The New York Times today has a great example of what’s represented by a brand.
A food writer laments that Breyer’s ice cream isn’t all-natural any more — nothing like what he remembered from his youth.
Breyer’s used to market its ice cream as having only a few ingredients — vanilla, sugar, cream. Maybe ice. (I don’t know; I’m not much of a cook.) But nowadays, the ingredients of some of its products read like a chemistry exam.
That disappoints the NYT’s food writer. And it demonstrates what’s expected from a brand: consistency.
This is a lesson all brand owners can learn from. You build loyalty through consistent quality. And both of those components are equally important: consistency and quality.
Ignore either, and your customers will be disappointed.