So you have a shiny new logo… now what?
A brand is made up of more than just a logo. Branding includes all of the visual, written, and spoken elements of your business or organization. Brand style guidelines ensure that all of these components are represented consistently and cohesively. Keeping your brand consistent prevents brand dilution that could potentially confuse your audience and reduce the effictiveness of your marketing.
At its core, a style guide defines how your brand appears across all platforms such as e-blasts, websites, social media, advertising, and print collateral.
Your business may have multiple people collaborating on your brand, such as in-house marketing staff or outsourced designers. A style guide will ensure that your brand maintains the same look and feel no matter who is working on it. This will save valuable time and will help your audience enjoy a seamless and recognizable experience of your brand.
Keep in mind that anyone who refers to your guidelines should be able to easily follow and replicate your brand’s original vision. A style guide doesn’t need to be overly complicated. An effective guideline should outline the bare necessities while being concise and informative. Here’s our go-to guideline checklist for creating a new style guide:
6 Core Elements of a Brand Style Guide
Vision Statement
Think of this section as the story of the brand. It outlines the overall mission, core values, and philosophy.
Logo Usage
Specify the do’s and don’ts of how the logo is used. This includes minimum size, white space requirements, and color variations. Any alternate logo layouts or complimentary marks will also be included.
Color Palette
The color palette is an integral aspect of a brand’s recognizability. Ensure colors remain consistent across all platforms by defining the specific values for print (CMYK, Pantone) and digital (RGB, HEX).
Typography
Identify the primary and secondary fonts used for brand collateral. Note which fonts are used for components such as headlines, pull-quotes, and body copy.
Imagery
Include a mood board that visually communicates the brand’s personality. Showcase images that have performed positively in the past. Define any subject matter that should not be included when sourcing imagery.
Voice
A brand’s voice is just as powerful as it’s appearance. Include any taglines, key messages, or essential words. Note 3-5 adjectives that reflect the values of the brand to help focus curated content in the future.
Successful brand guidelines will not limit content creators, but rather provide a flexible structure for them to work within, allowing marketing directors the freedom and confidence to collaborate with a diverse team. At Direct Development, we have served on both sides, both creating brand guidelines and adhering to them. If your business or organization needs to create, evolve or just maintain your brand, we can help.