Consistency. It’s a big word. It’s a word that we think gets a bad rap, usually undeserved. Consistency may be about doing the same things over and over again, but it doesn’t have to be about lifeless, boring or bland design.
We’re going to help you unravel all those negative thoughts in your head and get on board with brand consistency. Starting with what it is, moving on to why it matters and finally; giving you the secret recipe to ensuring your brand is consistent (and creative) at all times.
Let’s talk about brand consistency
If we had to define brand consistency in a single sentence, here’s what we’d say: Brand consistency is making sure the way you present your business is the same across all customer touchpoints.
That’s not the most exciting definition, so here’s another way to look at it that’s a bit longer, but much more interesting.
Brand consistency is like your favourite cup of coffee. Whether that’s an extra hot soy cappuccino, a strong piccolo latte or a single shot of espresso – when you order your favourite coffee, you know exactly what to expect.
You know because you’ve had it before. Many times in many different places, but almost always with the same result.
Okay, now let’s turn that to your brand. When a customer interacts with your business, you want to give them an experience just like their favourite coffee.
You want them to trust that good things are coming and know that you have their needs under control.
Presenting them with a unified, consistent brand experience is one way to achieve this. It’s in the little details – like your email signature – and the big ones – like your annual report.
Why does brand consistency matter?
The world’s largest brands are masters of keeping things consistent. But, that doesn’t mean it’s only for the big players.
Small-medium businesses have just as much to gain from building up their brand consistency. Here are 3 unbeatable reasons to make brand consistency your next business goal.
Be memorable
Reason numero uno for a consistent brand: it makes you memorable. When people get used to your brand appearance, they are able to instantly recognise your business.
Instant recognition leads to faster decision-making, which can help you close sales sooner. All because you remembered to use the same font across your marketing and sales material.
Build trust
Adding on to recognition, we have trust. Trust is built through repeated, high-quality interactions with your business. While there are multiple ways to make this happen, your brand is one of the most important elements.
Stand out from the crowd
We bet there are other businesses that do what you do. Wouldn’t it be awful to be confused with one of them? Having a strong brand that you communicate consistently is not only a great way to stand out, it helps you be seen for who you truly are.
How to maintain brand consistency
Here is our absolute favourite part of consistent branding – it’s easier than you think to achieve. We recommend working with qualified designers for the best results (and least stress).
Step 1: Nail your brand identity
Before you can build consistency, you have to build a brand. That means getting clear on who you are and how you look.
The most common elements that make up a brand identity are: logos, fonts and colours. If you already have these, you’re halfway to consistent. If you’re looking to get started, nudge us for a chat about our branding services.
Step 2: Get your brand guidelines
Think of your brand guidelines as a recipe for your business. Any person using the recipe (guidelines) with the right ingredients (brand identity) should be able to make your brand look professional and consistent.
We say should here because not every person who enjoys design knows what they’re doing. For best results, we recommend working with experienced graphic designers.
Step 3: Be brave, be creative
Our favourite step of them all. Just because you’ve decided the one way you want your brand to appear, doesn’t mean it’s the one and only way it has to appear.
It is possible to blend brand consistency with creativity; giving your business a fresh appearance, without losing recognition with customers.
This is one of our special skills here at Sonderling. We offer graphic design and branding services for small-medium businesses that lean on consistency, without losing creative flair. You can browse some top examples in our graphic design portfolio.
Get graphic design on-call with Sonderling Support
The *chef’s kiss* of design support. Imagine a qualified designer on your team, every month, for anything you desire.
Sonderling Support is a professional design team on retainer with scalable packages – from 1 project per month to multiple design tasks every week.
The key word here is scalable. We meet you where your business is at; increasing or decreasing support as required, so that you breathe a sigh of relief every single month.
Why is it worth your while?
- Unified identity: every touchpoint is instantly recognisable and unmistakeably you.
- Cost-efficient: avoid the cost of a full-time design team, enjoy the same amount of graphic design expertise.
- Agile and flexible: you’ll have a dedicated design partner for the everyday, with access to our full team for the big moves.
The possibilities really are endless, which we know can be equal parts exciting and confusing. So, let’s go into detail.
Book a 15-minute call with Georgia to chat all things Sonderling Support and map out your next 6-months of design. Did we mention, it’s free? Talk to you soon.
FAQs
What is a brand identity?
We could write 1,000 words to answer this one, but you’re reading an FAQ – not a report.
So, here it is in one sentence: Brand identity is the way your business looks and sounds when it interacts with customers.
For example, your business website featuring your brand colours, logo, fonts and a distinctive brand tone-of-voice.
How are brand identity and brand consistency different?
If brand identity is how you look and sound, then brand consistency is making sure you look and sound the same (or at least 90% similar) at all times.
There is some wiggle room for creativity here; which means that having a consistent brand is not the same as becoming a boring brand.
Do I really need brand consistency?
Did we catch you skim-reading our article? No judgement, we’re here to help. If you want a full explanation – head back up and read ‘Why Does Brand Consistency Matter?’
Rather get straight to the point? Here are the 3 main reasons we recommend consistent branding and design to every business:
- Makes your business memorable
- Builds trust with your customers
- Helps you stand out from competitors
Like we said, we’re here to help. So, if brand consistency feels important but out of reach – give us a nudge. We can keep your brand on track with a design team on-call through Sonderling Support.
What if I don’t have enough design work for Sonderling Support?
We’ve heard this one a lot, but in all honesty – you have more design needs than you realise.
The key thing to know about Sonderling Support is it can be used to design anything and everything that your business requires. Some of the common designs we help our clients with include:
- Brochures
- Social media posts and reels
- PowerPoint templates
- Event collateral
- Uniforms and signage
- Refreshing sales collateral – like contracts, tenders or proposal
- Website banners and promotions
It’s also completely flexible and scalable: which means one month we could take a single project off your hands, while the next month has weekly deliverables.
Sign up for Sonderling Support
This is the graphic design service that most clients never want to leave. Sonderling Support gives you access to qualified designers every month, without having to hire in-house.
We make creative design for small-medium businesses easy, predictable and stress free. Book a free 15-minute call with Georgia to get started.