I
n order for our brand story to be successful, it needs to be clearly defined, it must be communicated effectively, and it must be understood and adopted by the company. I've compiled a task list to get you started for you to this effect. Your role in the successful development and deployment of your brand guidelines will be to:
- Research and analyze your company’s needs.
- Assess your current guidelines and strategies if any, remove, adjust or promote components.
- Determine and target the departments and people who will be directly implicated in this process.
- Identify the key players and vendors who will assist in the proposed plan.
- Create a wireframe/table of contents of all necessary pages.
- Segment and assign the necessary tasks based on a proposed timeline.
- Customize aspects of your guidelines/marketing per market if needed (b2b, b2c).
- Detail and document all aspects of design with supporting visuals (logos, typography, imagery, layout, iconography etc.)
- Ensure feedback from personnel and departments who will be using your guidelines.
- Propose and launch a communication plan company-wide.
Consistency in building your brand is key. Without it, you run the risk of diluting your company's message.
THE APPLICATION OF YOUR GUIDELINES
The key to making these guidelines effective is not only to be consistent, but it is also by:
- Sharing the benefits of the implementation of your guidelines to the company and also to your customers. Examples of benefits include the creation of an ease in workflow for employees and it also generates a stronger brand recognition from the outside in.
- Divulging the logic behind your creative strategies and thought-process – explaining the why of every decision you make in terms of content and design.
- Highlighting KPI’s and how they can help contribute to the success of your brand.
- Implicating the brand team during the conception and strategic stage of the development of all marketing initiatives and projects.
- Establishing a strict and obligatory approval process and implementing it company-wide.
- Ensuring the consistency of your brand throughout all marketing channels.
- Planning a review of your guidelines on a reoccurring basis.