Are Business Challenges Getting in the Way of Brand Consistency?

Organizations are challenged with the healthy balance between growing the business and maintaining brand consistency. Even so, CyberSense recommends stepping back once a year to evaluate how the brand is holding up.
The evaluation doesn’t need to be difficult or overly complicated. In fact, the exercise can be both energizing and insightful. 

Here's how it works:
Choose 5-10 people to ask the following questions.

1. "In three words or less, what does (your brand name) stand for?" If they have difficulty answering the question, make a note of it.
   
   
2. "What does (your brand name) offer or do that supports how your brand is positioned?"
   

We recommend asking at least one person from sales, one person from marketing, and one person from customer service. Don't include department heads because they're the most likely to answer questions positively, yet they typically aren't on the front line executing the message. Also, find a few customers, end users, and if you can, non-users of the product/service. 

From the answers to the two questions, a pattern should emerge.
Here's what to look for:

• Can everyone define the brand and what it stands for?
• Is there consistency in their answers?
• Is there consistency between what insiders and outsiders are saying?
• Are the words people using to describe the brand likely to inspire action?

If the answer is "yes" to the aforementioned questions, then your brand is likely doing well. On the other hand, if the answer is "no”, you may want to consider a more comprehensive diagnosis.