Quick, think of a logo.
What can you tell someone about the company that logo represents? Is there a consistency of message and design? The most effective logos are an integrated part of an entire marketing story that repeats throughout everything the company presents to the public. There is a consistency of presentation from the way a store is designed and decorated to the way an email is written. The website, ads, and every social media outlet are coordinated, as if one person were doing it all.
Consistency Doesn’t Need To Be A Solo Job
Just because the personality of a company should be as consistent as an individual’s identity doesn’t mean that one individual has to carry the burden of all contact. What it does mean is that everybody in the business has a clear idea of the message and the personality the company wants to portray. It takes team effort to develop the message, and it takes everybody on the team to get it across.
If your company doesn’t have a logo, what identifies your communications? Are there certain colors used in the materials? A particular way of presenting the content of your site? Do brochures, handouts, powerpoints, and emails share any commonality?
Consistency Is The Key To Recognition
Think about that logo again, the one that came to mind when you started reading this post. You recognize something because you have seen it before, and every time you saw that logo, it came in a context that gave you a box to put your memories in. Everything in the box is the compilation of your impressions about that company.
There is a difference between branding and logos, but that difference is similar to the difference between your face and your character. Your face is like the logo — a visual reminder of who you are. Branding is like your character — it is the accumulation of events over time. If your marketing isn’t integrated into a consistent, positive representation of who your company is, you’ve got problems. It’s like your branding box is full of random junk and your logo means confusion.
Make sure your branding is consistent and that your logo triggers positive memories. Then you will see trust develop in your customers and the kind of return on your marketing efforts that you hope for.