How can you use your brand guidelines portfolio to communicate your brand values more effectively?

Consistency is the cornerstone of brand success. A well-structured brand guidelines portfolio not only ensures uniformity across touchpoints but also empowers teams and partners to authentically represent the brand. It's a pivotal asset for maintaining brand integrity and fostering trust among customers and stakeholders.

Brand Guidelines Are Step 0 of 0. Even once you've got the guidelines ready you're still at the start line. Most organisations fail not at the guideline level (any half decent agency can do that bit) but, at the implementation and enforcement level. Brand has to be sacrosanct. It has to be defined as clearly as possible and enforced across touch points big and small. Your guideline should not only be a ready reckoner on what colours/fonts/time to use but it must also explain and illustrate visually "how" someone can execute it. My personal take is that no brands guidelines are better than a poorly slapped together BGD. Take your time with the guidelines and make them collaboratively with the teams that have boots on the field.

I believe, a company should always ensure that their employees are well-versed in the brand guidelines. They play a crucial role in embodying and communicating your brand values to customers and stakeholders. Continuously gathering feedback from customers and stakeholders to assess how effectively brand guidelines are communicating the values. Companies should be open to refining them as needed. Another way is to regularly engage with customers in a way that reflects brand’s values. Companies often miss out in responding to inquiries and feedback with empathy and respect, aligning with the brand's character.

In my experience, a comprehensive brand guidelines portfolio should include the following key elements: Brand Identity: Logo: Clear guidelines on logo usage, variations, sizes, and minimum spacing. Color Palette: A defined color scheme with specifications for print and digital media. Typography: Guidance on typefaces, font sizes, and usage for headers and body text. Visual Elements: Imagery: Examples of approved imagery styles, photography guidelines, and image sources. Graphic Elements: If applicable, rules for the use of icons, illustrations, or patterns. Brand Messaging: Tone of Voice: Description of your brand's personality and guidelines for language and communication style for digital and print.

A brand guidelines portfolio is a powerful tool for effective brand communication. Here are tips: Share Your Brand Story: Use it to convey your brand's uniqueness and core values in an informative and engaging manner. Display Brand Personality: Showcase your brand's tone, voice, and visual style to convey its personality. Emphasize Brand Values: Highlight your brand's core values and demonstrate how they're integrated into everything you do. Real-world Examples: Include practical instances of your brand guidelines in action across various media and contexts. Ensure Accessibility: Make the portfolio easily accessible to team members and collaborators via your intranet or website.

The best way to communicate brand guidelines is to translate them into a story. Focus on a human way of connecting with the audience, interacting with the brand on an emotional level. As Disney's Creative Product Development Manager, I did a monthly presentation, for over 10 years, called "Disneyfying." Aimed primarily at licensee designers, it was an exciting 3-hour journey to learn all the branding guidelines to master how to design great Disney products. Part of the content included knowing the successes and mistakes throughout the Company's history, translated into what should and should not be done with branding and characters when designing products, packaging or graphic communication; It was a very appreciated and effective workshop.

The best way to communicate brand guidelines is to translate them into a story. Focus on a human way of connecting with the audience, interacting with the brand on an emotional level. As Disney's Creative Product Development Manager, I did a monthly presentation, for over 10 years, called "Disneyfying." Aimed primarily at licensee designers, it was an exciting 3-hour journey to learn all the branding guidelines to master how to design great Disney products. Part of the content included knowing the successes and mistakes throughout the Company's history, translated into what should and should not be done with branding and characters when designing products, packaging or graphic communication; It was a very appreciated and effective workshop.