Development of a company brand book

In simple terms, what is a brand book and why does a business need it

Simply put, a brand book is the passport of a brand, which often contains, in addition to corporate identity, basic marketing elements:

• mission, vision, values
• positioning, slogan
• unique selling proposition (USP)
• description of the target audience (TA) and customer profile
• tone of voice
• overall brand strategy and more

This is a guide for the team and partners that helps always work with the brand consistently and professionally.

Structure of a brand book

Why is a brand book needed?

Brand book is the passport of a brand, i.e. a document that regulates work with the brand. It is important to note that a brand book should contain rules for two areas – marketing and graphic. Very often the focus is only on the visual (graphic) part, but the more correct approach is this: first develop the basic marketing elements (that is, the marketing strategy, including conducting a marketing analysis), and only then create the graphic (creative) part based on this.

A brand book developed in this way:

• is much more effective in terms of holistic brand representation and implementation of the marketing strategy
• sets the direction for brand system development, including consistent design of all current and future consumer touchpoints with the brand regardless of form (website, SMM post, billboard, brochure, signboard, flyer, exhibition stand, etc.)
• works to increase brand awareness
• becomes an excellent tool for the entire team (managers, marketing specialists, designers, sales managers, and other employees), as well as for external contractors
• saves resources (time and finances) when solving typical brand tasks and developing standard creatives

Developing a company’s brand book is a rather labor‑intensive process that requires a professional marketing approach and deep immersion in the case.

Find out how we developed the brand book for Baloven – an online store of baby products.