What is a brand guide? A brand guide provides an overview of the company’s identity, mission, values, as well as serves as an instructional guide on how a brand should be represented in all communication touchpoints. This includes logo usage and variations, voice, values, mission, typography, and color guide.
Creating a full brand guide for your company can be a long and costly process, but today’s modern design and marketing resources can offer quick solutions for almost anyone. Taking the time to develop a guide that your entire team can reference will bring you value for many years to come.
Why is a brand guide useful?
A brand guide offers a set of guidelines and brand assets. But even more so, a thoughtfully developed brand guide should help to establish who you are, what you do, and why you do it.
It’s used to create consistency in all of the touchpoints you have with a customer so they have the same experience no matter where they may interact with your brand. We know not every business has the resources for a dedicated brand manager. And that’s okay! Whether your company is large or small there are options you can take to create a brand guide that works for your needs, at any size.
Who uses your brand guide?
Your brand guide is used by your internal team and should be used in all physical and digital solutions, no matter the business size. Some examples include; website development, drafting blog copy, social posts, color choice, typography on printed or digital materials, when selecting visual imagery, merchandise, or wearables, and logo usage on anything. Your brand guide is also used by any external vendors or contractors you work with, ensuring that no matter who is behind the design or copy wheel, all output will feel like it’s coming from the same voice and business.