Why Every Company Needs a Brand Style Guide

A brand style guide is important for every business - large or small. A style guide is the communication piece between your internal departments and outside vendors. It is your rule book for the dos and don’ts for your brand identity. It ensures consistency. Consistency improves recognition. And recognition inspires loyalty!

Style guides are not just for big companies with familiar names. But a BIG part of what makes them so recognizable is their commitment to brand consistency. Consumers feel like they know a company and have a comfort level, simply based on its familiarity.

Every company’s goal is to gain more customers and increase sales, right? To do that, customers need to gain trust in your brand. Your brand is the face of the company. Your style guide is its voice.

A brand style guide covers everything you want your brand to be and how you want to be seen. It's a user manual that simply explains your brand identity and visual representation.

Brand Identity

What is your company’s purpose? When creating a style guide always start with what makes your company tick. Chances are if you are a small company just starting out you may not know the answers to this list, but that’s ok! Have a fun brainstorming party and see what you come up with. Once you do, it will be helpful when creating the visual representation part of your style guide.

Try to identify the following:

• your company’s mission statement

• your company’s tagline

• your company’s core values

• your company’s tone

• your company’s target audience – create buyer personas for your brand. This will come in handy when creating ads and social media posts too!

Visual Representation

Are you a small business trying to gain more of a following and increase sales? Have you noticed that your logo looks different across social media apps? Or does it print a completely different shade?

At the core of a company’s visual representation is the logo. A style guide sets out the necessary details of how a logo should be utilized, keeping the appearance consistent and recognizable across all marketing materials and collateral. Business cards and letterhead should have the same feel as a digital ad.

All style guides are a set of standards and restrictions that act as a reference sheet for anyone representing your brand. The most basic brand style guide includes guidelines for use of:

1. Logo

• Logo placement

• Acceptable logo usage

• Spacing parameters around logo

• When it should be used vertically or horizontally

• How logo design should look with a tagline and without a tagline

• How it’s used in marketing pieces, on a website, in print, etc.

2. Color Palette – Color can increase brand recognition up to 80%!

• Pantone colors used in logo with correct HEX, CMYK and RGB conversions

• Additional colors acceptable to use across brand – specify if preferred for web or print

• Also list colors that should NEVER be used

3. Typography – Text offers visual recognition that goes beyond just words

• List preferred fonts

• Font names and sizes should be listed for headings, body text, signatures

• Also list fonts that should NEVER be used

4. Imagery and Iconography

• What type of images does your brand use? Are they candid, live photos, illustrations?

• What subjects are in your images?

• List acceptable icons that are both recognizable and work with your logo

• List preferred file sizes and formats for web, social media, and print

The purpose of documenting this information is to create consistency with visual standards and to establish a visual connection between company and consumer.

Style guides may differ depending on company requirements. Check out these links to some great examples for inspiration.

Starbucks

Netflix

Bombay Sapphire

Ben & Jerry’s

Gap

Need help creating a style guide or coming up with the info to put in one?

Email us! We can help you along the way.