10 Strategies to Boost Revenue 10%+ with Brand Consistency
Do you ever wish your brand could be as recognizable as Coca-Cola, Apple, or Starbucks?
Impossible, right?
Well, nothing is impossible, given enough time and… brand consistency.
People have almost unlimited choices in the marketplace today. But one element will get you to the front of people’s minds and stand out like Coca-Cola's font, Apple's logo, Nike's swoosh, and Starbucks' siren...
Steve Jobs knew this and kept the Apple design basically the same since its inception.
Brand consistency is the key that unlocks recognition, loyalty, and trust. It’s like your company’s North Star, guiding your customers home through a sea of choices, right to your doorstep.
Don’t believe me?
It’s not just the monster companies who have found success. Wells Fargo (same branding since 1852), Dropbox (recognizable navy blue box logo), and the World Wildlife Fund (won a trademark battle against professional wrestling) show that companies of any size benefit from brand consistency.
The point is, any company that wants to have long-term success needs to have brand consistency. Period.
But here’s the kicker that makes it worthwhile to you, oh dear reader: Research shows that consistency in branding can boost your revenue by a staggering 10%-20%.
That’s no small potatoes.
So, how do you wield this powerful tool? In this article, we’ll take you on a journey through 10 ingenious ways to enhance brand consistency and subsequently increase your revenue. You can click on any of the following sections to skip to the part that interests you most:
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #1: Define and Communicate Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #2: Maintain a Consistent Visual Identity Across All Platforms
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #3: Create a Consistent Brand Voice
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #4: Align Your Marketing Strategies With Your Brand Promise
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #5: Offer a Consistent Customer Experience
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #6: Develop Consistent Product Quality
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #7: Regularly Evaluate and Update Your Brand
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #8: Train Your Team To Represent Your Brand Consistently
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #9: Leverage Consistent Brand Partnerships
- Brand Consistency Revenue Booster #10: Use Technology To Automate and Maintain Consistency
Ready to learn the importance of brand consistency, increase revenue, and level up your brand game? Let’s do it! (And don’t forget to check out the accompanying video. )
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #1: Define and Communicate Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Everyone knows Zoom, the video conferencing solution, now, right? But In early 2020, Zoom was just another face in the crowd. Then the lockdown hit, and suddenly everyone needed an easy way to connect virtually. Amid a sea of competitors, some backed by tech giants, Zoom stood out.
How?
Zoom’s founder, Eric Yuan, knew the importance of brand consistency. He built their USP after hours of customer conversations about Zoom and, more importantly, about Zoom’s competitors. He made Zoom work seamlessly across devices, catering to tech-savvy and not-so-tech-savvy users. He knew that if it were too complex, nobody would use it.
Finding your unique selling proposition (USP) is like a puzzle that you always wonder if you’re forcing the pieces to fit (is that really our USP in terms of value? ).
So let’s break down how to find it into five simple steps:
- Listen to your customers (what do they say is most valuable?)
- Know your product inside and out
- Study your competitors, and how they position themselves
- Identify your key differentiators
- Condense all of this into a catchy, concise sentence to use as your USP
So what is Zoom’s USP that made them the darling stock of the pandemic?
“A video conferencing solution so simple that anyone can use it.”
And for me personally, the most important thing about Zoom what that it worked. It just worked. And it was reliable and simple.
Today, Zoom’s homepage and About page emphasize this simplicity, branding it as a “frictionless communication platform.”
Key Takeaway
Defining your USP is more than just understanding your product—it’s about understanding your customers and the competition.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #2: Maintain a Consistent (and Correct) Visual Identity Across All Platforms
We all know the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but guess what? Most of us do, especially when it comes to brands.
Airbnb is an excellent example. They revamped their visual identity with new photography, typography, and color. It wasn’t just a pretty makeover—it paved the way for explosive growth. According to an article from alderandalder.co.uk, Airbnb’s revenue surged by 80% within two years of rebranding.
According to a study by the University of Loyola, Maryland, 84.7% of consumers cite color as the primary reason they buy a particular product, and color increases brand recognition by up to 80% (as Airbnb did). Plus, people form a subconscious judgment about a product within 90 seconds of their initial viewing. More than half of this assessment is based on color alone.
