Brand consistency
Consistency in the business world can strengthen a company, its brand, and its overall reputation. Being consistently unique has made some companies as popular as they are today, and it’s what the consumers count on – a brand they know and trust, a company that they’re comfortable with. Take Etsy.com, for example. Etsy has created a place for itself because of its unique, singular, and focused professional vision – handmade, homemade, and vintage.
When creating and developing a mobile app, Etsy stayed true to itself by holding a contest to find the best user-made iPhone app for the Etsy brand. To date, the chosen, official Etsy iPhone app has been downloaded over one million times.
Does consistency restrict change?
Consumers appreciate consistency and companies continue to benefit from it. This doesn’t mean that companies can’t make changes as they progress and grow their brand. In fact, it means that when companies do change, they should always remain true to their own professional culture and that those changes should reflect the brand itself. Again, Etsy is a great example of this.
Because Etsy is centered on handmade retail products, they decided to take it one step further and stay consistent with their professional beliefs and ideals, as they related to Etsy and what made them successful. And that’s why they chose to hold a homemade API contest for their newest app. Etsy even ended up hiring the winner as a part of their permanent staff. Businesses everywhere can and should take note, and then put into practice the concepts of consistency as well as empowering the consumer.
A company’s culture
A company’s culture is as important as its brand. Actually, they go hand in hand. Both the brand and the culture will promote the company, which, in turn, can improve reputation and increase profits. So, before you decide to make a change within your company, make sure you stay true to your brand and your culture, just like Etsy.
To see more on the app, check out this brief video:
