The Importance of Brand Consistency

Most businesses and other organizations have been archived in our minds because they have made an impression through the consistency of their brand and image, even if they are not prominent in our everyday lives. For example, we associate Geico with their gecko, Rogers with their red emblem and sound effect, Old Navy with their mannequins and Nike with the “swoosh”, whether or not accompanied by their slogan, “Just do it”.  Tim Hortons officially uses the slogan, “Always fresh... always Tim Hortons,”, though a previous slogan that you may still remember is “You've Always Got Time for Tim Hortons.”  These memorable brands were facilitated by maintaining a consistent brand throughout all of the respective company’s marketing materials. In a referral based business, you want to develop as many techniques to be remembered as possible – this is an important one.

What is ‘branding’?

A brand can vary in style, type and certainly appearance. The media through which you relay your brand to your target market varies (e.g. print advertising, web, mail, television, radio, etc) therefore a brand can encompass anything from a slogan, a song or jingle, a logo, a spokesperson or even something as broad as a theme... often a combination.  In the “FreeCreditReport.com” commercials, for example, the same guy is singing a song in each one, though the song is not the same in each one. Whenever we think of credit reports, it is almost inevitable that the song will replay in your head (if you’ve seen the commercial, of course)! Essentially, you want the same for your real estate business – something that will make people think of you when thinking about real estate.

Why is consistency important?

Maintaining consistent branding throughout your marketing campaigns and materials will differentiate you from your competitors.  If done well, it will give the marketplace confidence in you and the services you offer.  It will show you as professional, consistent and reliable and, depending on the message or strategy, could give the public an insight into your personality.    Further, the term “perception is reality” comes into play here, as people seeing your message everywhere often translate that as you being a top agent and will likely consider this “reality” in their decision-making process.  It is no different than you perhaps selecting a brand-name gas station over a cheaper independent at the same intersection because you consider the brand name to have better or more reliable gasoline than the independent.  It may be true or it may not be, but this perception based on “the name you know” will often affect our decision.

How can you apply consistency to your brand?

Once you establish an image or brand, ensure it is not something you plan on changing or altering in the near future. Take your time... don’t rush the development process. The more you change things up or update the elements of your branding, the more difficult it will be to recognize it and identify with it.   Apply this brand to your flyers, newsletters, calendars, website, billboard, business cards  and anything else that is intended to generate leads or business. Then, the magic begins.  People see the same branding in a flyer at the door as in your newspaper ad and then on the billboard on the way to the mall. Next time someone parks beside your car, there is instant recognition... and instant credibility! Think about Old Navy for a minute. They use mannequins to advertise clothes...so what? Even though mannequins are an important part of EVERY clothing storefront window, Old Navy uniquely uses them in their print ads and television commercials, which differentiates their ads from those of another clothing store.

What happens if you lack consistency?

Unfortunately, some people consider branding unimportant in their advertising and marketing strategies. Without a consistent brand, however, your image will make you appear unprofessional, disorganized and inexperienced.

So what does this all mean for you?

Developing a unique brand for yourself is beneficial in several ways. Firstly, you will have a readily available tool (your brand) when creating flyers or any new marketing material and will save costs on re-designing the ‘look’ each time. You’ll develop a level of comfort from your clients and potential clients by maintaining consistency, and therefore be more recognizable throughout all of your promotions. Finally, it builds trust between you and your potential clients.

How have you leveraged branding to enhance your business?

Authored By: Sevi Najafova, Client Relations