Consistency is the simplest marketing concept there is: Visual Consistency means “keep everything looking the same all the time”. Consistency in Actions means “do what you say you’re going to do – every time”.

Don’t let the simplicity factor fool you though. Consistency ranks right up at number one on the business owner’s Most Important Things To Remember list.

Knowing that this is such an important concept, why is it that business owners often seem to completely disregard it? In my experience, this phenomenon always stems from one of three reasons:

The business owner is impatient and when an image isn’t providing immediate returns, they want to try something else.
The business owner makes unrealistic promises.
The business owner has never been told about why consistency in marketing their business is so important.
To understand why consistency is so important you have to understand the following human traits. Remember that we are working with generalities and that there are exceptions to every rule.

People are busy. Because of our increasingly hectic schedules, and time that is split between home, work and family we want to be able to find what we are looking for quickly and with the least frustration possible.

People are creatures of habit. Once we become accustomed to the way something looks, we will continue to associate that look with that product or service. If we are used to finding information in a certain place, we will continue to search for that information in the same place.

People don’t like change. On the most part, once a comfort zone is attained people tend to stay within that zone. Think about when the New Coke was introduced. Coca Cola felt the public resistance and soon New Coke was nothing but a memory.

People talk. If you make a promise in your advertising you had better be able to back it up. If you can’t, you want to believe the word will get around – fast.

In every part of marketing, there are very simple rules to consistency. With printed materials, make sure people can tell at first glance that each of your promotional materials belong together. You accomplish this by always using the same colour scheme, the same logo, the same typeface and the same basic design. Include your business cards, letterhead, and envelopes in this list as well.

Once you have developed a slogan, always use it. Use it in your advertising, on your promotional materials, on your letterhead. Don’t vary your slogan or only use it here and there. Always or never is the hard and fast rule.

Don’t ever forget to follow up your words with actions. This is the most important aspect of consistency. If you claim to have fast, friendly service, make sure you give your customer fast, friendly service. Every time.

In some cases, businesses will need to update their image. Although this goes against all the rules of consistency, it is possible and even very successfully done. If you find yourself in need of a corporate facelift, talk to a graphic designer or corporate image consultant. These professionals will help you make the transition as smoothly as possible.