What are Brand Guidelines?

Top Brands today can easily be identified. But what makes them easily recognizable? The answer often lies in their brand guidelines document. 

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This article will explore these brand guidelines. It will also give you an insight into how your brand style guide should look and sound. This way, you would be able to successfully create a brand identity that is consistent and clear.

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Understanding the Importance of Brand Guidelines

You might wonder, “Why are brand guidelines so important?” To answer this question, let’s say that you tell someone about a company’s branding. Usually, you would start by probably describing its logo to them. 

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You’ll want them to know the colors or the way it looks. These details will help them quickly identify what brand you’re describing. 

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Now, what if that brand suddenly decides to change its colors, logo, or brand voice? Won’t it be? That’s basically why you need to create brand guidelines. 

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Your brand style guide ensures that it will always look and feel the same no matter where or how you see the brand. Consistency is the key to building trust and brand recognition among customers.

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When a brand is consistent, people can easily identify it whether they see it on a billboard, a website, or the product itself.  

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Consistent branding help will help you create a strong, lasting impression in people’s minds. Over time, it will lead to customer loyalty because they will trust that brand. Most people are drawn to consistent brand assets. 

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Key Elements of Effective Brand Guidelines

You should create brand guidelines that set clear rules and standards. It should determine how the brand should be represented.

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Also, what exactly should these brand style guides include? Here are the important ones:

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Logo Usage:

The company logo is one of the most important parts of a brand’s identity. It is one area in which you should channel your marketing efforts. So, your brand guidelines should clearly show how the logo should be used. 

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It should include the size, placement, and spacing around the logo. Also, there has to be an indication of where it should not be used. 

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For example, create brand guidelines that specify that the logo should never be stretched. Also, it shouldn't be distorted or placed in specific background colors that make it hard to see.

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Color Palette:

Apart from your logo guidelines, you should consider your color palette. Every brand uses a specific set of colors. These colors help create a visual identity that people recognize. 

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The guidelines should list the exact colors and how they should be used. It may even include primary colors (the brand's main colors) and secondary colors (used for accents or backgrounds). 

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So it’s important to use the right colors in the right way. It will help keep the brand look consistent across different platforms.

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Typography

Typography refers to the fonts and typefaces a brand uses in its communications. Brand guidelines should specify which fonts will be used for headlines, body text, and any other text. 

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This ensures that all written content looks uniform and professional, whether on a website, a brochure, or a social media post.

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Tone of Voice

Brand voice is how your identity speaks to your audience. Is the brand friendly or formal? 

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The guidelines should describe the brand’s voice and provide examples of how to use it in different situations. 

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Also, it will help to maintain a consistent tone in all communications. This way, it can be easier for the audience to relate to the brand.

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Imagery and Photography

The images a brand uses also play a big role in its identity. As such, your marketing strategy must be to have great imagery. Brand guidelines should provide direction on the types of images used. 

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For example, should the photos be bright and colorful or more muted and serious? This helps ensure that all visual content aligns with the brand's overall look and feel.

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Brand Story

The brand story is the narrative behind your brand’s personality. It tells people why your brand exists and what it stands for. So, you should include a great brand story in your guidelines. 

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It will allow everyone who works with the brand to understand its mission and values. So, when the brand story is clear, it’s easier to communicate it to the audience. They will be able to resonate with it.

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How to Create Comprehensive Brand Guidelines

Creating consistent brand identity guidelines might seem like a big task. However, it’s important because it allows for a strong, consistent brand. 

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Here’s a simple brand style guide to help you create effective branding guidelines:

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1.  Start with Research: Before you create your guidelines, take time to understand your brand’s identity. What are your brand values you stand on? Who is your target audience? 

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What makes your brand different from others? This research will help you create guidelines that truly reflect your brand.

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2.  Define Your Key Elements: Once you understand your brand, start defining the key elements we discussed earlier – logo usage, color palette, typography, brand tone, imagery, and brand story. 

