What To Do When Your Brand Is Suffering From an Identity Crisis: Guidelines to the Rescue
Do you feel like your brand is suffering an identity crisis? Asking you: “Who am I?” What is my purpose? Why am I here?” Well look no further, we are here to give you the tools you need to set your business free.
So, how do you make sure your business isn’t a chameleon, constantly changing colors, font, logo with every new campaign, design, or social post?
The answer: brand guidelines—your brand’s who, what, where, when.
So, What Are Brand Guidelines and How Will They Help Your Brand Thrive
Brand guidelines are a set of instructions that ensure your brand shows up the same way, every time, everywhere. Think of it as your brand’s DNA, covering everything from logo usage to tone of voice. They typically include:
Logo Do’s and Don’ts
Color Palette
Fonts & Typography
Tone of Voice
Visuals/Imagery
TLDR, brand guidelines are the boundaries you set on behalf of your business to show your clients you are established, trustworthy and reliable.
5 Reasons Why Brand Guidelines Are Beneficial To Your Business:
Consistency = Trust: If your branding looks different across every platform, people start to wonder if your company is trustworthy or just making things up as you go (you could be, but your clients don't need to know that.) Consistency builds confidence.
No More Guessing: Designers, marketers, and content creators don’t have to wonder if they’re using the right font or color. It’s already decided for them.
Faster Decisions: The more established your guidelines are, the faster your team can get things done. No endless emails or meetings about what’s “on brand.”
Recognition: Think Nike’s swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches. Without any context we are able to recognize who they are. With the help of brand guidelines, people will be able to instantly recognize your brand from a mile away.
Growth Without Growing Pains: Whether you are a small business just getting started or hoping to expand your business, brand guidelines make it easier to maintain a strong, unified identity.
Questions To Ask Your Brand To Help Dig It Out Of The Identity Crisis Hole:
Get out a pen and a piece of paper and do your best to answer these questions:
What is your business’s “Why?” Define the core values, mission and purpose.
Who are you competing with, and what can you learn from them? Collect inspiration and research the competition. Find out what they are doing.
How do you want your business’s brand to look and feel? Choose the visual elements and brand style: colors, fonts, imagery and logo
Who is your target audience? How do you want to communicate with them? What is your tone? Is it “professional? formal? relatable? super chill?” Determine how you want your brand to communicate with its target audience across all platforms, including the brand's website, storytelling, marketing efforts, and social media.
Brand guidelines aren’t just nice to have—they’re a must-have. Whether you're a small business or an established company, brand guidelines are the secret recipe to keeping your identity strong, recognizable, and consistent across every platform.
We understand that making these decisions about your business may be overwhelming. But here’s the good news: we’re experts at solving identity crises of all kinds. Our process is all about intentionally strategizing, crafting clear identity, and curating an implementation plan. This is how Sunny Side Up, a Boston based creative agency that helps businesses connect with their audience in meaningful ways. From brand strategy and identity to pitch decks and consultations, we deliver end-to-end creative solutions and services. We’re passionate about digging deep to understand your "why," so we can create work that truly resonates and makes an impact.
Schedule a free consultation with us today! Together let’s find out how we can give your brand the purpose it so desperately deserves. https://www.ssustudio.com/workwithus