And if at first you don’t succeed, try again. Test it out. Get it right. Because now Airbnb is worth $82 billion dollars (only becoming profitable in 2016). The colors they ultimately decided on made a tremendous difference.
Key Takeaway
A consistent visual identity isn’t just about looking good—it’s about being remembered. It’s an investment that increases recognition, trust, and sales.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #3: Create a Consistent Brand Voice
One crucial aspect of brand consistency often overlooked is a consistent brand voice. That’s right—the tone and style of your communication are vital in retaining customers and increasing revenue.
An excellent example of a brand that rocks this concept is Innocent Drinks. Their brand voice is friendly and informal, blending healthy and tasty vibes perfectly. It’s like talking to a good friend who cares about your well-being, one who can also crack you up with quirky humor.
Each product description from Innocent is a delightful mix of clear information (“We’ve squeezed three of the world’s finest super fruits into it…”) and off-beat quirkiness (“Tastes great and much better than getting busy with a funnel and a piece of hosepipe”).
This approach reinforces their unique selling proposition, which is engaging consumers in a fun, down-to-earth manner.
Key Takeaway
A consistent brand voice isn’t just about saying things—it’s about saying something ?that embodies your brand, builds trust, and nurtures a meaningful connection with your customers.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #4: Align Your Marketing Strategies With Your Brand Promise
What if I told you your brand promise is like a compass guiding your marketing strategies? This alignment isn’t just about brand integrity—it’s a potent fuel for boosting customer trust and driving sales growth.
Let’s check out TOMS Shoes and its founder, Blake Mycoskie, the footwear mogul with a heart. Their “One for One” brand promise—donating a pair of shoes for every pair purchased—creates an interesting narrative about social impact.
Every marketing move by TOMS, from detailed storytelling to consistently showcasing the effect of their charitable programs, is in sync with this promise. They’re not just selling shoes—they’re offering customers the chance to make a difference.
The result?
An irresistible blend of commerce and philanthropy that boosted their annual growth rate by 300% over five years (according to hbr.org) up to 2011 and continued upward from there.
TOMS Shoes is ALL about helping other people. That’s what defines their brand and they are consistent with telling people about it.
Now that’s a marketing strategy running in the right direction!
Key Takeaway
When you align your marketing with your brand promise, you’re not just running ads, but keeping a promise. And customers value that, big-time.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #5: Offer a Consistent Customer Experience
Here’s a hot truth nugget: Consistency isn’t just for your logos and voice—you must offer a consistently great customer experience. And consistency is the secret ingredient to a knockout customer experience that keeps folks returning for more. And we aren’t pulling this stuff out of thin air—statistics back it up.
A shining example of the importance of brand consistency in customer experience is Southwest Airlines. Their customer-first approach and consistent care for their employees have kept them in the black since Nixon was in office. That’s over 50 years of profits, folks.
According to a recent SuperOffice poll, with just one unpleasant experience, a third of customers will abandon a brand they love.
Conversely, those who get top-tier customer experiences spend 140% more and stay loyal for up to six years.
Southwest Airlines is now ALL about consistently telling people about their customer service ranking. Take what works and fly with it.
Key Takeaway
If you’re looking for an altitude boost in your revenue, consistent customer experience is your boarding pass.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #6: Develop Consistent Product Quality
Quality isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the lifeblood of your product, and it’s crucial to creating a loyal customer base. You build trust, spark recommendations, and face fewer returns and complaints when consistently delivering top-notch quality.
And hey, who doesn’t appreciate a good-looking product?
Best of all, your ROI will be as beautiful as a double rainbow. Fewer flaws mean lower costs and higher profits. More quality equals more sales and market share—it’s like magic.
Patagonia took a significant risk with their “Buy Less, Demand More” philosophy, even running a “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad during the 2011 Thanksgiving shopping season to reduce over-consumption.
The result? A whopping 30% revenue growth.
Customers know Patagonia makes high-quality products because they consistently tell them about it and have for years (the picture below is Val Franco, sewing manager, in 1973). Therefore, they can afford to run an edgy marketing campaign like the one above. And when risky bets pay off, they pay off big-time.
