What Is a Brand Guide? Why You Need One, and How We Can Create One For You

Imagine if McDonald’s “golden arches” had more of an orange hue. Or think of a can of Coke that has a pinkish tint to it.

It’s just not the same, is it?

Our point is, these are well-known brands that have enhanced their reputation by being consistent in how they present their brand through their own brand guidelines.

What is a brand guide? It’s a key to unity. It makes sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the specifics of your design and your company’s message. 

And this isn’t just limited to logos. It includes everything from your font and your tone to your social media presence.

At CAP3 | Proclaim, we recognize that a brand guide is about more than getting noticed; it’s about clarity. It’s only when your strategy is clear that you can move forward with capturing website views and getting customers or patients. You’re not alone. You see, we want to be much more than a vendor. We want to partner with you and work toward your success. We want to give you the freedom to lead. Just contact us to see how we can help you steer the ship.

What Is a Brand Guide?

As we mentioned earlier, a brand guide is a series of guidelines that center around how your business is presented to the public, particularly in any advertisements, social media, print or digital representation.

It enables you to be consistent and ensure a unified message.

What Elements Are Included in a Business Branding Guide?

We’ll review these one at a time. For a closer look, you can review one of our typical brand guides featured in this blog. 

Logo

This not only includes the exact Pantone color and design of your logo, but it also emphasizes ways NOT to use it. By the way, Pantone is short for the Pantone Matching System. It’s a standardized color guide that utilizes certain numbers for various shades and hues. It’s considered the standard across printing, graphic/web design and manufacturing.

Typography

What font do you want to use? While this may seem like a minor detail, it can make or break your brand’s authority. For example, could you imagine an organization like the Cleveland Clinic using a comical or difficult-to-read typeface? It would be inconsistent with their brand and erode integrity.

Name Consistency

How do you want to be addressed? When your name appears in print or online, make sure the name is consistent. For example, do you use “and” or an ampersand (&) in your name? Are there any abbreviations, and if so, when is it appropriate to use them (and refrain from using them)?

The answers are critical for consistency and clarity. 

Color Palette

We touched on this a bit earlier when we mentioned logos. But the color palette extends far beyond that. It may address what color your font should be or what hues should be used in PowerPoint templates. 

Again, consistency = clarity. Clarity = the freedom to lead your company confidently into the future. 

Voice

Are there any terms you want to avoid? Are there phrases that do not reflect your character? You want to avoid these in order to reinforce and protect your brand.

The voice section of a brand guide defines your character and purpose. Therefore, it gives your vision and mission statements consistency that resonates throughout your entire company or medical practice.

Why Does Your Business Need a Brand Style Guide?

While there are many reasons businesses need a brand style guide, they basically boil down to three words:

Clarity and consistency. 

For businesses, a brand guide does more than define your look. It also builds trust with customers and saves your team valuable time. Instead of reconfiguring colors and fonts from scratch, everyone works from the same playbook.

What Are The Advantages of Having a Brand Guide?

Some of the most distinct advantages of having a brand guide include:

• Preventing “brand dilution.” This occurs when there is no standard format for logos, fonts and colors. It waters down your identity. As a result, consumers aren’t exactly sure what to expect when they encounter your brand. Consistency is key to making your brand recognizable in an instant. 
• Building trust. Consumers trust businesses and medical practices that demonstrate consistency. It’s not just clearer, it’s a professional polish that promotes you as an authority. 
• Promoting efficiency. Are you in the process of creating an elevator wrap? Perhaps you want to update your website or run an ad on social media. Instead of having to explain the subtleties of your brand repeatedly, you can merely point your vendor in the direction of your brand guide. It’s a clear, concise and streamlined way to get the job done right the first time. 
• Enhancing your brand identity. When your marketing materials are cohesive, it presents a stronger, more robust message. To draw from our earlier example, could you imagine if Coca-Cola used different fonts on every can? What about different colors? It would be harder to identify your brand in a store. 

We’ve provided an example of a brand guide that we use for CAP3 in this blog. You’ll notice how it specifies the colors and typography to the smallest detail. 

What Is a Brand Guide? Do You Need One? CAP3 | Proclaim Is Ready to Help

Our brand guidelines have enabled us to create award-winning logos for our clients. But much more than a certificate to hang on our wall, these brand guidelines have enabled us to craft strategies that work, capturing more customers or patients for our clients.

We’ve included a graphic of one of our brand guides in this blog. We invite you to examine it closely and determine how it can help you. We’ll be happy to create one for you. Just contact us. We’d love to discuss how we can take your brand to the next level.