Most people have a favourite brand they identify with and are loyal to. The world’s most popular sports brand is Nike. With its tagline of ‘just do it’ and its use of active, well-known ambassadors, last year it took out the top title for the seventh year running.
Personally, I prefer Chanel. It has a certain cachet, and when I think of it, I think of quality, class and old school glamour. When Marilyn Munroe was asked what she wore to bed, she famously replied:
“I only wear Chanel No. 5”
– Marilyn Munroe
So what is it about branding that can make or break a business? We know clear, consistent branding is vital, because it:
- Builds brand recognition
- Reinforces your business’ values
- Establishes trust
- Improves communication/marketing efficiency
- Creates a cohesive customer experience.
Let’s look at how this works in practice.
Brand recognition
When your branding is consistent across all your platforms and materials, it helps create a strong and recognizable identity. Think of Nike’s tick.
This helps differentiate your business from competitors and makes it easier for customers to remember you. A strong brand identity helps create a unique, easy to remember image that resonates with your target audience. It’s not surprising that Nike signed up our most famous Matilda, Sam Kerr, back in 2019.
This can increase brand loyalty, customer retention and therefore message uptake or sales and revenue growth. A recognisable brand helps establish trust with customers and provides a foundation for strong communication and marketing across all materials and channels.
Your brand reinforces your business’ values
Consistent branding instills confidence in your customers and clients. When they see the same logos, colours, and messaging repeatedly, they know they can trust your brand.
Your brand becomes familiar and creates that sense of trust because it’s reliable and has a consistent identity, demonstrating that the company is dependable, pays attention to detail, follows standards and takes its image seriously. It also communicates that the company is committed to delivering high-quality products or services. Think Chanel. Coco Chanel once said, “I don’t do fashion, I am fashion.” She wasn’t known for her modesty…
When customers have confidence in a brand, they’re more likely to go back to it for information, repeat purchases, recommend the business and its products to others (word of mouth) and develop brand loyalty. They know what to expect and can easily recognise the brand amid a sea of competitors.
Overall, consistent branding can help build a strong reputation for the business and set it apart from the competition, leading to increased success.
Establishing trust
Your branding is a reflection of your business’ personality, values and mission. It reinforces your ‘unique selling proposition’ and is the main way your customers experience and interact with your business.
Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the thing that sets you apart from your competitors and attracts your customers. By highlighting your brand’s USP, you reinforce your values, making it easier for customers to understand what makes your brand unique and helps you stand out in a crowded market. It attracts customers and can help inspire brand loyalty among those who find your values and ‘personality’ appealing.
You communicate your core values and ‘personality’ through messaging and visual elements like logos, colors, taglines and brand ‘voice’. What woman doesn’t remember Nicole Kidman in her pink ruffled gown in Paris, escaping fame for a stolen evening with a gorgeous Frenchman?
Consistent branding improves marketing efficiency
Consistent branding makes it easier to create and develop marketing campaigns by providing a clear foundation and guidelines for communications/marketing teams to follow. When all visuals, messaging, and other branding elements are in line, you can streamline the creative process by repurposing designs and messaging for different channels, such as social media, websites and advertising.
This ensures all materials align with the brand’s message and values, maintaining a cohesive approach and saving time and resources for the benefit of the communications/marketing team and the business’ bottom line.
Consistent branding also reinforces authenticity in communication by creating a cohesive, trustworthy image. Developing and maintaining a consistent brand identity is essential for building a strong image, effective communication and creating strong campaigns.
Creating a cohesive customer experience
A cohesive brand experience across all channels such as your website, social media, collateral and displays creates a positive and memorable experience for your customers or clients.
This can help increase engagement. When customers have a positive and consistent experience across all channels, they’re more likely to engage with your brand.
This can include following your social media channels, signing up for email newsletters, or revisiting your website regularly, leading to increased engagement and loyalty.
There are many industry publications that can provide more information on branding and marketing in Australia, including:
- Marketing Magazine Australia: a print and online magazine covering the latest marketing and advertising news, insights and trends in Australia.
- B&T: a media and marketing news platform that offers news and analysis of the Australian advertising and marketing industry.
- AdNews: a print and online magazine that covers the Australian advertising and media industry, offering insights, analysis and news.
- Mumbrella: a marketing and media news website in Australia, providing the latest news and insights from the marketing industry.
These publications cover a wide range of topics related to branding and marketing, from trends and insights to case studies and best practices. They’re a great resource for staying up-to-date on the latest developments in Australian marketing and branding.
Want to learn about how to create a social media strategy? See here.
