Your company brand is not limited to your logo, tagline, or advertising. It is the promise you make to your customers, your suppliers, and your employees. Your brand is what your company stands for and what you want your customers to recognize and associate with your products and services. Consistently delivering your brand, whether it is expressed in the form of an advertisement, a presentation, or a brochure – and most importantly, through the experience customers have with your products or services is fundamental to building a strong brand. Reinforcing your brand through consistent language and design in all of your communications will differentiate your company from your competition.

Most large companies have developed a Graphic Standards and Editorial Style Manual. Small businesses should have a similar guide. A graphic standards and editorial style guide ensure that your company and its products and services are described and presented in a consistent way. The manual should provide guidelines for acceptable use of logos, fonts, colors, punctuation, capitalization and other elements in your print and online business communications. It should also create and maintain a consistent, recognizable tone and style that are essential components of a strong brand.

 

John Lonsbury is a marketing consultant with over 30 years of experience. His clients have included start-up businesses and Fortune 500 companies.