2 November 2020 - Insights

The importance of brand consistency or mastering the art of repetition

Why exactly is it important to always use the same colours, the same fonts, the same type of imagery and have our logos on all publications? Certainly for consistency, but more importantly, because it creates repetition. And just like in music, repetition creates harmony and popularity!

An American study which analysed nearly 2500 pop songs over 50 years, found a strong correlation between the popularity of a song and the number of times a chorus is heard in that song. Interestingly, the more a song is repetitive, the more likely it is to end up on the Top 40 chart!

Psychologists call it the “mere exposure effect” which suggests that “individuals show an increased preference (or liking) for a stimulus as a consequence of repeated exposure to that stimulus… and it tends to be strongest when the person is not consciously aware of the stimulus presentations”. (American Psychological Association)

Considering that brand consistency is a key feature in brand identity, let’s go over some of the key reasons why it can have a significant impact on the success of a business.

Brand consistency increases brand recognition

Every day we are bombarded with advertising. And your audience will generally need to see your branding 5 times before they associate it with your business (Pam Moore). Therefore, it’s important to ensure your audience has some visual cues to notice that from publication to publication, you are the same brand.

Brand consistency helps to exude professionalism

The opposite of consistency is contradiction. So it’s not just about using the same colours, same imagery or same fonts on all your publications. It’s about displaying that your brand is cohesive and strong. Consequently, a consistent look and feel throughout all your publications will show stability and increase your trustworthiness.

Brand consistency improves message adherence

Whether it’s your tagline, your product or service offerings, your business values, or your ‘why’ – whatever it is you’re offering you must repeat it and repeat it. Only then will people make sense of it, appropriate it and find a meaning of it in themselves.

Overall, brand consistency reinforces brand identity. The more your audience becomes familiar with your brand, the more attractive it will become to them.

The key is to use professional branding techniques to deliver a consistent and dynamic brand to your consumers. If you need assistance in setting these branding parameters for your marketing strategy, we offer a free branding consultation that you can book here.

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