A brand style guide represents a company or organization to the world and explicates what a brand looks. It is one of the most powerful tools in this digital era. It doesn’t matter on which platform you are promoting your brand or targeting the audience, a brand style assures that your brand looks the same and people can ascertain and communicate with you always in the same way.
Why should we concern about brand style?
Your customer recognizes you through your brand. It’s like your company’s personality. The main key to the brand style is consistency. It helps your business promote in a consistent manner, knocks down all contradiction and communicates in an accustomed way across all media.
How to develop a great brand identity? Things you should focus on.
Market Research & Target Audience
Think simply! How your products solve problems of which types of people. Brainstorm your key ideas and perform deep market research. Targeting the correct audience will help you to realize how you will communicate with them through your brand and make you set up a powerful brand guideline.
Personality:
Make a list of keywords that describe your brand best. What kind of services you are giving? What is your product? Clarify the vision of your brand about where you want your brand to reach after a particular time.
Four Super Important components of a brand style guide
Brand Story
The first thing you should give priority is the story of your brand. A great brand story consists of three different elements such as – your mission and vision and the personality of your brand. Present your brand to your customer through an epitome which will give people an appropriate idea about your company and services. Remember this thing a great brand story can tie up a long term relationship with your customer.
Logo
A logo can speak to your clients as it is a powerful branding asset. Your brand style guide assures how your logo will look and what color should you use in different environments. It also makes sure your logo is scalable and appears proportionate from every angle, although you are using it on your business card or billboard.
Typography
Typography or selecting an appropriate font is a major part of any brand identity development. The best practice is trying out different kinds of fonts in your logo in several environments. While implementing typography in a brand style guide you should consider the following things:
- Typeface
- Alignment
- Hierarchy
Like these another important thing is contrast. It makes text or logo interesting and can help you to integrate your idea and emphasize it. Play with different sizes, typeface, color combination, style, size, spacing, etc. Remember good typography is mandatory as you have to convey your messages through this.
Color
People love colorful things. Also, it depends on the mood and trend. So, a brand’s color palette should maintain the consistency as if people always feel the brand in a same way. You can choose fewer colors or expand the color palette. But you should blend the combination of the color of your logo and typography. It is not necessary that you have to go with the current trend; try out different things as per your audience and category of services.
Along with these four components you should also concern about the imagery and other visual elements while developing an awesome brand identity.
Boom! You are ready.
The brand style guideline is like a business strategy as it changes periodically. Alongside new thoughts, brand story or marketing strategy, it can be changed on your company’s need. So always prepare for the evolution for the betterment and growth of your brand identity.
If you want to create your startup you must give importance to the brand style guideline. On other hand if you are changing your marketing strategy or create a big impact you must give priority to the brand style guideline.
