Brand Standards

Your brand is more than just a logo or a catchy tagline—it’s an experience.

Every time someone interacts with your company, from seeing your website to receiving an email, they’re forming a perception of your brand.

And that perception needs to be consistent. Enter: the brand standards manual, or as it’s sometimes called, brand guidelines.

These are your brand’s rulebook, ensuring that everything stays in line, no matter where or how your brand shows up.

At BrandsThatPunch, we know that consistency is the secret sauce behind strong brands.

A brand standards manual isn’t just some fancy document to file away—it’s your blueprint for creating punchy, impactful, and recognizable branding across the board.

Let’s dive deep into why you need one and how to build it right.

What are Brand Standards Manuals?

Brand standards manuals are the cornerstone of brand consistency. Think of them as the ultimate go-to guide for how your brand is presented visually and verbally.

They’re not just for your design team; these guidelines affect everything from customer service interactions to social media posts.

A good brand standards manual covers everything. It outlines how your logo can and can’t be used, what colours and fonts to use, how to communicate your brand’s voice, and even how to choose photography that aligns with your brand’s look and feel.

But why go through all the effort?

Because, without clear, defined standards, your brand risks inconsistency—and inconsistency can confuse your audience and dilute your brand impact.

Why are they Important?

Here’s the thing.

Consistency builds trust.
Trust builds loyalty.
Loyalty drives sales.

That’s the magic of a well-crafted brand. But if you have different departments using different shades of your brand colours or if your logo looks like it went through a blender on one document and a makeover on another, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Here’s why brand guidelines matter:

Brand Recognition:

Consistency leads to recognition. Over time, customers start to associate your brand’s colors, fonts, and tone with your company. Think about Coca-Cola’s red or Apple’s sleek minimalism—these are instantly recognizable because their brand guidelines are rock solid.

Professionalism:

A scattered, inconsistent brand feels unprofessional. When your assets are uniform across all platforms, it builds credibility.

Unified Message:

Whether it’s an Instagram post, a billboard, or customer support emails, the brand guidelines ensure that the voice and visuals are always aligned with your core values.

Key elements

Creating a punchy brand guidelines manual doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to cover all your bases. Here’s what every strong manual should include:

1. Logo Usage

Your logo is the face of your brand, and it’s crucial that it’s always used correctly. The logo section of your brand standards manual should cover:

Proper Use

Show clear examples of how your logo should appear on different backgrounds, what spacing to use, and acceptable color variations.

Improper Use:

Equally important, outline what not to do. Include examples of distorted, cropped, or incorrectly colored logos.

A consistent logo is the first step to creating a recognizable brand, so make sure there’s no room for interpretation here.

2. Typography

Fonts aren’t just about legibility—they’re an extension of your brand’s personality.

The typeface you choose should evoke the emotions and tone that match your brand identity.

Primary Fonts:

List the main fonts used for headlines, body copy, and any other specific purposes.

Font Pairing Guidelines:

Explain how to pair fonts together and in which contexts to use them (e.g., digital vs. print).

Legibility:

Make sure your fonts are always readable across all platforms, from large billboards to mobile screens.

3. Color Palette

Colors are powerful—they convey mood and trigger emotional responses.

Think about the calmness of blue or the urgency of red. Your brand’s color palette should be defined with precision:

Primary Colors:

The core colors that represent your brand.

Secondary Colors:

Additional colors that complement your primary palette and can be used for accents.

Color Codes:

Include RGB, CMYK, and HEX codes to ensure consistency across digital and print media.

4. Imagery and Photography Style

Your visuals should evoke the right emotions and reinforce your brand identity. This section of your brand guidelines should cover:

Photography Style

Define the tone and feel of the images you use. Are they bright and energetic or muted and minimal?

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Do’s and Don’ts:

Include clear examples of what fits with your brand’s style and what doesn’t.

5. Tone of Voice

Your brand’s voice is how you speak to your audience. Are you formal and authoritative, or playful and conversational?

Tone of voice ensures that your communication is consistent across all channels.

Key Characteristics:

List the defining qualities of your brand’s voice. Is it friendly? Expert? Inspirational?

Examples of Messaging:

Provide clear examples of how to phrase key messages, as well as how not to communicate.

6. Brand Applications

Brand guidelines should include practical examples of how the brand is applied in real-world scenarios. This could include:

Business Cards, Stationery, and Email Signatures:

Ensure all internal communications are on brand.

