Ongoing consistency control: we check new materials before they reach customers
A brand is consistent on the day of rollout. After that, every new material, every agency and every partner slowly pulls it apart. Ongoing consistency control is a simple mechanism: new materials pass through us before they reach customers, and comments come back within an agreed time, so that control does not slow the work down.
How does ongoing control work?
Control is not there to catch mistakes. It is there so that after a year the brand looks as good as it did on the day of rollout.
Ongoing control is a step in the process, not an extra barrier. Before publication, material comes to us in one place; we check it for consistency with the visual identity, the brand book and the tone of voice, and comments come back within an agreed time. Small things we fix straight away, larger ones we describe, and whatever keeps coming back goes into the brand book or templates so that it stops coming back. Control also covers materials from agencies and partners that the company does not see day to day.
How do we implement ongoing control?
- We agree the scope and timing. Which materials pass through control, from whom, and how quickly comments come back. We set the scope so as not to block the work.
- We plug it into the process. Control becomes a step in the approval workflow, in the tool the company uses. Material reaches us automatically.
- We check and correct. Consistency with the visual identity, the brand book and the tone of voice. Small corrections we make ourselves; larger ones we describe with an example.
- We summarise and improve. A monthly report: what was checked, what keeps recurring, what to fix in the templates or rules so that the mistakes stop appearing.
What do you get?
- control of new materials before publication, within an agreed time,
- comments with examples and small corrections on the spot,
- a monthly summary with a list of recurring problems,
- updates to the brand book and templates when something keeps coming back.
When is it worth introducing ongoing control?
- after rolling out a new or refreshed identity,
- when several agencies, branches or partners work with the brand,
- when the company publishes a lot and quickly, and consistency suffers,
- when the brand should look the same in several markets.
Frequently asked questions
Won't control slow the work down?
No, if it has an agreed time and scope. Usually it is one working day for comments, and small things we fix straight away instead of sending them back. Control built into the process is faster than correcting after publication.
Do you check other agencies' materials?
Yes. This is often the most important part, because agencies and partners do not know the brand as well as the internal team. We work with them, not against them.
How is it billed?
A fixed monthly scope or hourly, depending on the number of materials. We set the scope after the first month, once it is clear how much really passes through control.