Member Article

Consistency is Key

When it comes to branding, there is one thing that really bugs me more than anything else – consistency. There is nothing worse than seeing variations of logos, a mismatch of colours or too many different fonts used by the same company within the marketing material and messages. Below are 5 rules to follow to make sure I don’t get annoyed with your brand*

1. Logo – Ensure that you are using the same logo across your material. Make sure that it is clear and visible and always follows the relevant specifications where appropriate. There will be times you use a black and white or a greyscale version of your logo, and that is fine so long as it fits with the messages. To ensure consistency, you could choose to place the logo in the same place across all marketing literature.

2. Colours – Have a defined palette of colours to your brand and use them across all forms of communication. Keep a record of the RGB (screen), CMYK (print), HEX (web) and pantone breakdowns. I know that’s quite a few codes and details to keep but having varying colours is not good. npower employ someone to check the colour of every single piece of material they use.

3. Fonts – A business should ideally be sticking to using no more than two fonts across their material and should really have a set specific font for headings and for body copy.

4. Tone of Voice – I know what you’re going to say, determining tone of voice as written communication is difficult. But think about the style and message you are trying to convey. Are you informal and chatty, or are you formal and more technical? Do you talk in the first or third person? Once you have decided on your brand tone of voice then this style should consistently be used across material and messages.

5. Image style – Having images in your brand and marketing literature adds richness and quality. It is more cost effective for a business to use stock photos though they are at a stage where they are overused. Bespoke photography is recommended but appreciated it is not always viable. However, the key here is whichever type of imagery you go for then make sure the same style is used.

Speak with your marketing and design team and ask for a set of brand guidelines if not already in possession of one. This will show you how to use your logo consistently, provide relevant details of the colour references required and offer specific fonts to be used. You can increase the strength of your brand by being consistency, making your brand more memorable and recognisable amongst your target audience.

If a potential customer sees your flyer in a business centre and then goes to have a look on your website but comes across mixed messages and branding, it will lead them to be confused and disengaged before the process even starts. Your customer, and potential customer, should know it is you and your brand every time.

After reading this, go and take a look at your marketing materials and literature. Is it consistent across all platforms and communications? If not, it’s time to look at it again and analyse what needs to be done to ensure consistency.

*More importantly, 5 rules to ensure your customers don’t get annoyed and struggle to understand your brand.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Elvis .