Consistency in Branding

When you take a look at your brand (or one of your favorite brands) is it instantly recognizable? If you saw an ad for it on social media would you know the brand without too much searching? According to marketing research, people need to see something seven times before they remember it and it can take up to 20 views before consumers convert. If you have different branding on different platforms, you are starting over each time someone sees your brand. 

While conversion is one of the most important aspects in branding consistency there are other reasons to be consistent as well. We are big fans of efficiency here and consistency helps support efficiency. Having templates across platforms (email, web, social, print) allows creative assets to be created within the guidelines quickly and in line with your brand. 

When Walt Disney was creating the characters in Snow White, he created “templates” for each character. That way, if one artist was sick or something happened, another artist could step in with no time lost, and continue the project. The same goes for streamlining your branding. If something happens and you need to switch content creators, a consistent look and feel will make that process much smoother. It allows your company to continue to produce without having to pause or start over. 

Years ago, when Jessica Simpson launched her clothing and accessories line, she was seen in public not wearing or carrying any of her products. The public made it very clear that this was a problem, if she isn’t using them, why should they? I know it seems far removed from this blog article, but it goes with consistent branding. For a long time after (I’ll admit, I haven’t kept up with Jessica Simpson, so I don’t know if she continues this) she wasn’t seen without her products. Her personal brand spread across all aspects of her life and in order for her to stay consistent with her branding, she needed to support that. If your brand is you, the public needs to see that as well. Brand yourself just as you would your product.   

Doing this also saves time and money. By creating one photo or one piece of content per platform it increases the amount of work exponentially. Using the same photo or content piece, not only saves time but also creates consistency, therefore saving you money. You save by not having to create extra content and by not having to start over on marketing efforts every time, saving money on ad spend. And actually, making you money more quickly with conversion on those ads. 

You have seconds to capture consumer’s attention, make sure you are using these seconds wisely through consistent branding!