“A brand is not built overnight. Success is measured in decades, not years.”
-Al Ries and Laura Ries
The majority of today’s most successful brands started with humble beginnings. These businesses had a great product or service and they wanted others to know about it. They developed their strategy (See our blog on this first step), then crafted this into their soon-to-be iconic strategy-based message (See our blog on this second step).
They then took this message and tucked it away, only to be used to advertise to the public every once in a while, when they saw a need for new business. …Wait! Of course not!
What would be the point of developing an effective strategy-based message, then putting it to waste by refusing to consistently blast this selling message to the public? Sure, the results may not have come right away for the big brands, but you can guarantee we would certainly not be referring to them as such, had they not practiced consistency in their marketing.
As mentioned in our previous blogs on The BrandsFormation™ System, your business’ primary goal in any marketing campaign should be to “own mental real estate.” When a consumer thinks of your industry, would your business’ name enter their mind (either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd) as a viable option? Achieving such a status in the community is directly related to the consistency at which your business promotes its strategy-based message.
So, what does consistency in advertising actually look like? The following statements are key indicators that prove that your business’ advertising is reliable and consistent in its marketing efforts. Have you ever heard anyone say these things about your advertisements?
1. “Their message always looks consistent.”
It is crucial to make your business’ color schemes, logos, graphics, and fonts consistent across all marketing mediums. This means that if your business advertises on the radio, all digital graphics and logos must match the message being shared on-air. This eliminates any chance of your potential customers becoming confused with what your business is claiming to offer. And don’t forget about social media! Your business’ social pages should echo your on-air and website messages as well. Seemingly insignificant practices, such as maintaining the same profile picture on your business’ Facebook page, are crucial to preserving the same look across all platforms.
2. “Their message always sounds consistent.”
An advertising message’s unique sound is maybe the most crucial element that a business must keep consistent. Did you know that humans retain what they hear much better than they remember what they see? This is why people commonly find themselves humming or singing a business’ radio jingle long after it has played on the radio. Because of this, each selling message should be surrounded by consistent music, voices, tones, inflections, and even key words. When this happens, consumers will begin to count on hearing certain sounds that they associate with a particular business, whether they even realize it or not. Surrounding a strategy-based message with consistent sounds is a tried and true, and even scientific, method that is sure to cause consumers to remember your company’s unique selling message.
3. “Their message is always playing on this same advertising medium.”
Committing to consistently market your business through one, single advertising medium (cup), until you fully dominate it, is crucial. Businesses commonly make the mistake of feeling the need to spread their message across multiple channels and apply the “a little here and a little there” method. Unless a business has the budget of a large corporation, this strategy will not prove to be beneficial since small budgets will be necessary for each marketing medium. Therefore, less people will be hearing your message on every marketing channel your business is associated with.
In order to dominate one marketing medium, all of your resources should be focused on one cup. Only when that cup is filled to the brim with your business’ consistent message is it acceptable to branch out to other marketing mediums. Think about it this way: Would you rather reach 100% of the population 10% of the time, or reach 10% of the population 100% of the time?
4. “I’ve been hearing their message for as long as I can remember.”
Even if your business has, in fact, not been running its strategy-based message for an extended period of time, consumers will feel like they have been hearing it play forever if your marketing efforts are consistent. A business must be fully dedicated to consistently hammering away at their message in order to cause it to stick in consumers’ minds. But, in order to get it to stick with others, your business must stick to the system and execute every aspect in a consistent manner. According to Chuck Mefford, “Anything less than years in duration isn’t branding” (“BrandsFormation™,” 78).
Do you want your business’ brand to be a household name in your own community? Consistency is key. Your carefully crafted strategy and strategy-based message are nothing without the commitment to consistently blast this selling message to your potential new customers. If your business is not an instantly identifiable name in your community, check your commitment to consistent marketing. Proper execution of The BrandsFormation™ System can take your business to new heights of brand superstardom. Commit to consistency today! Check back for our last installment in our series on The BrandsFormation™ System, where we will wrap things up with the importance of Dominant Frequency.
