Admittedly with the many journeys we take in life there are no manuals given out. Just considering parenting – case and point!
But in business your brand manual is your bible of truth. You will never underestimate the complexity of design along with the simplicity once it’s complete. Your brand manual becomes your “go-to” reference for everything to do with the look and feel of your business. It can contain information about your avatar, your mission statement, your colors, fonts, and styles. Plus so much more.
What is the purpose of a brand manual?
Consistency.
It’s a base layer and foundation of trust with your community. A very simple example is this: Jim gets a postcard in the mail offering him a $50 discount on a purchase at a new company. The elaborate postcard is tastefully presented in black, orange and white with a website to visit and a code for the discount. The name of the company is SuppliesRUs. Interested in the discount Jim visits the website to see a site filled with supplies, but the logo states Supplies4U and the website is red, white and blue. Already Jim’s trust has faltered. As he clicks through the pages of products he notices that some have bold flashing headlines while others are lower case and in a script style font. Jim continues adding to his cart, easily adding $200 worth of supplies but when he clicks on the order button he is taken to a nondescript page without a logo or information. The page shows his total – a place for his coupon code and “Pay Now” in big letters.
Poking around the site a bit more Jim can find no information on the company, it’s holdings or a common “About Page”. Being fully aware of scams, Jim leaves the page and deletes all his information. The risk isn’t worth the $50 reward. Consistency would have given Jim more peace of mind thus allowing him to continue with is $200 purchase.
Think of how many times when shopping online that you click on an advertisement inadvertently or click on something that opens in a new tab or window. Sometimes it’s hard to know where you started – besides the basic distraction factor – it can be difficult enough to stay on task for some people.
This is where a brand manual will come into play. Your colors, styles, fonts and message will be set. Everyone who builds or designs anything for your business will be given the brand manual to follow. It’s up to you and your team to use the concepts consistently on materials, handouts, business cards, order forms, websites and promo materials.
Don’t run the risk of losing the hundreds of Jim’s who visit your website because you haven’t taken the time to define your business.
