“Don’t mess with me. Seriously.”

Few people/organizations in the world broadcast their message as clearly as riot police.

The two branding lessons that you can take away from them are -Be focused and -Be consistent . Without those two, it becomes impossible to distinguish yourself from the masses.

Being focused is important because it defines the message and identity that you’re trying to establish. If you’re trying to show that you’re X, then anything that portrays you as anything other than X is a branding failure. Looking at the riot cops, you can see their aim is to convey the seriousness of their presence. Shields, face masks, horses, boots, and teargas all say,“Don’t mess with me.”

Being consistent is important because without it, your message will never be fully understood. If you’re broadcasting one thing, and people are starting to take hold of that idea, the worst thing you can do is switch things up. If you’re trying to be X then always be X, no matter what. If you’re not consistent in your portrayal of yourself, how are you ever supposed to achieve consistency in the minds of others? Have you ever seen an on-duty riot cop smile or joke around? My guess is no, – “Don’t mess with me.”

Branding is a tricky thing, and there are no guarantees, so we have to do the best we can, and that means putting out a consistent, focused message.