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Brand consistency
redefined
Achieving constancy of purpose
and the 70/30 rule
By Jeff Swystun,
Director of Global Communications,
DDB Worldwide.
67%
The Research Is Consistent • “It is important to keep the company’s • “It seems that we should not disrupt the
During the month of September 2007, core positioning and the values it stands basics like logo and colors but allow for
DDB posed a question on its website that up for.” customers experiencing the brand to
asked: “Is consistency in branding becoming customize according to their own wants
any more or less important?” Of the 217 • “I see it as understanding and and needs.”
respondents to the question, 67% indicated addressing cultural and business
it is becoming more important with the practice differences. What customers • “We have to remember that consistency
remaining percentage indicating less value and perceive as positive in one is directly related to reliability and critical
(Figure 1). place may be perceived materially to longer-term brand success. Some
different elsewhere. It is very important consumers like to depend on the same
The DDB Business Communications blog that businesses ensure that their thing every time. You can lose customers
also explored consistency during the month brands can bridge these cultural if you are not reliable.”
of September and received the following differences, if they are to have a greater
observations: geographical reach, penetration, and What is gleaned from this discussion and the
financial success.” survey question is that consistency is actually
becoming more important in branding but it
• “I am increasingly challenged on the has changed in definition and application.
consistency part (of branding). So I am
regularly and enthusiastically reshaping
our offer to be more relevant.”
25
20
Percentage
15
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
25
20
Percentage
15
10
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
These findings are further supported by successful branding, followed by This background research is important
Interbrand’s 2007 “Brand Marketers Report” Understanding the Customer/Target because it prompts three key questions:
that I had the pleasure of commissioning and and Messaging/Communication
editing. The report was based on an online Effectiveness.
survey placed on www.brandchannel.com • In what manner is brand consistency
that saw 299 brand leaders respond. There The respondents represented organizations becoming more important?
were three insights resulting from the report where brand management is very centralized
relevant to brand consistency: (Figure 2). Interestingly, over 80% of the • If the benefits of strict brand compliance
respondents’ organizations have Visual are so compelling, why do organizations
1. Strict adherence to brand standards Brand Guidelines in place and close to 60% continue to struggle with enforcement?
creates brands with customer impact, also offer language guidelines (the latter being
but few companies have been able to a best practice). However, there was a range • If centrally managed brands are no more
secure consistent compliance across in compliance across these organizations successful than decentralized ones, are
their organizations. (Figure 3). top-down strategy and strict compliance
necessary?
2. Centrally managed brands are no Respondents also ranked critical aspects of
more influential with customers than successful branding and Consistency was
decentralized ones. The benefits of number one. Relevance and Differentiation, By no means is this paper advocating a
centralized brand management are likely theoretically and historically of significant wholesale departure from consistency and
more operational, such as efficiency of importance, were actually numbers five its associated benefits but rather a re-
effort, scale and tighter controls. and six. It should be noted that this was an examination of what consistency means in
open-ended question, so respondents were the evolving practice of branding.
3. Brand practitioners believe Consistency not choosing from a menu but rather chose
is the most important aspect of Consistency without specific prompting.
• They employ brand as the central Consistency has also provided operational
organizing principle of the business benefits in branding through efficiencies
(e.g., Disney’s commitment to magical and cost control. It ensures that there is not
experiences). a wholesale license to change the brand
within the organization. This, of course, has
come from the nearly universally employed
Further, the study isolated five best practices and time-honored tactic of issuing brand
of great brands: guidelines. Guidelines are invaluable for
ensuring necessary uniformity in key
brand elements like the logo, tagline, color
palette, type styles, sizes, sounds, textures,
• Continual delivery of their brand promise. terminology, and any other components
deemed central to the brand.
• Possession of superior products,
services and technologies. Interestingly, our world values consistency as
a quality, whether commercially or generally
• Clear ownership of a distinct position. in life. Personally, we do not react well to
inconsistent people. We often associate
• Commitment to “internal” branding for those who are consistent with personal
employee engagement. and intellectual strengths. Some brand
professionals have extended this thinking by
• Culture of improvement and innovation. pointing out that brands are relationships.
