Consistency is key when it comes to why brand matters.
We have been talking about why brand matters more than ever in today’s world, we have covered decision paralysis, decision fatigue, brand loyalty and now I want to touch base on the importance of consistency. In order to combat decision fatigue and decision paralysis you need to establish brand loyalty, and the best way to do that is through consistency! Let’s go over what brand consistency is and why you need to show up consistently to create a profitable brand.
What is brand consistency?
You might be thinking that brand consistency is using the same logo, fonts, and colors throughout all your materials… While that is a very big part of it, it encompasses all the touchpoints your audience has with your brand. It means that your visuals stay the same, your voice never changes, and you are firm in your values. It means always showing up as your authentic self, or in this case, your brand’s authentic self.
A good example of a brand wavering in its consistency lately is Disney. In the past Disney was always authentic. Everything “Disney” was the intellectual property of “Disney” and created by Disney… in the past few years they have gone on a bit of a shopping spree buying other non Disney entities like Star Wars and Spider Man. While Disney is not hurting in sales yet, I do caution, if they continue on this trajectory, there will come a day when you can no longer identify something as being very “Disney”… it will lead to them ultimately selling out.
Another example of this is TV Networks… the Travel channel used to be filled with shows meant to inspire travel… I was recently scrolling through their collection of shows and it seems more like the ghost and mysterious things channel. Does it even make sense to call it the “Travel Channel” anymore?
Why is brand consistency the way to create brand loyalty?
I love to compare brands to humans. The best way to look at your brand is as its own persona and brands have personalities and looks just like humans do. If we look at consistency in our friends, those who show up for us time and time again as their authentic selves are the ones we are loyal to. They are the ones we know, the ones we trust, and the ones we want to be around. If your best friend who is normally very laid back and understanding all of a sudden started dressing like a corporate attorney and being super judgmental you might start to question your friendship with them… but if they keep up the laid back and understanding vibe, your bond over the years grows stronger and stronger.
Consistency doesn’t mean you can’t change or evolve… but your core self needs to stay the same! Think of how you might not dress the same as you did in High School as you would in your 40’s but you are still you. You still value the same things, have the same personality, and bet your vibe is fairly the same. Apply this thought process to your brand.
When we show up as ourselves over and over again for our clients, trust is established. Your clients, in time, will become loyal knowing that they know you and trust in the experience they will have with your brand.
To Conclude
If you want to build a loyal client / customer base, get really clear on who your brand is, know your values, know your why, and know what you bring to the table… create a visual identity and brand voice that brings that to life, then repeat, repeat, repeat! I wish there was a fast track to brand loyalty but the only way is showing up consistently time after time for your audience!
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