You already know what your branding is, and how to keep it consistent, right? It’s pretty obvious, because it’s ‘already there’. Surely anyone can see it, understand it and apply it – so why spend money on documenting it?
Well, because if it’s not clearly set out, with rationale, guidance and clear examples, it’s open to interpretation and distortion. Incrementally, even the slightest misinterpretation (or a ‘that’ll have to do’ shortcut because something’s urgent) waters down your brand’s unique identity.
This becomes more likely as your business grows, and more people become involved in communicating as ‘you’. Without clear information and direction, inconsistencies can creep in, and you miss out on (or undo) some of the recognition and brand affinity you’ve worked so hard to establish.
It’s about much more than a logo and a colour palette
Worthwhile brand guidelines establish the visual style and character that make your business identifiable. They explain how to use your logo, colours, typography, imagery and layouts across formats and channels, alongside the tone of voice and personality you want your communications to convey.
Crucially, these guidelines should reflect not just what your business represents in terms of what you do or provide, but who you are and what it’s actually like to deal with you as people. This is so often overlooked, yet it’s fundamental to good branding. A polished, consistent identity is far more powerful when it reflects true character and hints at the experience people will have beyond securing your goods or services. Relationships are about so much more than transactions.
Clear brand guidelines help you to convey an accurate, compelling and consistent sense of ‘what you’re all about’. This is the first thing potential customers look for, and if you do it well, it’s what they’ll come back to you for and tell other people about. As returning customers, they’ll buy into familiarity and reassurance, knowing they’re dealing with people they understand and trust.
Well thought-out and clearly defined brand guidelines can be really powerful.
Give creativity meaningful direction
The best brand guidelines don’t dictate or stifle creativity. Nor are they intended to make every piece of marketing look the same. Instead, they clearly define the key constants of the brand’s visual and verbal look and feel, on which creative people can build with confidence and relative freedom.
That’s the all-important distinction between guidelines and rules – they encourage creativity within clear parameters that are simply there to protect brand identity rather than enforce it. They support internal or external designers, writers and marketers.
Without that reference, people have to make their own interpretations of your verbal or written brief, or make assumptions based on what they see. This can mean you end up with materials that look and sound as though they come from different businesses. And that’s not good business!
Clear brand guidelines help creative people make better-informed decisions, work more efficiently and develop fresh ideas without losing or distorting the qualities that make your brand distinctive. They also mean you’ll spend far less time identifying and correcting inconsistencies, or reworking what your freelancer did (through no fault of their own).
They make life easier, and make creative work more accountable.
Ultimately, they ensure a more coherent experience for your audience, whenever and wherever they encounter your brand.
Making brands work harder… more easily
At Stylistic, we love creativity. But we see brand guidelines as a practical business toolbox as much as an exercise in design for its own sake. They document the ‘bigger picture’ stuff like the character, reputation and experience behind your business, along with the parameters that ensure consistency and identifiability.
And the way we see it, your guidelines should evolve alongside you. They need to be clear enough to provide direction, but flexible enough to accommodate new ideas and opportunities, and business growth and diversification.
You don’t need a huge document full of rules that hold you back
You just need clear, useful guidance that people can understand and apply, making every investment you make in your brand work that little bit harder, a little more instinctively.
