What are some successful brand guidelines for startups?

1 Why brand guidelines matter

Brand guidelines matter because they help you establish a clear and coherent brand identity that sets you apart from your competitors and resonates with your target audience. They also help you save time and resources by providing a framework and a reference for your design, content, and marketing teams. By following your brand guidelines, you can ensure that your startup delivers a consistent and professional brand experience that builds trust and loyalty among your customers and stakeholders.

3 How to create your brand guidelines

Creating your brand guidelines can be a complex and creative process that requires research, analysis, brainstorming, testing, and feedback. To create your own brand guidelines, you should first define your brand strategy. This should align with your business objectives and market positioning, as well as define your target audience, value proposition, competitive advantage, and brand personality. Then, design your brand visuals to convey your story and voice. This includes creating a logo, color palette, typography, imagery, icons, and graphics that reflect your brand personality and values. Additionally, write your brand voice to communicate your story and visuals. This includes writing headlines, copy, messages, and any other relevant information that reflects your brand personality and tone of voice. Finally, document your brand guidelines in a format that is easy to access and use. This should provide a comprehensive reference for both internal and external teams.

4 How to use your brand guidelines

Using your brand guidelines is an ongoing and dynamic practice that requires adaptation and evaluation. To ensure effective usage, your team should be educated on the purpose and importance of your brand guidelines, and given the necessary tools to access and apply them correctly. Additionally, you should enforce rules and standards for external use of your brand elements, while monitoring and correcting any inconsistencies or violations. Finally, you should evaluate results and feedback from customers and stakeholders to keep your brand guidelines current and effective.

5 Examples of successful brand guidelines for startups

To give you some inspiration and ideas, here are examples of successful brand guidelines for startups that have created a strong and distinctive brand identity. Airbnb's guidelines include their brand story, logo, color palette, typography, imagery, icons, illustrations, motion, sound, tone of voice, and writing principles. Slack's guidelines focus on making work simpler, more pleasant, and more productive and include their brand story, logo, color palette, typography, imagery, icons, illustrations, tone of voice, and writing style. Spotify's guidelines reflect their passion for music and creativity; they include their brand story, logo, color palette, typography, imagery, icons, graphics, tone of voice and writing tips.