Inconsistency is the most common brand problem and the easiest one to diagnose without help. You do not need a consultant to see it. You need the pieces side by side.
Step one: gather ten real pieces
Print or screenshot the last ten things your business produced: the website home page, a sales or service page, an invoice, a proposal, a printed piece, a sign or vehicle graphic, three recent social posts and an email you actually send customers. Use real output, not the files you wish you were using.
Step two: lay them out and score
Score one point for each honest yes
- The same logo version appears on all ten, with no stretched or recreated copies.
- Colors match across print and screen, not just approximately.
- No more than two typefaces are in use, with consistent roles.
- The way you describe the business is the same sentence everywhere.
- Photography and imagery feel like they came from one company.
- Contact details and calls to action are identical and current.
- Someone new could produce piece eleven without asking you a question.
Step three: read the score
- Six or seven: consistency is not your problem. Look at positioning or conversion instead.
- Three to five: you have a system gap. Guidelines and templates will fix most of it.
- Zero to two: there is no system yet, only individual files. That is an identity build, not a cleanup.
Written by Mike Filewicz. Last updated August 25, 2026.