Branding is the foundation of any business, although a logo is important, a great brand goes above and beyond its logo. Great branding depicts the overall message that a business wants to portray and this can be represented through a variety of different visual elements.
That’s where a brand style guide comes into play…
What is a brand style guide?
A brand style guide is a detailed document that defines your brand identity and how it is represented across digital, print and in-store. Yes, your style guide will probably include your logo, but it goes much deeper than that.
A brand style guide could be a simple one-pager highlighting your brand colour palette, typography, logo variations, graphic elements, and imagery; or it could be a comprehensive booklet outlining all these visual elements, as well as your brand’s voice, target audience, key values, and printing guidelines.
Your style guide provides a voice and identity for your brand and outlines how you would like your brand to be perceived, not only visually, but through meaning and value. Every little detail counts.
Here are some examples of simple brand style guides that we’ve created, outlining the basic visual elements including logos, colour palette, typography, and imagery.
Why do you need a brand style guide?
A brand style guide is essential in establishing your brand identity for many reasons.
Creates consistency
A style guide ensures that your brand remains consistent across all mediums including print, digital, web, and in-store. Cohesion across these aspects is important as it helps to increase brand recognition and implies that your brand is defined and credible. Who doesn’t want their brand to be memorable? For example, the Coca-Cola brand is easily identifiable as their branding has remained consistent, despite slight alterations and improvements, over the years.
For more, read our blog on brand consistency.
Increases efficiency
A distinct style guide allows you to streamline the design methods to create content and material for your brand. Therefore, the process to create content (even for the non-designer) is a lot easier and it can save your business a lot of time in the long run that could be spent on other aspects of the business.
To learn more about creating content and branding on social media, check out our blog.
Communicates professionalism
When your brand is integrated across all aspects of your business, it communicates your message and brand in a professional manner and ensures that your business is taken seriously. A style guide that is implemented effectively demonstrates that your business is polished, accomplished and highlights professionalism at its finest.
Still confused? Take a read of our Baffled by Branding blog post.