Social Media Assets:

Define how your logo, fonts, and colors should be used in social media content.

Merchandise and Swag:

Even branded merchandise needs to follow the rules—whether it’s a branded water bottle or a T-shirt.

Who Needs a Brand Standards Manual?

The short answer? Everyone.

Whether you’re a global enterprise or a small business, brand guidelines are critical to maintaining consistency and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Here’s who should be using them:

Internal Teams:

Your marketing, sales, and design teams should all follow brand guidelines religiously. Every piece of content they create needs to be in line with your brand’s identity.

External Partners:

Freelancers, agencies, and vendors who work with your brand need to understand how to represent you. Brand guidelines ensure that your external partners don’t go rogue with their interpretations of your brand.

New Hires:

Brand standards are especially useful for onboarding. They give new employees a crash course on how the brand should be presented.

How to Create one?

Now that you know why brand guidelines are essential, let’s talk about how to create them. The goal is to keep it simple, clear, and usable.

1. Start with Your Core Brand Identity

Nail down the basics: your logo, fonts, and colors should all be grounded in your core brand values.

2. Be Clear and Precise

Don’t leave room for guesswork. Spell out exactly what’s acceptable and what’s not, especially when it comes to logo usage and color codes.

3. Use Visual Examples

Show, don’t just tell. Include examples of both correct and incorrect uses for your logo, typography, and imagery.

4. Make It Accessible

Ensure your brand guidelines are easily accessible to everyone who needs them. A well-designed PDF or a web-based version can help keep the guidelines top of mind.

Common Mistakes

Even the best brands make mistakes when creating guidelines. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

1. Being Too Vague

If your guidelines are too general, they leave too much open to interpretation. Be specific about fonts, color codes, and logo placement.

2. Overcomplicating the Rules

While precision is key, don’t make your guidelines so complicated that no one follows them. Aim for clarity and simplicity.

3. Failing to Update the Guidelines

Brands evolve over time, and so should your brand guidelines. Regularly review and update them to reflect any shifts in your brand identity.

Keeping yours updated

Your brand isn’t static, and neither should your brand standards manual be. As your company grows or pivots, make sure you’re revisiting and revising your guidelines. Here’s how:

Set Regular Reviews:

Schedule a review of your brand guidelines every six months or annually to ensure they remain relevant.

Adapt to New Platforms:

As new marketing platforms emerge, update your guidelines to include recommendations for these channels.

Excellent examples

Some of the world’s biggest brands have nailed their guidelines. Let’s take a quick look at how they keep their branding strong:

IBM

IBM’s brand guidelines focus on continuous evolution, ensuring the brand stays fresh and relevant. A unique “What’s New” section keeps users updated on the latest changes, so everyone has access to the most current guidelines. IBM also includes a section on data visualization, which is often overlooked in brand guidelines.

This focus helps teams communicate messages clearly through charts and visuals, an essential part of IBM’s brand identity. Additionally, they offer extensive resources, like downloadable libraries and kits for Sketch and Adobe, enabling designers to apply brand elements effortlessly within their daily tools.

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DevRev

DevRev’s visual identity guidelines make accessing brand assets quick and easy, with a single-click download option for all assets. This is invaluable for busy creatives needing everything in one place. DevRev includes a gallery of in-use examples, allowing teams to see how elements work together to form a cohesive visual identity.

The guidelines are structured with collapsible navigation, letting users jump between sections easily, which ensures brand consistency while saving time.

Starbucks

Starbucks’ brand guidelines start with a powerful introduction to its brand philosophy, connecting users with its mission and vision right from the beginning. Starbucks brings inspiration to life with real-world examples from various campaigns and materials, demonstrating how the brand looks across mediums and contexts.

The guidelines also provide room for limited customization, allowing users to adjust elements like logo colors or font weights within specified boundaries. This approach fosters creativity while ensuring that brand recognition remains intact across all uses.

Brand standards manuals are the backbone of a strong, consistent brand. They’re not just rules—they’re the tools that help your brand thrive.

By ensuring consistency, engaging employees and partners, and staying adaptable as your brand grows, your guidelines will help you deliver a brand that packs a punch, every time.

It’s time to tighten up those guidelines. If your brand is going to stand out, it needs to be seamless, consistent, and unmistakably you.

Ready to make your brand punch? Let’s get those guidelines right