Maintaining a brand is a never-ending job. It grows with your business and customers, shaped by everything from technology to the market you’re in. Your business is never static, which means your brand isn’t either - everything from the look and feel of your logos and flyers to the words used on your retail display cases or social media can change over the years.
Look at Coca-Cola. The brand has constantly evolved, yet remains instantly recognisable - a crucial factor if you want customers to connect emotionally. If you want to humanise your brand, consistency is key.
Creating a ‘brand bible’, otherwise known as a style guide, can help. Whether you’re creating custom display cases or updating your website, this little document will not only save you time and effort, it’ll ensure whoever is working on content reflects your brand consistently. Here’s what to put in it to make it your brand’s best friend:
1. Log your logo
Clearly state how to (and how not to) use your brand logo. Remember, designers are a creative bunch, so it helps to show them what they can and can’t do. If there’s any problem with the way a logo is implemented into your website, adverts or other content, keep referring them back to the bible. This is even more important if you hire a new designer in the future.
2. Create your colour palette
Dictate the exact colours to use in all of your branding. It’s important to include hex codes, CMYK values and Pantone colours, since shifts between them can be severe. No brand wants a website in one a light green and their retail display cases in turquoise - customers won’t be drawn to it, either.
3. Find your fonts
A huge part of your branding, fonts need to be consistent. Be clear on which typefaces are used for each purpose. For example, one font might be used for large promotions on bespoke display stands, while others are used for the small print on your flyers.
4. Pick out a photographic style
Whether it’s a stock photo for your blog or you’re bringing in a professional photographer to shoot product pictures, the right images are an important reflection of your brand. If your logo represents your eco-friendly, nature-inspired ethos, it wouldn’t make sense to have glossy commercial images on your promotional material. Imagery should complement your brand.
5. Establish your tone of voice
This is just as crucial as brand style. It’s your voice that connects to customers, showing them who you are and what you stand for. In today’s social-media-driven world, voice-user interfaces (VUI) such as Alexa and Google Home mean that no one can see how great your logo or colour palette looks - the way your brand speaks to potential customers is what turns heads and stands out. But for some reason, it’s often the most neglected part of a company’s strategy. To create your tone of voice, find a writer who understands content marketing, which includes knowing how to empathise and connect with customers in order to sell your story.
6. Bring it all together
Encourage relationships with everyone from your graphic designers to your writers and even your interns. Let them input on each other’s work, push each other creatively and build your brand consistently together. Here at Admiral Display, our management team immerse themselves in your brand, supporting every stage of a retail project and working with everyone from designers to visual merchandisers to ensure your custom display cases are perfect. Get in touch and see how we can help you create quality and cost-efficient bespoke display stands that deliver results.