Definition: Brand Guidelines
Brand Guidelines (also called house style guidelines) are the rules that describe how an organisation's house style should be applied. This protocol provides both indications of how the house style could be used and rules about what is and is not permitted. There are various elements and brand assets that are part of the corporate identity, such as the logo, the colours and fonts, but also the tone-of-voice or the type of images and visuals that are used in various expressions and media.
What are Brand Guidelines?
The Brand Guidelines describe how employees, suppliers and stakeholders should apply the corporate identity of their organisation internally and externally. The guidelines are often described in a (digital) document or on the intranet with examples, also called a Brand Guide or house style manual. The corporate identity manual gives instructions on how the corporate identity should be used, but also determines what is and is not permitted.
An example of a section that is described in the Brand Guide is the explanation of the use of the logo in various communications. Often it is indicated that a logo may not be distorted or rotated and that the colours must be the same in every communication. In addition to the logo, the font or the type of images used, for example, are also determined. Establishing these guidelines and monitoring their use is often the responsibility of the organisation's marketing department or brand manager, or is outsourced to an external agency.
Brand Guidelines and Brand Consistency
The aim of Brand Guidelines is that the corporate identity is used as it was intended to be used, which results in a consistent and well-kept appearance to the outside world. This consistent image is also called brand consistency. Brand consistency contributes to the recognition of the brand among (future) customers. It also creates trust and strengthens the relationship with your customer and your employees. In other words: the consistent application of the Brand Guidelines strengthens the value of your brand.
All your brand guidelines in one online house style manual?
In order to efficiently manage, communicate and share all your Brand Guidelines, it is imperative that this information is stored in one central location and that the most up-to-date versions of all brand assets are instantly available. The Comrads Brand Portal module is an interactive and cloud-based Brand Guidelines solution, in which all current brand guidelines and files are brought together, both visually and textually. In this way, corporate identity guidelines can easily be retrieved and shared with colleagues, stakeholders and (external) partners.
Protecting your brand guidelines with Digital Asset Management
Brand managers and marketing teams can secure their Brand Guidelines by using Brand Management software. Through a Brand Portal, employees, offices, suppliers and partners always have access to the latest corporate identity guidelines, instructions and examples. Directly integrated with a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, one has one central location to store, share and manage all brand elements, media and digital assets. The brand manager can easily determine who has access to which content and brand assets and monitor what they are used for. This way, your brand assets are protected and brand consistency can be guaranteed.
More information
There are many different Brand Management systems and DAM providers. Therefore, please take a look at our DAM benchmark to compare solutions based on your functional requirements. Download the comparison guide without any obligation.