How can you consistently build brand awareness through brand consistency?

I never liked the word 'consistency' -- the goal is 'similarity of impression'. That is, things do not need to be the same, but to be in the aggregate a cohesive family. Coca-Cola is a good example, and so is Nike, and so is Apple: there's no 'consistency' per se there, but just a wisely sophisticated handling of copy, imagery, messages - plus white space in Apple, perceived motion in Nike, joy in Coca-Cola). Break down the key parts of your persona, and then keep mixing them ad infinitum -- always 'different', but always 'the same'.

Maintaining brand consistency as an essential measure towards constantly generating brand awarenesss. Keeping uniformity in every facet of the brand, whether it is about its logo, a color scheme, its message, and its mode of address among others, at all contact points with customers. This way, you establish an appealing and easily recognisable brand identity for your target market. Trust develops out of this familiarity over time as we find people frequently encountering with your steady brand which leads to more understanding and loyalty. Consistency is key: your brand becomes easily recognizable and reliable, thus turning one time viewer into a long-term supporter.

Defining brand guidelines include setting clear definition of what the brand is beyond making money, it inlcudes defining the purpose, values, characterstics, visual design for the brand, logo, identity systems etc.. All of these has to be done from a strategic point of view as well. When defining thee elements of the brand always remember to make them to be cohesieve.

Who are you? You are not just your logo and mission statement. That is where brand guidelines come into play and they are not just for your external audience to adhere to. They also provide borders for internal content creation and messaging. Brand guidelines are the foundation for any and all communication that your company delivers and they need to be developed with layers of input from Marketing, Sales, Design, Digital and especially Legal. The process does take time and becomes a living document that will require adjustments on a regular basis to keep up with the use cases but the initial work will be well worth it for your institution and customers.

For me, the key to consistently building brand awareness is by defining solid brand guidelines. It's like giving my brand a personality and ensuring it speaks the same language across every platform. By outlining the colors, fonts, tone, and visual elements, I create a consistent look and feel. This not only makes my brand easily recognizable but also builds trust with my audience. It's my way of telling a cohesive story that resonates every time someone interacts with my brand.

Comprehensive brand mapping is crucial, but ongoing scrutiny is vital. Approving all publications helps maintain consistency. Enhance this process by embedding clear examples in brand guidelines for diverse channels and platforms. Consider providing templates for future applications, ensuring sustained uniformity. Regular reviews and approvals safeguard a unified brand identity, preventing deviations that may dilute the impact. A brand is a living being, so dynamic brand mapping, continuous monitoring, and proactive refinement are indispensable for maintaining consistency over time.

Consistently building brand awareness through brand consistency involves conducting a thorough audit of your brand presence across all platforms and channels once your brand guidelines are established. This audit spans your website, social media, email, blog, podcast, video, print, events, and any other communication medium. The aim is to identify and rectify inconsistencies, gaps, or errors that may confuse or alienate your audience, such as outdated logos, mismatched colors, conflicting messages, or off-brand content. Simultaneously, seek opportunities to enhance your brand presence by adding new features, channels, or formats, ensuring a unified and compelling brand image across all touchpoints.

When advising or consulting about branding, I always say we all have a brand organically. So, the first step should be a brand assessment and/or audit. With that in mind, we can begin brand ourselves intentionally. So the second step is to determine and/or develop the vision we have for our brand. With clear information and insight, the third step is to strategically integrate and synthesize the organic and strategic elements of the brand.

Auditing your brand presence should not just include the assets across different mediums. It should also include the brand ambassadors of the company - its employees. Most often than not, we find that sales guys pitch about the company is completely different from HR guys' pitch to prospective employees. Hence, it is extremely important to do an audit with the employees to identify inconsistency in messages.

To audit your brand presence: - Start by assessing your online and offline touchpoints (website, social media, packaging). - Look for consistency in your visuals, messaging, and experiences. - Analyze existing customers' feedback.

Your brand guidelines need to be very hands on and not just nice on paper to be executed. Have an all hands on deck meeting to explain what the brand strategy is and how to execute on it so the team can take it forward for the brand. Brand teams need to align befor execution to raise awareness so the message is singular in nature

This is the most difficult part of the entire process. The entire organization needs to talk the same language and therefore training is required at all levels. Firstly, it is the essential for the marketing team to be well versed with the brand guidelines. Once they have mastered it, it is their responsibility to identify relevant sections of the brand guidelines for a particular team and train them only on those sections. This way, there is no information overload and it is easier to follow the bite-sized guidelines.

