How to Create A Brand Style Guide

Consistency is key when it comes to branding. But, how do you ensure consistency when your company has several departments, agencies, and partners working on producing branded collateral? How can you communicate your brand's requirements fast and efficient as your business grows?

USING A BRAND STYLE GUIDE!

A brand style guide transforms your mission, vision, and values into the design and tells everyone how to communicate your brand. If you are confused about the brand style guide here are five steps to help you out.

What is a Brand Style Guide

As the name suggests the brand style guide demonstrates how an organization presents itself to the target audience through its logo, font, color selection, photography, etc. In other words, it acts as a reference point that helps you to ensure your brand looks, feels, and sounds consistent. A brand style guide is so efficient that some people refer to it as a brand bible.

Leveraging a brand book make sure that your brand message is conveyed the same even when different people are working on customer service, marketing, design, and sales.

Why are Brand Guidelines Important

Your brand identity represents your company’s personality. Your brand identity is how the world will recognise and trust you. Would you trust someone if they keep on changing the way they look and act all the time?

Imagine someone who always wears a dress shirt and trousers. Would you feel comfortable when they suddenly appear one day wearing something totally different and acts different?

It might make you feel uncomfortable because it’s something that you are not used to. A similar logic applies to brands too. Inconsistency almost always confuses and alienates your customers. A style guide will help you prevent it which is why it is considered essential. Additionally, a style guide can help your business communicate consistently across all the teams and channels.

How to Create a Brand Style Guide

Step 1: Gather Brand Guide Inspiration

You would have probably heard the saying – a picture is worth a thousand words. Prepare to build your brand style guide by collecting reference points that feel on-brand. Ask yourself:

·         What do your favorite brands do?

·         What has worked for your brand in the past?

·         What does your team ask repeatedly?

Finding answers to these questions will give you an idea about how your brand should look and feel like. Remember to keep a tab of what ideas you like and don't like.

Step 2: Define the Six Essential Brand Guide Elements

After gathering information, you have to work with a designer to put everything together. Find a designer who can communicate well and make you feel comfortable. A good designer will offer input and ideas that you might not have considered.

Every brand style guide includes six elements. So, once you find the right designer, start working on these.

Element 1: Brand Story

A simple summary that will help people understand more about your company and its products/ services. The five key components of a brand story include mission, vision, audience, values, and personality.

Element 2: Logo Guidelines

This section makes sure that your logo looks exactly how you want it to. It will also help prevent mistakes like altering, stretching, re-aligning, etc. Come up with different versions of your logo and decide when to use which. Keep an eye on the size, colours, and space of your logo.

Element 3: Color Palette

To ensure consistency, it’s essential that you put together a brand palette. Often, brands choose four or fewer main colors. It’s is always a great idea to pick one light colour for backgrounds, and a darker shade for the text.

Element 4: Typography and Font

Another important aspect of designing your brand identity is the font selection. It’s ideal to choose a different font than the one in your logo as it will create a contrast.  Work with a designer to find the right typography scheme and ensure it explains the voice of your brand.

Element 5: Image Guidelines

The imagery section is what will guide your team in the right direction. When it’s your company, you will have a better idea of what photos and illustration work for your brand.

Element 6: Brand Voice

Lastly, your brand voice is strongly affected by your writing style which, in turn, affects the feelings your brand invokes in your target audience. Find a couple of adjectives that describe your brand personality and use it when describing your brand. Remember to use simple words that will easily pass your brand message.

Step 3: A List of Other Brand Collateral Your Guide Should Cover

Dive a bit deeper and consider elements other than the six essential ones. For instance, is your brand digital? Do you sell physical products? Do you want to leverage social media marketing?

Step 4: Make an Outline for Your Guide

Combine your six essential elements along with your business-specific needs and wants to build an outline. Once your outline is ready, decide whether you want your guide to be a digital PDF or a printed file. As this is going to be a working document, you have to make sure that it is easy to find and share across your team.

Step 5: Plan for the Evolution

Your brand style guide is a document that defines your business's personality. Hence, you will have to make sure that you can always update it and adjust the information as your brand evolves. The most important thing you should consider when creating a brand style guide is that you set a solid foundation that you revisit and update periodically.

Your business is more than just the products and services you sell. A strong brand tells the world a story and why people should choose them over their competitors in the market. A brand style guide makes sure that your team stays true to your brand and acts as a reference point for future projects.