What are Brand Guidelines?

When looking at branding most business owners have a difficult time looking past just the logo, but branding consists of so much more than that and brand guideline help keep your business on track in terms of its visual communication. Often referred to as style guides, brand guidelines can be in the form of a webpage on your site, a digital book or a printed book, even better, all three. Making the brand guidelines as accessible as possible will make you and your employees more likely to use them.

Brand guidelines should address at a minimum the following elements:

1. Typography
2. Logo Usage
3. Colors
4. Photography/Imagery
5. Tone of Voice

Each of these categories in your guideline may take some time to cultivate rules and standards but they are worth the effort. Having a set brand standard will only propel your business further, and give you the confidence to pursue visual opportunities.

A simplified example of Boulden Creatives’ Brand Guidelines

Why Do I Need Brand Guidelines?

They define your visual brand

If you’ve never cultivated a standard for your brand, answering these questions will help you assess other areas of your brand as well, and ensure you’re targeting your preferred market. Once a standard is created and those changes are implemented, you’ll instantly see a stronger more consistent brand throughout your company.

You’ll save time using your guidelines

Answering these questions once before they are needed by vendors, partners, employees and the media 3 different times a week will cut back on unnecessary time back and forth between you and those resources you use. If these standards aren’t set in place and decisions have to be made uniquely for each usage of your brand’s colors and logos you’ll spend unnecessary brain power on small decisions that could be better spent on your next hire or a client project.

New assets will be easier to product

Wanting to get a quick set of t-shirts made up for the 5k race that your company is encouraged to participate in? Refer to your brand standards where you already have a recommended t-shirt color and links to your logos in the files that the screen printer will be asking for. Send along your brand standard pdf for reference along with your order to ensure they represent your business well. A byproduct of creating brand standards will naturally be the creation and organization of all necessary logo files if they are not already created and accessible. An organized folder of assets for your brand lends itself to a successful and strong brand.

A brand guideline is already on your to-do list

Let’s be honest, you already know that a brand standard would be another thing off your to-do list and you recognize the importance of it. Just get this project started and under your belt. You’ll feel productive and proud of the small investment you’ve made back into your business.

If you have a brand that needs some refining and standards created, get in touch. I’d be happy to help your business function with strength and consistency.