What are brand guidelines, and what goes in them?
Brand guidelines are the written rules for how your brand looks and sounds everywhere: which logo to use, which colours, which fonts, what photos look like and how you talk. They exist so that every post, ad and package looks like it came from the same business.
ShoaibUpdated 3 min read
Why do they matter?
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as "any distinctive feature like a name, term, design, or symbol that identifies goods or services." A feature only identifies you if it's used the same way every time. Guidelines are how you protect that. The Interaction Design Foundation describes them as "a set of standards" that keep brand elements consistent across touchpoints.
What goes in them?
The Interaction Design Foundation lists these typical elements:
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Logo usage | Approved versions, minimum size, spacing, what not to do |
| Colour palette | Exact colour codes for screen and print |
| Typography | Fonts, sizes and weights for headings and body text |
| Imagery | Photo style, icons, illustrations |
| Tone of voice | How you sound, with example phrases |
| Examples | The rules applied to real posts, ads and packaging |
What's the minimum a small business needs?
Illustrative starter version, one or two pages:
- Your logo in its main and simplified versions, on light and dark backgrounds
- Two or three colours with their codes
- One or two fonts
- Three example photos that show "our style"
- Five words that describe your tone, plus a few phrases you'd never use
Share it with everyone who makes content for you, including freelancers and agencies.
How do guidelines help ads?
Consistent ads are easier to recognise in a fast feed. But don't let rules kill what works: a raw phone video can still follow your colours and tone. See what makes a good ad creative, what brand identity is and how to design a logo.
Want brand guidelines that turn into consistent posts and ads as part of your digital marketing? See our Creative Production service.