Quality isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the lifeblood of your product, and it’s crucial to creating a loyal customer base. You build trust, spark recommendations, and face fewer returns and complaints when consistently delivering top-notch quality.
And hey, who doesn’t appreciate a good-looking product?
Best of all, your ROI will be as beautiful as a double rainbow. Fewer flaws mean lower costs and higher profits. More quality equals more sales and market share—it’s like magic.
Key Takeaway
Consistent quality isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have for your revenue growth.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #7: Regularly Evaluate and Update Your Brand
Consistency is king, but stagnation? That’s the jester. You’ve got to stay on your toes and keep your brand fresh and relevant. Regularly evaluating and updating your brand helps you maintain your mojo, keeping the revenue flowing.
Just look at Starbucks. They’re more than just excellent coffee, fast—they’re also about smart branding. They’re all ears for customer feedback, hosting a website for fans to share their improvement ideas. It’s like crowd-sourcing but for brand evolution.
They’ve also jumped on the mobile bandwagon with an app that lets customers pay, tip, earn rewards, and even order with voice commands. (Now that’s what we call future-proofing!) With 26.4 million Starbucks Rewards members in the U.S. and another 18 million in China, this digital innovation has led to a 20% increase in spending from Rewards members.
How many coffee shops are there? Too many to count, right? But people consistently flock to Starbucks’ the world over because they keep up with what customers want. Now Starbucks is synonymous with apps, loyalty cards, and mobile ordering.
Key Takeaway
Consistently keep your brand in check and up to date. It’s the secret to sustained revenue growth.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #8: Train Your Team To Represent Your Brand Consistently
Your brand is your company’s promise to your customers. And who delivers on that promise? Your team. So, it’s crucial to ensure your team is well trained and fully embodies your brand at all times.
Zappos is a good example. This online retailer is known for its phenomenal customer service—courtesy of a stellar team trained to uphold the company’s core values. Despite the generous returns policy and the high costs of 24/7 customer service, Zappos continues to make steady revenue gains (increased revenue year-over-year from 2016, with $1.1 billion in sales so far in 2023).
Why?
Because they’ve built a team that represents their brand consistently, ensuring a stellar customer experience every time.
Zappos is known for their customer service. So what did they do? Kept training their team they same way they’ve been doing consistently. Keep it simple—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Key Takeaway
Training your team to breathe, eat, and live your brand boosts customer satisfaction and plays a vital role in enhancing sales. A well-trained team is a high-performing, revenue-generating machine.
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #9: Leverage Consistent Brand Partnerships
Partnerships with like-minded brands can significantly extend your reach, enhance brand recognition, and drive revenue growth. Finding partners that mirror your brand values and resonate with your audience is vital.
Let’s look at Target. They’ve formed lucrative partnerships with giants like Disney and Ulta, allowing them to expand their customer base and create a network of loyal customers.
Additionally, Target’s loyalty program has attracted 50 million users since its inception in 2019 and has enjoyed a 2.1% traffic increase since 2022.
When you partner with brands that align with your own, you amplify your brand’s impact and open up opportunities for revenue growth.
Now Target and Disney are now synonymous with each other. This partnership will continue to bring in huge money for decades to come.
Key Takeaway
Consider your brand values, identify potential partners, and build those bridges today!
How To Increase Revenue With Brand Consistency Idea #10: Use New Technology To Automate Consistency
In this digital era, tools, automations, and platforms that streamline your operations can enhance customer engagement, improve consistency, and boost sales.
Dominos leveraged digital platforms to enrich and regulate the customer experience by simplifying ordering options, providing a rewards program, and introducing exclusive digital-only deals. This strategic tech utilization increased their digital retail sales from 60% in 2017 to a whopping 75% in 2021.
Translated to dollars: $2.5 billion in revenue in 2017 to $4.1 billion in 2020. That’s a lot of automated dough…
Domino’s brand is all about good, fast, hot pizza. Simple. What’s the best way to maintain that consistent brand image? Automation. They took what we already knew them for and used the latest tech to become even better at it.
