Your first day of school, preparing for a job interview, going on a first date, meeting a potential spouses’ parents – these are just some of the many scenarios in life where you want to make sure you present the best version of you. Why? Because you want to be perceived by others the way you hopefully perceive yourself – which is nothing short of amazing!
Protecting your brand – not only how it looks but also how it’s perceived – should be held to the same standard. Your brand is everything that makes up how your customers see you. If you’re not being consistent with your messaging, you run the risk of alienating, confusing and even frustrating your customers. Not to mention, brand inconsistency is a missed opportunity to establish your brand and grow recognition and trust!
If you operate a non-profit or small business with staff members working in various departments, read on to help establish a process that ensures brand compliance.
The Challenge with Achieving Consistent Branding
Building a strong brand for your hive is only half the battle. Ensuring your brand remains consistent across a variety of platforms is where things can get, well, difficult to say the least.
Brand management has become more challenging than ever before, thanks to the modernization of marketing technology and ease of getting your message to the public. We’re lookin’ at you social media! Added to this complexity is the fact that consumers today pretty much expect a personalized experience and two-way communication – which of course must both be consistent with your public message and identity.
If you want to establish customer loyalty, brand consistency is key. But how do you ensure everyone within your organization can execute different tasks while remaining true to your brand? That’s where brand compliance comes into play.
What is Brand Compliance and Why is it so important?
Brand compliance ensures that all marketing elements adhere to your well-defined brand guidelines so that your campaigns, content, and message reflect your identity no matter the medium used to convey it. So whether you post a blog on your website, a photo on your insta, or a Pin on your Pinterest, the colors, fonts, tone of voice, and style should all be consistent. The content may say something slightly different in an effort to connect with the audience hanging out on that platform, but the message and mission must be clear no matter how someone finds you.
Now there are different ways to deliver brand compliance throughout your organization, but the key pillars typically include the following:
- Brand compliance involves keeping all visual elements from your digital channels consistent with your branding;
- Brand compliance ensures your tone and messaging speaks with your brand personality in mind;
- Brand compliance uses your logo, font style, color scheme, and other branding elements across all marketing and sales channels.
How Do You Achieve Brand Compliance?
There are no hard rules when it comes to achieving brand compliance, but here are some simple ways to ensure everyone is on the same page:
- Create a dedicated brand department that sets a standard that anyone can easily understand and follow;
- Stay on top of your branding throughout different deliveries such as your products or services;
- Make sure your employees are part of the conversation when improving your brand compliance efforts;
- Assess and update your brand guidelines to always reflect your identity, no matter what changes you go through the years.
Why Brand Compliance is Critical to Your Business Success
Beyond promoting awareness and recognition, brand compliance establishes your hives credibility and trustworthiness as it ensures your target audience can see your personality across different marketing assets—from your website, emails, how you converse with customers, and everything in between.
Despite different talents working together under your leadership, brand compliance makes sure that everyone within your team can deliver quality output that aligns with your vision and mission!
How Can Honey Creative Help Your Hive?
A business is nothing without consistent branding, but it can be tricky to ensure that your brand promise and delivery align with your identity.
This is where Honey Creative can step in to help you focus on your brand’s mission! We’re a creative marketing agency that provides helpful and creative resources, allowing you to create your brand story and establish your space in the market. From creating your brand identity to conducting brand analysis and streamlining social media efforts to creating annual reports — we’ve got you covered. Learn more about how we can help you today!
