As a business professional, you no doubt know that there is more to business success than simply having a good idea. Branding is paramount, as it allows you to elevate your company within the market. An effective brand stands out from the crowd (for the right reasons), which can ultimately be beneficial in terms of remaining top of mind and boosting revenue.
Repetition, repetition, repetition
When it comes to creating a strong brand, placing a heavy focus on repetition and consistency comes highly recommended. Some of the biggest brands in the world are instantly recognizable, in part because they have stuck with their logos, colors, custom fonts and other distinguishing design features.
Learn from UPS Brown and Tiffany Blue
Indeed, United Parcel Service of America, Inc. – which you are probably more familiar with as UPS – has trademarked the color brown that it uses on its logo, vans, branded packaging and more. Similarly, the robin’s-egg blue that has become synonymous with New York City-based jeweler Tiffany & Co., thanks to its extensive use on promotional materials for more than 150 years, is protected as a color trademark by the company.
Is your brand known for something in particular? How has that affected your revenues?
Of course, your firm is likely operating on a much smaller scale than the likes of UPS and Tiffany, but that does not mean you should lower your standards. Whatever the size of your business, it is important to establish consistent branding for your website, brochures, emails and other promotional materials.
“Any parent knows that when you say something once it seldom sinks in,” noted Brad Shorr, director of content and social media for Chicago-based internet marketing firm Straight North, in a recent AllBusiness article. “And, parents who send mixed messages confuse the child … and perhaps themselves! The same dynamics apply to branding: the market needs to see the same imagery and the same message again and again and again.”
Consistency is also important in sales communications. As Shorr notes, individual salespeople can develop their own descriptions of products and services over time. There is nothing wrong with a little individuality, as this can often distinguish salespeople from one another. However, make sure sales pitches are not so varied that they end up leaving customers with different impressions of what the company actually offers.
