I recently saw a new ad campaign that was unquestionably clever. Too clever, in fact, and that becomes a problem when it doesn’t align with your brand or your target audience. This particular brand is aimed at a broader target audience than most brands and is known for being straightforward, warm and informative. This campaign didn’t fit their brand. That is the problem.
Each brand has its own personality and tone of voice. For example, BMW is precise and performance-driven, while Mini Cooper leans playful and expressive. Target is more curated and design-forward, while Walmart focuses on value and accessibility. Staying true to your brand helps your audience understand and recognize you. It builds familiarity and trust.
Where it went wrong
Most organizations have defined their brand at some point. There’s a mission, positioning, promise, personality, tone of voice and a clear sense of how the company should show up.
Then the day-to-day marketing begins. Agencies and partners are brought in. New team members are added, bringing new ideas and perspectives. Over time, the focus can shift from “Does this fit our brand?” to “Do we like this idea?” That is where things start to drift.
In the case of the too clever campaign, the team had likely seen it too many times to view it objectively. They weren’t looking at it through the lens of someone seeing it for the first time while scrolling or driving by a billboard. And in the process, they may have stopped asking whether the campaign reflected how the brand normally communicates. The result was a campaign that may have been creative, but didn’t feel connected to the brand behind it.
Why consistency matters
From the audience perspective, inconsistency creates friction. People may not stop and analyze why something feels off, but they notice it. When a company suddenly communicates in a way that doesn’t align with what people expect, it can create confusion and weaken trust. Strong brands become recognizable because they consistently show up in a familiar way over time. That consistency helps audiences quickly understand who the company is and what they stand for.
How to prevent this
A brand platform should be used as a filter for all communications. It exists to guide everyone working on the brand, from internal teams to outside agencies and partners. I can’t stress this enough: you need to use the brand platform. You’ve spent time and money developing one and it’s meant to be applied all the time. Don’t have one? Get one.
That doesn’t mean every campaign has to look and sound the same. It can be fresh and new as long as it feels like it comes from the same company.
If your brand is known for being clear and approachable, don’t suddenly become abstract and difficult to understand. Don’t make people work too hard for the message.
It’s also important to get fresh perspectives before launching a campaign. Even informal feedback from people outside the project can help identify disconnects. Ask what they think the message means, what action they would take and whether it feels consistent with the company behind it.
Strong brands are built through consistency over time. The most effective marketing doesn’t just grab attention, it reinforces who the brand already is. When marketing and brand align, audiences recognize it, trust it and respond to it more quickly. ●
Sue Stabe is Co-founder of Long & Short of It
