By Sergio Morales, Account Coordinator
Every brand needs a well established character. It is critical for your business to keep aspects such as logo, message and culture, aligned and uniform. This will allow you to stand out and differentiate from competition. At the same time, it will build customer loyalty and a sense of pride among employees.
Technology has provided numerous advantages in the marketing industry. It has made it infinitely easier to send messages across multiple channels. Yet, it has also made it somewhat difficult to maintain brand presence and message consistency. Trying to manage blog sites, email news-feeds, and social media sites can become a challenge; especially, if you consider the pressure of maintaining continuous and coherent company posts/updates. Here are a few things to keep in mind while delivering your brand’s message.
Physical appearance: Think about Coca-Cola or Apple. Every time you see their logos or advertisements, you recognize the brand even if their actual name is not explicitly shown. Visual elements (and the feelings attached to them) are key factors for consistency. Make sure that all your social media platforms have the same colors and visual material to ensure that customers and followers recognize the brand, no matter where the content is displayed.
Tone doesn’t translate: This is where things can get a little difficult. It is essential to know who you are trying to reach – who is your audience. Knowing this will help you define the tone and approach for your communication efforts. You will need a different tone and approach depending on the market sector you are attempting to reach. Speak to your customers and members in a tone that echoes your main objective and can be easily maintained across all communication channels. An inconsistent brand strategy will leave customers confused; therefore, physical appearance and tone must be cohesive.
Brand promise delivery: What idea is your brand promoting? Why should people do business with you? How should they feel about this decision? Customers should have the same thoughts about your company as they do while purchasing your product whether they are browsing through a website, searching a Facebook page or re-tweeting your post. For instance, BP’s main marketing focus was “safety and sustainability.” After the events of April 2010, we can conclude that they did not deliver on their intended promise. On the other hand, Patagonia’s message is to promote “environmentalism.” So, Patagonia’s marketing message last year was “Don’t buy this Jacket.”
Provide guidelines to employees: Having a team in charge of the company’s social media can become problematic if strict guidelines are not enforced and if there is a lack of checks and balances among employee’s work. This is a common problem when having multiple people posting on a social media network, or for having an employee’s personal account represent the brand. Guidelines and ground rules have to be established for what is considered appropriate and what is not, in order to reinforce the brand’s positive image. Communicate internally and publically your main mission, goals and ideas. For example, take a look at Ben & Jerry’s mission. Everyone should know what your business represents and its culture.
Your brand strategy will change over time, but the main idea and focus should remain untouched. You will never be finished telling someone why it is a good idea to do business with you. Reinforce a customer’s choice by evolving with societal changes and norms; yet, always maintain a consistent company culture and vision.