Our current digital-first landscape means that all marketing is omnichannel. It’s no longer a buzzword. To truly stand out, connect with customers, and tell your brand’s unique story, a holistic approach is required.
And it’s not just about where your brand shows up; it’s also about how. Read on to learn why a consistent brand presence across channels is so important, and discover the key pieces to the brand puzzle.
What is brand consistency, and why does it matter?
Your brand is how you represent your company in the world, and when you do it right, your brand has a consistent, cohesive presence across marketing channels. Sure, small tweaks will have to be made (your website has different design requirements than a direct mail piece, for example), but overall, you should be telling a single, unified story. Think of some of the best known consumer brands. If you picture Coca-Cola, you likely see the classic red and white, the white script font, and the iconic curved bottle. These foundational elements show up anywhere Coca-Cola has a presence, whether it’s a ballpark billboard, TV commercial, or those vintage holiday posters.
So why is brand consistency so important? Here are four reasons:
- Builds brand recognition: Customers can easily identify and remember your business.
- Establishes trust and credibility: A professional and cohesive brand signals reliability.
- Enhances the customer experience: A seamless brand experience fosters customer loyalty.
- Improves marketing effectiveness: A consistent brand strengthens your messaging and engagement across platforms.
What are the key elements of consistent branding?
Diving a little deeper, what exactly do we mean by consistent branding? Simply put, your brand should tell a compelling story that reflects the business and the industry. It should be steadfast across touchpoints, but give enough flexibility to grow and evolve. Here are the building blocks:
- Logo and visual identity: Ensure consistency in logo usage, colors, and fonts. Visually, your brand should be instantly recognizable for customers whether they interact via your website, social media, out of home, or another channel.
- Tone and messaging: Regardless of channel, your brand should also sound the same. Of course, copy length will vary, but your brand voice should stay consistent and well defined.
- Website and social media profiles: Customers often move back and forth between your social media channels and your website. Ensuring a seamless brand experience within this ecosystem is incredibly important.
- Marketing collateral: Items like email signatures, business cards, and event materials can all serve to reinforce your brand.
How to maintain brand consistency
Building and maintaining a consistent brand across marketing channels takes focus and dedication. Here are a few best practices that can help ensure your brand endures across all customer touchpoints.
- Create a brand style guide: Define and document your logo usage, brand colors, typography, imagery, and voice and tone.
- Use templates for marketing materials: Don’t start from scratch every time. Instead, set up templates with asset libraries within your design tools to save time, while ensuring brand adherence.
- Train your team: No single person can be responsible for enforcing brand standards. Take the time to educate employees on brand guidelines—and why using them is important.
- Regularly audit your branding: Check consistency across platforms at regular intervals, updating assets as needed.
- Bring in the experts: The team at Monster Design, Inc. has helped brands across industries define, document, and refine their omnichannel brands. Reach out today to learn how we can help lighten the load of ensuring brand consistency, either through ongoing marketing services or a one-time brand refresh.