Wrangling Your Brand Guidelines

One of the first questions we ask when we onboard a new client is, “Can we have a copy of your brand guidelines?” Our goal is always to write copy that is on brand and fits in seamlessly with everything else a company is producing.

However, more times than not, the response is something along the lines of, “Here they are, but they haven’t been updated in a while.” Another common response is, “Welllllll, we don’t exactly have anything documented.” And this isn’t true just of smaller businesses and startups. Plenty of larger companies we’ve worked with don’t truly have their brand guidelines nailed down.

And this isn’t to put our clients on blast. People are busy, and documentation-related tasks often get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list when more pressing tasks arise (read: always).

We’ve helped dozens of brands either create their brand guidelines from scratch, update them after a brand refresh, or maintain them over time. Here are the two approaches you can take.

Document first, then implement

This is common approach for companies who are either doing an intentional brand refresh or just have found that their brand guidelines have gotten outdated as their business has grown or changed. Brands taking this approach assemble a team of internal stakeholders and then often hire an agency (like Lyons Creative!) to facilitate the process. We use a branding workshop and a variety of brainstorming exercises to help nail down the most important pieces, then we refine with smaller group of core brand leads until everything is in place. Then, the new brand guidelines are rolled out and used for all content from that date forward.

Build as you go

Alternatively, you can document your brand guidelines as you go—a “build the plane as you fly it” type of approach. This can appeal to fast-moving brands without the time or budget to go through a full brand refresh. In this approach, a single person becomes the owner of a shared brand guidelines document. It’s their responsibility to update the brand guidelines as things come up. For example, you might realize you’re using a different headline style on your website vs. your blog. Decide on one style, document in the guidelines, and then make the fixes in real time. Or, you may realize that in some places, you’re using the word “customers” and in others you’re using “clients.” Pick a path forward, document, then change wherever necessary.

A word on what to include

It’s also unfortunately common that brands have a style guide or brand guide that include design guidelines (logo usage, fonts, brand colors) but nothing about copy guidelines. Here are the must-have items for your brand guidelines, whether you’re starting from scratch or refreshing what you already have:

·      Mission and vision

·      Core values and/or brand pillars

·      Brand promise

·      Audience/personas

·      Voice and tone (what does your brand sound like?)

·      Glossary/terminology (what words to use and avoid)

Solid brand guidelines are vital to a consistent brand experience. Not sure where to start? Here at Lyons Creative, we love a good brand guidelines project. Reach out today and we can help you make a plan—then make it happen.