3 Reasons Why Consistency Is Vital For Your Brand

What message does your brand send to your audience?

• Is it professional?
• Powerful?
• Engaging?
• Entertaining?
• Or inspiring?

The intricacies of marketing are fascinating. The next time you watch and ad on TV, think about why the marketing agency chose to use a specific colour, tag-line, model, music and so on to promote a specific company, product or service.

Consider how you just know that an ad is promoting a specific company before they reveal the logo or pay-off line. How is it that you just know the company that some ads are promoting without being told?

The answer is simple – consistency.

Is your website consistent? Those colours, types of models, the music, wardrobe and even the way the actors speak and look at the camera all contribute to brand consistency.

When you get the formula just right and keep it consistent over a number of different advertising or media platforms, your brand becomes instantly recognisable. Even if you are flaunting the logo, slogans and jingles, it is more often the subtle nuances in an advert that contributes to brand recognition.

If you’re ready to elevate your brand to the next level, here are 3 reasons consistency is vital for your brand.

1. The Next Level Of Marketing

Advertising that is instantly recognisable allows consumers to think about buying your products rather than just focusing on who and what the ad is about.

This takes your marketing to an entirely new level.

Brand consistency means that your marketing campaign no longer needs to be aimed at convincing consumers to buy your products. The instant they recognise your ads or logo, they know exactly what your products or services are and what they can expect from you.

The end result? They are thinking about buying what you have to offer without any encouragement.

2. Predictable Equals Dependable

First impressions count but it is those follow-up impressions that create a lasting impact.

Imagine you meet a person for the first time and they are wearing a business suit – you have the impression that they are a business person. However, the next few times you meet them they are wearing gym clothes or a t-shirt and jeans. This can create confusion and difficulty knowing who this person is and what they really do. Their unpredictable dress code may make you feel as if they may be less dependable in business.

The same goes for your brand.

Family-owned business head Zena Fares explains “consumers like predictability and equate it with dependability. If your advertising or social media campaigns are fun and funky but your logo and packaging are cold and professional, this can be confusing. Rather than try and please everyone, find your brand identity and weave it throughout your entire digital and physical presence.”

Consistency across the board is fundamental to sending the right signals constantly and ensuring that consumers understand your brand, know what to expect and can depend on always receiving the same predictable products or services.

3. Trustworthiness

Consumers are more likely to buy brands that they trust and feel that they know on a personal level. Remember that buying decisions are most often made emotionally rather than rationally. One of the most important emotions to engage is trust. If consumers feel that they know your brand, then they also feel that your brand can be trusted.

Brand consistency is critical to building trust with your consumers. Think about why you always buy the same brand of coffee, milk or cleaning detergents. This is because you know what you will get under the packaging and trust that it will be the same every time you buy the product.

Providing the same type of consistency across your entire marketing and communications channels will provide the same dependability and go a long way to inspiring trust in your consumers. A seamless look and feel for your packaging, website, social media, stores and advertising will allow consumers to feel as if they know exactly who you are and that they will be able to recognise your company and products easily.

Consumers are more likely to return and purchase products or services over and over again if they feel comfortable and trust your brand. What this means is that brand consistency creates trust which in turn inspires customer loyalty.

Samuel Northfield, an expert in the field of demolition, pulls back the curtain on trust, noting “trust is built slowly, but lost quickly. Interpersonal relationships require communication, honesty and a desire to help. B2C trust is built the same way. If you don’t genuinely want to connect with and help your audience, you’ll never build your brand effectively.”

Let your customers get to know you and your brand through constant interaction in the same voice using the same aesthetics. Not only will this allow consumers to identify your brand easily but will let them identify with the brand. This means that they can relate to you and your brand building a relationship where they will share, refer and recommend you to their peers.

Business owners often feel that they could increase their sales significantly if they could only get more consumers through the door to try their products. Brand consistency is a great step in the right direction to making your business and products more attractive to new customers.