![\"Get](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.printivity.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/BannerBusinessCards-1024x256.png?resize=1024%2C256&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow do you maintain a\nconsistent brand? By adhering to a carefully crafted brand style guide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is a Brand Style Guide?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Spotify](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.printivity.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/SpotifyBrandGuide.png?fit=696%2C275&ssl=1\")
Source: Spotify Branding Guidelines<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nA brand style guide is a roadmap for your\nbusiness. It establishes a set of rules that define how you want to present\nyour company to the world. It contains many different elements \u2013 from graphic\ndesign to writing style to the tone and voice you use when communicating with customers,\nprospects, employees, financial institutions, and more. The brand style guide defines how each element\nshould be used and ties them all together in a cohesive document that guides\nthe way everyone in the organization interacts with the outside world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guide<\/strong> design elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nFrom a visual standpoint, design is the most important brand style guide element. If your website and print marketing<\/a> collateral don\u2019t follow the same color schemes, font types, and other design elements, it significantly weakens the impact of the content, no matter how strong it may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYour brand style guide should include the\nfollowing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- The approved company logo.<\/strong> Some companies may have variations of their logo for different uses. But they are similar enough that anyone looking at them will know they represent the same brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Graphic brand elements.<\/strong> These include textures, patterns, and other images or symbols used to represent the brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- A core color palette.<\/strong> This identifies which colors to use, how to use them,
and why.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Photo guidelines<\/strong>. These outline the rules for what type of photos may
and may not be used, as well as how to size and position them in printed
materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Typography guidelines.<\/strong> These identify which fonts and sizes should be used
and which are not permissible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nBe sure to include\nexamples of correct and incorrect use of the design elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guide<\/strong> content elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDesign is what first\ncaptures the reader\u2019s attention, although a compelling headline helps. From\nthere, content has the task of telling the brand\u2019s story in a way that moves\nthe reader to the next step in the buying decision process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Content elements should\ninclude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Headlines
and body copy examples.<\/strong>
Headlines typically focus on high-level benefits. Body copy addresses the pain
points of your prospect and how the product or service resolves them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Tone
of voice.<\/strong> Do you want a personal,
one-to-one voice, or a more reserved voice? Should your tone be light or
serious? Do you prefer an educational tone or a more persuasive one? The tone
and voice you select will depend to a large extent on your audience and your
product. No matter what you choose, they should be well-defined.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Grammatical
details.<\/strong> Do you want to use AP
style? Do you want to use the Oxford comma or dispense with it? These days,
grammar isn\u2019t as big an issue for most people. However, as with all other brand style guide elements, the important
thing is to be consistent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Content
no-no\u2019s.<\/strong> What your content
doesn\u2019t say is just as important to your brand as what you do say. For example,
to imply class and integrity, never talk negatively about your competition.
Don\u2019t talk down to readers. Most important, never make promises \u2013 implied or tacit
\u2013 that you can\u2019t deliver on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhy a brand style guide is important<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nHaving a set of brand\nguidelines for everyone in the company to follow benefits your business and the\npeople who buy from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trust in your business<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nFirst and foremost,\nhaving a brand style guide helps\nshow the general public that you operate a professional business that offers a\nreliable solution to the problem(s) they are looking to solve. This goes\nback to the all-important concept of consistency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without brand\nguidelines, your products and services can end up looking very different from\neach other. The same is true for your marketing materials. When everything\nlooks different, it looks like you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing. When customers\ndon\u2019t know what to expect from your brand, they lose trust in it. When they\nlose trust, they start looking for another company they can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having brand guides in place enables your brand to remain consistent. Something as basic as using the same colors <\/a>and fonts on your website and in your print marketing<\/a> materials may sound like a no-brainer. But without brand guidelines, it can be easy to go astray on these and other brand elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\nOrganization <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nFrom a design and\ncontent standpoint, it takes a lot to keep a brand consistent. A brand style guide keeps all the information in\none place so that people don\u2019t have to hunt for it. This is especially\nimportant for the creative people \u2013 the designers, writers, and website\nmanagers who use the guidelines every day. Whether you do all the creative in-house\nor outsource it to an agency, it saves time and money by having one source for\nthe creative people to turn to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guides are not just for the\ncreative folk. Employees also need to know the company\u2019s brand standards.\nThey don\u2019t need to understand every last detail as the creative people do.