How You Can Uphold a Consistent Corporate Identity
While your logo is a very important aspect of your company’s brand, since it is the first image your customers and clients think of when they think of you, it is not the only element that shapes your brand. There are many ways to build corporate identity and maintain it as a company in order to attract buyer personas, turn visitors into leads, and keep customers happy. So, how do you accomplish brand consistency? Here are some of the basic elements that should remain the same, whether for your website, blog, e-mail, social media posts, or some other platform, so that your audience can have the same experience no matter where they go and recognize you as the company they trust:
Tone and Voice What does your brand sound like? Is it irreverent? Silly? Professional? Academic? All of the above? This may actually fluctuate somewhat between channels. E-mails may be more formal, and social media may be more casual. That’s fine. But there should still be a unifying factor: a blanket mission statement or mantra that all content adheres to. For instance, if you subscribe for email offers from a candle store, you probably receive emails that are professional but also fun in the way they advertise their candles. They most likely also have their mission statement recurring in the email, and it might just be something about how they strive to make the most powerful scents of all kinds using nothing but organic fragrances. The point is, they clearly show who they are, what their corporate identity is, and they show it through tone and voice.
Font Font is very important to a brand. People recognize things far more by the way they’re written than what they actually say. When people scroll past a meme on Facebook that’s written in a specific font, they should know immediately that that post is from your company. Just make sure the font isn’t Comic Sans. An example of a memorable font is the Nike font. Take a look at their Facebook page and scroll through some pictures. All of their text is written in the same font as the Nike “Just Do It” logo. There is consistency in who they are, and it is shown in such a simple way: through the font.
Colors Harvard’s color is crimson. Gryffindor’s colors are scarlet and gold. Seeing certain colors immediately calls to mind a particular brand, even if the brand name is nowhere near them. Therefore, a good color scheme for your brand can go a long way.
Design Elements This is especially important online, as web design has become an essential part of branding. Will your site be simple and understated, with good use of white space? Will there be a logo, banner, or image that goes across each page? Those design elements are essential for showing your buyer personas and loyal customers your corporate identity. 2015 Trends
Social Media One of the things that sets online marketing apart is the opportunity to create a two-way conversation with the customer. You can actually connect with them, respond to feedback, answer a question, and help them resolve an issue, or just check in and let them know that your brand values what they have to say. This is what social media is for. It allows you to communicate directly with your audience and establish your brand in their minds, creating an impression that will define how they think of you in the future. However, you have to use social media on a regular basis if you want to maintain your corporate identity online.
If you want your customers to continue to trust you and endorse you, maintaining your corporate identity is crucial.