The Importance of Maintaining Brand Integrity
With so much content, data, and opinions saturating everything we consume, it can be difficult to distinguish the buzzwords from the terms worth paying attention to. The first example that comes to mind? Brand integrity.
Much like terms like “authenticity” and “innovation”, integrity is at serious risk of death by overuse. Which is a shame, really— brand integrity is so important to maintain for the continued success of any brand.
You may not know what brand integrity means, but you’d certainly recognise it if you saw it (or notice if it was missing).
So when it comes to your own brand, you definitely want to make sure people are noticing that integrity rather than a lack thereof.
Why Brand Integrity Matters
Brand integrity essentially means keeping your brand on point.
Consider the following elements of any brand:
- Brandmark
- Colour palette
- Packaging
- Social media presence
- Website
- Key messaging
- Brand voice
- Brand reputation and behaviour
- Branded collateral
- Advertisements and marketing campaigns
When all of these are kept in check, they contribute to your brand image in a positive way. And in turn, your integrity is also strengthened.
That means keeping design elements consistent, your brand voice aligned, and your brand’s behaviour coherent across every audience-facing avenue.
Some more benefits of brand integrity include:
- Asserting your position as a trusted brand
- Strengthening your connection with your audience, customers, and clients
- Attracting new clients or customers
- Growing your brand’s authenticity
- Building upon your unique selling points
So what are the potential negatives of lacking brand integrity? Essentially, they’re the opposite of those amazing benefits. If any of those fundamental items are inconsistent, your brand’s integrity is compromised, making your brand’s image and reputation suffer.
That Brand’s Got Integrity
Sometimes it’s easier to show rather than tell. When it comes to brand integrity, there are plenty of well-known names who do it right. Let’s take a look at a few examples.
Lush
Cute, colourful, and a little bit cheeky, there’s no mistaking Lush’s branding. The planet-focused bath and beauty brand is all about good times and good intentions, and that certainly shines through on every level.
From their silly product names to their bright social media feeds to the shapes of their products (eggplant emoji-shaped soap, anyone?), Lush never stray from their signature vibe. Now that’s integrity.
Seed & Sprout
In what has to be our favourite trend ever, the modern sustainability movement has seen a plethora of new brands emerging who are making it easier than ever to live low-impact.
As much as sustainability is about using what you have before buying anything new, there’s still a demand to replace wasteful, not-so-planet-friendly items with more sustainable options. So why not make them beautiful, too?
Enter Seed & Sprout. Started by two mums, this Australian brand appeals to the everyday person with a penchant for Pinterest boards, neutral earthy tones, and practicality. Whether it’s the product descriptions on their website, beautiful product photography, or helpful infographics on their Instagram that encourage others to live a little greener, Seed & Sprout have brand integrity nailed.
Loco Love
Sometimes more really is, well, more.
Loco Love sells chocolate and cacao products infused with medicinal herbs and adaptogens for the ultimate nourishing treat. But as epic as their products may be, their true brand integrity lies in their branding.
Their pastel chocolate wrappers are stamped with gleaming gold lettering. Their Instagram feed is a gaudy throwback to Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet, complete with heavy overtones of Catholic iconography. And as for their website— well, let’s just say the homepage has kitsch gifs of winged chocolates flying past marble Greek statues adorned with crystals.
Loco Love’s vibe is trashy-chic, super 90s teenager, and completely over the top. And we love it.
If Donatella Versace had a favourite chocolate brand, this would be it. But regardless of what she thinks, we have no doubt that this brand is positively dripping with integrity.
