A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. – Seth Godin

When customers decide to work with you ⁠— and spend money with you ⁠— it’s because they believe in your brand.

They know each interaction they have with your business will be positive and more importantly ⁠— consistent. Customers will know what to expect.

And they want to know that their money is buying them not only a desirable product or service but an experience.

So how can you get in on the game?

It all begins by providing customers with a consistent brand experience.

This interplay throughout your entire business engages customers and turns them into brand advocates.

We often help clients break down what their company stands for and what it represents.

Only after breaking down the elements of it, can we begin the process of building better brands.

Understanding Your Mission

One of the advantages that companies like American Express, Tesla, and Apple has is each brand knows exactly what they stand for.

It’s no different when you’re figuring out the story of your business. Before you can sell to others, you have to understand your why.

It’s otherwise known as your company mission.

When creating ⁠— or revisiting ⁠— a mission statement, you’re establishing who you serve, what you provide, and why you exist as a company.

American Express is direct in its mission statement. They’re giving people the means to achieve their dreams and goals. Their diverse services help customers build businesses and create stronger relationships.

The Virgin Group’s mission is all about disrupting business as we know it. They give people a unique experience at every turn across all subbrands. And they have a lot of them.

When looking at Nike’s mission statement, you might think that they only limit themselves to serving athletes. That is until you read the fine print. Nike’s mission is to outfit everyone, and if you have a body, then you’re part of their club.

So what about you?

When creating your mission statement, understand that as the business grows, your purpose will change.

As it should, since great brands evolve.

You’ll need to revisit and massage your mission throughout the life of your business. By staying on top of this, you’ll learn whether it still aligns with your business objectives.

Establish a Consistent Company Voice and Messaging

One of the main ingredients to creating a memorable brand is strong messaging. After you decide how your brand needs to sound, it’s your calling card. This is how customers will immediately recognize your company as one without an equal.

How do you want to sound?

Before going out and posting on social media or sending out emails, you need to define your voice.

Is it upbeat and playful? Maybe being serious and cultured is more your speed. No matter what it is, pick one set of characteristics, and stick to them.

Every piece of correspondence and messaging customers receive from your brand needs to have the same tone.

Employees Sharing Company Values
People in your organization need to understand the brand the best way to represent it.In customer-facing settings, whether in-store or out, employees express the values of the company. They help maintain the brand’s tone of voice.

Remember: when you treat people right, they’re all too happy to give raving reviews of the brand.

Companies who treat their employees well will have people who are invested in not only their own success but that of the entire team.

Understand Your Audience

Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. – Damon Richards

People buy from and advocate for companies who see them as human beings first and not as dollar signs.

Every member of your organization needs to understand not only the mechanics of the day-to-day but also what makes it exceptional.

What is Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?
Your value is not in the product itself. It’s in the unique, one-of-a-kind services your company provides.

Figuring out what your USP is will take a little digging as you compare and rate your business on several factors.

From there, you can see where you can fill in the gaps. If you know a person’s desires, you can focus on where they and your business meet.

Build Your SWOT Team

Be realistic about where your business stands. Addressing issues within the brand and capitalizing on your best assets will give you an advantage over the competition.

But first, you need to understand your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Also known as SWOT.

Strengths – What is the company doing well? Listen to your team members, customers, and anyone else who can give you an objective opinion about what the company is doing right.

Weaknesses – There has yet to be a business out there that gets it right 100% of the time. Understand what your weak points are. This is a time to be honest about how well something is — or isn’t — working.

Opportunities – Can you take advantage of new tools and strategies to drive more business? Look for new ways to use your business’s best assets to delight customers.

Threats – Is there anything in your business that detracts from it or could potentially become a bigger problem in the future? This includes internal structures and procedures, service offerings, or competitive interference.

Once you know what’s going on with your SWOT, it’s easier to look at your brand objectively. You can see where to make improvements that will strengthen the business.

Create a System to Organize the Brand

Whether it’s internal or external, each brand element is part of a family. Each member works hard to keep it healthy and strong.

Creating a comprehensive set of brand guidelines serves as the final say in how logos, fonts, and images are used.

It’s the template for anyone creating assets to use both online and off. These guidelines are one of the main tools businesses use to keep their brands consistent and recognizable.

Uber displays each element of their brand guide as an interactive feature on its site. Each part of the system uses simple explanations and clean design to show how the brand is presented in print and web.

LinkedIn’s brand guidelines are centered around good brand management. Apart from the usual standards for fonts and photography, LinkedIn uses video to display how their elements should appear.

If you want to know how to write content for Mailchimp, they break it down in great detail. Mailchimp recognizes the importance of brand consistency in business. Their guidelines include a comprehensive list of style guides from writing legal content to drafting technical documents.

As a good rule of thumb, brand guidelines need to be understandable, so anyone using it — whether inside or outside of the company — can easily follow it.

Promote Your Brand Where it Makes Sense

A lot of businesses, especially when starting out, think that they have to be everywhere at once. And with the number of new apps, platforms, and forums coming out you might feel like you have to do the same.

But…

You don’t need to be on every platform. You only need to be on the ones where your audience is active.

When you’re focused on a couple of social platforms at a time, it’s easier to connect with your tribe and build a loyal following. You’ll also avoid diluting your message along with the brand.

There are a few ways to give followers a positive, memorable impression of your company.

Respond Often
Don’t leave people hanging. When you get a reply to a post — good or bad — reply quickly. While the conversation is online, people want to feel like they’re voice is valued. Even if the dialogue isn’t face-to-face.

Show Personality
People can spot a canned message a mile away. While automated responders help address common questions, those responses need to have personality. Your followers love your brand because of how you make them feel. So keep the party going and give them more of what they want — authenticity.

Listen for Feedback
Once you’ve hit your stride, pay attention to the content people respond to. When you create something your followers love, don’t be afraid to do more of it. If they give you constructive criticism about a particular post, listen to them. Use their feedback as an opportunity to deliver a better experience with the brand.

No matter where you are online, it’s an opportunity to earn — and keep — the respect and business of customers. Whichever platform your business is on, make it a point to always exceed your audience’s expectations.

A Few Do’s and Don’ts For Maintaining a Consistent Brand

Don’t Confuse People
Inconsistent branding creates confusion and disconnect. People feel comfortable with businesses which give them the same experience with every interaction. Deviating away from what your messaging and visual elements is a fast way to lose your audience.

Do Check on the Health of Your Brand
As new trends emerge, you’ll want to check in on your brand from time to time. Understand exactly where you stand in your industry and how people see the brand. The best way to do this is with a brand audit. They’re helpful because they expose the strengths and weaknesses of businesses on a granular level.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things
There’s nothing wrong with a little experimentation as long as it aligns with the brand. So get out there and explore. Look for partnerships and branding opportunities that compliment your business.

Do Keep Things Fun and Loose
It’s all about balance. People remember companies who surprise and engage them. When the iPod was released, Apple released commercials using musicians, dancers, and music to show how experiential the product was. When they did this, they never deviated from what they represented. Those commercials were as fresh and sleek as the electronics they sell.

Conclusion

The best brands don’t talk about how great they are. They show it.

And as a result, they create a memorable, consistent brand experience for their customers.

Remember that you’re well on your way to becoming one of these fantastic brands. Whether it’s a large or small act, each day serves as a new opportunity to impress people.

As your business grows and you bring more people into the fold, maintaining the brand is all the more critical.

This is what great brands do. They maintain consistency at every touchpoint.