Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.
- Bumper sticker.

Want to know a secret about advertising that's more closely guarded than 24 Sussex Drive?

Consistency in branding is paramount.

Business people know they have to understand every aspect of their business in order to run a profitable company. But advertising, the magic that keeps phones ringing and people yearning for products, may well be the business aspect you know the least about. That is not good, since advertising is communication - and includes everything that promotes a company's image (or brand), message, products or services.

Building a corporate image begins on Day 1. Business cards, websites and signs are the most obvious forms of advertising, although every choice from packaging design to newspaper ads sends a message to staff, customers, potential customers and the competition. No matter how small or large the company, judgments are made based on the image projected.

But most business owners give little thought to their company's image, even though it is as vital to their business as a smile is to a salesperson. The good news is that it is never too late for changes and improvements.

A successful marketing strategy designed to grow awareness, build consumer and/or trade confidence and drive sales will always have a strong, consistent brand image as a foundation. It is not enough to have a terrific product at an appealing price, even if the target market is identified and can be directly reached. If the message sent to them is garbled or unclear, they will not respond.

So when company growth or sales lag behind expectation, it may be attributed to a lack of advertising (brand/image) consistency. Inconsistency is confusing. It repels potential customers, the very people that advertising is supposed to impress. It makes them think that the company is (too) small, unprofessional or disorganized. It discourages sales and wastes money.

A dynamic and uniform image is necessary for every business. The goal is to make customers and potential customers recognize and remember your brand/image - and feel positive about it. There are several ways to achieve this effectively:

* Logo or Wordmark. A logo (think of the Nike swoosh) or wordmark (think of a company name designed with letters, such as IBM) may need to be designed or redesigned. Before you ask your nephew, who likes to "do stuff" on his computer, keep in mind that a person with a graphics program does not qualify as a designer any more than a person with a calculator is an accountant. Invest in a professional. A well-designed logo looks simple, but lasts forever. Mercedes has used the same logo since 1909.

* Slogan. Short phrases that help people remember your company or product name are most effective in radio and/or television advertising. Put to music, they can become a jingle. Think of: "Things go better with ... " Milk does not come to mind. Slogans are sometimes referred to as "memory hooks" or "mottos."

* Stationery. Every piece of printed material, for internal and external use (staff and customers) should have a consistent look (colour and design) and feel (layout similarities) and include a company logo and slogan, if one is used. And everything must match. Business cards, letterhead, invoices (digital and print), sales material - all should look like they belong together so they present a polished, professional image.

* Store Sign. Signage is a major way that retail businesses attract customers. A company's image is reflected in all of its material, so the sign should match.

* Look and Feel. Store ambiance contributes significantly to a positive or negative shopping experience, the company's image - and the bottom line. You may love the scarlet walls in your store, but changes to colour, layout and music may increase store traffic and sales.

Store ambiance should be designed to draw in your targeted customers and keep them interested.

* Media Material. The design of all published material (TV commercials, flyers, newspaper ads, website, etc.) should reinforce the corporate image and must be consistent week to week, year to year across the breadth and width of all material. Consistency breeds recognition, which ultimately drives sales.

The ultimate goal is instant recognition, which is extremely desirable and has been achieved by many, mostly large, companies, through significant investments in media advertising. For years, McDonald's flooded the market with television advertising to make its restaurants universally known and its fast-food universally craved.

Today, it seldom advertises on television, because one glance at its golden arches is all it takes to drive toddlers into a frenzy. They have the same effect on some adults.

But even small companies can reap benefits from a consistent brand image. The Toronto-based smoked salmon company Kristapsons Inc. had no logo, slogan or consistent image for most of its 50 years. Ad design for media advertising was done by the publications, so ads did not resemble one another.

That changed when a strong image for Kristapsons was developed by a professional. A photo of a salmon with a little pipe in its mouth became a memorable visual pun in all the advertising. A logo was developed, and a slogan, "Smoking is good for you" was used in conjunction with the fish photo.

Every ad in all media, brochures, posters, etc. had the fish, logo and slogan.

Fonts and layout were consistent everywhere.

The store sign was updated so it had a 3-D fish with a pipe.

The results of the changes were immediate. Says Kristapsons' owner Andris Grinbergs, "My accountant told me that whatever I was doing, to keep doing it."

Consistency across all forms of advertising solidifies and reinforces a company's image, which in turn builds customer recognition and confidence. The usual result of this is increased sales.

So now you know a secret.

(Brenda McMillan has more than 10 years of experience in advertising. She can be reached at mcmillan@businessedge.ca)