The development of a corporate brand book is a corporate document that contains general information about the brand, its history and main goals, rules for using graphic elements, such as profile covers, information about the product's consumers, and specifics of using attributes inside and outside the company. The brand book can be in the form of a printed edition or an electronic version.

Which version to choose?

There are no specific requirements for the design of a brand book, regardless of whether it is a printed edition or a web version. It can have either 100 or 10 pages. The printed version is made in the form of a book, brochure or album. The appearance also varies - from a large book with a thick cover to a small brochure. But a printed brand book will be available only in one or more copies, so the development of a web version is necessary. Mostly it looks like a PDF file that can be placed on the company's website. The file can be burned to a disk or flash drive, sent via email, or uploaded to Google Drive. A web brand book is the most convenient format for this type of document.

Content and structure of the brand book

Regardless of the format you choose, a brand book must have a certain structure, as it is a strictly regulated document:

1. History and ideology of the brand. Includes the brand's goals and mission, key areas of activity and development strategies.
2. Legal part. Regulates copyright and related intellectual property rights.
3. Guideline. Contains information about the visual design of the brand: brand logo, profile photo, corporate identity fonts, colors, unique templates for social networks, slogans.

The larger the company, the more extensive the brand book will be. It may also contain additional information:

• letterheads for business documents;
• options for office branding;
• requirements for texts;
• dress code.

The brand book also makes it possible to describe the requirements for advertising, regardless of its type, for example, the main layouts of banner ads or typical banners of appropriate sizes based on the main one.

Stages of creating a brand book

The development of a brand book, print or web version, is a gradual integration of all available information. First, the file structure and layout are developed. Designers get to know the history and goals of the brand, so the first part is always the company's philosophy. A whole team of designers, copywriters and management should develop a brand book. This work should be coordinated by a person who knows what the company's corporate identity is.

The visual component (logo, color scheme, options for designing posts for social networks, slogans) are the second block. And the third block is communication materials, recommendations and the like.

The next step is to make corrections. Some points need to be corrected, especially if the brand book is large.

Who needs a brand book

A brand book is needed to build relationships with advertising agencies, partners and clients. This will help create a strong brand that will be recognizable and effective in its segment. Also, having a brand book helps to strengthen the company's corporate spirit and create a strong corporate culture. Such a manual will also be useful for new employees. It will help to save time and reduce the number of uncomfortable situations related to ignorance of the rules.

Most often, a brand book is used by the company's management to create a new development strategy. For designers and layout designers, the brand book helps to simplify the process of creating design layouts. Marketers also use the concepts outlined in the book to develop promotional activities.

Where to order a brand book?

Developing a brand book is a purely individual decision. The best option is to order a document from a marketing agency. This will help to minimize the risk of missing deadlines. Also, at different stages of production, the customer has the opportunity to see intermediate versions and make changes.

Having your own designers do the work is also a good option, but only if they are truly professionals. This will help save money, but it will take much more time.

A freelancer is a budget option. Of course, you can find a more or less responsible performer, but in most cases, this will only be a waste of money and time.