Blog Post

The importance of consistency across your marketing channels

When I start working with a new client, I can never stress enough the importance of channel consistency. There are usually three questions that I am asked when I mention this marketing essential:

1. "What’s that?" This is the normal response when it’s mentioned it during our first strategic meeting. So I then carefully explain that whenever someone (clients or prospect) comes into contact with their brand, whether it is via their website, flyer, advert, editorial, brochure, Facebook page and or during a visit to their office, it needs to look similar. Note I say similar and not identical here. What we are looking for is for the basics to be similar enough – colour, logo positioning, images, copy, layout, message, font etc., so that you know as a customer that you are dealing with one business/company.

2. “Are we ok?"The second question refers to whether they are being consistent or not. Now this can be awkward, as some business just haven’t got it right across all channels and the excuses for why things don’t look similar normally get more imaginative as our conversation progresses. “We’re in the middle of a rebranding exercise”. “We’re experimenting with a new look”. “We don’t want everything to look the same.” Or most frustrating of all. “We like it like it is”

3. "Does it matter?"The final question is probably the more important. The quick and simple answer to this is yes. Brand consistency has two massive advantages – professionalism and recognition. With recognition comes familiarity. With familiarity comes trust and confidence. Also, if done correctly, consistency brings clarity and purpose which consumers buy into. They then can become loyal – the perfect client in my opinion!

So whilst as a mere marketing consultant I can’t help the “We like it like it is” people, I can help the others. My three step process for helping clients to ensure channel consistency is simple:

  • Review and analysis of all marketing materials across every channel
  • Remove items that do not meet business brand criteria and replace with new items
  • Create brand guidelines which logo usage, typeface, colour palette, tone of voice etc., along with the brand message and positioning

If you want to achieve brand consistency across all of your marketing channels, call or email now – 07766 566690 or vicky@fuelmarketing.co.uk