Is brand inconsistency damaging your business?

Is brand inconsistency damaging your business?

Is brand inconsistency damaging your business?

Brand Psychology

Are you aware of the importance of brand consistency for your business? As a business, your brand must be presented in a consistent way across all platforms and channels. Brand inconsistency can be damaging to your business, as it reduces customer trust and makes it difficult for customers to recognise your brand. In this blog post, we will explore how brand inconsistency can affect your business, and what measures you can take to ensure that your brand remains consistent.

The importance of brand consistency
The importance of consistency in branding cannot be overstated. Having a consistent logo, colour palette, messaging, and tone of voice allows customers to quickly recognise and trust your brand. Using the same logo, repeating the same brand colours throughout your visuals, delivering messages that are in line with your core values, and maintaining a consistent tone of voice will help create a recognisable and memorable brand identity that stands out from the competition.

Having a consistent brand identity also evokes positive emotions in your target audience, Over time, they associate these positive emotions with your brand each time they come into contact with it, leading to loyalty and trust.

How inconsistency can damage your brand
When it comes to maintaining a strong brand identity, consistency is key. Inconsistent logos and messaging across various platforms can create confusion for customers and can quickly damage your brand image.

This is why it’s important to keep all branding elements consistent, from logo to tone of voice. Different versions of logos can be confusing and leave your audience questioning who you are as a company. Additionally, if your messages on social media and website don’t match up, this can also create confusion and send mixed signals to your target audience.

By maintaining a consistent visual style with your colours, fonts, and messaging, you will be able to effectively communicate the values of your company and build a strong relationship with your customers.

Steps to take to ensure brand consistency
Creating a strong and consistent brand is key to any successful business. It’s essential to have consistency in all your marketing materials, from logos to webpages, social media posts to brochures. This ensures that your customers recognise you. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure that your brand is consistent.

1. Create Brand Guidelines – Put together a document that outlines the exact look, feel and tone of voice for your brand. This should include your logo usage, font selection, colour palette, and other elements like your style of photography or illustrative content. Make sure that all your team members have access to this document and stick to it when creating any marketing materials.

2. Audit Your Branding Elements – Take a look at your current branding elements and see if they all match. Are there different versions of your logo being used? Is the tone of voice across all platforms consistent? Make sure that every element of your brand reflects who you are and what you stand for.

3. Check Your Social Media Posts – Social media posts are a great way to engage with customers, but it’s important to make sure that your posts reflect the same tone of voice as your other materials. Use the same language, imagery and brand style across all platforms to create a consistent look and feel.

By following these steps you can ensure that your brand remains consistent, and it will help customers recognise and remember your business.

Do you want to bring new meaning to your marketing with a consistent brand?

Book a free 30-min Discovery Call on Zoom to have a conversation about whether your brand is having the right impact.

Other thoughts.

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

How do you measure brand ROI?

How do you measure brand ROI?

How do you measure brand ROI?

Brand Psychology

Wally Olins once said: “There’s only one true way to gauge the value of a brand, and that is to sell it.”

Many business owners don’t ascribe a value to their brand because it’s not easy to measure it, so instead they measure the effectiveness of their marketing spend. They may intuitively recognise that the brand is doing something positive for the company, but very few can pinpoint exactly what that “something” is. What many fail to appreciate is that brand value accrues over a longer period of time than the value generated by sales-driven marketing activity.

In a recent LinkedIn study, 46% of digital marketers revealed that they have budget allocation discussions every month. As a result, 77% of marketers attempt to prove the ROI of their marketing campaigns within a month of them running. This is a huge problem for any marketer interested in investing in the brand – because there’s no way for a piece of brand marketing to deliver a return over that period.

The problem with this approach is that marketing metrics are focused on immediate gains and don’t take into account the exponential impact a strong brand has over time. This leads to over-allocation of resources toward short-term marketing tactics and under-investment in increasing brand equity.

If you look at longer periods, brand-building activities drive significantly stronger sales growth than the temporary uplifts caused by short-term marketing campaigns.

Branding vs Marketing

Ignoring long-term brand building in favour of short-term marketing activity may work in isolated cases, but the fact is every modern company that has driven above-average profitable growth has invested heavily in building their brand.
The return on brand investment has a cumulative effect – building on positioning and ever-increasing levels of brand awareness that decay more slowly over time. In the long run, brand building is a better driver of sales growth than repeated marketing activity.

We all know that it takes on average 7 marketing touches before someone’s purchase intent is realised. When people are aware of your brand (and associate with it positively) it gives all of your other marketing efforts a boost. So the best approach leverages both short-term marketing and long-term branding initiatives.

The comprehensive IPA report titled “Media in Focus” shows that optimal effectiveness is achieved when about 60 percent of a company’s marketing budget is devoted to brand building, and around 40 percent to marketing initiatives.

