Brand guidelines are your north star — every marketer knows that. But over time, things change. Maybe you’ve launched new products, expanded into fresh markets, or maybe the visual tone that felt cutting-edge a few years ago now feels tired.
So, how do you know when it’s time to take a closer look and refresh your brand’s playbook? And more importantly, how do you go about doing it without losing the essence of what makes your brand stand out?
Here’s a practical guide on knowing when to revisit your brand guidelines and how to execute those changes in a way that keeps your brand strong.
Why Brand Guidelines Are Critical
Think of your brand guidelines as a roadmap that informs every piece of content, product packaging, or communication your business creates. They define your brand’s voice, visuals, and personality, ensuring consistency from team to team, and across various media.
When brand guidelines are clear and up-to-date, they help prevent misinterpretation of your brand identity. On the flip side, outdated or vague guidelines can result in inconsistent messaging, which can confuse internal teams and customers.
Consistency isn’t just about visuals, either. Tone of voice, word choice, and messaging also need to be uniform. If customer support communicates with a formal tone while your marketing materials are friendly and relaxed, your customers might feel disconnected from the brand. Consistent guidelines keep everything in line and help build trust and recognition with your audience. ExplodingTopics found that 81 percent of consumers need to trust a brand before they consider buying.
Recognizing When It’s Time to Update
So, how do you know when your brand guidelines are no longer cutting it? Here are a few key indicators:
- Major Business Changes: Whether it’s a merger, acquisition, or launch of new products or services, these milestones often warrant a look at your branding. Your guidelines should support the direction your business is moving in. If not, it’s time for an update.
- Inconsistent Brand Usage: If you notice that different departments or teams are interpreting your brand guidelines differently, it’s a strong sign that they need refinement. Consistency is key; when that’s lost, your guidelines aren’t doing their job.
- Shifts in Target Audience: A shift in who you’re marketing to should prompt a review of your brand’s tone, visuals, and messaging. For instance, if your target market expands from younger demographics to professionals, you’ll need to adjust the style to fit.
- Market or Industry Trends: It’s not just internal factors that can signal the need for an update — external changes matter, too. Has your industry adopted new visual trends, or has technology shifted how customers engage with your brand? If your brand feels outdated compared to others in the market, it might be time for an update. Staying relevant in your industry means ensuring your brand looks and feels current.
- Employee or Stakeholder Feedback: Internal confusion about brand guidelines is a red flag. If employees are unclear about how to apply the guidelines or constantly asking for clarification on things like tone or visuals, then your guidelines aren’t clear or comprehensive enough. Team members should feel confident in representing the brand across all platforms.
Best Practices for Updating Your Brand Guidelines
Updating your brand guidelines isn’t just about creating a new logo or tagline. It’s about taking a strategic approach to ensure that every part of your brand remains aligned and recognizable. Here’s how to do it right:
- Audit Your Current Brand: Before making any changes, thoroughly audit your existing brand assets. What’s working? What isn’t? Are there inconsistencies in how your brand is being represented? This audit will form the foundation for any updates.
- Evaluate Core Identity vs. Adaptability: It’s essential to differentiate between the core elements of your brand and those that can evolve. Your brand’s values and mission might stay the same, but how you communicate those may need to shift with changing markets and customer preferences.
- Collaborate with Stakeholders: Brand updates shouldn’t happen in a silo. Involve key stakeholders from different departments — marketing, design, product, and leadership. Their input is crucial in ensuring that the updated guidelines align with your business strategy and the practical needs of your teams.
- Create an Action Plan for Implementation: Rolling out new guidelines can be tricky, especially in larger organizations. One approach is to implement the changes in phases, starting with internal teams before moving to customer-facing content. For example, you might start by updating internal documents, presentations, and employee onboarding materials before redesigning your website or marketing collateral. Phasing allows you to address any issues or feedback before a full rollout.
- Communicate and Train Teams: Clear communication is essential for a successful update. Make sure every team member is aware of the changes, understands why they’re happening, and knows how to access the updated guidelines. This might involve internal training sessions, Q&A forums, or providing easy-to-reference documentation.
At ClearVoice, we use a centralized Brand Profile to store and manage brand guidelines. This ensures that anyone — from freelancers to in-house teams — can easily access the latest guidelines, helping maintain brand consistency across the board.
How Often Should You Revisit Brand Guidelines?
Brand guidelines aren’t set in stone — they should evolve along with your business. But how often should you review them?
A good rule of thumb is to do a full review at least once a year. This doesn’t mean you need to make big changes every time, but it’s essential to ensure your guidelines are still aligned with your business goals and the market.
If your company is growing quickly, you may want to review your brand guidelines more frequently, especially after launching new products, expanding into new markets, or making any other significant shifts in your business.
Staying Flexible While Maintaining Consistency
As you update your brand guidelines, maintaining a balance between consistency and adaptability is crucial. You want your brand to remain recognizable, but it should also have room to evolve. Tracking how well your brand guidelines are being adhered to across different departments is one way to ensure that consistency isn’t being lost.
Keep Your Brand Guidelines Consistent
Revamping your brand guidelines doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. With the right planning, input from stakeholders, and a focus on consistency, you can update your guidelines in a way that strengthens your brand while keeping it fresh and relevant. Whether it’s a minor tweak or a major overhaul, revisiting your brand guidelines is a smart investment that will help keep your business on track for years to come.
By following best practices and staying proactive, you can implement changes smoothly, maintain brand strength, and set your business up for continued success. Speak with a ClearVoice content specialist today about your branding and content needs.