You’ve probably heard the term brand standards but may not be sure what that means. So, what are brand standards? Often referred to as brand guidelines or style guides, brand standards are established rules and guidelines that outline how a brand’s visual, verbal, and sometimes experiential elements should be consistently presented across various platforms and communications. These standards ensure a brand maintains a unified and cohesive identity, making it easily recognizable and memorable to its target audience. Brand standards typically include guidelines for:
- Logo Usage: Details about logo variations, sizing, clear space, and proper placement to maintain visual consistency.
- Color Palette: Defined colors and their usage, including primary, secondary, and accent colors, to ensure a consistent and recognizable brand look.
- Typography: Specifications for fonts and font sizes for various types of content, such as headings, body text, and captions.
- Visual Elements: Guidance for using visual elements like icons, patterns, graphics, and imagery that align with the brand’s style.
- Layout and Design: Principles for layout and design elements, including grids, margins, and alignment, to ensure a cohesive visual presentation.
- Photography and Imagery: Guidelines for the types of imagery that align with the brand’s tone and style, ensuring a consistent visual language.
- Voice and Tone: Recommendations for the brand’s writing style, tone, and messaging, ensuring a consistent voice across different communications.
- Messaging and Copywriting: Guidelines for writing headlines, taglines, and other key messaging, maintaining consistency in brand messaging.
- Social Media Guidelines: Direction on presenting the brand on social media platforms, including profile images, cover photos, and post design.
- Stationery and Collateral: Standards for printed materials like business cards, letterheads, and brochures to maintain a consistent brand look.
- Digital Design: Guidelines for digital assets such as website design, email templates, and digital advertisements to ensure a cohesive online presence.
- Experiential Elements: In some cases, guidelines for how customers should experience the brand in physical spaces, events, or interactions.
Why Should You Care About Brand Standards?
So, we’ve answered the question, “What are brand standards?” But exactly why should you care? Brand standards bring everything together. They serve as a reference point for employees, designers, marketers, and partners to ensure that all brand-related materials and communications are aligned with the brand’s identity. (Check out this blog post to learn a bit more about why consistency is so critical.) Yes, a brand standards manual is enormously helpful if you work in a large organization that often outsources work or has team members spread across the globe. But even when you’re a one-person show, establishing and consistently adhering to brand standards helps build trust, recognition, and a strong brand presence in the minds of your audience!
When developing brand standards, you can go all in and build a comprehensive manual covering everything from design to messaging to experiences, or you can bite off smaller chunks at a time—perhaps starting with your standard messaging or tone of voice.
Ready to establish a solid and cohesive brand presence? Let Blue Lotus Creative be your guide. Our expertise in developing tailored brand guidelines will ensure your brand shines consistently and positively.
