Brand Consistency is Key: How to Preserve Branding on Signage

As they say, consistency is key. Though this mantra applies to a number of applications, the one we’re most concerned with is brand consistency. For many small businesses, the idea of branding is relatively new. Perhaps not the idea in a broad strokes sense, but the practical application of branding may be a bit difficult to grasp if you haven’t been there and done that. Fortunately, we have been there and done that with quite a few businesses looking to promote their brand the right way. Do you know why brand consistency is important and how to maintain it when starting your own marketing efforts?

Defining Brand Consistency

In the simplest terms, brand consistency is being able to spot that iconic swoosh and knowing it means Nike or seeing those three circles and recognizing Disney’s Mickey Mouse from a mile away. Why does the simple graphic of an apple with a bite taken from it mean Apple computers instead of a farmer’s market or organic food store? It’s because of brand consistency that Apple and the other companies mentioned have maintained for years. As the term implies, brand consistency is all about setting standards for your brand and holding these standards as gospel. Consider the following when revisiting your company’s branding:

• Colors: As we’ve written before, colors play a major part in setting the look and feel of your brand.
• Fonts: Font affects the look and feel of your brand’s content.
• Logo: Your logo is your calling card and must be unique, recognizable and an embodiment of your brand.

With those main facets of your brand in mind, can you say that they are consistent across your website, email newsletter and signage? If not, it may be time to update and clearly define your brand standards in order to keep up the all-important brand consistency. Once brand standards are set, you are responsible for being your brand’s gatekeeper. Any shade of red won’t do. It needs to be Brand X Red. Times New Roman will not pass when Cambria is your brand’s font of choice. The X in the Brand X logo should never be lowercase or stretched into different dimensions. In other words, you are allowed to be as picky as you can be when if comes to protecting your brand standards.

Why Does Brand Consistency Matter?

So what if the logo is a little askew on that sign? Who cares if that color is just a hair off? What’s the problem with using a san serif font when your brand uses a serif? Though you may not sweat the small stuff, the devil is in these details. It is consistency that instills a sense of dependability in your brand. If Apple changes its logo six months from now, then updated again a few weeks later, that would be a clear indicator that the company has some issues. Worse yet, the less consistent a brand is with something like a logo, the less chance it’ll be committed to memory and become the icon that it needs to be for your brand. If you allow your brand to standards to waver, you are defeating the purpose of your branding in the first place.

How Can You Apply Brand Consistency to Your Signage?

We have seen countless examples of how clients choose to implement their brand with signage. As a direct vehicle for your branding in its simplest, most boiled-down form, a sign should embody the brand consistency that we have described above.

• The logo must stick to the specifications laid out in the brand standards.
• Colors should be consistent with those chosen for the brand, not simply look-alikes.
• Font should be consistent with brand standards and easily readable at a glance.

Signs, especially car signs, must be instantly recognizable and leave a lasting impression. Keeping brand consistency in mind during the design process of your sign will ensure that the impression you make is a good one. Just remember the adage we began with: consistency is key. If you’re stumped on your sign design, we can help craft something that’s worthy of having your company’s name on it. Just send us your logo and we’ll get to work. Additionally, when it comes to choosing the perfect sign for your branding, you can rest easy knowing that HTH Inc. has your back. From car signs to sidewalk signs, vinyl banners to mesh banners, we have the right stage to put your brand under the spotlight.