Every day, we are surrounded by countless marketing messages vying for our attention. On our devices and IRL, it’s hard to escape the influence of the brands that surround us. We’ve become masters at filtering out the noise and only paying attention to the messages that truly resonate with us.
This makes it tough for businesses to cut through and make an impact with their branding. It takes five to seven impressions for a brand to stick in someone’s mind – so what do your brand’s touchpoints look like? Do the interactions your customers have with your brand reinforce the same message and values? And are they getting the brand recognition you so desire?
Consistency is key
When you see the golden arches of McDonald’s, what comes to mind? Fast food, convenience, and a bit of a guilty pleasure, right? Now what if McDonald’s changed their logo to a blue M and started advertising Instagrammable meals at inflated prices? That would be pretty confusing for you, the customer. We’ve been conditioned to associate certain visual and messaging cues with the brands in our lives, and any deviation from what we know can be jarring.
Consistency is the key here. If your brand is all over the place with different logos, colour schemes, and messaging, you risk diluting your message and confusing your customers (and potential customers). It’s hard enough to grab someone’s attention in a sea of competing brands – don’t make it harder for them to understand what you stand for.
If you’re on a mission for consistency, there’s one tool in your arsenal that you shouldn’t forget about: your style guide.
Your style guide
A style guide is like the North Star of your branding. It’s a document that outlines all the visual elements that make up your brand, from colour palettes to typography, logo usage, and image styles. Think of it as a rulebook for your brand’s appearance.
Why is it important to stick to a style guide? Over time, little inconsistencies can erode your brand recognition and make your messaging less effective. Plus, a style guide can save you time and headaches in the long run. When you have a clear set of guidelines to follow, you don’t have to spend time reinventing the wheel every time you create a new piece of marketing collateral. You can just refer to your style guide and know exactly what fonts, colours, and images to use.
Of course, at Brand Rebellion we know sometimes rules are meant to be broken. But before you break the rules outlined in your style guide, make sure you’re doing it intentionally and for a good reason. Maybe you’re launching a new product that needs a slightly different visual identity, or you’re trying to appeal to a new audience. In those cases, you can update your style guide to reflect the changes you’re making.
Embodying brand values
But consistency goes beyond just the visual elements of your brand. It’s also about the language and tone of voice you use in your marketing and customer interactions. Are you a fun, irreverent brand that likes to crack jokes and poke fun at the industry? Or are you a serious, no-nonsense brand that focuses on providing reliable, high-quality service? Whatever your brand personality is, stick to it.
That also means training your team to embody the brand values in their interactions with customers. Take the time in your staff onboarding to get that understanding and buy-in from your employees to ensure that your messaging is on point.
Brand consistency is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have for any business that wants to establish a strong identity. When every aspect of your brand – from the visuals to the messaging to the tone – is aligned and consistent, you’ll create a brand that customers can trust, and that businesses want to work with.
Take this as your reminder to brush those cobwebs off your style guide, share it with your broader team and keep those blue M’s at bay.
Don’t have a style guide? Here at Brand Rebellion, we can help you expand or refine your current brand. Reach out for a chat!
