Every brand and every business has a specific look, feel, and tone of voice, and the most successful businesses have a distinct and recognizable brand that is always consistent. For example, seeing the golden arches of McDonalds or hearing the catchy jingle will immediately bring to mind the Big Mac. Or the way that Apple like everything in their marketing to be clean and stylized, so that even before the iconic Apple logo comes on the screen on their adverts, you can already tell it’s them. No matter the size of your business, you need to have concrete branding and brand guidelines.
Collaboration
When more than one person is working on your design and marketing, it is imperative that they are always on the same page. Putting out something that is off-brand, whether that be in terms of voice, image, or even in the written content, can be really damaging to your brand and can even make your customers lose trust in you. To ensure that your teams are all using the correct, branded digital assets, you should visit this site not only to store your assets effectively but also to be able to communicate your brand consistently with anyone who works with your business files. You are giving your staff all the assets they need, and the guidelines to use them all in one place, to ensure ultimate consistency and clarity for all.
What to include in your brand guidelines
Your brand guidelines should always start with a little bit about your company’s history, vision, and key values. All the work you do, and the brand itself should always be reflecting these things. A mission statement and example of the voice of your brand is also useful.
You will need different versions of your logo, including a wordmark and standard logo, and a black or white version to be used where color isn’t possible, as well as a few different colorways to show what should be used on particular backgrounds. You should also dictate the size and space that should be used around the logo.
Color palettes
You should choose colors that represent your brand and work well together. Include the hex codes or Pantone numbers so that your designers can be 100% sure the color is the right match. Again, explain which should be primary colors and which should only be used for specific tasks. This will keep everything looking clean and uniform.
Font
A font can be incredibly important for setting a tone, so make sure you have set styles for headings, subheadings, and body texts, and then a default font for web use. You should never stray from these fonts.
The idea of a brand guideline document means that there is always a standard expected and no matter who is doing the work, the result will always be consistent with your brand identity which is important to your customers, and potential customers. It’s an important document that should be easily accessible by those who need it.
