Whiplash Team, 4th February 2022
Four simple steps to maintain brand consistency
Although organizations are not always as careful as they should be in keeping brand consistency, this is one of the key elements in creating a strong and solid brand. Coca-Cola is a good example: iconic as few, the best-known soft drink on the planet has used the same logo ever since Frank Mason Robinson created it in 1885. Today, Coca-Cola and Coke, alike, are two of the most known words around the world, along with OK.
Consistency helps to manage the perception of the public: a coherent brand conveys seriousness, professionalism and motivation in the achievement of its goals. It moulds the way users see the brand and relates to it, both in good times as well as in less favourable moments.
In the long term, consistency contributes to the building of greater brand equity. As the brand gains traction, its name and logo will become synonyms of trust and value in the consumer’s mind, who will know what to expect in terms of quality and service when interacting with it.
However, brands are not always as careful as they should be regarding this matter and some fall into the trap of thinking that being consistent is unimportant. Those who think so are wrong. Coca-Cola, Apple or Virgin Records, just to name a few among many other long-time brands, have understood that consistency is one of the secrets to their success.
Here are some important suggestions for maintaining a consistent brand:
1.- Everyone’s involved. The entire team must be involved in maintaining and caring for the brand. Every member of the organization must understand what is considered the proper use of any element that directly affects brand consistency.
2.- Create a brand style guide. The contents of this tool will vary from one organization to another, but, basically, it is the bible that everyone in the company should turn to when it comes to using the brand correctly.
3.- Provide full access to logos, graphics and other resources. Anyone who has a responsibility in the creation and distribution of brand-related material must have access to all of the branding material to avoid misinterpretations in the reproduction of logos, brand elements or other graphic images.
4.- Create a brand guardianship team. It is important to have a team in charge of monitoring and taking care of the brand. As we see, maintaining brand consistency is a permanent job that requires persistency and focus. Not only is it essential; it becomes ever more important as the organization grows and the brand gains relevance.
