Staying On Brand

Staying on brand is more than utilizing the correct font for your PowerPoint. It’s more than making sure the logo isn’t stretched. It is more than keeping the Brand Standards deck in your top drawer.

Staying on brand is about making sure that every member of your organization from the CEO to the receptionist can articulate your business’s mission. It means that every junior executive can identify your brand’s personality. It’s about protecting the brand. All staff should be brand ambassadors for your company.

Brand recognition

There are plenty of ways to have a great logo. Whether it is the never-shifting nostalgic cursive on the Coca-Cola logo or the wordless bullseye on the Target building. Your brand’s logo may not be a household word or the ubiquitous golden arches on the Big Mac box. But it will never be those things if it is not protected. Brand recognition is directly linked to brand consistency. If brands are constantly changing their logo, color scheme, or anything else that is recognizable as a branding element, consumers will get confused. This is damaging in both short-term sales and long-term customer loyalty.

Brand recall

Maintaining a consistent brand image is one of the best ways to promote your business. After all, having a consistent look makes it easier for potential customers to remember you. It makes you more recognizable in your industry. It helps differentiate you from your competition.

Create a style guide

The most practical way to stay on brand is to have a style guide. It is the document whose sole purpose is to keep you from coloring outside the lines. It helps new employees to learn the company’s branding and ensures that everyone uses the same terminology. Make sure your brand has a style guide that contains your branding information, including logo, color palettes, fonts, and the tone of voice.

Have a sign-off process

You may want to appoint someone to be the brand police. At the very least, make sure you have a process to ensure every branded element that goes out is consistent with your branding guidelines.

Brand evolution

Of course, nobody wants to stick with a lousy logo. Most technology companies started in a garage and their original logo was likely designed in Microsoft Word by the same guy who did the coding. So, yes, in those cases a new and improved logo is just what the doctor ordered. But try not to constantly modify your logo, packaging, etc. just because you’ve hired a new CMO or your wife hates that shade of green.

What’s your story?

As important as logo consistency is. Your brand is more than a logo. And as important as brand color schemes may be, fast food giant McDonalds is more than a PMS color. Ever brand should have a story. That brand story should encompass the brand’s origin, the brand’s current agenda, and the brand’s future direction. Interns should be as aware of that story as the Senior VP of sales.

Building a business is a marvelous thing. Expanding your sales is praiseworthy. Turning a profit is essential. But remember that keeping your organization “on brand” is every bit as important. If you need help in forging a brand, launching a new product or giving a sagging website a facelift, Agency Creative is here to help.