And the most fulfilling and healthy
relationships are built upon trust. Consistency
These leaders have pursued a high degree is an aspect of trust that one comes to rely on
of consistency in visual, verbal, sonic and to deliver expected behavior over time.
tactile brand identity across the geographies
and markets they choose to compete in. Brand owners have sought the utmost
They deliver a largely consistent customer consistency because any ambiguous
experience worldwide, often supported by behavior is often interpreted negatively and
an integrated global marketing effort. There is felt financially. So brands have pursued
little doubt that the most successful brands consistency to avoid certain risks and obtain
historically have communicated and delivered long-held benefits.
a high level of consistency.
Eighty percent of
companies believe
they deliver a
superior customer
experience, but only
8 percent of their
customers agree.
Consistency Equals Constrictive intentions for uniform global application. the brand cannot anticipate nor dictate
There is a rapidly emerging counter argument The regions receive them and distill clear proper application in all possible scenarios.
to strict consistency in branding. For the benefits but cannot adopt 100% of what Rigid branding across numerous touch
most part, brand owners continue to think has been delivered because of some points forces prospective audiences into
about consistency in a very traditional way. combination of language, cultural, and buyer often narrow and artificial groups that are
Increasingly, brand consistency is taking on behavioral differences. post rationalized by marketers as being
a different definition and new application. homogeneous.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the only truly This happens in all industries, not only
consistent person is the one who changes. professional services. Not all aspects of a Interestingly, eighty percent of companies
As noted in the research of this paper, it is brand are relevant in all markets (one only has believe they deliver a superior customer
incredibly difficult for businesses regardless to remember the messaging Scandinavian experience, but, only 8 percent of their
of size, industry or style to have each part of vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used in customers agree according to a Bain &
their organizations comply completely a campaign targeted to North Americans: Company study. One assumes this is
with the entirety of all prescribed brand and “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux”). So a because companies have lost sight of the
marketing guidelines. series of back and forth discussions take fact that customers expect customization,
place between head office and the regions especially today. We know that parents of
These nonconformers are not all invariably frustrating both parties who Baby Boomers were lucky if they had toys,
mavericks in far-flung outposts who dare ironically have the same best interests Boomers had “Operation” and hockey
to challenge head office with misplaced in mind. games that controlled the fun in narrow slots,
entrepreneurial zeal. These are intelligent while today children create social networks
and committed leaders and managers who Another factor perhaps more important and virtual worlds with little or no constraint.
recognize that one size does not fit all when in the debate on the efficacy of brand Today’s consumers abhor being grouped,
it comes to branding. consistency comes from the customer controlled, or pandered to.
perspective. Quite simply, how can you
One industry where this is readily apparent is have a 100% consistent brand when your
professional services. I have been involved in customers are so richly and vastly diverse?
the branding and marketing of this industry It is no longer enough to think in broad
for fifteen years and have exhausted long demographic terms in order to satisfy
hours on the “us versus them” phenomenon marketing plans and targets. It is critical to
that results. It begins with head office think about customization and engagement
establishing strategies with the best rather than broadcasting. This means
“Consistency is the
last refuge of
the unimaginative.”
The constraints of consistency for consistencies sake continue when one examines creativity,
innovation and evolution in branding. Every day a brand is interacted with countless times.
Each of these interactions represents valuable intelligence as to whether the brand is
competitively differentiated, highly relevant, and appropriately consistent. If properly assessed
and acted upon, brand owners and managers can continuously ensure renewal over the
brand for competitive advantage. This supports Oscar Wilde’s observation that “consistency
is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”
We know that customer preferences, competitive frameworks, and market conditions are
incredibly dynamic. Renewing and refreshing the brand is the most strategic of responsibilities
and incredibly consuming tactically, given the attention required to manage the myriad of
details. The brand professional must determine what cannot change and what must change.
