My sister is all about working out these days. She is pretty fanatical about the gym and if she misses a day of working out I can read the panic all over her face. I’ve never been much of a gym rat so I always give her a hard time about it.  “It’s just one day what’s the big deal?”, I say.  This always triggers her to go into a whole shtick about the importance of consistency in a workout plan;  as the younger sister I hate to admit she is right.

I’ve mentioned before how a company’s identity is much like a person. Imagine then that a company’s brand is the equivalent of a person’s physical appearance.   In either case, time is invested to ensure that the appearance of said person (or company) is reflective of the person within.  Let’s assume for Company X; this means professional, efficient, and intelligent.  Great.  Now let’s say an employee of said company sends a customer a proposal.  They aren’t quite sure how to futz with the formatting on Word and send over a document with a logo thats been distorted just out of proportion. It’s just one document; they can fix it tomorrow, right?   WRONG!   Although the document can be fixed tomorrow, the impression made on the customer cannot.  A strong brand identity means being consistent; no exceptions. 

No matter how small, inconsistencies ruin a brand’s integrity and more importantly a company’s credibility. A company that shows a lack of detail and consistency in its own matters, is evidencing to its customers that it wouldn’t do much better with theirs.  Further, with companies taking advantage of social media and the Internet (two channels that can easily run uncontrolled), setting guidelines to how your brand is represented cross media, is of even greater importance.  Similar to missing one day in the gym; a company that fails to convey its brand consistently risks a wasted investment and even a risk.  To you look good (and be successful); you have to work (consistently!).  Doing so will give your brand power and a positive perception that is sure to differentiate your company from the rest.