When a kid goes to the store to buy a Coke, she looks for the familiar red-and-white logo on the package. What would happen, though, if Coke changed its label? After hunting through all the bottles and cans in the soda display with nary a red-and-white logo in sight, she’d probably give up, settle for a Pepsi, and maybe even decide she likes it better.
Imagine that on a national scale. Coke would lose a ton of money, you can bet on that.
But that won’t happen. Coke didn’t become a multi billion-dollar company by changing its labels.
Quite the contrary. Consistency sells.
Small businesses who want to become big businesses need to learn a lesson from corporate giants like Coke. When a company projects one solid image across all its marketing channels: labeling, promotional materials, advertising, media—everything—it projects permanence. Stability. People feel confident that the brand is a keeper.
It also gives the company instant recognition. When potential customers see the green-and-white circle with the mermaid logo, they know they’re walking by a Starbucks. It’s such a potent image that one can almost smell the coffee while driving by. A powerful draw, one that turned a tiny stand at Seattle’s Pike Place Market into the most recognizable name in the beverage world today. Its logo features the same mermaid that started the trend—way back in the 1970s.
Capture the Essence of the Business in a Logo
To make its brand a consistent voice, a company must find a logo that captures the essence of its culture. A tailored, understated logo that conveys strength would be a better choice for a law firm, for instance, than a clown logo—which would be perfect for a company that specializes in balloons and entertainment for children’s parties. Starbucks attracts with its hippie-intellectual vibe, while Coke’s red-and-white logo promises fun.
Next, the business needs to find a graphic designer who can create such a logo. Don’t settle for less. Make sure the work captures the image the business wants to portray before making the final payment. If the business plans to include labels, stickers, business cards, or other printed material in their marketing plan, the company they choose to make those items may have expert designers on their staff to take care of the logo.
Plaster the World with the Company Logo
Then, the business needs to put its logo on everything it sends out, hands out, and puts out—from outdoor signs to print ads to its website. Menus, too, for restaurants. Decorate the interior parts of the business in colors that complement or match the logo’s colors. Immerse the business in its brand.
Revamp Written Materials to Reflect the Brand Image
Finally, the business should tweak its existing website content, brochures, advertising, social media posts, and blog posts to better reflect the brand image. Writers call this kind of focused work the “brand voice.” Everything, from the company tagline to the Facebook posts about the company picnic, needs to reflect the brand image.
With these efforts to craft a consistent brand image—and message—the company will have a better shot at success with a successful branding strategy.
