October 2024


We have seen many firms pay good money for underwhelming branding outcomes.

Brands can go off-track for several reasons. Our favourites are ‘engaging a friend’s cousin to develop a logo’ and ‘DIY website builds that steer the visual brand expression’ … the tail wagging the dog.

These firms inevitably end up in front of a branding expert, seeking help to align their brand with the emotional and visual resonance, required by their audience.

So, how do you know you’ve paid good money for a bad product?

Two telltale signs:
1. The brand guidelines do not exist, or
2. Your brand guidelines are only a few pages long and lack vital information.

Let’s look at the mandatories of a robust brand guidelines:

• Logos. Yes, plural. A brand should have multiple versions of the logo. Your logo will appear digitally and in print, across portrait and landscape media; you need to have a logo that covers any application, across all media channels.
  
• Logo rules. Minimum sizing, clear space areas and ‘what not to do’ must be communicated.
• Iconography. An icon or digital avatar that serves as your digital fingerprint such as on websites and other digital platforms.
• Visual language. The second-most important brand element to consider after the logo. Visual language is an unspoken visual language system using graphic elements that convey a brand’s personality and tone.
• Tone of voice. This important strategic driver influences more than just written content. Tone of voice conveys a brand’s tone and temperament of how a brand communicates through all channels and executions. Written, motion, and visual aesthetics; all communicate through a desired tone of voice.
• Colour palette. An important emotional driving force of the brand. Well-considered colour psychology will get you the right emotional cut-through with your audience.
• Typography. Fonts are another beautiful way to express tone of voice and drive various emotions and engagement. Whether you are trying to instil strength or beauty, an effective font choice helps achieve these outcomes.
• Images. Imagery is a powerful element of brand expression. The tone and temperament of the images set the scene for emotional connection and engagement.
• Optional: Examples of brand executions; business cards, brochures and merchandise.
• Optional: Motion expectations. If your brand has a heavy digital presence, consider creating a section (or separate landing page) of motion expectations. Motion guidelines convey the pace and tone of a brand’s video and animation outputs.
• Brand values, mission and vision statements. Last but by no means least. The strategic drivers of your brand let others know what you stand for.

A brand guidelines document will inform, enforce, and instruct how to execute the brand.

From web developers to merchandise suppliers, many professionals refer to the brand guidelines over the lifespan of a brand.

If your firm has no brand guidelines or guidelines that don’t cover the above list, it’s time to invest in the structure that holds your brand together to trigger better client engagement.