{"id":9217,"date":"2015-04-16T11:30:31","date_gmt":"2015-04-16T16:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/?p=9217"},"modified":"2023-10-30T11:46:20","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T16:46:20","slug":"brand-books-important","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/brand-books-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Brand Books, Why are They so Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A brand book is an instruction manual detailing a brand\u2019s personality. Typically, it will outline the history, visuals, voice, and mission of the brand\u2019s communication. It\u2019s also referred to as \u201cbrand standards,\u201d \u201cstyle guide,\u201d or \u201cbrand guidelines.\u201d But why is it so important?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The basic contents of a brand book will contain guidelines to the communication habits of a company. Before we go any further, we want to make one thing clear: The brand book has requirements for the basis of creativity, but it should act as a basic rulebook, not to limit creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A brand book typically begins with an overview the company\u2019s history and it\u2019s competitors. From there, you\u2019ll gain an understanding of the brand and establish a platform for the brand. Then you can begin to brainstorm, create, or revise the brand\u2019s communication components. These forms of communication include values, visuals, and voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/04\/brandbook1.jpg\" alt=\"overhead image of a desk with a brand book open to a center page. Other objects on the desk include a row of books, a coaster, pencils, an iPhone, and a laptop.\" class=\"wp-image-9328\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The content in a brand book varies, but most of the time it will contain a mission and values statement and show proper uses of the logo, imagery, typefaces, and copywriting instructions. It may also contain a brief on competitors as well as tips for page layouts, the company&#8217;s tone of voice, wireframes for web design, and so more. Basically, the content pertains to the individual company and depends on the direction of the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quite often, the importance of a brand book is overlooked. It\u2019s ok if the higher-ups or the boss man doesn&#8217;t get it. Yes, it\u2019s frustrating and might feel detrimental to your health, but build one anyway. If they understood the true importance of a brand book, they would create it themselves (but they don\u2019t, which is why they need creatives like us!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, the purpose of a brand book is to maintain consistency across branded materials, establish credibility, increase efficiency, and generate a profit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maintain Consistency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A brand book should be shared throughout the company and with partners in order to maintain consistent delivery of the brand. By referencing the book, creatives can eliminate questions from other departments, such as which logo to use on a light or dark background. Providing the guidelines to departments outside of the creative wing gives non-creatives something to reference and influences consistency throughout the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-9329\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/04\/brandbook2.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white image of branded materials for a company, including letterhead, logo, and business card designs. Photo credit to G TranTien.\" class=\"wp-image-9329\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/101350305@N08\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">G TranTien<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Establish Credibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a brand book is in place and brand consistency is maintained, you\u2019ll begin to establish credibility with your customers or users. And credibility leads to loyalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take school for example: Children have a consistent schedule because it helps them feel safe and guided. Consumers are like children searching for guidance. Brands that are inconsistent suffer due to consumers feeling confused or fearful about their quality, which results in a lack of credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Increase Efficiency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A brand book will primarily be a point of reference for those in the creative departments. Creating or revamping a brand book will require time, research, and work. At first this can appear inconvenient and costly, but upon completion it will improve work performance and increase the output of projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creatives will be able to spend less time debating what direction to go in because the primary decisions have been made. For example, a graphic designer won\u2019t have to test different typefaces and the social media manager won\u2019t have to figure out which writing style to use because these have already been chosen. Overall, the efficiency of the brand\u2019s communication and the work performance of the teams involved in that communication will increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Generate a Profit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result of the three tactics above, you\u2019ll begin to see your brand\u2019s personality reflect and resonate with the customer. Brand management is an ideal to strive for because when the components are thoroughly implemented the results are palpable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get More From Your Sites with WP Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;ll need much more than an awesome site design to attract visitors and earn their trust. A fast, secure website is a must in today&#8217;s digital landscape, and WP Engine&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wordpress-hosting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WordPress hosting<\/a> can provide a performant foundation for all your WordPress projects. Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/plans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our plans<\/a> to learn more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is very important to have a brand book. Open to learn how to create one. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140829,"template":"","resource-topic":[1396,904],"resource-role":[1397,906],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-9217","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Brand books, why are they so important?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It is very important to have a brand book so you can properly market your business. 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