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The Importance of Consistency in Branding

Consistency, consistency consistency. Just like the mantra for the real estate industry is all about location, the marketing and branding world places a great emphasis on consistency in design and messaging to build a brand identity. Brands everywhere abide by their brand guidelines and style rules all with the goal of presenting a consistent image of themselves to the public. But, why such a focus on being consistent?

In this article, we will explain why consistency is vital to a brand’s success in the marketplace. By building brand recognition and trust with consumers through consistency, a company increases their chances of a consumer purchasing from them over their competitors. When a potential customer is aware of who your brand is and what you stand for and can recognize your brand whenever they encounter it, your company is set up for success.

Brand Recognition
Customer Trust
Crucial Consistency

 

Brand Recognition

According to marketing expert Ashley Friedlein, “Brand is the sum total of how someone perceives a particular organization. Branding is about shaping that perception.” With consistent branding, a company controls the way its audience and customers perceive them so that they can make a good impression at every encounter. Whether a business is just starting out or has been around for a while, consistency in design and messaging helps them to be recognized. Every message your brand sends out, intentional or unintentional, is creating a perception and establishing certain expectations. Ensuring consistency in your output of messages helps you stay in control of how your brand appears to others and what expectations they are setting. When your brand is consistent, you become recognized as a remarkable brand that knows who they are and what they stand for.

Customer Trust

Being recognized as a brand, while important, is not enough to seal the deal for most customers. In today’s market where there are dozens of companies that offer the same product or service, your brand must stand out as one a customer can trust. According to a recent survey by Salsify (2022), 46 percent of consumers say that they would pay more to purchase from brands they can trust. Trust is built by shared values, a great customer experience, and through consistency in a brand’s identity. When a brand delivers messages that are consistent, the customer begins to feel that they can rely on you to follow through. A consistent presentation for your brand helps to back up your mission, core values, and brand promise. Consumers that recognize your brand and see consistency in your promises and actions will develop trust and be more inclined to purchase.

Crucial Consistency

The bottom line is that consistency results in a better brand experience, in turn resulting in more sales. Studies have demonstrated that consistent presentation of a brand has shown an increase in revenue by 33 percent (Lucidpress, 2019). With established brand guidelines and a solidified brand identity, all the moving pieces of your branding and marketing strategies become one cohesive whole. People that encounter your brand can then rely on the fact that every time they see your brand it will be a continuous message, setting up accountability for your brand to follow through on its brand promise. Prioritizing consistency will build up brand awareness by making your brand easy to recognize through a consistent output and clear focus.

Consistency is clearly important to the success of your brand, but it is not always easy to achieve. As a brand grows, it is important to adjust brand guidelines to ensure that design and messaging stays consistent but also stay true to who you are as a brand. Evaluate your company’s content today to see if consistency is lacking in your strategy and brand guidelines.