\nHowever, they should know the basic standards when communicating with anyone\noutside the organization via emails, letters, presentations, and other formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand guidelines should\nhave all the pertinent details, yet should also be easy to understand. If\nemployees struggle to make sense of them, it will be difficult for them to stay\non brand. When an employee deviates from the brand style, the company\u2019s image,\nin the eyes of the customer, will start to wander. Avoid this potential issue\nby keeping your brand style guide clear and easy to understand for all levels\nof employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consistency for your\ntarget market<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nMarketing is the\nactivity of leading prospects through the process of making a decision to buy\nyour product or service. A brand style guide\nkeeps all of your marketing materials consistent, so people can make the right\nchoice about whether or not to do business with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prospective customers\nwant and expect you to lead them through this process in a consistent manner.\nThis means your brochure looks like your website in terms of design, color, and\nuse of fonts. All content needs to be well written and maintain a consistent\ntone of voice. Make sure that your content tells the same story \u2013 or parts of\nthe same story \u2013 in every piece of collateral. When design supports content and\nvice versa, and they work together to present the same message, you know your brand style guide is providing good direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let your brand work for,\nnot against you<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt takes hard work to\ndevelop a brand style guide. It requires\nknowing your customers and why they buy. Start with a clear vision of what you\nwant your brand to represent. Then rely on experts who understand how colors\nimpact the way people perceive things and wordsmiths who can tell your story in\na way your audience needs to hear.\n\nThe rewards far exceed the\ntime and effort. Building a strong, consistent brand, will guarantee that you\nwon\u2019t have to work as hard to attract customers to your business because your\nconsistent brand will do much of it for you.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n![\"Stack](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.printivity.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/PhotoRetouch_SS_pg47_v3-1024x768.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1\")
Shop Saddle Stitch Booklets at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Presentation](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.printivity.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/presentation-folders-pdp.jpg?ssl=1\")
Shop Folders at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.printivity.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Postcards_Transparent.png?ssl=1\")
Shop Postcards at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
A brand style guide is a roadmap for your\nbusiness. It establishes a set of rules that define how you want to present\nyour company to the world. It contains many different elements \u2013 from graphic\ndesign to writing style to the tone and voice you use when communicating with customers,\nprospects, employees, financial institutions, and more. The brand style guide defines how each element\nshould be used and ties them all together in a cohesive document that guides\nthe way everyone in the organization interacts with the outside world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guide<\/strong> design elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nFrom a visual standpoint, design is the most important brand style guide element. If your website and print marketing<\/a> collateral don\u2019t follow the same color schemes, font types, and other design elements, it significantly weakens the impact of the content, no matter how strong it may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYour brand style guide should include the\nfollowing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- The approved company logo.<\/strong> Some companies may have variations of their logo for different uses. But they are similar enough that anyone looking at them will know they represent the same brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Graphic brand elements.<\/strong> These include textures, patterns, and other images or symbols used to represent the brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- A core color palette.<\/strong> This identifies which colors to use, how to use them,
and why.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Photo guidelines<\/strong>. These outline the rules for what type of photos may
and may not be used, as well as how to size and position them in printed
materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Typography guidelines.<\/strong> These identify which fonts and sizes should be used
and which are not permissible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nBe sure to include\nexamples of correct and incorrect use of the design elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guide<\/strong> content elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDesign is what first\ncaptures the reader\u2019s attention, although a compelling headline helps. From\nthere, content has the task of telling the brand\u2019s story in a way that moves\nthe reader to the next step in the buying decision process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Content elements should\ninclude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Headlines
and body copy examples.<\/strong>
Headlines typically focus on high-level benefits. Body copy addresses the pain
points of your prospect and how the product or service resolves them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Tone
of voice.<\/strong> Do you want a personal,
one-to-one voice, or a more reserved voice? Should your tone be light or
serious? Do you prefer an educational tone or a more persuasive one? The tone
and voice you select will depend to a large extent on your audience and your
product. No matter what you choose, they should be well-defined.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Grammatical
details.<\/strong> Do you want to use AP
style? Do you want to use the Oxford comma or dispense with it? These days,
grammar isn\u2019t as big an issue for most people. However, as with all other brand style guide elements, the important
thing is to be consistent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Content
no-no\u2019s.<\/strong> What your content
doesn\u2019t say is just as important to your brand as what you do say. For example,
to imply class and integrity, never talk negatively about your competition.
