With organisations generating so much content from online ad campaigns to marketing materials, it is easy to see how a company’s brand identity could become a bit dodgy. Many people working on material for the brand identity can make it difficult to stay aligned. In some cases, both big and small organisations do not even realise how far off course they have veered.
A lack of consistency in brand identity may be easily noticeable at first. However, it will eventually begin to have a negative impact on the business. The disjointed brand identity can cause distrust among customers. The result is that they lose faith in the brand. If a company begins to feel like it is beginning to lose its identity, here are some steps it can take to correct that.
Ensure that Everyone Understand the Significance of Brand Identity
It can be hard to create a solid plan when nobody understands why it matters. Firstly, everyone needs to understand why the brand matters. This can be done by holding a press conference during which the significance of branding can be explained.
Keep the Messaging Consistent
The content that is shared on the website, social media, ad campaigns, and on blogs need to have a consistent tone. For instance, does the brand want to use humour or does it want to appeal to a serious audience?
If a brand uses one tone on one platform and makes a complete turn on another platform, people may lose their trust in it. It is especially so when dealing with the branding for products that require a high degree of trust such as financial services. One way of maintaining a consistent tone is to have the tagline displayed across all platforms. The tagline is the simplest way for a brand to deliver a consistent message at all times.
Place the Logo Everywhere
Some people think that the logo is the brand. However, it is only part of the brand. A logo can be a great way for a company to maintain brand consistency. Every marketing campaign must use the same logo.
Additionally, the colour scheme of any ad campaign needs to be centred on the logo. Business cards, stationery, and possibly the uniforms that staff members wear should feature the same colour scheme and logo. Using stationery is an especially useful way to maintain brand identity. In essence, it is a form of free advertising.
Stay Active
If there were a discussion going on about the brand on social media, it would be a good idea to join in. Ensure that the company’s social media account is firmly in control of all facts being spread about the brand. That way, customers will view it as a brand that cares about its image.
The Brand Should Adapt Over Time
The most valuable brands in the world today have survived so long because of their ability to make subtle changes when things are no longer working. A company should not be afraid to adapt its brand to changing times. However, the changes need to be made uniformly across all platforms to avoid creating confusion among customers.
Have a Target Audience in Mind
A brand cannot cater to everyone. It is only able to serve a given set of audience at a time. Trying to get everyone’s attention at the same time could make the company seem directionless. In some cases, it can even lead to huge financial losses.
Any communication about the brand needs to be created with a certain audience in mind. They will generate profit for the brand. Additionally, a brand can target influencers of the target group. For instance, a toy company will target kids, who will influence their parents to buy toys for them.
Repurpose Content
Small businesses especially need to take this tip seriously. The reason for this is that they just do not have enough time to create new content to help with their branding. Repurposing simply means that a company takes its existing content and use it in a different manner.
For instance, a company can turn its video tutorial into a blog post. It will help you cut down on time that you would have had to use conduction research. Review some of the successful content that you have already created and see which is ripe for repurposing. Another example of how to repurpose content is to turn a blog post into an infographic. It is especially so if your blog post had many statistics.
All these simple tips can be applied to a brand of any size. Simply take the time to implement them in a form that is suitable for your business.
