One of the key things in successful branding is brand consistency. What we mean by brand consistency is that your message and how you present your brand is consistent across every platform, in every interaction you have with current and prospective customers.

This includes:

• Use of your logo (in print, on vehicles, on your website, etc.)
• Your tagline
• Your Website
• Your social media platforms
• Email marketing
• Print advertising
• Digital ads
• How you answer the phone
• How you interact with clients in person

Brand consistency helps your customers and prospective customers know what to expect from your company, and helps make your business more memorable. If you always use the same logo, the same tagline, and always deliver on your brand promise, you’re doing well.

Why Is Brand Consistency Important?

Brand consistency yields several benefits:

1. It’s Marketing Without Being Paid Marketing. What we mean is, your brand is so consistent that it’s synonymous with your products or services. When a customer sees your brand logo, they’re already thinking about buying your product or service, because they’re familiar with you and have positive feelings about your brand.
2. Consistency Means Dependability. Consumers want a company they can depend on to offer quality products and service every time. If you’re professional and knowledgeable on your website and in person, but you’re flippant on your social media channels, you’re sending prospective customers mixed messages. That’s enough of a turn off to send them to your competition, because they may feel your brand can’t be trusted.
3. Brand Recognition = Trust. Consumers generally trust brands they recognize, unless you’ve somehow developed a bad reputation. A big part of brand recognition is to get your customers to know what you stand for. Not just your company name, but that the people behind the name can be trusted. Giving your customers a consistent and dependable experience at every level of communication helps them trust that you will provide a dependable product or service.

So now you know what brand consistency is and why it’s important, it’s time to take a look at your organization to see how you measure up. Start by asking yourself some key questions:

Does the Customer Experience Match My Brand Promise?

If your brand promise is Experience You Can Trust or Our Prices Can’t Be Beat, are you really delivering quality service at the lowest prices? Do you price match? If you’re banking on experience, do you hire top-notch, experienced employees or are you throwing newbies into the fire?

Does Your Logo or Website Look Outdated?

If your logo design is the original design from when you started your company 10 years ago, it’s probably time for a refreshed look. If your website is slow to load, not mobile compatible or has pages for services you no longer provide, it’s probably time for a website redesign.

Are You Using Several Different Versions of Your Logo?

If you are, stop that immediately. It’s confusing to the consumer. Pick one logo and use it across all communications channels. Visual cues are powerful, but if your logo and color scheme aren’t consistent, it’s like you’re introducing your business for the first time, every time..

Are You Still Providing the Same Products and Services You Always Have?

If your offerings have changed, you need to make sure your brand and your message reflect the changes. Maybe you’ve eliminated some services, or changed your company’s focus. Your brand messaging needs to change with the times, to ensure it’s an accurate reflection of who you are now, not who you were five years ago.

Has Your Target Market Changed?

As your company has eliminated some products or services and added new ones, or as your company has changed focus, you may find that you need to cater your brand messaging to new market segments. Brand messaging to millennials is far different than messaging to seniors, for example.

What’s Next?

If after asking yourself these questions, you find that you’re presenting a brand message that is inconsistent, whether because of your logo or website, or because you offer different products and services now than you did when you first started out, you may want to consider a brand refresh.

A brand refresh takes a look at all of the aspects of your brand and brings them in line with who you are now, and puts forward a consistent image to current and potential customers.