Many large companies employ a Brand Manager and have strict rules as to how their brand should be represented. To assist them with this process they have Brand Guidelines, which provide clear rules on what is, and what is not acceptable use. Typical areas included in these guides are:
- Logo
- Corporate Colours
- Corporate Fonts
- Use of Straplines
- Graphic Devices
- Associates Logo’s
- Stationery Examples
Most people do not realise the importance of Brand Guidelines, but no matter what the size of the company, there will always be a need to have them in place.
Take for example sporting clubs and organisations; they are represented by staff, sponsors and members, all of whom can have both a positive and a negative influence on the brand. It may be that the junior section of a football club has many parents who are willing to help organise functions and activities, all of which will require promotional material. On the positive side this will increase brand awareness, on the negative side if the use of logo and graphical brand elements are not in-line with brand specifications, e.g. using the wrong font, wrong colours or even trying to change the logo then the impact is lost and the message confused.
Creating brand guidelines for any company or organisation is essential. Remember it takes a long time to build a brand but very little time and effort to damage it.