I learned most of what I know about really big company branding. Working in a corporate environment with Fortune 100 companies gave me an edge in my industry. As a graphic designer, I was an integral member of the team when they were recruiting, merging, or introducing new services to the brand. As a result, he was “in the cutting room” for many of the decisions that affect the company globally. Even many high-level executives did not have this privilege (I suppose they were too busy or thought it was best left to the professionals). I knew it was an honor and I paid attention.
With each new brand, the most critical implementation component was the brand’s style guide. It is a document that guides each and every employee, and all service providers, through the proper use of the brand logo, color scheme, associations and communication. In all cases, before the brand was presented to the public, each manager had a copy of the brand guidelines that they then distributed to their staff.
Without brand guidelines, your brand seems cluttered and disjointed in the marketplace. I have seen many companies slow down their growth by not spending time on this important asset. It’s a basic business tool if you’re marketing or advertising, whether it’s online, in print, or in person. Here’s what needs to be included and why (type this or print it, it will become your index):
1) Your core values. Brand values are adjectives we use to describe what we believe in and how we think our business should work. By developing your brand values, you differentiate yourself from the competition in the minds of your customers and staff. These values will set the tone for who you serve, why you are chosen, and why you keep them. As a small business, many of your customers will choose you based on these values and not because you are the best in the business (that ranking is based on opinion). For example, Brand Excitement’s core values are support, integrity, leadership, and excellence.
2) Color palette and use. Your colors are a form of non-verbal communication with symbolism and meanings that go beyond ink and screen. It is best to choose 2-3, although I have seen that some brands do well with four. You’ll want to include the color definitions for each color you choose: RGB, CMYK, Pantone, and Hex. Your designer will know exactly what they are. This allows you to make your materials look consistent no matter where you print them and no matter the size.
3) Typography. This can be represented in two ways: your logo and / or the text of your documents. If you choose a font that is not a common library item, you cannot control how that font will display on the web, but you can control how your font is displayed on most printed and electronic documents. Having a consistent treatment for your documents provides a consistent experience.
4) Logo. Most people think that the logo is the brand, but as you know, it is only one of the components. You need extensive usage guidelines for your logo, such as how it should be used in a joint venture or co-branded document or presentation, how it should be displayed when using photos, how to fit it with a colored background and white. space around you, to name a few. As your brand grows, definitions become increasingly important to consistently communicate across many mediums.
5) Unapproved formats. As important as it is to define how the logo should be used, this section is critical to describing how the logo should NOT be used. You can choose to put treatments like drop shadows, rotations, scaling, and tracking in this section.
6) Brand review process. Make it easy for your staff (interns or assistants or partners or friends) to execute your brand by implementing a process for all outgoing materials. Any use of your brand components must be reviewed and approved by yourself or a designated brand manager. This person will consider on a case-by-case basis any request for exceptions to the trademark rules. This ensures that communication is fluid.
As your brand grows, your guidelines will expand. Over time, your guidelines may grow to include the use of signage, details of trade and service marks, slogan principles, use of PowerPoint, and more. As you develop new materials over time, be sure to describe the process in your guidelines so that the next project runs smoothly.