Brand Consistency By Rosina Webb.

Rosina Webb, founder of Energise Marketing, unpacks what true brand consistency means beyond logos and guidelines. She shares simple steps to build systems, gain buy-in, and protect recognition, retention, and reputation. Read below to learn more.

What consistent brands do differently (and how to get there)

Consistency – everyone talks about it, but few nail it. But for the brands that do achieve it, the benefits far outweigh the time and effort it takes to get there.

So, what do they do differently and how can you achieve the same for your brand? Rosina Webb, brand marketing extraordinaire and founder of Energise Marketing, takes a look.

Consistency is not a set of brand guidelines

Too many brands think they’ve achieved brand consistency if they have logo files, a colour palette, brand guidelines, and a Canva folder. While these are all necessary to keep visual consistency, real brand consistency shows up in how people represent and respond to your brand.

What are examples of consistent brands?

In New Zealand, we have the instantly recognisable brands, like Icebreaker, Tip Top and Pak’nSave (to name just a few) that tick all the boxes.

So, what do these brands do differently?

• They live it day to day. By this, I mean, they don’t simply use their brand as a design element – the brand and its values are inherent within team behaviour.
• Their brand framework is evident in all uses of the brand, from social posts to marketing material, key messages to ads.
• They make it easier to be consistent than to freestyle, yet still encourage creativity to keep it fresh, engaging, and enticing for us, their consumers.

• Build simple systems and use them daily. Make them so simple that there’s no excuse not to use them. These could be pre-approved templates for social posts, proposals, PowerPoint decks etc, all saved in a shared folder with clear file names so no one has to “make it up” each time. Going further, create a quick-reference cheat sheet that contains the most important brand rules (tone of voice, logo use, colour combinations, key messages) in a one-page guide. Pin this on the wall, share it digitally, and include it in onboarding packs. It’s fast to scan, harder to ignore, and prevents team members from trawling through a 30-page document when they just need one answer. The systems and processes you have in place have to be easy to adopt by your team. Too difficult and your brand will become diluted and, worse still, butchered!
  
• Set expectations - and gain buy-in - with your internal team members and external suppliers around the use of your brand. This goes beyond just having a document titled ‘Brand Guidelines’; it means making sure everyone understands why consistency matters and feels ownership of protecting it. When people believe in the brand and their role in representing it, they’re more likely to speak, behave and refer to the brand in a way that keeps it intact across every touchpoint.
• Focus on progress, not perfection. There’s always going to be moments when your brand identity is challenged or a new team member is learning the ropes. These occasions test your systems, which isn’t a bad thing. But if you’ve remained 80% consistent with your brand management, this will help to limit any minor brand dilution that may happen.

Why does brand consistency matter?

Think of it as the three Rs that actually matter – recognition, retention, reputation – to ensure everyone is working to protect the brand. Consistency builds familiarity, and trust is the payoff. In a noisy, AI-cluttered market, brand recognition = business survival. It also makes marketing easier: fewer rewrites, fewer approvals, fewer do-overs.

Brand consistency starts on the inside. Take time to review how your brand shows up across every touchpoint – it’s often the small habits that make the biggest difference.

Source: Rosina Webb, 21 August 2025