60-40 split of marketing budget

Strong brands outperform stockmarkets
The impact of a strong brand on the bottom line is well documented. According to Interbrand’s Best Global Brands (BGB), companies that focused on the importance of their brand saw the value of their brands grow 2.4 times higher than those which didn’t. In 2022, the value of the BGB100 increased by 16% over the previous year. Of significance, AirBNB (a new entrant this year) made a strategic shift in its marketing investment to be more brand-driven.

Best Global Brands outperforms S&P500

A 14-year study by McKinsey & Company revealed that top-ranked brands outperformed the world market (as measured by return to shareholders) by 74%.

Specifically, having a high-performing brand helped these companies:

  • Demand a premium price
  • Shorten the sales cycle
  • Increase sales volume
  • Attract and retain top talent
The effect a strong brand has on the bottom line

According to a large study by Millward Brown analysing consumer habits, strong brands can capture, on average, three times the sales volume of weak brands. The same study showed strong brands commanded a 13 percent price premium over weak brands.

Researchers Les Binet and Peter Field analysed decades of IPA effectiveness data for B2B campaigns. They found that campaigns which deliver on brand metrics have 4x the impact on the business bottom line than those that don’t.

You’re also 50% more likely to get a conversion from short term marketing activities if your brand is in place.

It’s clear that while branding itself may be seen as intangible, its value is anything but. As Interbrand puts it, the market performance of strong brands is “enduring proof that investment in long-term brand building enables businesses to thrive over time and survive market volatility.”

So how should we define the ROI of Branding?
Simply put, the ROI of branding is that a strong brand attracts more customers, at a lower cost per acquisition, who are happy to pay a little more, and will buy a little more often.

The bottom line: investing in long-term brand building will help your company grow its bottom line.

Read our Brand Story “How one client built a brand and then sold it for millions”.

Do you want to bring new meaning to your marketing through a powerful brand?

Book a free 30-min Discovery Call on Zoom to have a conversation about whether your brand is having the right impact.

Other thoughts.

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

How psychology can help your brand stand out from the crowd

How psychology can help your brand stand out from the crowd

How psychology can help your brand stand out from the crowd

Brand Psychology

Have you been wondering about how you can make your business stand out and grow? You’re not alone. How can branding or, more specifically, brand psychology help you stand out?

If you understand what drives humans to take certain actions, you can begin to evaluate your brand with psychology in mind. What colours or fonts or words to use, and what not to use.

Here are five tips to help you stand out.

1 Colour Theory

Top brands leverage colour theory to shape our responses and persuade us to trust certain products. We all make a subconscious judgment about a product or company within 90 seconds and you may be surprised to know that the majority of your judgment is defined by colour alone. Investing in the design of a logo and branding that is recognisable based on colour, and the emotional response that elicits, is integral to modern branding. You can read more about what emotion each colour represents in this blog post. So think smart and make sure your brand colour aligns with your business values.

2 Brand Iconography

Symbols are a key component of design psychology. And after colour, an eye-catching symbol can reinforce a brand’s values and philosophy and potentially become iconic (such as Apple’s symbol). Nearly 20% of all logos are circular. In psychological terms, a circle conveys security or a sense of community. Squares, on the other hand, are viewed as solid or rigid. If your symbol is derived from your brand name, or it’s more abstract, it should still convey your brand values – Jaguar Cars’ leaping cat speaks of power and agility; Nike’s swoosh is affirmative and athletic.

3 Keep it personal

Personal connections are the foundation of successful branding. Smart businesses will recognise this and build relationships with their target audience, even creating communities around their brand and brand values to attract and retain customers. Humans are hard-wired to connect and relate to others. Converting customers into “raving fans” is often your best route to referrals and new business.

4 FOMO

FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out. It’s a tried and tested marketing strategy – 50% off – this offer ends soon – and they’re successful because humans don’t like to lose out on something. It’s also hard to give up something once you’ve had it! Think of all those online services that offer free trial periods. Once the trial ends, and the service has become a regular part of your toolkit, you don’t want to give it up. So you pay to keep it.

5 Tell a story

Your audience is constantly changing and evolving, and most people (especially millennials) don’t care as much about buying more things; they want to be inspired by a narrative. It is now even more important that your brand is centred on a story with core values that speak to your audience. Humans have a natural urge to connect with people, and our need to feel part of a larger narrative has never been so strong. We all want to be part of a tribe; we need to belong. What are you doing to create your tribe?

In conclusion

To stand out from the crowd your brand must have a strong identity that consumers can relate to. On a subconscious level, consumers remember feeling associated with a brand even if they do not remember the brand name or advert they have seen. It can take 5-7 impressions for people to remember your brand, but it starts and ends with what people think.

Other thoughts.

