The importance of brand consistency

Honing your brand down to a consistently recognisable set of traits.

Have you ever found yourself watching the adverts on TV and somehow being able to predict the brand that’s behind what you’re seeing? It’s definitely no accident, and would probably be hugely pleasing for that particular company and its marketing team to hear given the amount of work that goes into creating these ads. When they’re well-crafted, this sensation is conjured up by incredibly subtle clues that act as little nods to the inherent ‘style’ we associate with a certain product or service.

Sticking with the world of TV advertising for a moment, a good current example of this would be Tesco. Generally featuring a family (or families) in a domestic situation that involves eating and drinking, natural action is captured in ‘observer’ style shots with a down-to-earth regional voiceover offering up relatable and evocative words of day-to-day life.

As one of the longest-reigning household names in the UK, it’s perhaps not surprising that Tesco has honed its ‘brand’ down to a consistent and easily recogniseable collection of traits that seem to resonate with us on an almost subliminal level. They clearly see the virtues in making their marketing and brand as consistent as possible. But what’s the theory behind why this is such a potent discipline for a brand to master?

One reason to make sure your brand is consistent in all the many different ways it’s expressed is that it builds a more dependable impression with potential and existing customers. Yes, it’s a subtle art and might feel like you’re having to keep tabs on a lot of little details – but trust us, it pays off. This consistency could apply to things like the tone of voice you use, the topics you choose to talk about, the colours you use, the way your logo is represented in different contexts, and so on. Separately they might not seem like ‘big picture’ decisions, or even things that are spoken about at the customer’s end of things, but it all adds up to the very thing that makes your brand what it is. The essence, if you will.

Companies like Tesco have a huge team of people working as dedicated brand guardians, whose job it is to make sure details like the above are always uniform. Being able to nail this helps set expectations with your audience. Good branding isn’t about screaming your values from the rooftops, it’s about finding a subtle but reliable way of showing you’re dependable and trustworthy in what you offer.

Get this right, and get it right in each and every instance (it’s a marathon, not a sprint remember), and you’ve hit a whole new level of marketing. Gone are the days of constantly having to remind people who you are and what you do: it’s already there all in one quick instance. It’s the power of a brand!

So, if you’re looking for ways to consistently represent your brand across a multitude of assets, why not get in touch with me directly for a 15-minute ideas appointment.