Making sure your branding is consistent is key when it comes to building and maintaining an easily recognised business. Consistency solidifies the image of a brand in the mind of the public, presenting a single, unified identity and personality. This is important, as an output that has a different tone, writing style or visual style can quickly distort the perception of a business, making it seem less trustworthy and credible. Here are our top 4 tips for maintaining brand consistency:
- Use the right tone – The tone of voice used in content is often overlooked, but it is an important part of consistent branding. Tone can reinforce ideas behind your company and products in a subtle way; if your product or service is unusual or caters to a niche market, then a humorous or unusual tone of voice may fit your business – for example, Old Spice uses a unique style to catch attention. Conversely, if your products are powerful or serious, then a strong or proud voice may be right. Think motoring brands like BMW or Harley Davidson.
- Create branded graphics – Visual communication is very important with branding. Colour, for example, is one of the simplest elements you can use, but can be very powerful. The red and yellow of McDonalds is instantly recognisable, and the multi-coloured Google branding is commonly seen online. Fonts are also a simple yet effective way for branding to remain consistent across different content; cursive fonts give an elegant and carefree feeling, whereas blocky sans-serif text gives a more straightforward impression. Logos are another more obvious way to imprint branding into communications – when included tastefully, they provide an unambiguous identification of your brand.
- Make the most of your slogan – Not every brand has to have a slogan, but it is a useful way to convey what the company does, as well as establish an identity in a couple of words. “Just do it” or “Every little helps” are instantly recognisable and give a good idea of a brand’s values. Slogans can also be used for individual products or lines as a way to differentiate from the competition. Finally, to really utilise that slogan why not turn it into a branded hashtag? Just make sure that there’s no hidden meanings or existing uses for your hashtag – such mishaps are more common than you think!
- Vocalise your values – Let your audience know what you stand for! Ad campaigns aren’t exclusively for products or services, they are also a great way to show a company’s values and actions. You could draw attention to switching to recyclable packaging, or any partnerships or fundraising efforts. In recent years, some ad campaigns have seemingly deliberately featured controversial topics to draw attention, for example Gillette’s “we believe: the best men can be” ad which tackles toxic masculinity, and Nike’s ad featuring Colin Kaepernick, an American football player who has advocated against racial inequality.
We hope you’ve found this short read helpful. If you’d like to chat through your own ideas or need any help getting them implemented, get in touch:
E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com T: 01903 688789