When a company is established for the first time, it strives to create a brand identity that reflects the company’s culture, ideals, and vision. The brand identity must be consistent across all media in order for potential customers to become familiar with the company. If a company has marketing professionals who create imagery and content for its website, social media, radio, TV, radio, and print, consistency may be at risk. Companies should:
Create a Style Manual
Companies can create a portfolio of advertising that gives a persona to all communications. Each representative should know the company’s voice and culture and strive to embody these values in all communications.
Example: Company XYZ is eco-conscious and family-friendly. Communication that sounds too corporate or does not reflect the company’s values can confuse customers and deter potential buyers. Even loyal customers can be turned off by a conflicting corporate identity.
All Communications – Attach Logos and Colors
Customers are visual learners, and the internet is a particularly visual medium. It is easy to make sure customers are aware of who is speaking to them through all communications channels, digital and traditional.
Customers also remember colors well. UPS encourages customers to “go dark” in its advertisements. Home Depot’s trademark orange is the Home Depot. Nearly all companies have a color that represents their brand. Psychologically, colors can be used to communicate certain moods or attitudes to customers. Businesses need to understand the implications of logos and ensure that their colors are consistent with company culture.
Example: Coca-Cola is a globally recognized brand that is loved by all. This consistency is not something you can achieve overnight. Coca-Cola has been evolving over the decades in terms of product quality, packaging, and advertising, but it never lost its identity. Coca-Cola of half a century ago would still be recognizable to consumers today. If today’s Coca-Cola could travel back in history, buyers wouldn’t notice much of a difference; although there would be a shift from plastic to glass, the brand would remain the same. A Coke sold in Dubai or Tokyo, or Hong Kong would be recognized by either an American or someone from the UK. This consistency is a sign of industry leadership and trusts around the globe.
Train Personnel
All communication personnel within a company should be trained on the same approach to engaging customers. Employers who employ internal staff who communicate through traditional and digital media should ensure that they have employees who are familiar with the brand’s identity. Companies that use content writers, marketing strategists, and content writers, as well as media companies, need to define the tone, voice, and persona for the brand. They also need to ensure that all vendors and outsourcers adhere to it. Marketing consultants can help companies to identify their brand identity and provide training tools.
Example: Company XYZ is known for its professional culture and responsiveness to clients. Marketing representatives who are not trained in these ideals may create marketing materials that are too bold and casual, which could confuse clients. A representative could overlook a customer response and spread the word about XYZ not living up to customer expectations. These mistakes are costly for businesses. XYZ should train all of its representatives, marketing professionals and CSRs alike, to represent the same persona.
Communicate Your Goals
All communications should be clear if the goal is sponsorship or promotion of a cause. Communications should clearly indicate that the goal is to increase sales by a percentage. Although this seems straightforward, many companies make it a mistake.
Example: A social media manager at Company XYZ is responsible for managing the company’s blog. Another person writes about it. Customers may get confused if the social media writer is bragging about new products, while the blogger boasts a track record of consistency and reliability. Current and potential customers will be able to avoid confusion by coordinating these two people and making sure their goal and purpose is the same.
Stay Current
Customers will develop a relationship with the brand through frequent postings and advertisements. They will see the brand as part and parcel of their daily lives. A company cannot be where they want to be if it says “I haven’t heard that name for years”. Example: Company XYZ and its brand have become household brands because of their clever tweets and their new microsite advertising their sponsorship for the big event. This is where companies want to be.
Companies can make it more efficient to have one marketing agency in Miami handle all communications to ensure consistency. Why is consistency important?
First Impression
A customer’s first impression of a company is its logo, brand culture, colors and tagline. Each company can choose what makes a first impression. However, it is much more difficult to change someone’s mind after that initial exposure.
Loyalty
If the company is not new, there are chances that customers will choose it over its competitors. Customers aren’t happy with the old favorites, even though this is good news. While it is possible to change the strategy, consistency is better at keeping customers coming back. It doesn’t have to be fixed if it isn’t broken.
Distinction from Competitors
How many times have customers stood in the shop trying to recall which brand they bought last time? Customers will remember if there is consistency in marketing and quality products.
A consistent brand identity across all platforms is essential to make sure potential customers know what your company is all about. It also helps current customers feel secure when making purchasing decisions. A digital marketing agency in new york with experience is one way to ensure that your company’s brand remains consistent on all platforms.
Contact Kobe Digital for more information on brand identity and what it means to you.