Don\u2019t talk down to readers. Most important, never make promises \u2013 implied or tacit
\u2013 that you can\u2019t deliver on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhy a brand style guide is important<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nHaving a set of brand\nguidelines for everyone in the company to follow benefits your business and the\npeople who buy from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trust in your business<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nFirst and foremost,\nhaving a brand style guide helps\nshow the general public that you operate a professional business that offers a\nreliable solution to the problem(s) they are looking to solve. This goes\nback to the all-important concept of consistency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without brand\nguidelines, your products and services can end up looking very different from\neach other. The same is true for your marketing materials. When everything\nlooks different, it looks like you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing. When customers\ndon\u2019t know what to expect from your brand, they lose trust in it. When they\nlose trust, they start looking for another company they can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having brand guides in place enables your brand to remain consistent. Something as basic as using the same colors <\/a>and fonts on your website and in your print marketing<\/a> materials may sound like a no-brainer. But without brand guidelines, it can be easy to go astray on these and other brand elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\nOrganization <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nFrom a design and\ncontent standpoint, it takes a lot to keep a brand consistent. A brand style guide keeps all the information in\none place so that people don\u2019t have to hunt for it. This is especially\nimportant for the creative people \u2013 the designers, writers, and website\nmanagers who use the guidelines every day. Whether you do all the creative in-house\nor outsource it to an agency, it saves time and money by having one source for\nthe creative people to turn to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guides are not just for the\ncreative folk. Employees also need to know the company\u2019s brand standards.\nThey don\u2019t need to understand every last detail as the creative people do.\nHowever, they should know the basic standards when communicating with anyone\noutside the organization via emails, letters, presentations, and other formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand guidelines should\nhave all the pertinent details, yet should also be easy to understand. If\nemployees struggle to make sense of them, it will be difficult for them to stay\non brand. When an employee deviates from the brand style, the company\u2019s image,\nin the eyes of the customer, will start to wander. Avoid this potential issue\nby keeping your brand style guide clear and easy to understand for all levels\nof employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consistency for your\ntarget market<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nMarketing is the\nactivity of leading prospects through the process of making a decision to buy\nyour product or service. A brand style guide\nkeeps all of your marketing materials consistent, so people can make the right\nchoice about whether or not to do business with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prospective customers\nwant and expect you to lead them through this process in a consistent manner.\nThis means your brochure looks like your website in terms of design, color, and\nuse of fonts. All content needs to be well written and maintain a consistent\ntone of voice. Make sure that your content tells the same story \u2013 or parts of\nthe same story \u2013 in every piece of collateral. When design supports content and\nvice versa, and they work together to present the same message, you know your brand style guide is providing good direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let your brand work for,\nnot against you<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt takes hard work to\ndevelop a brand style guide. It requires\nknowing your customers and why they buy. Start with a clear vision of what you\nwant your brand to represent. Then rely on experts who understand how colors\nimpact the way people perceive things and wordsmiths who can tell your story in\na way your audience needs to hear.\n\nThe rewards far exceed the\ntime and effort. Building a strong, consistent brand, will guarantee that you\nwon\u2019t have to work as hard to attract customers to your business because your\nconsistent brand will do much of it for you.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nShop Saddle Stitch Booklets at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nShop Folders at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nShop Postcards at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Your brand style guide should include the\nfollowing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- The approved company logo.<\/strong> Some companies may have variations of their logo for different uses. But they are similar enough that anyone looking at them will know they represent the same brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Graphic brand elements.<\/strong> These include textures, patterns, and other images or symbols used to represent the brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- A core color palette.<\/strong> This identifies which colors to use, how to use them,
and why.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Photo guidelines<\/strong>. These outline the rules for what type of photos may
and may not be used, as well as how to size and position them in printed
materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Typography guidelines.<\/strong> These identify which fonts and sizes should be used
and which are not permissible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nBe sure to include\nexamples of correct and incorrect use of the design elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guide<\/strong> content elements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Design is what first\ncaptures the reader\u2019s attention, although a compelling headline helps. From\nthere, content has the task of telling the brand\u2019s story in a way that moves\nthe reader to the next step in the buying decision process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Content elements should\ninclude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Headlines
and body copy examples.<\/strong>
Headlines typically focus on high-level benefits. Body copy addresses the pain
points of your prospect and how the product or service resolves them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Tone
of voice.<\/strong> Do you want a personal,
one-to-one voice, or a more reserved voice? Should your tone be light or
serious? Do you prefer an educational tone or a more persuasive one? The tone
and voice you select will depend to a large extent on your audience and your
product. No matter what you choose, they should be well-defined.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Grammatical
details.<\/strong> Do you want to use AP
style? Do you want to use the Oxford comma or dispense with it? These days,
grammar isn\u2019t as big an issue for most people. However, as with all other brand style guide elements, the important
thing is to be consistent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Content
no-no\u2019s.<\/strong> What your content
doesn\u2019t say is just as important to your brand as what you do say. For example,
to imply class and integrity, never talk negatively about your competition.
