In an era of social media, AI, and technological advancements, it can be difficult for brands to find ways to be innovative with marketing strategies while also staying true to the core of their brand. How do we find this balance? And will there ever be an exact step-by-step guide to this in an everchanging marketing space? 

Consistency is valuable. We can see this in iconic brands like the McDonald’s golden arches or Adidas’ three stripes, but without new ways of bringing the brand to life, consistency can become restrictive. On the other hand, innovation without consistency can also be detrimental for a brand.  

A classic example of too much innovation to the point where a brand lost their identity is Tropicana’s 2009 logo rebrand. Developing a new, more modern logo for the juice brand took away visual cues that cultivated brand recall for consumers. This loss of consistency created a 20% drop in sales, and ultimately cost the brand over $30 million throughout the process of creating, producing, and releasing the new logo, and then back pedaling to put the old logo back on the shelves. Extreme consistency can lead to a brand becoming irrelevant, but too much innovation can lead to a brand losing their identity. 

The term “brand ambidexterity” refers to a company’s ability to strategically pursue both brand consistency and brand relevance. Your brand should not have to choose between staying authentic and being relevant, which means always thinking about ways to maintain that balance. Here are a few ways to boost brand ambidexterity for your company: 

Protect and understand your brand’s core identity. The only way to truly grow as a brand is to comprehend why consumers were attracted to you in the first place. Lego released their iconic interlocking plastic blocks in 1958, and while they continue to release new builds and designs, the brand has not strayed from this essential component of their brand that they are known and loved for. Figure out what your Lego block is in your brand and hold that close. 

Question outdated assumptions. Many times, we can get stuck with what our brand “should” look like, or doing something because “this is what we’ve always done,” but this can lead to brand fatigue. In the past two years, Coach has revitalized their brand and found popularity among Gen Z. Coach CEO, Todd Kahn, said, “We have developed an environment where creativity, innovation and informed risk-taking with a true test-and-learn agenda leads,” showing us that stepping outside of a creative comfort zone may push your brand to be better. 

Connect innovations to the brand story. Tying creative ideas and new marketing approaches back to a brand’s essence can help keep innovation and consistency from becoming too disjointed. Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign is a great example. Replacing its iconic logo with people’s names was a significant departure for the brand, but the idea reinforced something Coca-Cola had long stood for: bringing people together. The campaign gave consumers a new, personal way to interact with the brand without losing sight of what the brand represented in the first place. 

Finding the balance between consistency and creativity will always be a work in progress, but being aware of and continuously seeking that middle ground is an important first step in ensuring your brand stays true and relevant. 

Looking for fresh ways to move your brand forward without losing what makes it distinctive? Let’s talk.