The Role of Consistency in Building Strong Brand Equity

The Importance of Brand Equity

How do your customers identify you? Is it your logo, your tagline? And what will they remember about you after purchasing your product or service? The answers to these questions and more form your brand identity. Your brand represents you to your customers and the broader audience, and when done right, your brand is a sustainable competitive advantage for your business.

Brand equity is the overall value of your brand and how your customers perceive the value you provide to them. In many cases, brand equity allows you to charge premium if your perceived value propositions solve a niche pain point in an underserved market. There are many benefits to having strong brand equity, ranging from repeat customers to deepened relationships with employees and your community. Brand equity is not just reserved for mega and multi-national companies but can be extremely beneficial for small and local businesses.

However, small businesses often do not have the time or money to invest in building a brand. They often think that they have to throw money at someone or an agency to build their brands or rebrand their entire brand. This is simply not true. There are many small ways that small businesses can already do to ensure that their brand will continue to stay relevant in the world of optionality for their customers. How do brands serve small businesses and stay top of mind for their customers? This is where we believe having a consistent brand will be a smart investment for small business owner.

How do you ensure brand consistency in your brand and where do you even start?

Consistency in brand equity involves exposing your brand as frequently as possible and associating your brand with an experience or excellent service. People know big brands like Nike or Apple because they interact with these brands every single day of their lives. These brands are always top of mind for customers the moment they get out of their beds to head to their gyms, all the way to having devices to stay in touch with loved ones to collaborating with colleagues and each other.

So, how do we approach massive world of branding as a small business or local business who is looking to strengthen and build your brand equity over time? We think there are a few things that you can think about before even committing to paying someone or spending a significant amount of your own time to begin on your brand building journey.

Let’s start with the most obvious ones

Logo

Think of all the big brands out there, and think about what they all have in common? A simple and easy to remember logo. Nike with the swoosh, or Apple with the bitten apple. These logos are incredibly simple and easy to remember. They are not overly designed, they have no complex colors, and they are not fancy. In fact, they are probably some of the most simple logos out there, yet they carry a significant amount of value in our lives.

Your company may not be as big as Nike or Apple, but your logo is still critical to your brand equity. Your market should see your logo as often as possible, and every time they see your logo, there should be a warm fuzzy feeling they get inside because they associate your brand with excellent product or service. Customers should feel heard and taken care of whenever they see your logo.

Another important thing that all of the major brands logos have in common is that they appear often in daily lives. The Nike’s swoosh logo appears on every single thing that they sell, billboard, digital advertisement. In fact, the whole customer experience is branded with Nike’s logo. This is a great way to slowly embed your logo into your customer’s lives, and overtime, through consistent delivery of excellence customer service and product, your logo will become an integral part of your customer’s daily lives. This is why if your logo is too complex, hard to see, or difficult to understand due to small fonts, consider having it redesigned to something simpler. When it comes to logo and design, often time, less is more. So do not overcomplicate or spend too much time on trying to come up with the perfect logo.

Once you have a simple logo, consider different ways to use your logo and make sure that with everything you deliver to your customers, whether it is a product or service, it is branded. Use every single opportunity to go the extra mile to say thanks to your customer, branded with your logo.

Content

Another great way to build brand equity is through consistent publication of relevant content for your customers. Otherwise known as content marketing, helps you build trust, expertise, and slowly build authority with your customers as the expert in your industry.

If you have a website or any kind of online presence, a blog or long-form of writing on Facebook, Instagram, or newsletter is a great way to do this at small cost. If you are already posting regularly on your social media and maintaining an online presence, this is a great way to stay relevant and always top of mind for your customers. Newsletter and longer form of content are great ways to educate and engage with your customers when there are new product launches or major events (i.e. second store openings, international launch). LinkedIn is another platform for long-text. TikTok should be reserved for videos only type of content. The most important thing is to have the right strategy for each of the platform as you engage with your customers and potential customers. Consistently posting on these platforms allow your brand to stay relevant and on top of mind for your customers. As they engage with your content, you also have the opportunity to be exposed to potential customers as well.

As you publish your content, be intentional with your post, monitor and extract insights from day and time of your posts to understand the behaviors of your customers. This will allow you to optimize your content strategy so that your content gets delivered to your audience at the right time and at the right place. The most important is to ensure that you have adequate amount of content, and plan your content publishing accordingly.

The Advantages of Brand Consistency

Branding can be a difficult thing, especially when you are a small business owner who already has many things on your plate. However, the advantages of having a consistent brand in your customers’ mind will pay off itself over the long run, and allows you to build a sustainable competitive advantage. The following are some of the advantages that we think make investing in your brand worthwhile:

• Increased trust and credibility with your customers: When your brand consistently presents itself in a professional manner, you build trust with your customers. Consistency in product quality, customer service, and communication reinforces the perception that the business is reliable and credible, which is essential for customer retention and attracting new clients.
• Improved Customer Loyalty: Consistency in customer experience ensures that your customers know what to expect each time they interact with your brand. This reliability can lead to higher customer satisfaction, repeat business, and referrals, which are invaluable for small businesses looking to expand their customer base.
• Differentiation from Competitors: A well-maintained consistent brand helps distinguish your business from your competitors. For small businesses, this differentiation is crucial as it defines why customers should choose you over others. Consistency in unique selling propositions and brand values plays a significant role here.
• More Effective Marketing: With a consistent brand message, small businesses can communicate more effectively. Consistent branding ensures that all marketing efforts are aligned, which amplifies the message and maximizes the impact of advertising and promotional campaigns.
• Support Higher Pricing: Consistency in branding can justify premium pricing. When customers perceive your brand as dependable and high-quality due to consistent experiences and messaging, they are often willing to pay more. This can be especially beneficial for small businesses looking to improve their profit margins.
• Attract Strategic Partnership: A consistent and reliable brand is more attractive to potential business partners and investors. These relationships can provide your businesses with new opportunities for growth and expansion.

Conclusion on the Importance of Consistent Brand Experience

In the bustling marketplace where small businesses must carve out their own distinct space, the importance of a consistent brand experience cannot be overstated. Consistency is the thread that weaves through every aspect of your brand, binding together the visual identity, customer interactions, and communication strategies into a cohesive narrative. By ensuring that every touchpoint with customers reflects the core values and promises of your brand, small businesses can foster deeper connections, enhance customer loyalty, and differentiate themselves from the competition. A consistent brand is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic asset that drives recognition, builds trust, and supports business growth. Whether through a memorable logo, engaging content, or exemplary service, maintaining brand consistency is an investment in the future of your business, paving the way for sustainable success in a competitive world.

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