This constant struggle allows for clearer articulation, more creative presentation, and delivery
of differential value. This is the essence of great branding.
All of which are being steadily recognized. Centrally managed brands, with consistent
execution globally, are the preferred means of brand management by 60% of executives.
Yet 67% agree or strongly agree that local customization of a brand has a positive impact
on sales according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Business leaders are accepting the
fact that an acceptable loosening of guidelines can drive growth – an interesting challenge to
conventional thinking.
Unchecked consistency cannot help in these days of audience fragmentation, new media
and technology, new measurement, and new methods of using traditional media. This is a
time of unlimited creative opportunities that increasingly demand brand flexibility because of
the “Rubik’s Cube” of choices in channel management. The simple fact is, though business
communications are becoming more complex, they are also becoming more efficient and
effective when done right. Besides, nearly anyone can enforce guidelines but only truly
strategic and creative professionals drive evolution and innovation.
Employing the 70/30 Rule unhurried. In the U.K., one can order porridge
Constancy of purpose is highly subjective for breakfast. Without a doubt, you will know
and runs the risk of granting too much and feel you are in a McDonalds but the
freedom to adjust the brand. Like any differences enhance the regional experience.
strategy, it requires oversight and the tacit
approval of leadership to be successful. In This approach also allows brands to share
working with clients across many industries, and implement best practices market to
I have provided a tool that can help guide market, as McDonalds did when it opened
this approach. This is called the “The its first drive-thru in China in 2005. Jeff
70/30 Rule”. Schwartz, CEO of McDonald’s China stated
at the time, “Drive-Thru is an integral part
70/30 concerns the Applied more for context than numerical of McDonald’s Plan to Win in China and we
relative weighting accuracy, 70/30 concerns the relative are well positioned to expand our Drive-Thru
weighting given to the elements that must locations in major cities across the country,
given to the elements remain true to the brand’s original intent, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and
that must remain true strategy, and design versus flexibility granted Shenzhen. We want to ensure that as the
to the brand’s original to its managers. So think of it as 70% of the lifestyles of today’s Chinese consumers
brand strategy and guidelines are firm and become more demanding, McDonald’s is
intent, strategy, and 30% flexible. ready to provide a convenient, efficient and
design versus quality solution to satisfy the needs of their
flexibility granted This flexibility includes language and cultural
differences, target market variances, buying
fast paced lives.”
to its managers. behavior nuances, and other strategic A relatively new generation flagship
imperatives when managing a brand. Let restaurant project for McDonalds in the UK
us use McDonalds as an example. Their takes constancy of purpose farther. This
restaurants and locations are very much location includes a teenage ‘bar’ dining area,
tailored to local markets, yet, remain true TV screens, internet and gaming points,
to the global brand. Menu items, uniforms, comfortable seating, hanging lights, creative
promotions, and hours of operation are graphics and photos on the walls. This
subject to regional conditions in order to signals a clear departure from the bolted
attain utmost relevance. This does not mean down seats in locations all employing the
McDonalds is inconsistent, in fact, it is more same floor plan all around the world.
successful as it allows freedom within form.
Indisputably, one of the key facets of a great
This was not an easy or overnight shift in brand is that it delivers on consistency.
McDonald’s strategy. It represents a change However, this new approach ensures that
in ethos and culture from an unbending the core brand promise and its values do
top-down organization to a strategically not change to any great extent over time,
thoughtful one that encourages and instead, the manifestation of the brand
assesses brand deviations to remain highly and the way in which the promise and
responsive and competitive in all markets it values are communicated are regularly
chooses to compete. updated and improved. This consistency is
absolutely essential for a brand to help keep
Visit a McDonalds in Japan and you can it fresh, deliver trust and confidence for the
order a shrimp burger. In France, you will sit consumer, as well as, clarity of purpose
in plush seats, enjoy an espresso, and feel and positioning.
DDB is excited by ideas. We invite you to visit our website to share yours and keep
abreast of ours. We believe that creativity is the most powerful force in business and
that ideas get sharper with more minds rubbing against them.