Branding is everything. A good brand will connect with customers on an emotional level. It makes them feel good about buying from the brand. As we mentioned in a previous post about your logo, purchasing is an emotional experience for many consumers. They often make purchases based on various feelings and when given the choice between two similar products they will routinely purchase from the company that subconsciously makes them feel good. So how do you go about creating this experience for your customers?
According to Forbes, every brand needs a real style guide. It makes marketing easier and guarantees that a consistent message is being sent to customers and competitors alike. Ideally this guide should provide some flexibility for your marketing team so that they can be creative, however, you want the guide rigid enough to keep your brand easily recognizable. The Style Guide (also commonly referred to as “brand standards”, or “brand book”) is essentially a set of rules that explains how your brand works. Included in these rule, or guidelines, are basic information such as:
- An overview of your brand’s history, vision, personality and key values;
- Brand message or mission statement;
- Logos and how to use them (or not use them) and making them visually pleasing;
- Color palette: finding your primary and secondary palettes with breakdowns for print, screen and web;
- Type style: what kind of fonts are out there and how each font can convey a different message;
- Image/Photography: using these to work with and for your brand; and
- Business Card/Letterhead design: how do the logo and font work on standard company literature.
Here at Visual Impact Promotions, we want you to have the highest quality products to display your brand. Whether it’s a custom logo’d banner you want to stake into the ground or a branded inflatable you want to fly in the sky, we have you covered! Download one of our product templates to get a free mock-up design.