Why you need a brand guide
When I started my company, I pretty much made up a logo using Microsoft Word and their jazzy pre-installed fonts. Probs started with something super original like Arial and then was all ooooh Calibri.
Nothing says smart, cool rebel like Calibri. *banging head on desk* I think you get it. My brand look and feel didn’t match my brand vibe and spirit. I needed help. Badly.
Don’t worry, I stopped the madness and got it together. I learned what a handy dandy brand guide was, why I needed one, and how to get started. Whether you’ve never heard of a brand guide or you know you need one but don’t know how to go about it, I'm extending a leafy little olive branch to bring your brand peace and harmony. Grab on. (Dirty martini sold separately.)
First of all, what the heck is a brand guide?
A brand guide - sometimes called a brand style guide or brand guidelines - defines your brand’s identity. It’s basically an instruction manual on how your brand shows up and communicates. It might be in print, it might be digital, doesn’t matter. The important thing is that it conveys the components that make up your identity. Consistently.
Most brand guides include:
Primary and secondary logos
Color palette
Typography
Imagery such as photos, icons, or illustrations
Voice and tone
Why do you need a brand guide?
You need brand guidelines so that your company or personal brand has a consistent identity. Let’s think about it in a human way. Close your eyes. Oh, c’mon, just humor me. Now picture your best friend. You know what they look like, what they sound like. You can use adjectives to describe their identity, their communication. If you ran into them at Dunkin, you’d know exactly how they’d react, what they’d say. If you read a sentence on LinkedIn or saw a photo on Instagram, you’d probably recognize their voice or style even if you blindly scrolled past their handle.
Well when you’re building a company or personal brand, you want the exact same thing. You want your audience to glance at your content and say, “Oh, Stacy has something to say!” If the recognition is instant, you stop their scroll so they can grab their popcorn and connect with your content…. the real goal, right?
Brand guides also create efficiency. You don’t have to debate what font to use on that deliverable. Or which color to use on that new icon. And sure, you may eventually know your brand without the guide, but a new employee or guest blogger or the event you are speaking at or the magazine featuring you or the podcast you are a guest on... won’t.
Having definition and rules for your brand allows multiple people to create content without detouring from the brand’s identity. It also ensures the multiple places that feature you are on point.
How can you get started on a brand guide?
It’s essential to work with a professional designer - someone that understands print and digital materials - to create a lasting, cohesive brand guide. This may be an in-house designer, a design agency, or a freelancer. Remember: Who not how. Unique ability. Find a who with killer skills to complement yours.
As important as it is to work with a professional, it’s important to do your homework and discover and define what you like so that you can articulate the direction you want your brand to take. Whether you know exactly how to describe your brand or you have no idea what you like, my sample brand survey is a great place to get started on your homework.
Are you a CEO or founder looking to develop a personal brand?
