Importance of Consistency in Branding and Design

What do you think of when someone says Target or McDonald’s. You probably have a few pretty immediate thoughts and feelings that come to mind. Maybe you think about Target’s bullseye or McDonald’s golden arches. Do you think about your latest experience at one of these establishments? Or maybe you have a host of feelings about them that you can’t quite explain?

In reality, what you are thinking about is their branding. What most people don’t realize is that branding isn’t just your logo. There are a bunch of other variables that go into establishing your brand, and consistency in these areas is what will push your marketing to a higher level.

Now, we are going to talk about the importance of consistency in your brand, but first, it’s important to define what we are talking about when we say “brand” or “branding.” Simply put, your brand exists in your customer’s mind. It’s what they think of when they hear your brand name or see your logo. It’s everything the public thinks they know about you, whether concrete or emotional. Building a great brand is not going to happen overnight, but one of the best things you can do to push that timeline along is to make sure your branding, from design to how your employees treat the public, is consistent. There are several reasons why consistency is important:

1. Consistency makes your brand recognizable.
When you establish your brand visually, through color, type and style, you make it so that the public recognizes your company wherever they are. This sets some basic boundaries that allow you to branch out creatively without confusing your audience. Consistency in the look of your brand also establishes your brands personality and identity with your audience and reinforces your key messaging. In other words, you’ve established expectations, and customers respond positively when they know what they are getting up front.

2. Consistency fosters goodwill for your brand.
The last interaction a customer had with your brand is the one they remember. This is why it is important to keep the customer experience consistent. If the public’s interactions are positive, it helps to foster goodwill which, in turn, drives customer loyalty and brand evangelism. What store will they shop at today? The one they “feel” good about and enjoy going to.

3. Consistency builds brand equity.
What do we mean by brand equity? Brand equity is the value of having a well-known brand name. This is based on the idea that the owner of a well-known brand name can generate more money from products with that brand name than from products with a less well-known name since consumers believe that products with well-known names are better than products with less well-known names. Ok. Let’s simplify that some. You see, there is actually monetary value in your brand. Here’s an example for how brand equity might work. If every McDonald’s in the world burned down at the same time, the company could borrow the money they needed to rebuild every single one based solely on the value in the McDonald’s brand. That’s a pretty chunk of change.

You see, consistency in your branding ultimately effects your bottom line. Customers buy from brands they recognize, and they buy from brands they like. This, in turn, builds brand equity. See how all of that works together? Through establishing this consistency, you’ll develop and strengthen your brand, and ultimately make your business stronger.