Has your business invested in marketing campaigns to little effect? This experience is not uncommon, especially for small, local business owners. The good news is that most of the time, the reason for an unsuccessful campaign is easily diagnosed and can be remedied with some commitment and attention to detail. This blog will discuss two keys to a marketing campaign's success: consistency and frequency.

Consistency, Frequency, and the BrandsFormation System 

Consistency and frequency are two central pillars of the marketing system we use here at Zimmer Marketing - Chuck Mefford's BrandsFormation. Using BrandsFormation has allowed Zimmer Marketing to help many businesses establish themselves as successful local brands. And perhaps the most essential elements in these success stories is the skilled use of frequency and consistency. So, let's dig in and define each of these terms as they apply to marketing.

Consistency

Consistency refers to the parts of your messaging strategy that remain the same across campaigns and media types (such as radio or online ads). In other words, it is a set of simple and accurate messages about your business which you will repeat each time you advertise and in all your company materials.

Our last blog talked about a hypothetical roofing business that has created a message based on not messing up a customer's yard when they perform roof maintenance. Our hypothetical roofer chose to summarize their message in the slogan, "We tear up old shingles... not your yard!" Consistency would entail reinforcing this message about their company in all the points of contact they have with potential customers.

Frequency

Frequency is necessary for reinforcing your message in the minds of your potential customers. Once you have a strategy-based message, you need to pick advertising mediums that you can afford to dominate with your messaging. For instance, suppose you opt for a radio campaign based on its affordability and proven track record of good returns on investment. Then you would need to plan to run enough ads with your core messaging to dominate the radio station(s) on which you're running ads. That's what's called dominant frequency in BrandsFormation.

At Zimmer Marketing, we encourage businesses to adopt the research-based structure of the BrandsFormation system. If the radio is what you want to run an ad campaign on, BrandsFormation recommends a "21 52 Advertising Plan." In this plan, you should run a radio spot 21 times a week for 52 weeks. By committing to a whole year, you give listeners time to become familiar with your brand's messaging. When the listener finally needs the product or service you provide, the payoff is that your business is the first that comes to their mind. 

Frequency and Consistency Work Together 

So, what is the takeaway? Simply put, consistency and frequency work closely together. Consistency is the art of stating your core, strategy-based message effectively in each ad or material you produce. Frequency is your commitment to delivering those ads to a particular audience with enough repetition to build brand recognition. When consistency and frequency work together, they create a powerful engine for building your business into a growing brand.