Create a strong brand identity on social media.

Ludwekazi: Hi, and welcome to the BWD Blog. Today on the hot seat we have designer gem, Kutloano Tshabalala. Kutloano, how are you?

Kutloano: I’m awesome. How are you?

Ludwekazi: I’m well. Thank you. So tell us about Kutloano, and what do you do at BWD?

Kutloano: Okay, my name is Kutloano. And I studied at the Open Window School of Digital Sciences where I obtained my qualification in Graphic Design and Illustration. And I’m currently a web designer and graphic designer at BWD Advertising.

Ludwekazi: So what is brand consistency, and why should marketers care about it?

Kutloano: Brand consistency refers to the visual elements that your company has and uses throughout different platforms. For example, on their website the corporate identity, corporate stationery. I can think of an example, Coke. If you look at a Coke ad on T.V. or Coke ad on a magazine, and even a billboard Coke has been used the same throughout each and every different platform. And that’s just basically what brand consistency is. The same font, seem red has been used. And this is so important, because when you’re consistent within your brand you’re actually reinforcing the message of the company. And this is like the vehicle of authority and trust within your brand.

Ludwekazi: Do you, perhaps, have any example of a company that maintains a consistent brand identity on their social media?

Kutloano: Examples of consistent brands, I would say adidas, Nike, Tshepy Boutique. If you look at Tshepy Boutique and their Twitter page, their Instagram page are literally, exactly the same. And if you put the website against the Facebook page it’s, kind of, like a very similar look and feel. So, yeah, Nike, adidas, Tshepy Boutique, very good examples of companies that have been able to maintain brand consistency throughout different social media platforms.

Ludwekazi: So what steps does one need to follow to maintain brand consistency throughout their social networks?

Kutloano: Step one, I would say finalizing your corporate identity or your style guide. Corporate identity, in short, refers to CI. And your CI is basically something that you refer to to maintain the uniformity of your company’s brand. And you can actually look at a CI from a human perspective in the sense that it is the face of your company. When you first meet someone the first thing you see is their face. Same thing applies with your business. Your CI is the face of your company, and it’s the first impression. And actually this is an opportunity for you to dictate what messages you want to emphasize on, or you want to communicate about your brand. For example, if your brand is elegant you can communicate elegance through the font that you use or the images that you use for your logo.

Your CI is basically how your company presents itself. And I can think of examples like Apple, BMW, Simba. The Simba, lion, we all know that guy. Not because that we want to, not because we like Simba, but because it has been continuously used in the packaging. And, yeah. Your tomato flavor, and your cheese flavor has the same lion. So, yeah, it’s just repetition. Corporate identity, that would be your step one.

Step two would be working with templates. Your templates are your working files that are accessible by your designer. And, I mean, that’s actually your designer’s best friend, because of how much time you save from working from a template. And, yeah, it’s basically making sure that you work within the same frames. Replacing texts, replacing imaging within the same frame. And this actually does not necessarily imply that you would be working with one template. You can have a million templates just as long as it is somehow similar to your corporate identity. And this is where step one and step two are closely related. Because you can’t really choose a style for your template if you don’t have your style guide or your corporate identity in check, first.

And, yeah. Step three, I would say get a competent designer. Get someone who actually knows what they’re doing, and someone who has some experience in the given industry.

Ludwekazi: So lastly, what tools does one need to maintain brand consistency throughout their social media?

Kutloano: Tools that you can use are basically cloud storage. That is the number one tool you can go for. Cloud storage refers to a network where you can place your files, access your files, invite people to share files. It’s really awesome, because it’s on a cloud. So you can’t really lose anything, or, you know, files don’t get corrupted easily. So, yeah, cloud storage is a really great tool. An example of this is actually Google Drive which is what we use at BWD Advertising.

Ludwekazi: So I’m picking up that it has a lot to do with systematic approach?

Kutloano: One hundred percent. One hundred percent. Be systematic, be organized. Number one method.

Ludwekazi: So do you have anything else that you want to emphasize?

Kutloano: In conclusion, brand consistency is extremely important. I mean, this is like the biggest favor you can do for your company, for your brand. And if you need any advice on this contact BWD Advertising, or just get a competent designer in your hood, and you’ll be good.

Ludwekazi: Well, there you have it. That was Kutloano giving us insight on how to maintain and keep a consistent brand identity across your social media platforms. I hope you were able to gain valuable information. This is how we at BWD continue to think, create, and inspire. Until next time, goodbye.