Brand guidance systems are used to assess a brand’s performance and help it develop a strategy for responding to threats and opportunities. By providing actionable insights, they can help brands increase their ROI and make strategic decisions for sustainable growth. The systems use validated metrics and extensive benchmarks, and they offer expert support.
Creating a Brand Guidance System
A brand guidance system is a shared design space that ensures every aspect of a company’s marketing is consistent. By creating brand guidance systems, everyone in the company can access design guidelines and use them on any project, from marketing campaigns to web design to apps. It also eliminates confusion and introduces best practices in the smallest changes.
Creating a Brand Style Guide
In creating a brand style guide, there are many components to consider. These components include the brand’s mission, vision, target audience, personality, core values, and the language it wants to communicate with its audience. The elements of a brand style guide should communicate these elements through design and are important for creating a cohesive brand identity.
The brand style guide should help deliver a consistent brand experience for consumers and business partners. It helps build brand trust and credibility by creating a unified brand experience.
Brand consistency is essential for both marketing and sales. Customers do not appreciate mixed signals, so brands must be consistent in all their internal and external communication. A brand style guide system outlines the company’s brand identity guidelines and informs every department, employee, or vendor about the guidelines for using the brand’s identity. It should not be a one-size-fits-all manual but a resource for the company to reference whenever it needs to.
A brand style guide system should also specify what font families should be used. Generally, brands use one or two primary fonts and one or two complimentary fonts. The fonts should be web-friendly, versatile, and consistent across platforms. The fonts should also be legible and easy to read. In addition to fonts, the brand style guide should also include images. Images create mood and evoke an emotional response. They can also showcase a product.
Developing Brand Identity Guidelines
Brand guidelines are essential for maintaining a consistent brand platform. Brand guidelines can serve as an employee handbook and help ensure that all employees and third-party partners are aligned with the brand guidelines and assets. They can also be invaluable for establishing brand credibility and generating excitement about an updated look.
Brand guidelines should provide a complete strategic overview of the brand and include its values, promises, image, message, and goals. They should also include guidelines for logo design and reproduction. Because logos are a brand’s most important tangible symbol, the guidelines should include both vertical and horizontal versions. They should also detail the sizes and colors that can be used to reproduce the logo.
Brand identity guidelines should be accessible to anyone who produces or uses a company’s brand name. These guidelines should provide clear instructions for the proper use of the brand and ensure that it is correctly used. In addition, a brand identity guide will prevent confusion among consumers and the public. In a world where consumer confusion is the number one brand killer, guidelines will help protect the brand’s integrity and keep its elements consistent.
If you need help with creating brand identity guidelines, consider using free brand style guides. Many of these guides are easily accessible and easy to use. Free templates are also a great way to develop brand guidelines.