Brand? What Brand?
Sometimes I could kill for a set of up-to-date brand guidelines. How about you?
I get it, brands evolve from when they were first conceived. You might have switched between a couple of agencies, and during this process, made improvements, (or mistakes), to the original brand intention. Or you’ve adjusted the brand elements to remain current. But just don’t forget to update your brand guidelines. Otherwise, before you know it, your design team and your staff will have different interpretations of how to represent your brand.
Earlier this year, I developed Tone’s brand guidelines. I reviewed the collateral we had produced over the last 5 years, our thinking around how to present the brand, and our history. It was a really valuable exercise to reflect on where we’ve been, in order to help us look to the future.
Like us, it might be time to review or create your brand guidelines. Here are a few questions that could help you decide.
Is it time for a refresh?
A few well considered updates to your brand guidelines can help refresh a brand without the need for a lengthy and expensive re-branding exercise. I’ve found the addition of a few secondary colours to a colour palette can add depth to designs and ensure they feel current. Reviewing typeface choices or creating a graphic device can also breathe new life into an existing brand. A skilled designer will be able to tweak these elements and allow a brand to extend across a range of media with greater ease and consistency.
Is your brand moving faster than your guidelines?
Organisations are creating more content than ever before. To remain relevant, their brands must evolve. Some things work, others don’t.
A good set of brand guidelines will strike a fine balance – giving designers room to be creative, but also empowering your staff to protect its integrity.
If your brand guidelines have not been reviewed in the last 18–24 months, it’s unlikely they’re supporting you effectively across social media, video, digital advertising or EDM.
Is it difficult to know what is “on brand”?
Do simple projects seem a lot harder than they should? Does it always feel like the design is “not quite right”? Do you watch your team constantly go back and forth with your designers? Your brand guidelines should ensure everyone is playing by the same rules – saving you both time and money.
Have you captured your IP?
Do you ever feel like your creative agency knows your brand better than your staff do? If so, I recommend you invest in brand guidelines to capture this valuable IP. Creating a solid set of guidelines puts all this information in one place, safeguarding you against staff movements and changes at the agency.
Is any of this sounding familiar or hitting close to home? Do yourself a favour, stop putting off reviewing your brand guidelines. It could be just what your brand needs.
Vanessa McCarthy is the Director at Tone Studio and specialises in branding and identities. If you found this post helpful we would be grateful if you shared this with a friend or colleague. Thank you.
Brand? What Brand?
Sometimes I could kill for a set of up-to-date brand guidelines. How about you?
I get it, brands evolve from when they were first conceived. You might have switched between a couple of agencies, and during this process, made improvements, (or mistakes), to the original brand intention. Or you’ve adjusted the brand elements to remain current. But just don’t forget to update your brand guidelines. Otherwise, before you know it, your design team and your staff will have different interpretations of how to represent your brand.
Earlier this year, I developed Tone’s brand guidelines. I reviewed the collateral we had produced over the last 5 years, our thinking around how to present the brand, and our history. It was a really valuable exercise to reflect on where we’ve been, in order to help us look to the future.
Like us, it might be time to review or create your brand guidelines. Here are a few questions that could help you decide.
Is it time for a refresh?
A few well considered updates to your brand guidelines can help refresh a brand without the need for a lengthy and expensive re-branding exercise. I’ve found the addition of a few secondary colours to a colour palette can add depth to designs and ensure they feel current. Reviewing typeface choices or creating a graphic device can also breathe new life into an existing brand. A skilled designer will be able to tweak these elements and allow a brand to extend across a range of media with greater ease and consistency.
Is your brand moving faster than your guidelines?
Organisations are creating more content than ever before. To remain relevant, their brands must evolve. Some things work, others don’t.
A good set of brand guidelines will strike a fine balance – giving designers room to be creative, but also empowering your staff to protect its integrity.
If your brand guidelines have not been reviewed in the last 18–24 months, it’s unlikely they’re supporting you effectively across social media, video, digital advertising or EDM.
Is it difficult to know what is “on brand”?
Do simple projects seem a lot harder than they should? Does it always feel like the design is “not quite right”? Do you watch your team constantly go back and forth with your designers? Your brand guidelines should ensure everyone is playing by the same rules – saving you both time and money.
Have you captured your IP?
Do you ever feel like your creative agency knows your brand better than your staff do? If so, I recommend you invest in brand guidelines to capture this valuable IP. Creating a solid set of guidelines puts all this information in one place, safeguarding you against staff movements and changes at the agency.
Is any of this sounding familiar or hitting close to home? Do yourself a favour, stop putting off reviewing your brand guidelines. It could be just what your brand needs.
Vanessa McCarthy is the Director at Tone Studio and specialises in branding and identities. If you found this post helpful we would be grateful if you shared this with a friend or colleague. Thank you.