What does your business want from your clients and customers? One thing that you need is trust, you need them to trust who you say you are and deliver what you promise. Big businesses can’t always talk directly to their customers so they convey that trust through their marketing. Most are experts at this and there’s quite a simple method to achieve this – by being consistent with your marketing.
Imagine McDonald’s starting using different shades of red or blue in their advertising, you’d instantly think that something was wrong and if this pattern continued you’d lose trust in their 'fine cuisine'. If Nike had different strap lines, Just do it, Do it now, Do it while you can, do it if you can be bothered, and did it in different typefaces that didn’t strike you as being Nike, you’d question what was going on.
Every big business has a strict set of Brand Guidelines which offer zero tolerance, any marketing or advertising has to follow exactly what the guide suggests in terms of fonts, colours, logo and tone of voice. This consistency makes you become familiar and ultimately creates the trust in your business.
Professional designers don’t all of a sudden change the style of a business because it’s fashionable they stick to the guidelines as it strengthens the business. If your business, and I can’t think what you wouldn’t want to be trusted by your customers isnt following your Brand Guidelines then you really should be. Any size business can reap the rewards of Guidelines.
The psychology of consistency: Why it builds trust
Trust isn’t something you can buy or demand – it’s earned over time through familiarity and consistency. Humans are naturally drawn to patterns, a trait that links directly to our subconscious minds. When we see the same colours, fonts and messaging repeatedly, we start associating them with reliability and professionalism. This is why big brands like Coca-Cola or McDonald’s have stayed iconic for decades – they stick to their tried and tested branding formulas.
Think back to a tv advert you remember from your youth, guess what, you didn’t see that advert once, twice or even three times, it was probably 20+ times, by seeing the same advert it get’s into our heads and we trust and remember what they say. Imagine every time an advert came on it was different you wouldn’t remember the brand, it’s the consistent repetition that makes it memorable and makes us trust the brand.
What if Coca-Cola suddenly changed its famous red to a blue, or a neon green or its timeless script font to something modern and trendy. You’d immediately question whether it was the same company, or whether the quality of the product you trust so much had somehow changed.
Now think about industries where trust is critical. Home developers, for example, often ask for the biggest commitment someone can make – a mortgage. If a potential homebuyer doesn’t trust your marketing materials, your leaflets, brochures, or website then they’re unlikely to trust what you build. Why would they? Inconsistent branding makes your company appear untrustworthy, even if your homes are of the highest quality.
Not only is trusting your brand important, but trust can also directly influence how much someone is willing to pay for your product or service. A trusted brand is perceived as more reliable and higher quality, which means customers are often willing to spend more for the reassurance that they’re making the right choice.
The same principle applies to industries like healthcare. Are you really going to trust a company’s products or put something into your body if their branding feels unreliable or disjointed? Trust is the foundation for customer confidence, and consistency is the key to building and maintaining it.
For small businesses, these principles are just as vital. Consistency in your branding, your colours, your fonts, your tone of voice all help customers feel they know you. And when they feel they know you, they trust you. Without it, customers may feel uncertain, even sceptical, about your business, and that’s when trust begins to erode.
Brand Guidelines: A small business superpower
Here’s the truth: every big business, from Nike to Apple, relies on strict Brand Guidelines to maintain their identity. These guidelines aren’t just a luxury, they’re a necessity. They dictate how every aspect of the brand should appear, from the exact shade of red used in a logo to the tone of voice in social media posts.
But Brand Guidelines aren’t just for multinational corporations. In fact, small businesses can benefit even more. Why? Because consistency levels the playing field. Whether you’re a one-person operation or a growing team, a set of clear, actionable Brand Guidelines ensures that every business card, social post, or email strengthens your brand and builds trust.
And creating guidelines doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with the basics:
Choose your primary and secondary colours and stick to them.
Define your fonts for headlines, body text, and calls-to-action.
Set clear rules for your logo, how it should appear, size requirements, and acceptable placements.
Clarify your tone of voice, are you friendly and conversational or formal and professional?
Everything your business puts out, no matter how big or small, should look and feel like it comes from the same trusted source. Even if you’re not a household name yet, staying consistent helps your business appear credible, dependable and ultimately, trustworthy.
First impressions matter
We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” While that’s a nice sentiment, the truth is, people do. Customers judge your business on its presentation, whether it’s a leaflet, website, or social media post. That’s why it’s so important to always look your best and stay true to how you want to be perceived.
When your branding is consistent and polished, it reassures customers that your business is professional and dependable. It gives them confidence that you’ll deliver on your promises. And in a world where trust is often the deciding factor, isn’t that what every business should be striving for?
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