CrazyLeaf Editorial A branding kit is crucial for any business to ensure that it’s online and offline branding is consistent, unique, and memorable. Building a branding kit can be quite time consuming but is well worth it to ensure that your company’s branding is consistent on all platforms.
Keep reading to learn how to create a branding kit for your business that can be used online and offline.
Brand Platform
The first section of a branding kit is your brand platform. This is where you discuss brand details such as mission statement and values. You’ll also want to include pertinent information like your brand promise, positioning statement, and personality traits that you want to associate with your brand.
This section should also include your company’s tagline and slogan if you have one.
Visual Identity
Now that you’ve provided information about your brand, the next step is to detail how the brand should look. Visual identity plays a critical role in your brand’s perception and recognition. This section of your kit needs to be as detailed and thorough as possible. No matter how big or small your company is, it’s important to have a visual display of your brand.
For example, you’ll want to communicate the visual characteristics of your brand. Discuss the underlying mood or feel that was used to create your company’s branding and how it aligns with your mission and vision.
Logo
One of the most important parts of visual identity is your logo. The logo is the face of your brand and is what makes your brand unique and recognizable. While a consumer may not remember your company’s name, they’re likely to recognize your logo.
Since your logo will appear on all company communications, it needs to be high-quality and consistent. Displaying your logo that is pixelated or outside of brand colors can tarnish your brand and confuse customers.
When discussing your logo, be sure to discuss items such as:
- Minimum reproduction size
- Protected area around the logo
- Do’s and don’ts
Documenting minimum reproduction size is important so that your logo’s sizing doesn’t cause it to become unrecognizable and ineffective. Since your logo needs to be used on all sorts of media, it’s important to have logo variations that can be used on web pages, large posters, and small business cards.
Discussing protected area is important so that when your logo is used in an email or on a direct mail flyer, other imagery included in the graphic design isn’t too close to the logo which can take away from its importance.
A well-documented logo is also important when creating other marketing elements like t-shirts, pens, custom stamps for business, and direct mailers. With proper documentation you’ll have the peace of mind that your logo and overall branding is correct no matter where it’s being used.
Primary Palettes
Aside from your logo, the primary colors associated with your brand are another factor that makes your brand memorable. We all know McDonald’s is red and gold just as we know Amazon is blue and orange. Pinpointing and documenting your company’s primary palettes helps to ensure that your brand is consistently displayed across all platforms.
To properly document your primary palettes, be sure to provide HEX, CMYK, and PMS values for each color that is used.
You’ll also want to document any secondary palettes or primary colors that are used to compliment your primary brand theme. Be sure to provide the HEX, CMYK, and PMS values as well as an explanation as to when secondary palettes should be used.
Typography
It’s also important to build uniformity in your brand by ensuring the same typography is used for all media and platforms. The typeface you choose should be legible in various weights and sizes so be sure that you consider how the font looks in both large and small scale.
When documenting typography, be sure to include information about type sizes, weights, headings, and body copy. By using the same typography across your direct mailers, emails, and website content, you can provide the same reading experience on all channels.
Supporting Graphics
While your company’s logo is the main and most notable graphic, odds are your company will need to use other graphics, such as a banner for your website or an infographic. These supporting graphical elements should also fall in line with your brand. Color palettes and typography should be fluid throughout these elements.
Be sure to document supporting graphics to include colors, sizing, and other important details.
Conclusion
Documenting your brand and the details behind it makes it much easier to ensure that your brand is consistent across all platforms and elements. With the right branding kit, you’ll have peace of mind that your brand is recognizable on a business card, social media, and maybe even a huge billboard.
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