A brand style guide is a supporting document that helps all people on a project with their work. It’s a set of rules and instructions that tells your employees, contractors, and creatives what and how to do the job correctly. Having a brand style guide creates consistency, helps everyone get on the same page, and reduces the risk of errors and confusion.
The brand style guide lays out what goes into the project. It includes information such as the correct fonts, how to use logos, and what language to avoid altogether. Creation of a guide is best done during the planning stages. Assign a point person to the role, but make sure to include everyone on the planning team and get input. The goal is to create a comprehensive document that everyone understands. Employees who are provided with a style guide are able to get up to speed quickly, understand their roles in the project, and are able to create content that adheres to the company ethos.
Giving everyone involved a brand style guide answers many common questions and allows everyone to produce more focused work. Less time is spent on editing when people produce content that’s on target. It gives established employees and fresh contractors a framework from which to work. Using a brand style guide helps get a campaign out to the marketplace on time, on budget, and with the least amount of fuss. Read below to learn more about how a brand style guide benefits your business and what it takes to create one.
