The Pillar of Brand Success: Master Brand Consistency in Advertising
October 23, 2023
Dive into the ‘why’ behind brand consistency
You’ve just witnessed the power of brand consistency—a force that fosters recognition, trust, and an emotional connection.
This feeling you experienced in the supermarket is precisely what you want to create for your business. The success of your brand hinges on its ability to deliver a unified, coherent message across all touchpoints. It’s not just about creating an eye-catching logo or memorable slogan; it’s about creating a cohesive, recognizable brand that resonates with your target audience.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the why behind brand consistency, examples of companies that excel in brand consistency, and who to turn to if you’re unsure where to start with your brand or business.
Why brand consistency matters
According to a study by Adobe, seven out of ten consumers choose to buy more from brands they trust. Consistency is the key to brand recognition. When consumers encounter your brand through various channels—your website, social media, print materials, or in-store experiences—they should instantly recognize and connect with it.
A consistent brand message creates a sense of trust and reliability, which is essential for building and retaining a loyal customer base.
Clarity of message
A consistent brand communicates a clear and compelling message to your audience. This ensures that your brand’s values, mission, and offerings are understood, making it easier for consumers to engage and connect with your brand.
We are all familiar with the brand associated with this catchy jingle, “I’m Lovin’ It.” When McDonald’s created this jingle, they went from a quarterly loss of $344 million in 2002 to a $1.8 billion sales increase in 2003. To this day, people still can associate that famous jingle with McDonalds.
Differentiation from competitors
In a saturated market, brand consistency sets you apart from your competitors. It reinforces what makes your brand unique and why consumers should choose your products and services over others. It’s not just about standing out; it’s about creating lasting impressions.
Brand consistency doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time, effort, and a team effort. To get started on this internal project, consider completing the following within your organization:
1. HOST INTERNAL MEETINGS FOR EMPLOYEES
Use this to dig into your employee’s perspective of your brand. Ask them questions to understand their perspective better, gain new insights, or obtain valuable feedback on products and services.
2. SEND A SURVEY TO YOUR MOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS
Just as important as giving your employees a voice, sending out a survey to your most loyal customers can help you understand the impact of your marketing campaigns. This survey can help you better understand the gaps between the qualities you want to portray and how the customer feels. It can also be a great way to identify other areas of improvement based on their feedback.
3. CREATE A STRONG MISSION STATEMENT
Leverage words, statements, or phrases that you’ve pulled from your internal stakeholder meetings or loyal customer survey responses to describe your company’s overarching meaning briefly. A mission statement doesn’t explain what a company does or how it does it; it attempts to explain what your company exists and its purpose.
4. CREATE BRAND GUIDELINES
Creating a set of brand guidelines can help minimize the room for error in your internal and external communications. Your brand guidelines can include descriptions of tone of voice, grammatical and stylistic preferences, social media examples, and more!
5. USE THE SAME COLOR PALETTE
According to the University of Loyola, color increases brand recognition by up to 80%! That’s why developing a consistent color palette for your brand is a great way to build credit with your target consumer.
6. RUN AN AUDIT OF ALL YOUR COLLATERAL
Do a deep dive into all the collateral you’ve created—shared both internally and externally and ensure it follows both your brand guidelines and color palette to ensure that you’re aligned with what you want your brand to come across as.
7. KEEP A CONSISTENT POSTING SCHEDULE AND YOUR BRAND CONSISTENT ACROSS PLATFORMS
As we said, brand consistency isn’t just about a flashy logo or catchy jingle; it’s about showing up consistently. This means sticking to a consistent posting channel across all platforms. For example, even if you can be more creative and fun on TikTok than on LinkedIn, you must remain compatible with your messaging and not avoid your brand personality.
Building emotional connections
1. APPLE
From their clean, minimalist product design to their clean, user-friendly website and iconic advertising. Apple is the poster child for a consistent and recognizable brand image. Their messaging is clear: innovation, user experience, and elegance. If you’ve ever used the iPhone, Mac laptops, Desktops, or other Apple products, you know the exact feeling of elegance and luxury touching your fingertips. This consistency and feeling they’ve created has built trust and a parade of loyal customers—so much so that they have a line outside their flagship stores for hours when a new product launches.
2. COCA-COLA
The iconic white and red logo, glass bottle, and the “Open Happiness” slogan have remained consistent throughout the years. Whether in Mexico or New York, you know exactly what you get when purchasing Coca-Cola.
3. NIKE
Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan has been a consistent theme in their advertising for years. These messages resonate with their audience and embody their brand of athleticism, empowerment, and determination. Nike’s brand consistency, from its products to advertising campaigns, is a shining example.
Check us out!
We’ve worked with a few clients to improve their brand consistency. From Baby Bling, AlphaGraphics, to the International School of Denver.
The magic of brand consistency, with the help of the experts
In advertising, brand consistency is your North Star toward success. It’s about recognition, trust, clarity, differentiation, and emotional connection. Brands like Apple, Coca-Cola, and Nike have demonstrated the transformative power of brand consistency.
At Techint Labs, we’re experts in brand consistency. Let us help ensure your message resonates clearly and powerfully with your audience. Reach out to us, and let’s build a character to set your brand on the path to success.