Branding Guidelines: Why You Should Have Them & Features of the Very Best

• Brand guidelines ensure consistent branding for business success and customer loyalty.
• Key branding elements evoke emotions and drive brand loyalty.
• Consistent branding increases recognition and satisfaction, while inconsistency harms reputation and revenue.
• Examples like Slack, Target, Spotify, Lululemon, and Harley-Davidson show the power of consistent branding.

Brand guidelines are a set of standards that businesses follow to maintain a consistent image when presenting themselves to the public. These guidelines usually describe the company’s preferred colors, fonts, design, messaging, mission, voice, and much more. Consistent branding is important as it gives customers a uniform experience when interacting with the business. When talking about brand guidelines, you may also encounter the terms “visual brand elements”, “brand style guide”, “branding stylebook”, or “visual brand guidelines”.

Why are Brand Guidelines Important? A Brief Refresher:

Strong branding guidelines are part of an overall branding strategy framework and essential for any organization looking to create a consistent and recognizable brand identity. These guidelines establish the core elements of a brand and helps designers, marketers, and other stakeholders to ensure that all branding materials align with the brand’s identity.

Key Features of Strong Branding Guidelines & Style Guides

Strong corporate branding guidelines are a vital element for any successful brand’s longevity and growth. When properly established, they offer a clear outline of how the brand is presented to the public, ensuring all brand collateral is consistent, regardless of the platform. In this article, we will explore the most critical features of strong brand guidelines and how they impact the overall perception of the brand.

What are the Top 12 Elements Included in Branding Guidelines?

Did you know that businesses with strong, consistent branding, on average, enjoy revenue increases of 10-20%, even up to 33%? With that in mind, a comprehensive branding stylebook can be an essential tool for any organization. Essential elements included in a branding or style guide can include:

#1 Slack

Slack’s brand emphasizes the company’s focus on simplicity, ease of use, and collaboration. Guidelines for typography, color schemes, and user interface are all outlined in detail and are consistent across all products, marketing materials, and communications.

#2 Target Corporation

Target uses its branding principles to achieve its primary focus on quality, affordability, and style with its unmistakable use of the simple, iconic bullseye and attention-grabbing red and white color scheme.

#3 Spotify

Spotify’s steers its visual and verbal identity efforts toward reflecting personalization, discovery, and immersion in music. Their typography, color schemes, and design promote the brand’s digital feel, using a vibrant green and black theme.

#4 Lululemon Athletica

Lululemon’s established brand standards manual draw from the company’s attention to quality, fitness, and community. All of its visual and story elements cater to its specific target audience. Lululemon’s minimalistic design and modern typography have made them stand out in the activewear space while charging a premium for products.

#5 Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Harley-Davidson’s branding policy accentuates the company’s values of freedom, patriotism, and individualism. Featuring a bold black and orange color scheme and an iconic logo featuring a sweeping eagle and the words “Harley-Davidson Motor Company”, it’s a perennial favorite amongst motorcycle enthusiasts and riders.

Crafting a Brand Toolkit to House Your Branding Guidelines & Visual Identity

Working with a creative agency or branding expert to create a brand toolkit that reflects your brand values, mission, and personality is essential for longevity and creating an emotional bond between you and your customers. The investment will pay off in the long run as you build a strong and lasting relationship with your target audience and move one step closer to achieving your business goals.

If you’re looking for assistance to establish a strong branding guide for your business, our BrandDNA workshops can help. BrandDNA is the ultimate guide to help companies develop a clear and cohesive brand identity, aligning your brand with your business objectives, crafting consistent messaging, and increasing brand awareness and loyalty. We take what we find during our exploratory workshops and design a Brand Toolkit that serves as your ready-out-the-box visual identity system. Contact us today for a customized marketing assessment and to learn more about how BrandDNA & Brand Toolkit can help you achieve your branding goals.