We live in a day and age where information and content is at the tips of our fingers, and we get spoon fed an array of information like a little boy at his grandma’s dinner table. Whether it be social media, traditional media or any other stream, our eyes process a larger amount of imagery, information, advertising and collateral than we did 20 years ago.
So if your clients are out swimming deep in the ocean of information - how do you ensure that you stand out? Consistent branding.
You’ve probably had similar experiences to me where I’ve been watching TV and within the first few seconds of an ad I’ve been able to recognise the branding and establish what company it’s for. Then there have been times where I’ve been scrolling through Facebook and have clicked on two completely different-looking events only to realise later that they were the same event promoted differently.
The former is fruit of consistent branding and it’s extremely effective, the latter have 'still got a way to go’ in this department some might say.
'So why & how can I step up my branding game' you say? Let’s discuss.
it's next-tier marketing
When your brand is instantly recognisable, you are at a higher level of marketing which immediately puts you ahead of competition. No longer are you trying to convince your potential customers to ‘find you on Facebook’ or ‘stop into your store’ (not knocking CTA’s these are still important!), customers are already making that thought process by themselves and are thinking of what their next purchase might be.
This also allows you to free up your creative with more white space (which is a good thing!). White space offers a sense of exclusivity and carries the message that you don’t need to try and convince customers to find out who you are - they already know. I’ve never seen an over-crowded Coke billboard - have you?
reputation = credibility
Repetition is the foundation of brand consistency. If I was to introduce myself to you with a high five and an American sounding “heya there” one day, the next day a handshake and a British sounding “good day to you” and the third day a fist bump and “g’day mate” I might leave you feeling all sorts of confused. ‘Did I meet the same person?’, ‘Is he mentally stable?’ - whatever your thought process might be, I most likely haven’t won your trust over immediately.
The same goes for what you communicate as a company. Your potential customers need to see a consistent image to paint a visual representative of your business in their minds. They know what to expect, and your branding and message become recognisable when seen in different mediums. This means repetition in colours, fonts and overall appearance.
Just like my different ways of saying ‘hello’ in the previous section, this also goes for your voicing and positioning as a business. Do your social media posts and advertising carry a relaxed, whimsical or professional voice? This also needs to remain consistent so clients know what to expect
This builds trust which results in credibility as a business, which flows straight into the final point.
make it personal
Ultimately, consumers want to know you. We’re all human, and we’d much rather invest our time and money into a business that we know and can trust (as explored in the previous section).
It’s important to make your branding personal, let your potential customers feel like you’re reaching out directly to them rather than blasting 'click-bait' messages at them. Use conversational language, establish branding that is professional and relatable.
At Marketing Mafia, we love creating designs consistent with your brand that speak directly to your potential customers. We want to help you establish consistency in your brand which will attract new customers and clients. Feel free to give us a call to discuss how we might be able to help take your branding to that next level and stand out amongst the sea of information we swim through every day!
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