6 reasons why a brand manual is the stepping stone of any company

?“I can do without one!”, “Why waste time and money on that?”, “I know my company and that’s all I care about”. Does any of those phrases sound even remotely familiar? If you don’t truly grasp why you should invest in a brand manual, here are 6 reasons why you should.

Reason no 1: it comprises the essence of a brand

A brand manual, or an identity manual, acts like a company rulebook. It is a document that comprises the most relevant aspects of a brand, both related to the brand itself and its visual elements, containing a brand’s promise, mission, vision and values, its tone of voice and editorial style. It will also include clear rules on how to use the logo, how to write the tagline, what fonts and colors can be used.?In a brand manual should be found everything that is of importance for a company.

Reason no 2: it helps avoid confusion

Perhaps you think that it just states the obvious. However, what is obvious to you might not be obvious to everybody. And we’re not talking about the outsiders, the public or the clients. It might not be obvious to your own employees and partners. You might think it is, but they might not share your vision. Therefore, by investing in a brand manual you can clear out any misunderstandings.

Let’s say two of your co-workers have to develop, each, a new presentation for two of your clients. What template will they use? What colors will that template have? Where will they place the logo? What about the tagline? What kind of language will they use? Are you confident they will both develop similar presentations? Or will they differ both in terms of content and style?

With a brand manual, all your materials will have the same style and your co-workers won’t have to guess what to use and how to use it. They will simply know it. Therefore, a brand manual can help avoid confusion.

Reason no 3: it sets the brand’s rules

Of course, for those co-workers to be able to create the required presentations, they must know the answers to the above mentioned questions. They must know which elements those materials should contain, how they should be placed, why they should be placed there, why they should use a certain kind of colors and language.

A brand manual contains all the details needed to create all kinds of communication materials, from leaflets and online banners to reports and assessment sheets. It sets the standards and the rules of the brand, the do’s and don’ts. If governments have legislations, companies have brand manuals.

Reason no 4: it guides others

As you probably noticed, the rules set in a brand manual aim to help others create anything that’s brand related. The co-workers will know what that brand stands for, how to transmit its values and how to communicate.

The designers will know how and when to use the visual elements of the brand, how to correctly apply them, on which kind of backgrounds they can use the logo and so forth.

Ultimately, the marketers will know how to develop efficient campaigns that are in tune with the brand’s desired image, what messages to transmit, how to do it and when.

Reason no 5: it saves time

When you have a clear guide of what, how and why to use, you don’t have to spend time thinking about those things. You can focus on doing what needs to be done, knowing that it will fit the brand’s identity.

If those co-workers would have had an official presentation template to work on they would have finished the presentation faster. They wouldn’t have wasted precious time developing a new template that might or might not match the company’s style.

Reason no 6: it maintains the brand’s consistency

Lastly, a brand manual helps maintaining the brand consistency. If all the brand related materials look the same, the brand will be easily recognizable and will be perceived as one with a clear view, one that is trustworthy. And we all know how important it is for the public to believe they can trust a brand!

To conclude, a brand manual isn’t a whim, some fancy piece of paper that looks good, it’s an essential document for any company, a document that comprises the very essence of a brand.

Of course, a brand manual alone can’t ensure the success of your company, for that you need to develop a strong branding strategy and an equally powerful marketing plan, but it does help.

That’s it for now. If you want to have your own brand manual, feel free to contact us anytime!