Sometimes, people ask us why they should create a set of brand guides in the first place. Taking the time to break down how to use each design component might sound tedious. And that's especially true when you could be getting on with the more fun creative stuff. But having a set of brand guidelines is a great way to introduce your story, and set out the dos and don'ts for your brand. But it goes even further than that - because if your agencies have a clear understanding of the guidelines, that will save time and money in the long run.
So with that in mind, here's a guide on how to make guides for your brand.
Brand, not bland
Your brand exists in an ever-changing world. To win and grow, brands need to stand out and make a long-lasting impression on people. People rely on their gut to make snap decisions. So the stronger your brand, the more likely the people will consider you. Distinctive brand assets make it easier for people to reach for your brand. We call this "easy to mind, easy to find."
The distinctive factor
To promote being easy to find, all brands should have 3-5 key visual elements that customers can recognise. Just like the Cadbury purple, the IKEA logo, or a strapline like "should've gone to Specsavers." Having clear guidelines makes sure that people use these 3-5 assets consistently across media. Done well, your brand will do the all-important job of looking like itself (not like others.) Creating guides to set expectations around what that looks like is super important.
Consistency is underestimated
Too many brands allow change to happen too often, and consistency is a vital factor in marketing communications. The reason? People don't have much time, space or energy to notice your brand. It'll take months if not years for them to notice that you're "the green one." So you need to show up in a strong, consistent way over time.
But consistency is overrated
Though it's important to have a clear approach to using your distinctive brand assets, it's important not to miss opportunities to play with them too. Avoid your brand guidelines becoming a replacement for common sense. The best brands play with their assets, after they've built them. For example - as you probably know the Heineken bottle is always green. But when the brand did a collaboration with Liverpool Football Club, they turned the famous bottle red. This was a classic example of a brand playing with its assets in a way that people could appreciate.
So what goes in your brand guides then?
First up, decide how extensive you want your brand guides to be. We've seen everything from one to one hundred pages, and everything in-between. You will know what level of detail your business needs. But assuming you're covering a few bases, here's a checklist for what goes in a brand guides.
Brand story - where did your brand come from? What't the back story?
Brand personality/tone - what are the guides for how to write?
Key messaging - some hard and fast examples of key messages.
Advertising types - examples of types of advertising communication types, and key differences.
Distinctive visual assets - this can include a lot of things, including your logo, colours, typography, infographics, photography etc.
Brand in use - How does the brand look in print, online and elsewhere?
Your own brand guidelines will be unique to you. But you can use these ideas to think about what could or should be in there. Or maybe it will give you a few ideas for how to improve or refresh them. And remember that the best brand guidelines are a tool, not a set of rules.
