Perhaps no brand on earth is more closely associated with luxury than Rolls Royce. When you think of the brand, for instance, images of James Bond behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce in some 007’s most famous films, including “From Russia with Love” and “Goldfinger” immediately come to mind.
So it should come as no surprise that when the automobile manufacturer announced its new “Everywhere Vehicle” (more commonly known as an SUV), it did so in style. To spread the word about its new high end offering, Rolls-Royce dispatched chauffeurs donning white gloves all over New York City to deliver letters that contained the announcement. Around the same time those drivers were making their deliveries, the company also launched the hashtag #EffortlessEverywhere to promote the new vehicle.
So why did Rolls Royce go through with all of the trouble to make this kind of announcement? Well, for starters, every other luxury automobile manufacturer except Ferrari already offers an SVU, so Rolls-Royce was clearly looking to be a differentiator in this market. Second, and more importantly, the company wanted to ensure that the new rollout fit in seamlessly with its brand’s elite image. The fact is, even luxury SUVs are sometimes branded with the “soccer parent” label that does not jive with luxury. Rolls-Royce’s announcement was an attempt to ensure that the Everywhere Vehicle would not fall into that category.
Brand consistency is crucial for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it makes it easier for marketers to create custom content for all offerings across all platforms that convey the company’s core messages. In fact, crafting an effective, long-term content plan is not feasible without brand consistency, because without that stability there is no central starting point or idea from which to build the strategy out. It is, in effective, like constantly trying to hit a moving target.
Brand consistency also helps a business build trust with customers. Whether it is a coffee shop making a latte or a retailer’s contact center, one-time shoppers become repeat customers when they are confident that they will receive the same product, service or experience every time they engage with the organization.
Your company’s primary selling point might not be “the white glove experience” like Rolls-Royce—and it doesn’t have to be. What is crucial is that your brand’s custom content, image, products and services align seamlessly and leave no doubt in customers’ minds what your company is all about.
Have you considered the dangers of inconsistent branding? For more information on how to prevent it, read this blog post.
