3 tips for maintaining your brand across marketing channels.

Brands communicate through more channels today than ever
before and new options pop up nearly daily. As a result, marketers find it
increasingly difficult to maintain a brand voice across these diverse channels.
Have no fear. It is possible, but like all things worth doing, it takes effort.

By following 3 simple tips, you can create a uniform brand
message across all your marketing channels, whether you are using traditional
paid marketing techniques or social networks or a little of both.

1. Understand your audience(s)

First and foremost, you need to know whom you are talking
to. You need to understand their needs and motivations. Customer insights have
always been valuable. I’m sure you have looked at the normal stats for your
audiences (age, M/F, education, income, home ownership, propensity to exercise
or eat right, region of the country, television interests, favorite foods,
etc.). Apart from these, do you really know what your customer is thinking
and/or interested in?

Having a working grasp on demographics only provides a
fraction of valuable customer understanding. To connect with customers,
consider that they are primarily thinking about how to solve the problems they
face each day. Spend time thinking about what their problems might be.  Help solve those problems,  and you have established a different
relationship with them.

Once you have a grasp of your audiences, even if they are
broad and diverse, you can begin to develop messages directed to them (not at
them).

2. Establish your message(s)

All great brands have a message. And some have more than one.
The brand message, like the physical traits of real person, is a reflection of
the of the organization. And it should be inline with what the brand ultimately
delivers. Messages should be in tune with audience wants and needs. They should
be a reflection of what your audiences what to hear instead of merely what you
want to say.  

So regardless of where you settle, you need to establish a
clear voice that is communicated across your entire organization. And then
stick with it.

3. Be consistently cohesive.

What is consistently cohesive? Allow me to explain. One of
the prevailing tenets of marketing is consistency. Be consistent in your
branding (logo, colors, etc.). Be consistent with your positioning (tagline).
And be consistent in your efforts. So, when it comes to brand message, your
first inclination may lean toward consistency. Makes sense right? If we say
something through one channel we should be consistent and say it through all
channels. Well, not necessarily. That’s why we opt for cohesion. Consistency is
merely repetition. Cohesion is strategic. Cohesion is on message and on brand,
but can be wholly unique depending on the application. Your voice may change
from marketing channel to marketing channel. Maybe not dramatically, but change
it might. And that requires cohesion, not consistency. What you should be
consistent with is cohesion. In other words, be cohesive always.

How are you maintaining brand messages across marketing channels?