Their customers don’t have to worry about what it will taste like, and can easily identify their products on the shelves. Brand consistency is equal parts customer experience and visual presentation.

Exercise Caution When Rebranding

Remember, brand consistency takes time to develop. Your customers are in various stages of awareness – some have already memorized your logo and message, and others are only just getting acquainted. Jumping the gun on rebranding runs the risk of losing your growing customer base. 

There are many valid reasons for wanting to rebrand. It’s tempting to change the look and feel of your brand if you feel as though it’s taking a while for it to take off. But before you change anything, think of design as an instrument in the orchestra of branding – it plays a key role in your business strategy, and changing the colors and fonts without proper planning will throw off the successful symphony. Keep in mind that things don’t happen overnight. Are you taking your brand’s visual style seriously? Have your visuals been consistent for a long period of time? Have you been waiting for months for your brand to be in-demand? If so, then it may be time to consider rebranding. However, if you’ve only recently launched your brand’s identity, it’s best to give it a realistic timeframe to cross off your goals and achieve markers of success. 

Brand consistency is essential for building trust with your audience and establishing brand recognition. Consistency goes beyond the products and services offered. Every part of the company has a role to play in maintaining a standard of quality, which keeps your loyal customers returning and puts you on the radar of new customers. After you’ve built a solid reputation for your brand, then you can consider expansion and evolving. If you’re looking to develop your brand guides and maintain (or establish) brand consistency, reach out to Creative Juice! We work with our clients to understand their vision and create graphics that work in tandem with their messaging to create a strong, unique brand identity that makes their brand stand out. You’ve established your unique voice. Now make sure it’s on everyone’s radar. 🍑