Empowering your team goes beyond the provision of tools and resources: it requires a deep understanding of how your brand embodies the company's culture and reflects each team member. The objective is for them to take ownership of the brand, just as they do with the organizational culture. By instilling this sense of ownership, your team naturally transforms into both brand ambassadors and guardians. This dual role is pivotal in collectively maintaining constant alignment and coherence within the brand. They become active contributors to upholding the brand's integrity. Your team not only represents the brand but actively safeguards its essence, ensuring a harmonious and authentic brand presence.

It is important to lead by example. When leaders consistently demonstrate the brand guidelines in their own communication and work it makes a difference and creates an impact for the team. This sets the tone for your team and shows them the expected standard of brand consistency. It is also important to encourage open communication within the team, so that team members could ask questions or seek clarifications regarding the brand guidelines. This will help in eliminating any confusion and ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to brand consistency.

Create a culture where brand consistency is everyone's responsibility. Encourage team members to be brand ambassadors, understanding and embodying the brand in their roles. Utilize internal communications to reinforce brand messages and values regularly. By doing so, you ensure that every team member is aligned, turning your entire workforce into a powerful, cohesive force for building and maintaining brand awareness.

Youtube reviews of your products is a great way to get a deeper sense of what your broader audience thinks especially digging in the comments section ;)

You wouldn't plant a seed, feed it, water it, give it light, and watch it grow, only to let it die. Would you? That wouldn't be good for the plant now would it. If you stopped looking after it, would you be surprised when it started to wilt? When its leaves turned brown and dropped off? When it's stopped looking bright and shiny? The same goes for your brand. It needs monitoring, nurturing and tending to so it can grow. It needs this daily, weekly at best. Pay attention to it, monitor it, take care of it and over time you will be rewarded, you will see it grow bigger, better and stronger.

As my colleague at FutureBrand, Ismael Ibnoulouafi, used to say, "uniFIED, not uniFORM!" (Maybe "coherent" is a better word than "consistent," in fact.) Flexibility is not just for responding to audience needs—it can also be about responding to media requirements and opportunities, evolving campaign themes, and more. I saw an amazing presentation by an ex-Coca-Cola creative director where she showed how the Coca-Cola brand shows up differently from year to year, place to place, etc. But of course, we all think of Coca-Cola as the brand that's "looked the same" since the 1800s. They've managed to stay fresh and relevant while maintaining a consistent identity for over 100 years.

I've found that adapting and evolving with my audience is crucial to building brand awareness consistently. It's like having an ongoing conversation where I listen and respond to my audience's wants and needs. By staying attuned to their preferences and changing dynamics, I can tweak my brand consistency to remain relevant. It's not just about sticking to a set formula but about growing with my community. I hope this helps.

Consistently building brand awareness hinges on maintaining brand consistency while also adapting and evolving alongside your audience. By staying true to your brand's core values and identity while being responsive to the changing needs and preferences of your target market, you can forge a strong connection, foster trust, and ensure your brand remains relevant and impactful over time.

Consistently building brand awareness through brand consistency involves uniformity across visual elements, messaging, and values. KitKat, with its globally recognized red packaging, consistent logo design, and the iconic "Have a Break, Have a KitKat" slogan, exemplifies this approach. By maintaining a cohesive brand identity across diverse markets, KitKat reinforces its image as a reliable and enjoyable break-time snack. Consistency in advertising campaigns and product presentation reinforces brand recall, ensuring that consumers associate the familiar red packaging and catchy tagline with the KitKat brand, contributing to sustained and widespread brand awareness over time.

Consistency is not always related to building brand awareness. By staying authentic, stand out on different channels, and focus on meaningful visibility rather than uniformity, You will be able to achieve it.

Die Konsistenz im gesamten Auftritt ist das AundO, um starke Marken aufzubauen. Das Stichwort hier heißt: Selbstähnlichkeit. Es muß einfach alles aufeinander abgestimmt sein und einzahlen auf die Positionierung der Marke. Heißt: Tone of Voice, CI, in welchen Kommunikationskanälen trete ich wie genau auf mit welchen Inhalten, etc... das alles muß passen, unique sein. So gut wie alle "großen" Marken machen das sehr gut. Vom Automobilbereich (BMW z.B.) über Lebensmittel (CocaCola, Haribo) bis zu Dienstleistungen (Deutsche Bahn, Telekom). Durch die Konsistenz werden die einzelnen Touchpoints sukzessive besser wahrgenommen und zahlen alle einzeln auf die Awareness ein. So gibt es dann keinen Verlust in der Kommunikationsleistung.

Building brand awareness through consistency has been a game-changer for me, and here's what else to consider. It's not just about logos; think about your messaging, emotions, and values. Take Apple, for instance - from sleek product design to minimalist ads, they maintain a seamless brand experience. So, focus on the details; they collectively shape how your brand is perceived, creating a memorable journey.