Key Takeaway
Technology is not the future—it’s the present—leverage it today for consistent brand experiences and robust revenue growth.
Conclusion: The Road to a Timeless Brand
Building a timeless brand is a journey, not a destination. It’s about mastering the delicate balance of consistency while staying relevant in an ever-evolving marketplace. Let’s take a quick look at what we learned about the importance of brand consistency for revenue growth:
- Understand Your Unique Selling Proposition: The key to standing out in the marketplace is defining and communicating your unique selling proposition effectively, as Zoom’s simple and user-friendly design proved.
- Maintain a Consistent Visual Identity Across All Platforms: Strong visual brand consistency, like Airbnb’s rebranding, can boost brand recognition and significantly increase revenue.
- Create a Consistent Brand Voice: Maintaining a consistent, relatable brand voice, as Innocent Drinks exemplifies, can strengthen brand identity and drive customer loyalty.
- Align Your Marketing Strategies With Your Brand Promise: Aligning your marketing strategies with your brand promise, as TOMS shows, can increase trust and drive sales growth.
- Offer a Consistent Customer Experience: A consistent customer experience like Southwest Airlines can build customer loyalty and boost sales.
- Develop Consistent Product Quality: Maintaining product quality, as Patagonia has done, can enhance customer trust, prompting more purchases and higher returns on investment.
- Regularly Evaluate and Update Your Brand: Regular brand audits, as practiced by Starbucks, can help ensure brand consistency and relevance, leading to sustained revenue growth.
- Train Your Team To Represent Your Brand Consistently: Comprehensive employee training, like that of Zappos, helps maintain brand consistency, improves customer satisfaction, and subsequently boosts sales.
- Leverage Consistent Brand Partnerships: As Target has demonstrated, strategic brand partnerships that align with your values and audience can expand your reach and develop customer loyalty.
- Use Technology To Automate and Maintain Consistency: Utilizing technology, as Domino’s has done, can enhance brand consistency across channels and increase efficiency, leading to higher revenue.
The common thread here?
Consistency will eventually pay off big-time.
It’s the one element that breeds trust, loyalty, and sustainable revenue growth all at once. Whether through your product quality, customer experience, or brand voice, maintaining consistency ensures your brand stays timeless, relevant, and profitable.
Let’s remember brand consistency is not a one-off task but an ongoing commitment. Embrace it, and you’ll set your brand on the path to long-term success and increased revenue.
After all, in the world of branding, consistency isn’t just king—it’s the entire kingdom!
What are your thoughts on consistency in branding? Do you have another idea on improving branding consistency we haven’t thought of? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section.
Keep AutoGrowin’, stay focused.
Image Bibliography
Intro: https://www.simtrade.fr/blog_simtrade/experience-credit-analyst-wells-fargo/
Idea 1: https://www.pipedrive.com/en/blog/unique-selling-proposition , https://www.visiblelogic.com/blog/zooms-success-branding-generosity-and-a-unique-opportunity/
Idea 2: https://www.alderandalder.co.uk/airbnb-rebrand/ , https://www.productiveplastics.com/thermoforming-process-product-design-branding-color-and-gloss/
Idea 3: https://twitter.com/innocent/status/1118774915254165504 , https://designbull.co.uk/dorset-cereals-love-the-taste-but-whats-going-on-with-the-copy/
Idea 5: https://www.superoffice.com/blog/customer-experience-strategy/ , https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/05/10/the-best-airlines-in-america-in-2023-ranked-by-jd-power/?sh=1c409eb81901
Idea 6: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dont-buy-this-jacket-part-two_b_5613394 , https://www.patagonia.com/stories/quality-is-an-environmental-issue/story-93237.html
Idea 7: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4561228-starbucks-2023-poised-for-record-performance , https://d3.harvard.edu/platform-rctom/submission/digitizing-the-starbucks-experience/
Idea 8: https://ecommercedb.com/store/zappos.com , https://chatra.com/books/customer-service-excellence-examples/02-zappos-and-the-path-to-customer-happiness/
Idea 9: https://www.catman.global/putting-the-magic-back-into-retail
