Why does everybody keep talking (eye roll) about brand consistency? Because IT MA-TTERS
Branding + Consistency = Brand Recognition = Relationship Building = TRUST
First, let’s review what branding really is.
“A brand is the identity and story of a company that makes it stand out from competitors offering similar products or services. The goal of branding is to earn a place in the minds of the target audience and become their preferred option.”(1)
Branding is the process of creating a company’s identity. It also delivers the elements that support that identity, such as a logo, tagline, visual style, and tone of voice.
In short, branding is the process of researching, developing, and applying a distinctive set of features so people can associate your brand with your products or services.
The Most Common Branding Issue We See
When we conduct brand audits for our clients, one of the most common issues we encounter is a lack of brand consistency. A big part of our job is understanding why.
Are they unhappy with their brand?
Do they think their audience wants something different?
What’s driving those decisions?
In most cases, the answer is simple: visual exhaustion.
They’re tired of seeing their own brand.
Why it (actually) is a Big Deal
For a brand to be effective, people need to recognize it easily. When colors, fonts, styles, or logos change frequently, recognition becomes harder, and confusion grows.
One important thing to remember when you feel the urge to “change it up” is that the human brain remembers shapes and colors before words. This is how we learned to read: letters were shapes first. Branding works the same way. We recognize the visual identity before we remember the name.
You may see your brand every day, but your audience does not. They’re exposed to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of brands daily through social media, stores, signage, and advertising. When branding constantly changes, it becomes harder for them to recognize and trust you.
Does This Mean You Can’t Experiment?
Not at all.
You can:
Introduce new design elements
Explore variations within your color palette
Create fresh and engaging content (just take this awesome blog post as an example)
But frequently changing the core elements of your brand does more harm than good.
Think about the most successful brands. Are they constantly changing their logos, colors, or typography? The answer is no.
When a Rebrand Does Make Sense
Sometimes a rebrand is necessary, and that’s completely valid. Maybe:
Your business has evolved
Your target audience has changed
Your original brand was created with limited experience
If you’re planning a rebrand, we recommend:
Conducting in-depth market research
Understand what competitors are doing and how you can stand out without alienating your audience.Choosing timeless visuals
Trends are fun, but overly trendy branding can age quickly.Testing before launch
Get feedback from your target audience before making it official.Planning a clear brand launch
Prepare your audience in advance and communicate the change intentionally.
What Brand Consistency Looks Like
Using the same logo and icon system
Limiting typography to one or two fonts
Defining and sticking to a color palette
Maintaining a consistent visual style across photos, illustrations, and videos
If you’re looking for a brand refresh or a brand audit, send us a message. We’d love to work with you, and your inconsistent (visually) friends.
(1) https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/branding
