One of the big benefits of working with a professional designer – apart from getting a well-designed brand identity – is that you’ll get advice on how to be consistent with your branding.
Your designer should give you an easy to follow style guide that will cover all the main elements of your brand identity (logo, colours and typography) as well as specific instructions for common usage of your brand such as stationery and signage.
Think of the style guide as your rule book for protecting the quality of your brand. Throwing out the rule book can hurt your professional image, as inconsistent branding suggests to your customers that you’re also inconsistent in other areas of your business, such as customer service.
Want to discover more about how brand style guides work? Check out these style guide examples from some of the biggest companies in the world:
NB: Your own style guide probably doesn’t have to be so complex, but this will give you an idea of how other companies make the most of their style guide and brand identity.
Apple – http://images.apple.com/legal/certification/docs/logo_guidelines.pdf
Heineken – http://identity.heinekeninternational.com/home.aspx
MasterCard – http://www.mastercardbrandcenter.com/us/index.shtml
Penguin Books Australia – http://www.penguin.com.au/logo-guidelines
Skype – http://issuu.com/bondo/docs/skype_brand_book_-_look
Expert Tip:
“Day-to-day, a business owner has a million things to do. It’s hard for them to find the time to think about how to present the business visually.
Modern society is information rich and time poor. Hence, consumers make snap judgments based on how a product is presented. Whether a product is something they want to buy, wear, eat or use, an opinion is formed by how the product is visually presented and from the little bit of copy they can absorb while browsing.
If the message isn’t consistent, then the product is assumed to not be consistent. A style guide helps set the rules for consistent quality design. It ensures that the same look, feel and message are portrayed across your marketing.
You don’t want a consumer asking, ‘Why does it look this way? Why is this one a different colour? Why is the logo sideways here or upright over there?’ Consistent design encourages trust in your product.”
AJ Hightower, Owner, Kwik Kopy, Geebung QLD
For more information about building your brand equity and goodwill with consistent application throughout your communications download our free ebook on branding.
To speak to a designer about creating a style guide for your business contact your local Kwik Kopy team today.
