TL:DR Your businesses needs better brand guidelines to build a strong brand identity and connect with your ideal audiences. By investing in market research, developing a clear brand identity, and implementing strong brand guidelines, your business can establish a competitive advantage and build long-lasting relationships with customers thus increasing your revenue and reducing your marketing cost.
What are Brand Guidelines?
Brand guidelines are a set of rules that outline how a company’s brand should be presented to the world. They are a crucial tool for all businesses no matter size. Guidelines ensure consistency in the way your brand is portrayed across all platforms, from website design to social media posts and advertising campaigns. Using your brand correctly improves connection, efficiency & brand loyalty.
Your business needs better brand guidelines
In today’s super-fast and highly competitive business world, having a strong brand identity is more important than ever before. It’s no longer enough to just have a great product or service; your business must also have a strong and recognizable brand identity that resonates with your target audience.
But how?
In order to connect with your ideal audience we need to design a brand identity that resonates with them. We need to understand who the audience is and what they care about: their needs, interests, values and pain points. This requires in-depth market research and competitor analysis.
It’s not all about how you look either …
It’s also about what you say and how you say it. By developing a brand voice and clear messaging that speaks directly to your target audience’s you will be able to engage and connect on a deeper or meaningful level. For example, a brand that targets Gen Z may use a more casual and playful tone of voice, while a brand that targets Boomers may use a more formal and professional tone. This is because Gen Z values sustainability, aesthetics and authentic brands where as Boomers lean more toward affordability, simplicity and health benefits.
How does this affect branding?
Effective branding has a number of benefits, one of the most important being that it can build trust and credibility with your customers. When a brand has a consistent and recognizable identity, customers are more likely to trust it and view it as a reliable source. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and repeat business.
Another benefit of effective branding is that it can help businesses establish a competitive advantage in the marketplace. When a brand has a strong and recognizable identity, it’s more likely to stand out from competitors and attract new customers. This can lead to increased market share and revenue growth.
Here’s an Example:
Think of your brand as a like minded community, you can create cult like loyalty through strong connections. An example of this is the internet going crazy over protecting Selena in the Hailey/Justin drama and everyone running to support Rare Beauty on Selena’s behalf to show their support for an independent women and her loyal fans. When customers identify with a brand and feel a connection to it, they’re more likely to become brand advocates, stand with the brand and recommend the brand to others. This increases word-of-mouth marketing and brand awareness both of which cost almost nothing dollar wise but greatly affect revenue.
However, to achieve these benefits, businesses need to have strong brand guidelines in place. These guidelines ensure that all branding efforts are consistent and aligned with the brand’s overall identity and messaging. This consistency helps to build trust, recognition and establishes a sense of credibility. Think in marketing terms of “Know, Like, Trust.”
To conclude your businesses needs better brand guidelines to build a strong brand identity and connect with your ideal audiences. By investing in market research, developing a clear brand identity, and implementing strong brand guidelines, your business can establish a competitive advantage and build long-lasting relationships with customers thus increasing your revenue and reducing your marketing cost.
In today’s crowded marketplace, effective branding is essential for success, and businesses that invest in their brand identity are more likely to thrive and grow.
If you are ready to step into the most aligned era of your brand then I am here to help you! View my Brand Builder Package for Brand Strategy & Brand Identity
Here’s what is included in Our Strategic Brand Guidelines?
- Logo Usage – How to use, sizing, white space and color variation
- Color Palette – A defined palette that should be used on all brand items
- Typography – Font choices, sizing and usage
- Brand Goals – What do you want your brand to achieve
- Audience Persona – Build client avatar and branded path
- Problems and Solutions – Audience problems and how you solve them
- Competition Analysis – In depth research of your competitors & how you can stand out
- Brand Values – values and personality
- Tone of Voice – Outline of Voice and language that should be used in all communications
- Imagery – Creative direction, stock photography, graphics & illustrations
- Social Media Guidelines – Content pillars, styling guide, templates
