So you started your business with a clear mission, vision and values. You know your objectives, and you’re excited to implement your marketing strategies.
You know you need to build your communications based on your value propositions, so you look at some of the most commonly used marketing materials and decide which ones you’ll create for your company such as brochures, newsletters, product sheets, and business cards.
With a copywriter and a great graphic designer, it should be easy right? So why do we still see some inconsistent marketing messages in some marketing materials?
The importance of consistent look and feel
A few weeks ago I was at a mall with a friend and we were handed out these brochures and flyers by a real estate developer. At first look they were pretty nice, but after reading through the materials I spotted several grammatical errors and inconsistencies in the contact information. At home I checked their site to look at photos of the residential housing units they’ve developed and saw the same inconsistencies, this time including themes and colors.
As a marketer and writer, I’ve developed an eye for these things, and this tells me that as business owners, marketers and salespersons need to be reminded of the importance of the consistent look and feel of all marketing materials. These materials are the ‘face’ of the company, so it’s important that they deliver the right, consistent messages in order to be attractive and effective. Some guidelines:
Colors and Images
Materials should be designed from a consistent palate of colors and images. You don’t want to confuse everyone and you would want to ensure you are sending a clear, consistent message, from your website, brochure and email newsletters to your print and billboard ads.
Perfect grammar, consistent terminology
What would you think of a company if you notice bad grammar after visiting their site or reading their brochure? Care about the words you use. Use consistent terms so that your customers are clear on what you are explaining. Content is king in your marketing materials, and this speaks volumes abut the professionalism of your business.
Updates, updates, updates
After spending the time and money on your marketing materials, you probably don’t want to do it again. However, it’s important to keep them current. Make it a habit to review your materials regularly to ensure your messages are still consistent. Maybe you could even tweak the content and improve the design. A smart business should stay on top of changes, so keep your materials recent.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Jose, thanks for calling attention to something that we take for granted. Consistency doesn’t just happen, it’s executed. One big follow up question that comes to mind is “How do you make sure there’s consistency?”
In my view, that comes from careful hiring of your artisans. Yes they need to be wonderfully talented. And they also need to have the capacity to communicate with the other artisans on your team. And of course you need to manage them as a team. Treating them as separate projects leads to inconsistency. Get a team together, share the vision with the group, so they are all hearing the same description of the plan. Reexplain in the language of each art form so they each get it in their own language.
And when you shift to the next platform, bring them all together again. Web needs the same as print which needs the same as your blog and email marketing – images, content, editing, technical execution and knowledge of your business. Skip one and risk inconsistency.
Carla,
You’re right – this is a frustration for any size company. Integration planning – at least a little bit – goes a long way. Even an integration “lunch” to air out these inconsistencies would be a major benefit to lots of companies.
J