How Vital Is Brand Consistency?

Consistency is one of the most important cornerstones in maintaining brand strength, but it can be compromised easily. Often, consistent branding falls victim to uncertainty during organizational change or shifts in marketing strategy.

Your brand is the component of your company or product that resonates emotionally with your customers and prospects. Strong, effective branding helps customers build an attachment to your company or product beyond features, benefits or price.

A well-defined and consistent brand, then, allows the marketplace to rely on your brand to deliver a specific, consistent experience during interactions with your company. And that results in stronger customer loyalty and ultimately, consumer trust.

But brand consistency isn’t limited to how a product should look, or how it’s perceived.

Brand consistency is all about the touch points of your brand. It requires constant monitoring and response in the following areas:

•        Employee-customer exchanges, whether in person, by telephone, fax or e-mail
•       Website
•        Social media Video
•        Product attributes, such as packaging, product functionality, features and benefits
•        Warranty/customer service policies
•        Advertising – all forms
•      Print collateral (print matter and stationery)
•        Product manuals, inserts, directions
•        Physical locations of headquarters or offices
•        Trade show booths and graphics
•        Distribution sources
•        Public relations

When branding vacillates toward inconsistency, consumers report a sense of uncertainty and a lack of confidence in products and services attached to that brand.  

In fact, experts maintain that poor branding is more detrimental than no branding at all.