They say a brand is a promise that you make to your customers and brand value is determined by how well you keep that promise.

Brand value is created by consistency.

A business needs to define its vision and values.  These will dictate how it expects its employees to behave towards its customers and other stakeholders.  The vision and values will characterise the business itself and this character will be visually represented by the design and the interpretation of that design – the brand image – a reflection of what the business’s brand is.

This brand image must be consistently applied. That is one reason why graphic companies come up with brand guidelines.  It isn’t to make your life more difficult, it is to ensure consistency.

Many of us are visual people.  I’m one.  Most of us clock subconsciously or consciously the wrong shape or the wrong colour or the wrong font.  Anything that jars with your customer will confuse and dilute your message or messages. For a brand to be consistently recognised it has to be consistently applied.

Of course it’s not just the pictures that need to be consistent.  The words need to be consistent too.   Your business will have several marketing messages – for different products or services and for different market sectors.  Keeping those messages consistent and in line with your vision and values will keep your customer focused on what you do best.

Behaviour directly relates to people.  You and all your staff need to behave in a way that is consistent with your brand values. ALWAYS. That positive reflection of business’s brand will increase the value of your brand.

It’s not easy but then who said marketing was easy? Everyday counts and every consistent touch point with a customer adds to the bottom line. It’s about pervading throughout the business – a vapour that gets into every pore – the air that you breathe.  That is why they say a brand has to be at the very core of a business.

Creating brand value is done by reinforcing your brand values in everything you do and everything you say.  Erode it by disappointing your customers and not living up to your own expectations.