Repetition is Reputation

I saw this phrase a few weeks ago in a magazine article and it has been on my mind ever since. It reminds me of something I always tell my clients, consistency is everything in communications. And, that is so true; in building an effective strategic communications program, in branding, ultimately in building a viable reputation for your company.
What's the opposite of consistency? Change. Changing a message too often can be as detrimental as having the wrong message or having no message at all. Too many times I see clients rush to change a message or a campaign because they are tired of it. Of course they are tired of it way before the market because they've lived with it through the long-process of creation and execution. But, think about the campaigns, brands, marketing messages that you remember--they are most probably the ones that have been consistently delivered over a sustained period of time.
Not that all change is bad. It isn't. It is important to change if you know your message isn't working. Usually the market will give immediate feedback if your message/product/claims are totally off base. The bottom line: building a brand takes time and commitment, and it takes consistency. Consumers want to get to know their brands, they want an emotional attachment with a brand that they can trust to deliver a good experience, time after time. That's the reputation of a brand that is built through regular repetition. Consistency in the entire experience, from marketing through product delivery through support.
Repetition is reputation. And,that's a fact.