Every customer touchpoint, every item of communications collateral, every interaction that someone has with your business should embody your brand. There should be no doubt – ever – about who you are, what you do, and what you stand for.

Companies often make the mistake of thinking that brand only matters for big ticket items like your product packaging and website. But it applies to everything. From those small, seemingly insignificant things like your invoices or compliment slips to the way you answer the phone, you must always be consistent in both your messaging and your visual identity.

Why? Because brand consistency builds trust, shows dependability, eliminates confusion, and reinforces identity. Crafting your brand is a labour of love and it becomes the backbone of your business. Don’t let that go by failing to focus on consistency and detail.

Here’s a few of our insider tips to help you on your way:

1. HAVE CLEAR GUIDELINES

Your brand guidelines should define the visual aspects of your brand such as your logo, typography, graphics, colours and templates. Your Tone of Voice (TOV) meanwhile tackles your key messages and how you talk to your customers and employees. These two documents combined are the secret sauce to ensuring your brand never slips.

2. EDUCATE EVERYONE

It’s not just those who sit in marketing, PR, or branding that have to deal with your brand. Every single employee should understand the brand inside out and embody it. Don’t just simply hand out your brand guidelines and expect people to ‘get it’.

A survey by Gallup found that only 28% of employees agreed with the sentence “I know what my company stands for and what makes our brand different from our competitors.” It’s a scary statistic. After all, how can an employee deliver on your brand promise if they don’t know what it is?

Hold workshops, away days, and team building activities which reinforce the brand story. Keep them interactive with games that embody your values, role-plays that demonstrate how your brand is seen by consumers, and real-life examples of brands that fail to be consistent. The aim is for your employees to be as passionate about getting your brand right -every time – as your are.

Back this up by giving regular feedback on the use of the brand and ensure your c-suite and management lead by example. Why not think about reward and recognition of those that really live and breathe your brand?

3. EVERYTHING MATTERS

No item is too small and no interaction too insignificant to be impacted by brand. Our clients at Tiny Hunter personify this approach. Darling Park recently applied its branding to temporary hoarding while its premises were being redeveloped. And Arcadis group ensured consistency through its employer brand with the launch of a new recruitment video.

Everything is connected – just the way it should be.