Understanding Brand Identity: The Foundation of Consistency
What is it that springs to mind when you picture a beloved brand. Is it the shade of blue on a Facebook logo, the tiny swoosh on a pair of Nikes, or the slight perfume of a Nescafe brew. Brand identity can mean many things. I Expect itâs not quite as simple as a colour palette or a logo â there are usually layers to this particular cake.
Itâs about understanding what makes your business unique and who your target audience is. Because in order to consistently communicate your story, you need to know what that story is usually and who youâre communicating it to. Itâs fairly important because being consistent will help people identify and connect with your brand in the sea of endless options they have at their disposal. You want customers to remember you and feel emotionally connected every single time they interact with your brand - online or offline.
As a first step, begin by defining your businessâ mission and values. Theyâll influence every part of your brand identity â from design, to product development, marketing campaigns and even hiring decisions. Having a clear purpose helps strengthen your brand identity by giving people something tangible to associate with it. If youâre selling cruelty-free soap for sensitive skin â lead with that value front-and-centre.
And then get really specific about who you want to sell to â are they young mothers, elderly couples, or climate activists. This will guide everything else you do. Once youâve defined your values and target audience, the fun can truly begin.
Youâre all set for putting together an effective content calendar strategy which includes everything from Instagram posts and newsletters to how-to guides on your website or even employee handbooks. All these interactions must align with the values that shape your business and continue giving customers (new or old) that reason to keep coming back for more every time.
The Importance of Visual Consistency Across Platforms
Ever notice how one look at the golden arches or that two-tone blue birdie is all you need to know exactly who youâre dealing with. Thatâs not some happy accident. Sort of. Thatâs a visual system that runs across digital and print platforms, online and off, keeping you completely locked into the brand identity.
Itâs the sort of consistency that comes from a really well-thought-out design language. Colour palettes, typefaces, logos, mascots, and everything else are not picked on a whim. Theyâre chosen because they form an ecosystem for your brand - a way for people to see it in their mindâs eye before they even see your next campaign.
And why do we care about this. Because humans are hardwired to love repetition. We respond well to things weâve seen before.
Itâs why we feel safe with familiar brands and trust their messaging even when other similar brands are saying the same thing (or something fairly similar). You start to remember that catchy little jingle and then your brain associates it with your positive brand interactions. All of this is tied together by how consistent they are in showing up in front of you.
I think good visual consistency canât be faked. Like if a brand is rather trying too hard or is all over the place with its creative direction, consumers pick up on that immediately. And while itâs impossible to keep every creative element consistent across every single channel (sometimes things just have to change), itâs fairly obvious when a campaign or asset has veered too far away from its original messaging.
Crafting a Unified Brand Voice and Messaging
What do you sound like when you talk. If you walked into a room and introduced yourself, what would people instantly notice - the way you speak or the words you use. In the branding world, thatâs what a unified brand voice and messaging does. It sets you apart from everyone else.
In my experience, it goes deeper than an accent, tone or dialect. It determines how your core target audience connects with your messaging. In a society that expects brands to have values, social beliefs and integrity woven into their products, knowing who you are as a business matters quite a lot.
Sure, consumers may already know what you sell but they want to understand why they should choose your brand in a crowded marketplace. And I think thatâs an area that many businesses still struggle with. When a brand communicates in confusing ways or doesnât align its actions with its core messaging, this can create doubt in consumers' minds.
Good for sales. Not quite. If anything it can fairly damage your business reputation in ways that go beyond sales and revenue.
Thatâs why I think every business should take time to create an appropriate brand voice and corresponding messaging that accurately represents what their brand stands for. When customers see this consistently across all marketing channels (including customer support and after-sales), theyâre able to build trust in your business because they know what to expect from you. It seems like long-term customers bring big returns on investment because it keeps them coming back again and again - often leading them to tell others about how great your product is too.
Aligning Customer Experience with Brand Values
The way I see it, do you ever feel like every customer interaction is probably a first date. A little bit of nerves. A few awkward silences. A fair amount of staring - some of it with intent and the rest with wide-eyed anticipation, like at a fireworks display, or during your dentist appointment.
