Dream with me for a minute.

You’re standing atop a grassy cliff overlooking an expansive ocean that rises to meet the sky in a perfect horizon. You hear the call of seagulls between the gentle honking of traffic and melodic mists of surf crashing on the rocks beneath. The sun is shining and its warmth is nothing short of rejuvenating. The wind blows and you feel alive.

Did anything seem out of place in that paragraph?

Right! The traffic. Take away the honking of traffic, no matter how gentle, and the picture becomes that much more spectacular. Book me there, sans traffic. I’d go in a heartbeat.

The traffic jumped out because it was out of place. It was inconsistent with the image that was being described. And because of that one inconsistency, the whole tone of the description suffers.

But consistency isn’t always about having the same details. I could’ve described the scene above a thousand different ways, but as long as you – the audience – perceive the same spectacular vision, it would maintain consistency.

Brand consistency works in the same way. In branding, a consistent brand is a well-toned brand. It’s about managing perception. It’s always painting a compatible picture of your company in the minds of your customers – and getting rid of the elements that are out of place, and ultimately, being consistent with your brand idea.

Here are 3 steps you can take to tone your brand:

1. Define how your company views itself. Now define how your customer views your company. Compare the two. Be honest with yourself! Are there any inconsistencies? If there are, take steps to tone that area of your brand.

2. Are there any areas of your brand that are inconsistent with your brand idea? Any honking traffic in an otherwise picturesque brand? Trim it.

3. Is your brand trying to say too much? It’s best to focus a brand on one consistent message. Try to be all things to all customers, and your brand will inevitably become inconsistent, lose its flexibility, tone and effectiveness.

Your brand feeling a little softy around the middle? Give us a call. Think of us as your brand’s personal trainer.