Consistent Rebellion
Why Consistency is Your Best Weapon in Insurgent Marketing
In the carnivalesque world of marketing, it’s easy to think of conformity as the devil incarnate. The sacrilegious paradox here is that even when leading a brand insurgency, consistency is your most powerful ally. Behold, the gospel according to me.
Consistency Isn’t a Suit and Tie, It’s the Fabric of Reality
First off, let’s debunk the notion that consistency is the hallmark of a corporate sellout. In marketing, consistency isn’t the antithesis of creativity; it’s the backbone of it. Imagine if every guerrilla act you pulled as an insurgent brand was a standalone escapade, never to be repeated or built upon. Sure, it’ll grab eyeballs—like a raccoon in your kitchen—but what then? People may wonder, Who are these jokers? and then you fade into the abyss of ephemeral noise.
Big brands like Coca-Cola or Tim Hortons have nailed this down. It’s not just the red and white colour palette or the Always Fresh slogan; it’s the relentlessly reliable experience that cements brand recognition.
Small Brands, Big Impact: Consistency Scales Down Too
Small brands, often those without a dime in ad spend, are not exempt from the gospel of consistency. Have you ever been to a microbrewery in Victoria, BC? They might not have the marketing muscle of Molson Coors, but you bet they have a fiercely loyal following. Why? They’ve picked a lane: local, quirky, eco-conscious, whatever—it doesn’t matter. What matters is that every social media post, every recycled cardboard coaster, and every pint resonates with that persona. It’s a microscopic view of the same mechanism that giants like Air Canada deploy on a national scale.
How to Channel Your Consistency
So you’re sold on consistency; great. Now comes the tricky part: how to actualize this consistency. Let’s break it down:
Define Your USP: Know what makes your brand insurgent in the first place.
Message Map: Lay down your key messages and values. Keep them on your desktop, your phone, hell—tattoo them if you have to.
Content Cadence: Regularity in the type, timing, and medium of your communications.
Design Consistency: Whether it’s branding material or website UI, ensure uniformity.
Feedback Loops: Use analytics to find what works. Double down, but don’t be afraid to pivot if the data suggests so.
Stick to Your Lane Like It’s the Trans-Canada Highway
In marketing, ‘all over the place’ is a destination no brand should aim for. You can’t be luxury and discount, irreverent and earnest, classic and modern, all at the same time. You can’t play both sides in the Montreal-Toronto rivalry, eh? Picking a lane is picking a story, a narrative that your target audience can latch onto. Then stick to it as if you’re driving from St. John’s to Tofino.
The Avalanche Effect: Small Consistent Steps Lead to Marketing Uprisings
Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of consistency is its compounding effect. Every blog post, every tweet, every eco-friendly packaging choice adds up. It’s not unlike dollar-cost averaging in the stock market; the sum of your consistent acts creates a portfolio of brand equity that grows exponentially over time.
Consistency isn’t just for the suited-up boardrooms or the carefully curated social media pages of influencers. It’s the unsung hero of the brand underbelly, the nonconformists, the insurgents. It’s not about yielding to the man; it’s about becoming the ‘Man’ in your own unique, rebellious way. So pick up your marketing Molotov cocktails with one hand, and your brand guideline book in the other. It’s time to start your consistent rebellion.