Many businesses forget that their branding is what theyâre wearing on that first date and itâs what sets the mood for the conversation that follows. If youâre walking into a first date in a suit, your company is perceived as formal, professional and perhaps a little cold if you donât get the balance right between warmth and professionalism. If youâre a business owner whoâs championing a laidback approach to clothing, colours and conversations, youâre letting people know that your business values comfort and individuality - without saying a word.
Itâs a casual act of rebellion against the professional status quo that actually works in your favour if you are conscious about it. But thatâs just appearance, isnât it. There are other ways to be consistent in your brand experience: by reinforcing the value of customer feedback through proactive service improvement measures.
Or, bringing awareness about social issues that matter to you and your business through media channels that you actively engage with. While being consistent can be fairly challenging in large organisations with thousands of employees spread out across the country, smaller businesses can adapt to growing demands by investing in empathy-driven training. This builds more meaningful connections with customers who find themselves looking for a problem-solving approach thatâs also human.
More or less. It would seem apparent that when employee values align with company values, customers have an easier time trusting and relating to brands because their interactions with them come across as authentic instead of orchestrated. In this context, consistency can mean reliability or safety for someone who needs it or even establish trust where there was none before.
Leveraging Social Media for Brand Consistency
Why is it that some brands seem to pop up everywhere you scroll, and every time you see them, their look and feel is so distinctive, you immediately know who they are. Itâs not a coincidence. You can bet theyâre putting a fair bit of time into making sure theyâre showing up everywhere with a clear presence and cohesive voice, no matter where you find them online.
Sort of. You might say social media management is fairly simple, but in all honesty, curating feeds that ooze confidence takes more than a handful of posts. What goes on behind the scenes is what makes the biggest difference.
Having a plan thatâs designed to create a unique identity for your business is critical. Making sure your content style is aligned with your business goals and building a visual world thatâs distinctive and unique are two factors you want to focus on if your goal is to leave a lasting impression. And since peopleâs attention spans are always changing, you need to understand how to reach your audience with subtlety and cleverness to not come across as pushy, while also demonstrating authority.
Brand guidelines are one of the simplest yet most impactful ways to ensure brand consistency. They help keep the fonts, colours, language, tone of voice, and logo use on point throughout all channels of communication - not just social media. Without strict guidelines, it becomes impossible for people to recognise what it means to engage with you or your brand.
All those big brands you know. Itâs impossible not to recognise them anywhere online because thereâs no chance theyâre slipping up on these basics.
Apart from all the technicalities and thinking about what other brands are doing - which can be insightful but overwhelming - it helps to have a clear understanding of why you want people online to recognise you. Appearing confident in what you stand for is going to set you apart from others; appearing consistently confident even more so. When you finally figure out how your brand wants to show up on social media, make sure you double down on it for maximum impact.
Measuring and Adjusting Your Brand Consistency Efforts
How do you know if the way youâre showing up as a brand is hitting the spot. Brand consistency isnât something you can force. People will interact with your content when it appeals to them in some manner.
But you also have to keep your bottom line in mind. Is this content generating more clicks and sales than the last time around.
Numbers are a good place to start, but they arenât everything. Brand consistency is about going deeper and beyond just what your marketing manager tells you. You want to take a look at qualitative feedback from your fans and buyers.
Do they still love engaging with what you put out there. This includes product launches, brand campaigns, newsletters and everything that carries your brand name and logo. Itâs worth making some time to check in with loyal customers and clients â often overlooked in the pursuit of a bigger following.
Sort of. Youâll want their candid opinions about whatâs working and what isnât so you can allegedly tweak things accordingly. Making these changes can feel a little overwhelming but they also push brands forward.
If youâve been delivering strong messaging until now but find that customer conversations have become sparse, it might be time to go back to the drawing board and dig into how your brand comes across. Branding doesnât stop at one round of evaluation - itâs fairly constant and ongoing because digital platforms change so quickly today. More people are using multiple devices, weâre all on multiple screens or social media apps at once, especially younger buyers who are most active on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok.
And what matters here is setting clear goals each quarter or year about what direction your brand will take online or IRL - while staying true to its values and personality. Brand consistency builds trust over time - that part cannot be rushed or forced into happening overnight but does need a lot of upfront effort on your part when it comes to aligning messaging across channels. So investing in audits, communication plans and feedback forms can help iron out the kinks before things get unmanageable for your team.