Don\u2019t talk down to readers. Most important, never make promises \u2013 implied or tacit
\u2013 that you can\u2019t deliver on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhy a brand style guide is important<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Having a set of brand\nguidelines for everyone in the company to follow benefits your business and the\npeople who buy from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trust in your business<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
First and foremost,\nhaving a brand style guide helps\nshow the general public that you operate a professional business that offers a\nreliable solution to the problem(s) they are looking to solve. This goes\nback to the all-important concept of consistency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without brand\nguidelines, your products and services can end up looking very different from\neach other. The same is true for your marketing materials. When everything\nlooks different, it looks like you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing. When customers\ndon\u2019t know what to expect from your brand, they lose trust in it. When they\nlose trust, they start looking for another company they can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having brand guides in place enables your brand to remain consistent. Something as basic as using the same colors <\/a>and fonts on your website and in your print marketing<\/a> materials may sound like a no-brainer. But without brand guidelines, it can be easy to go astray on these and other brand elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organization <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
From a design and\ncontent standpoint, it takes a lot to keep a brand consistent. A brand style guide keeps all the information in\none place so that people don\u2019t have to hunt for it. This is especially\nimportant for the creative people \u2013 the designers, writers, and website\nmanagers who use the guidelines every day. Whether you do all the creative in-house\nor outsource it to an agency, it saves time and money by having one source for\nthe creative people to turn to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand\nstyle guides are not just for the\ncreative folk. Employees also need to know the company\u2019s brand standards.\nThey don\u2019t need to understand every last detail as the creative people do.\nHowever, they should know the basic standards when communicating with anyone\noutside the organization via emails, letters, presentations, and other formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brand guidelines should\nhave all the pertinent details, yet should also be easy to understand. If\nemployees struggle to make sense of them, it will be difficult for them to stay\non brand. When an employee deviates from the brand style, the company\u2019s image,\nin the eyes of the customer, will start to wander. Avoid this potential issue\nby keeping your brand style guide clear and easy to understand for all levels\nof employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consistency for your\ntarget market<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Marketing is the\nactivity of leading prospects through the process of making a decision to buy\nyour product or service. A brand style guide\nkeeps all of your marketing materials consistent, so people can make the right\nchoice about whether or not to do business with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prospective customers\nwant and expect you to lead them through this process in a consistent manner.\nThis means your brochure looks like your website in terms of design, color, and\nuse of fonts. All content needs to be well written and maintain a consistent\ntone of voice. Make sure that your content tells the same story \u2013 or parts of\nthe same story \u2013 in every piece of collateral. When design supports content and\nvice versa, and they work together to present the same message, you know your brand style guide is providing good direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let your brand work for,\nnot against you<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It takes hard work to\ndevelop a brand style guide. It requires\nknowing your customers and why they buy. Start with a clear vision of what you\nwant your brand to represent. Then rely on experts who understand how colors\nimpact the way people perceive things and wordsmiths who can tell your story in\na way your audience needs to hear.\n\nThe rewards far exceed the\ntime and effort. Building a strong, consistent brand, will guarantee that you\nwon\u2019t have to work as hard to attract customers to your business because your\nconsistent brand will do much of it for you.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n Shop Saddle Stitch Booklets at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Shop Folders at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Shop Postcards at Printivity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
- Content
- Grammatical
- Tone
- Headlines
- Typography guidelines.<\/strong> These identify which fonts and sizes should be used
- Photo guidelines<\/strong>. These outline the rules for what type of photos may
- A core color palette.<\/strong> This identifies which colors to use, how to use them,
- Graphic brand elements.<\/strong> These include textures, patterns, and other images or symbols used to represent the brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n