You’d be wise to define your brand standards sooner rather than later, and it doesn’t cost much to do so. Standards combat mixed messages and ensure you’re delivering a consistent, excellent experience to your customers.
We’ve found that the benefit of brand standards is sometimes lost on smaller companies or start-ups that don’t have a lot of cash lying around. We understand, but what’s often forget is the return on investment gained from consistency. Consistency is indispensable to a brand and yields tons of bonus points with clients and prospects.
The problem of going without brand standards is you’ll inevitably end up sending mixed messages. One day you’re a playful, modern wrench and ratchet dealer, and the next you’re a mysterious warehouse of confusing metal objects labeled by 7-digit SKU numbers. Mixed messages: They happen when you don’t use the same style and voice on all your marketing materials. This includes your website, flyers, business card, email, Facebook page, and that invoice you sent out last week without your logo because you couldn’t find the JPG on your desktop.
Every brand – big or small, nonprofit or for – should be presented with consistency. Today, 90% of consumers expect the customer experience to be consistent across all channels and devices used to interact with brands. Plus, 60% of US millennials expect consistent experiences when dealing with brands online, in-store, or by phone.
Brand standards are one of the most cost-effective ways to increase consistency for your customers. They take the passion you have for your business and translate it into the details of your visual and verbal style. Check out the brand standards we created for a nonprofit mission organization, a start-up app company, and a long-standing restaurant chain.
Stop sending mixed messages. Let us help you bring consistency back to your brand.