Branding Archives

Recently, the team at Pilot Fish Media have been working collaboratively to pivot our brand and delve deeper into our why, mission and tone of voice. The importance of brand guidelines has become much more apparent to us, and in this blog, I’ll be sharing some of our thoughts with you.

A business’ brand is ultimately its most important asset. Not only does a brand reflect a company’s personality, but it also acts as a showpiece, which increases credibility and shows off your values. This is where the brand guidelines come in!

What are brand guidelines?

A set of brand guidelines generally consist of:

The company logo and its variations
Colour palette, including hex codes
Typefaces and their use
Tone of voice
Imagery
Icons/graphic elements

The brand book essentially contains the ‘behind the scenes’ of the brand. Here, you’ll find finer details like recommended point sizes for type and the tone of voice for different social media platforms. You’ll also find rules set out that should be adhered to when anyone is creating content. Think of it as your brand’s ‘bible’.

What are the benefits to having brand guidelines?

In a nutshell, brand guidelines help to:

Ensure all brand outputs are cohesive, consistent and recognisable to the public
Allow your employees and clients to understand the nature of your brand
Keep everyone on the same page
Save time when preparing branded documents
Set style standards to ensure your brand’s outputs are ✨glowing✨

On the flip side, what are the disadvantages to not having brand guidelines?

Without a set of guidelines, your brand can be impacted in a number of ways, such as:

Lack of brand consistency, meaning your brand is far less recognisable
Lack of professionalism, which can potentially lead to less custom
Difficulty keeping up engagement with followers/customers/clients
Difficulty standing out against competitors
Unclear brand vision, mission and values (which is often what will set you apart from competitors)
No voice to support your brand

Why use brand guidelines?

Your guidelines can be used both internally and externally to ensure consistency across all outputs. They help both the company’s employees and clients understand the nature of your brand and your creative do’s and don’ts. Often, the creative team behind the business will put together the brand guidelines, applying their design knowledge to ensure clear execution.

Brand guidelines are a valuable piece of work that will help everyone stay on track and ensure all outputs are cohesive. Without these guidelines, your brand’s message could mistakenly change at any point because a logo was used incorrectly or because an employee didn’t know to use the wordmark instead of a graphic element.

So, if you or your business are yet to put together a set of brand guidelines, this is your reminder to get the process underway!

Want to chat more about your brand guidelines? Get in touch at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to help!

The importance of speaking your audience’s language

You never really know someone until you get talking to them, and the same goes for brands and businesses. When your brand looks the part, you want it to sound the part too. But how do you start creating a voice that communicates who you are and what you stand for that really resonates with your audience?

In this blog, we’re deep diving into why your brand tone of voice is an essential part of helping your customers get to know you.

What is a brand tone of voice?

Your brand’s tone of voice is all about the way your brand talks to your audience. It’s a distinct personality that captures who you are and includes things like the words you use, the way you talk and the tone or emotion behind the messages you’re putting out.

The way you talk tells your audience a little more about what you’re about and helps them get a feeling of the kind of company you are. Think of your brand’s voice as an initial impression, like striking up a chat with someone new: what kind of conversation would get them to stick around?

Why is a brand tone of voice so important?

A well defined tone of voice will be used everywhere. From your website to your socials to emails and advertisements, your tone of voice should be front and centre, and is as essential to your branding as a logo or colour palette.

More than just telling the world about who you are, a tone of voice can also help to build community, especially on social media channels where consumers can opt-in to following your brand. Smart brand positioning, articulated through your brand’s voice, can foster a real connection between your brand, individual customers and a wider community, creating loyalty that goes beyond the quality of your offering.

It’s therefore vital that your tone of voice is right for your audience. You wouldn’t want to buy baby products from a brand that sounded harsh or cold, for example, or alcohol from a brand that reminded you of your old headteacher. But how to get started?

How can I define my brand tone of voice?

Your brand’s tone of voice is all about you – your company, your values, your mission and your purpose – so thinking about how to get those on paper is a valuable place to start. Defining your business in a few key words, or thinking about the sort of language your brand brings to mind, can help you start thinking about what your voice could become.

Your voice will be a key touchpoint for your audience, and this is particularly true online. As you start thinking about your tone of voice, consider the purpose your voice will serve as you create an online presence. Will your brand make your audience laugh? Empower your customers to be their best selves? Whatever your message, it’s up to your brand voice to get it across – so you want to get it right!

Thinking about how to find the right words for your brand? Reach out to me at [email protected] to chat more about copywriting and your brand’s tone of voice.

CategoryBranding

Why You Need Brand Guidelines