Keep your brand consistent
22/09/09David Neilson, Charles Elena Design

When it comes to corporate branding in Australia, it is vital for companies to realise that the impact of repetition is reduced if the corporate identity is not maintained.

Companies resolve inconsistent branding issues by seeking the services of designers who help manage the brand and produce “style guides” that outlay the correct use of trademarks, logos, type, colours and images that are to be communicated across various media platforms. Visual consistency is an important key in strengthening the brand identity. The Corporate Identity Documentation website, www.cidoc.net contains great examples of corporate identity manuals and highlights the great length companies are travelling to ensure their brand is protected by correct visual representation. Below are a few tips to help close the gap between your perceived brand image and desired brand identity.

Brand consistency tips

1. Always provide your logo to the relevant agency.
2. Ask how your logo will be used to ensure the correct file format (JPEG, PDF, EPS and GIF etc) is used. In instances where the logo or design elements are intended to be displayed on a large scale (print), provide a vector version so the artwork can be scaled without compromising quality.
3. Provide a style guide to agencies responsible for handling components of the brand to ensure design elements are arranged correctly.
4. Monitor and manage all artwork produced. Although printers are provided with correct Pantone (Spot) colours, machinery and human error can cause inconsistencies with specified colours.
5. Never compromise the quality of your logo or artwork when compressing images for web or print. High compression when saving images for the web can lead to colours becoming a different hue. If possible document compression settings to consistently match colours and artwork across the web platform. Compromising brand quality such as pixilated artwork, inconsistent colour palates and logo variations is often associated with products and services that are non-genuine. A lack of quality gives the perception of the brand lacking integrity. Visual consistency is the key.
6. Educate and inform employees and consumers of updates to the brand. PR, media, advertising and design agencies responsible for handling components of your brand need to be notified of changes made to the identity. Internal consistency is just as important as external consistency. Employees are directly associated with the brand so it’s important they recognise any changes made to the brand identity. Many times there have been multiple logo versions (old and new) throughout a campaign simply because the brand has not been managed effectively. So it’s vital to keep everyone in your business/company well versed on all changes and updates.

A 2007 study by Interbrand on the best Global brands lists Coca-Cola at the top of a list of well-known global companies. Interestingly, four out of the top five brands (Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM, General Electrics and Nokia) have type solutions to the logo. I’m not going to count how many companies in the top 100 have used type to solve their logo (a discussion for another day). Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) lists the Coca-Cola logo as created in 1885 by the founder John Pemberton’s bookkeeper Frank Mason Robinson - “Frank Mason Robinson gave the formula the name Coca-Cola writing the name in Spenserian script which was popular with bookkeepers of the era.” (Source: Wikipedia)

The image above is circa 1890, below is the current version of the Coke logo. Look closely at the Coca-Cola script on the 1890 type and compare it with the current version … you will see just how little the script has changed. Coca-Cola is one of the best examples of keeping a brand visually consistent. Not surprisingly, Coca-Cola is one of the world’s best brands.