Achieve Brand Consistency: 6 Tips to Help Your Retailers Stay On Brand

Consumers that view a thematic message across multiple channels increase their intent to purchase by 90% and improve their perception of that brand by 68% (Source: IAB). Brand consistency is very important to consumers today. Customers are more likely to recognize a brand if all of the messaging they see surrounding that brand and its products are on a consistent theme.

But, as a national brand, challenges arise as you try to ensure that your marketing initiatives are cohesive from the national level all the way to down to local storefronts, especially as advertising planning, content and budget is often prioritized and executed at the national level.

On top of this, retailers and local specialty shops are selling and marketing brand products in their stores and online. How do you ensure that your brand message is consistent throughout an oftentimes fractured retail network?

We’ve pulled together six tips for brands to help their local retailers stay on brand:

1) Plan out campaigns ahead of time.

Create a content schedule a few months out. Promoboxx customer Salomon creates their content calendar six months in advance to better manage their campaigns and product pushes. This in turn helps their retailers know when they will be getting new content to promote, and ensures that the retailers know what product and other campaign initiatives to focus on directly from the brand.

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2) Educate retailers on your products.

Consumers today crave information and want to understand all the ins and outs of the considered purchase they’re about to make. This is why consumers are increasingly shifting from shopping in big box stores to specialty stores that provide added value. Brands should utilize their field representatives to keep retailers up to date on new products and how best to market them. If your retail partners are educated on product benefits, they can better assist customers asking for advice, direct them to your product, and ultimately drive loyalty and sales.

3) Provide national content to local retailers.

Consistency enhances the brand footprint and extends the reach of your brand message. When you are creating marketing content, local retailers should also have access to those materials and campaign plans. Think of the influence (and increased sales!) you will have if every time your brand produces national marketing content, all of your local retailers can also share that content!

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4) Make it easy for retailers to share campaigns.

Retailers want to participate in brand campaigns, but they often do not have staff dedicated to or trained in digital marketing. So they need a simple solution. The more retailers have to dig through folders on digital asset management (DAM) portals and guess what content is most current, the less likely they are to participate. You want content sharing to be simple and quick, without requiring extensive effort from your retail partners.

5) Be authentic.

Keeping your message unique and consistent on all platforms is incredibly effective. Furthermore, the millennial audience specifically rewards openness and authenticity (Source: Marketing Charts). The key to multi-channel success is an authentic, truthful, and consistent feel throughout the customer journey, and it is important that all retail channels are providing the same message as the national brand.

6) Support your retailers.

Retailers rule! Retailers can provide the essential link to local consumers and know their community the best. By becoming a supportive resource, you are setting up your retailers and your brand for success.