Every single exchange customers have with your brand, especially your social media, should embody the brand and everything it stands for. From a billboard, to an Instagram post, to a radio ad, a brand must have consistent, clear messaging and visual elements to be successful and stand out amongst the sea of infinite brands.

Consistency is key

Before we dive in let’s look at this concept through the scope of a real company.  When thinking of the brand McDonald’s, what first comes to mind? I am sure most of you pictured their red and yellow logo and famous golden arches. This image in your head is a result of consistent messaging across their platforms leading them to be recognizable. Now imagine that McDonald’s Instagram account had pictures highlighting the colors purple and green with pictures of spaghetti.  Surely, that is not the case but, if it were, customers or anyone familiar with the brand would be confused. This would lead them to question the brand, be less trusting, and find them unrecognizable thus leading them to go to competitors who have consistent messaging.  Someone who has been craving a burger and fries might go to Burger King after getting confused by the contrast of McDonald’s Instagram page and a billboard with the brand’s actual colors and food.

Benefits

Keeping all promotional mix and marketing elements consistent allows a brand to yield optimal results. Consistency allows a brand to reap a multitude of benefits.

Trustworthiness

The first benefit is that a brand will seem more trustworthy because if they can market themselves consistently, their product will seem as dependable as they market themselves to be.

Professionalism 

By making every visual that is publicized somewhat similar and connected, it will look more professional and reputable.  If a brand such as Nike has graphics that align with their overall messaging and are oriented with the other marketing materials, then they will be labeled as professional. On the other hand, if Nike has terrible quality visuals that contradict their brand and contrast their other media, then a consumer will be less likely to purchase from them.  Consumers will associate their unprofessional look with a bad product, and that is not what Nike or any brand wants.

Organization

Organization and professionalism go hand in hand.  An organized brand is more likely to have loyal customers and be purchased from more often.

Recognizability

By sustaining consistent channels and visuals a consumer will be more likely to remember the brand by associating them with their marketing materials. This notion is evident as seen in my previous McDonald’s example.

Overall, consistency is the key to trustworthiness, dependability, professionalism, organization, and recognizability.  Remember that every creative asset is another chance to show your brand message.

How do I keep my brand consistent?

After all this talk about why it is important to maintain a brand across all marketing, you are probably asking yourself what are ways you can do this for your own brand. To be clear, being consistent does not mean having the same images or taglines on all social media posts and other marketing channels.  Consistency means that a brand keeps everything coherent and stable so everything fits well together like a puzzle.

Here are some very simple things that can be applied to a brand to ensure consistency:

Stick with the brand color palette:  Use colors that go along with the brand and that are in the logo.

Visual style: Utilize elements that go together and choose a style that complements the brand. Try to use either animated graphics or real photos, do not mix and match.

Font: Keep the same font throughout all platforms. Utilize the same one as the logo, if possible.

Use the same brand logo: Do not change up the logo so that a consumer has a higher chance of recognizing the brand.

You may never be as big as the Golden Arches but by following these steps you can prevent Burger King from Hamburgling your customers.