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Be as detailed as possible so there's no confusion about how each element should be used.

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3. Create Visual Examples: It’s one thing to describe how the logo should be used, but it’s even better to show it. Include visual examples in your brand guidelines to demonstrate the correct (and incorrect) ways to use each element. This makes the guidelines easier to understand and follow.

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4.  Make the Guidelines Accessible: Your brand guidelines should be easy for everyone to access. It doesn’t matter whether they’re employees, designers, or marketing partners. 

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Consider creating marketing material that includes printed and digital versions. This way, people can refer to the guidelines whenever they need them.

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5.  Review and Update Regularly: Brands evolve over time, and so should their guidelines. Set a schedule to review and update your brand guidelines regularly, ensuring they stay relevant and reflect any changes in your brand’s identity or market position.

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Brand Guide Examples and Best Practices

Seeing how other brands use their branding guidelines can inspire and help you understand what works best. Here are some brand guidelines examples that you can emulate:

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1: Rondo Energy

Rondo Energy is a company that focuses on decarbonizing industrial heat through thermal storage technology. Their brand guidelines reflect innovation and efficiency. The logo usage is precise, ensuring the symbol of clean, renewable energy is consistently displayed across platforms. Their color palette is dominated by cool tones, and subtle orange accents reflect energy and warmth.

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Typography in Rondo's guidelines balances modern and industrial aesthetics, using clean, bold fonts for headers and easy-to-read body text, ensuring a polished yet accessible feel. The tone of voice is technical yet forward-looking, communicating complex solutions in a way that’s both professional and optimistic about a low-carbon future.

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2: Watershed

Watershed, a leading platform for carbon footprint management, has brand guidelines that convey clarity, transparency, and action. Their logo features simple, geometric shapes that represent the flow of carbon data, and the usage guidelines ensure that it maintains its minimalist integrity across digital and print platforms.

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Their color palette uses soft greens and blues, symbolizing both the environmental focus and the platform’s transparency in carbon accounting. The typography is sleek and modern, reinforcing the cutting-edge nature of their software, with a strong focus on readability to simplify the complex data it manages. Watershed’s tone of voice is authoritative yet approachable, striking the balance needed when dealing with both tech-savvy businesses and environmentally-conscious partners.

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3: Redwood Materials

Redwood Materials, a company that focuses on recycling lithium-ion batteries, has guidelines that underscore both innovation and sustainability. Their logo usage is sleek and forward-thinking, and the guidelines ensure that its high-tech feel is maintained in both digital and physical formats.

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Their color palette combines industrial gray tones with vibrant greens, representing both the tech-heavy nature of their work and their mission of environmental regeneration. Typography is modern and technical, aligning with their high-tech recycling processes. Their tone of voice is pragmatic and knowledgeable, focused on educating partners and clients about the importance of closed-loop recycling in the clean energy transition.

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4: Salesforce Sustainability Cloud

Salesforce Sustainability Cloud As a major player in SaaS, Salesforce has developed specialized branding for its Sustainability Cloud, a tool that helps businesses track and reduce their carbon footprint. Their brand guidelines prioritize clear messaging around sustainability metrics, using data visualization and an approachable tone to make complex information easy to digest.

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The emphasis on transparency and innovation is critical to their brand story, which positions them as a leader in climate action for businesses. Their branding ensures that all visual and written content conveys their dedication to driving meaningful change in environmental sustainability.

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Final thoughts 

Brand guidelines are essential tools that help maintain consistency in how a brand is presented to the world. They ensure that every aspect of the brand, from the logo to the tone of voice, is used correctly and consistently. 

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This makes the brand easily recognizable and helps build customer trust and loyalty.

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Remember, your brand guidelines are not just rules – they're the foundation of your brand's identity. Take the time to create them thoughtfully; they will serve as a valuable tool for maintaining your brand's integrity and relevance over time. You should work with a reliable branding agency like Bolder to help you comply with brand guidelines. We use smart strategies, and creative visuals to make sure your brand gets noticed.

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