The Critical Importance of a Cohesive Brand Strategy

Key Takeaways
Our MD, Sharon, posted on LinkedIn recently about an article by Mark Ritson, on the enduring success of the KitKat brand.
In his article, Ritson said that one of the main reasons for this ongoing success (apart from the hugely engaging “Have a break…” mantra) is the fact that successive brand managers have sensibly seen fit to avoid messing with the brand.
In other words, when something works, leave it alone.
Yet, as branding professionals, we see bad examples of where brands have been “messed with” and lost their way. Often, we’re asked to come in and “fix” problems that are a result of a weak or incoherent brand strategy, or of no brand strategy existing at all.
In this article, we’re going to describe each of the critical elements of a differentiated brand strategy, including tone of voice, font, colours, consistency, values and positioning, showing how each of these is vital in building on the essence of what a brand is, does and stands for.
The article conveys why a robust and cohesive brand strategy is such a cornerstone of business success. Read on to discover why a strong brand strategy is the blueprint that guides how a company presents itself to the world, so that every touchpoint with customers becomes an opportunity to build relationships and reinforce brand values.
The Pillars of Brand Strategy
Just before we look at what we call the pillars of brand strategy, I’ll clarify one important point: your brand is not your logo. Your logo is certainly part of your brand, may come to represent it and may even become synonymous with it. But as we shall see, a brand is multidimensional and multifaceted, and is as much about values, trust and intangible messaging as it is about physical embodiment.
Tone of Voice
The tone of voice of a brand is its unique personality expressed through words. It’s how you communicate with your audience, whether through website content, social media posts, emails or customer service interactions. A well-defined tone of voice helps in building a connection with your audience by conveying your brand’s personality, but above all it does it consistently.
Whether professional, friendly, witty or sincere, your tone of voice sets you apart and makes your brand relatable.
Font and Colours
Fonts and colours are the visual signatures of your brand. They play a crucial role in making your brand instantly recognisable. The right font can communicate your brand’s personality, be it professional, creative or sophisticated.
Similarly, colours can evoke emotions and associations: blue can convey trust and security, while yellow may bring feelings of happiness and energy.
Choosing the right combination of fonts and colours can significantly influence customer perception and brand recognition.
Consistency
Consistency is the glue that holds your brand strategy together. It ensures that no matter where your brand is encountered, such as on your website, social media accounts or on your email footer, the experience is unified and recognisable.
Consistency in your tone of voice, visual elements and messaging reinforces brand recognition, builds trust and enhances loyalty among your audience. It’s about creating a coherent brand experience that aligns with your audience’s expectations at every touch point.
Values and Positioning
Your brand values are the principles and beliefs that guide your company’s actions, decisions and interactions with customers. They are the heart of your brand and play a pivotal role in connecting with like-minded customers.
A clear set of values helps in defining your brand’s stance in the marketplace and even in society at large. Similarly, by positioning your brand clearly in the market, you are showing your current and potential customers, suppliers and shareholders what you stand for and how you differentiate from your competitors.
It’s about carving out a unique space in the minds of your consumers where your brand can reside, distinguished by its values, personality and offerings.

Why a Cohesive Brand Strategy is Non-negotiable
A cohesive brand strategy is not just about aesthetics. It’s a strategic tool that influences perception, drives decision-making and impacts your bottom line.
In terms of how this manifests, the consistency of your brand strategy relates directly to the building of trust and loyalty with your audience. The more consistently you communicate and present your brand, the more customers feel they understand and know it, come to trust it and feel loyal towards it.
The consistency of your brand strategy is also instrumental in differentiating your business from competitors. It highlights what makes your brand unique and why customers should choose you over others.
Being consistent in your tone of voice and in how you uphold your values results in your being able to connect with customers on an emotional level. Consistency comes to mean reliability, and through this and other powerful emotional connections, you can drive long-term customer engagement and advocacy.
By deciding what you stand for, how you want to appear and sound, and how your business and your products are differentiated from your competitors, you can ensure that your messaging is clear, focused and aligned with your brand’s goals.
Consistent communication is the final key to effective communication of your value proposition and to engaging with your target audience.
In Conclusion…
A cohesive brand strategy is essential for any business aiming to establish a strong, recognisable and relatable presence in the market.
If you want to build your brand strategy, or even undertake a study into how relatable your existing brand strategy is, how trusted you are by your audience or your potential to build and create meaningful connections with your audience, talk to our expert team at C4B Media.
We’ll help you develop a well-crafted brand strategy that can become your beacon of light, guiding customers to your shores.