LEARN IT
What is brand consistency?
Your family has sworn you to secrecy but it’s time… to share Grandma’s award-winning gumbo recipe. It’s a challenge to pass on years of family tradition to your friends, and to get the results that taste just like Grandma’s finest.
It can be a similar challenge to build a brand that distills the essence of your cause, and conveys a clear and consistent identity through all your communications and messengers.
How can you make sure your brand is consistent?
For Grandma’s gumbo recipe, the first step is to write it all down. Even though the recipe is in your head, no one else is! They need to see clear instructions to get that gumbo to be perfect. Second, you’ll need to stock the cupboards with the best ingredients for the recipe. Finally, you’ll have to walk your friends through the recipe to make sure they understand it—and make sure your directions were clear.
Our three steps will also ensure that you maintain a consistent brand in your company.
First, you’ll need to give clear directions on the brand, including things like logo placement, fonts, strap lines, color palette, white space, voice—every aspect of design and content which is key to your brand identity. Second, you’ll need to create a resource library stocked with all the logos, images and templates needed to help others in your organization effortlessly maintain a consistent brand. Finally, you’ll need to train your staff (and board) on the value of a trusted brand—how you want your cause to be perceived, how the style guide helps achieve this, and the tips and tricks that make maintaining consistency easier.
