Create a structure for your brand in order to maintain consistency and build brand recognition
Brand guidelines are a set of rules that govern how your brand should be presented. Brand guidelines help to guide designers and other stakeholders on how different elements of your brand should be utilised throughout your marketing collateral. They are the basic principles that define the framework for visual, verbal and written communications and set the foundation for your brand so you can ensure you present a united front when presenting your brand to your target audience.
A strong brand is one that can be easily distinguished from its competitors and makes you stand out from the crowd. Ensuring your brand style is consistent and unique is key to brand recognition by consumers. By achieving this, you can build up strong brand awareness, trust and loyalty from your target audience.
Three important reasons to use brand guidelines are:
Consistency – Brand guidelines help to maintain uniformity of the application of the brand across all marketing collateral, which aids in increased brand awareness.
Recognition – Implementing brand guidelines allows your brand to be immediately recognisable within your industry and to your target audience.
Clarity – Having strong brand guidelines in place means that as time goes on, and your team grows, everyone is aware of how the brand should be presented.
The contents of brand guidelines documents can vary considerably, depending on who you are as a brand, and what industry you’re in. However, typically brand guidelines include:
Your tone of voice is how your brand communicates to your audience in written and verbal communications. It should encapsulate your brand personality whether it’s used on your website, social media platforms, blog posts, printed materials and more.
Your tone of voice will depend on your overall brand guidelines, and who it is you are speaking to i.e who your target audience is. The key to developing the right tone of voice is to have a strong grasp of the personality you want to convey for your brand. For example, if you want to come across as straight-talking, or alternatively if you want to be seen as chatty and approachable, these would constitute very different tones of voice.
Getting your brand guidelines right can be tricky, but it is a task that will serve your brand for years to come. Whether you’re creating your guidelines from scratch or wanting to give your brand a bit of a revamp, our team here at Volume Marketing can help develop and produce brand guidelines that ensure your brand delivers the right message to your target audience at all times.
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