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

The Power of the Rule of Three in Branding

The Power of the Rule of Three in Branding

The Power of the Rule of Three in Branding

Brand Love

Words or phrases in groups of three are ideal ways to communicate an idea – whether it’s a tagline with just 3 words or text grouped into 3 bullet points.

The human brain is more receptive to receiving information in groups of three because we are programmed to respond to patterns – and three is the smallest number of elements required to create a pattern.

We’re so used to it that we don’t even think about it. A history of learning (ABC, 1,2,3) and storytelling (Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Musketeers) has tuned our brains. It’s why the three-act structure is used in plays and movies (beginning, middle and end). We naturally divide content into three, such as: Gold, Silver, Bronze; Small, Medium, Large; Good, Better, Best.

So how can the Rule of Three be used to your advantage?

This familiarity with groups of three is harnessed to good affect in public information campaigns. We all know Stop, Look, Listen; Reuse Reduce Recycle; and, more recently, Catch it. Bin it. Kill It.

Breaking down a key brand message into just 3 components or just 3 words can give your brand a key advantage. Whether it is used in your marketing or as a tagline to a brand logo, three is the magic number. Think about it. How many of these do you know?

Just do it
Vorsprung durch Technik
Every little helps
Your Flexible Friend
Taste the difference
I’m Lovin’ It

Include the brand name for added emphasis

If you want your audience to remember your brand name, you might want to include it in your tagline. Adding repetition in word sounds or alliteration can elevate it even further.

Beanz Meanz Heinz
That’s Asda Price
Maybe it’s Maybelline

Think in threes

As a branding technique, the Rule of Three can be very powerful. All of the examples above are now embedded in our psyche, they’re synonymous with the brand. And that’s why many taglines are just 3 words. They’re memorable, reinforce the brand’s values, and immediately recall the brand to mind.

If you want to connect with your audience, if you want them to be engaged, and if you want them to remember you, think in threes.

Ready, Set, Go!

Other thoughts.

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

Brand consultants – what are they and what can they do for you?

Brand consultants – what are they and what can they do for you?

Brand consultants – what are they and what can they do for you?

Brand Consultants

Your brand is everything your company stands for – so wouldn’t you want to trust the right people to take care of it? But with so many creative agency choices from branding consultants, brand designers, graphic designers – what’s the difference between them, and which services should you go to or which?

 

Let’s start with branding – what is it really?

Branding can be anything to do with your business: from the basics like its name, logo, colour scheme and service offering, to the ever-evolving marketing activities like its website, digital media presence, print advertising in magazines and leaflets, email marketing campaigns, event presence and much more. Your brand isn’t just the look and feel of your company, but also its unquantifiable uniqueness – that ‘x-factor’ that makes you competitive and secures longevity in the marketplace.

 

What is a brand consultancy?

A brand consultancy is an agency that creates and develops brands, working with business owners to translate the concept of the company into a marketable proposition. Brand consultants are experts in figuring out how to make your brand valuable to customers and shareholders in a sustainable way: this could be as simple as designing a marketing campaign to increase brand awareness, or as complex as redesigning the entire brand identity and structure to appeal to new markets and keep trade alive.

 

Who works in a brand consultancy?

Branding agencies employ staff of many disciplines, helping to translate business goals into tangible creative applications. A consultancy might be started by experienced graphic designers who’ve worked on high-profile projects and overseen rebrands for household names. On their team will be other designers, copywriters, strategists, developers and marketers from many backgrounds: some will have led startups to their first instances of success, whilst others may come from in-house teams at large organisations where they’ve followed the entire journey of the branding process from a client’s perspective. This mix of skills and experiences is essential for brand consultancies to service clients of different sizes and sectors.

 

Why should businesses work with brand consultants?

As a business owner, you naturally want the best for your company. Doing things on your own can seem like the right idea, and even make sense for many startups in the interest of keeping costs to a minimum – but, at some stage, all businesses need to evolve into a brand in order to secure more investment, more custom, and generate healthier profits. Even the most seasoned companies can lack a recognisable brand that allows them to effectively compete – a risk that’s particularly important in today’s marketplace, where savvy startups and disruptor companies are eager to steal market share from established firms, often wielding strong brand propositions engineered to catch the attention of their target clients.

This potential threat is crucially relevant for any business, in any sector. Consumer-facing high-street names are famous for their strong brands and well-publicised rebrands, but a small manufacturing company with two or three loyal clients – although considered a world away from the high street – needs a strong brand for the very same reasons: to secure sustainable business and prosper, especially in unexpectedly challenging market conditions like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whatever stage you find yourself, it’s never too late to consider what your brand says about your business – and how, with help, you can do more with your company.

 

Contact us if you would like to see more of what we do.

Other thoughts.

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

Think! Associates Limited
+44 (0)1823 423212
studio@thinkassociates.co.uk

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!

© Think! Design Associates Ltd

Website designed by us, naturally!