The purpose of brand guidelines is to create a distinct and unified presence for your brand

Brand identity are communication components related to your business, product or service. Every brand, from the smallest startup to a corporate giant, need a set of branding guidelines to maintain their identity. This is a toolkit containing specifications on everything that plays a role in the look and feel of your brand. Everything from variations of the logo and how it can be used, to what typefaces, colours, images and tone of voice to use.

It lets everyone know exactly how to present your brand to the world.

There are some brand style guides that are over 100 pages, and some that are as short as one single sheet. Here’s a list of what I think a substantial Brand Identity Guideline document should include:

• Main logo and secondary logos (and what not to do with the logo)
• Brand marks
• Tagline (if you have one)
• Color palette
• Typography and font styling
• Brand patterns / Icons / Illustrations
• Photography direction
• Tone of voice (how your brand ‘speaks’)
• Stationery design
• Social media key visuals
• Templates (for key touchpoints)

Use brand guidelines to ensure that all your brand assets always provide a consistent message that is true to your values.
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The biggest enemy of branding is often when the internal team starts to meddle with the logo. Hence the importantance of including what not to do with your branding elements in your branding guidelines, as well as what to do.

Developing all the necessary brand assets your business needs happens over time. Approved templates ensure that nobody needs to reinvent the wheel every time they create content.

Consistent branding leads to recognition and credibility. Consistency also signals predictability. Customers believe that when they buy a certain brand, it will perform as they expect it to.

Pay careful attention to brand consistency, and you will be rewarded.