Tips and recommendations to keep your brand manual effective

Developing a brand manual is a very big effort for a company. It is the product of very arduous thought processes on the part of almost all the people who work to build a brand.

A brand manual is, finally, about defining the personality that we will show to the world. How we want to be perceived. However, everything changes: the world, companies, the market…

How to keep the brand manual effective? It is a document that defines both who we are as a product, brand and company. We will talk about that next.

1: Periodic revision

To keep our brand manual effective it is very important to establish a periodic review process. Coordinate with the art department, management and our marketing agency, a work schedule to review the manual.

Designate an update manager: It is important that someone in the organization has responsibility for updating the brand manual and for coordinating the revision process to maintain its effectiveness.

The aspects that we must review that enjoy full health in our brand include:

Recognition: We can measure the degree of recognition that our brand has among our customers, compare the degree of recognition with that of competitors, see the level of sales, etc.

Value: It is measured through its market valuation, its profitability and its ability to generate income.

Positioning: One task that we must evaluate is how the brand is positioned in relation to its competition, and if it is perceived as a brand that contributes something different.

Loyalty: Do we have a sufficient number of customers who are willing to recommend and continue to buy our products?

Customer satisfaction: Our surveys and evaluations of the quality of the brand’s products and services show that customers are satisfied with the brand’s products. Is it possible to perceive exhaustion?

2: Has it expired?

It must identify which changes are relevant and which should be included in the brand manual. This may include changes to the logo, corporate colors, typography, etc.

Brand graphics can become outdated over time and no longer reflect the company’s personality or values. So an update can help keep it fresh and relevant.

We may have noticed that there are other brands that look similar, a change in graphic elements can help a business stand out and differentiate itself from its competitors and can be an effective way to attract new customers and rejuvenate the existing customer base.

If the company has experienced reputation problems, a change in the graphic elements can help to renew the image of its brand.

Once the relevant changes have been identified, it is important to document them clearly and concisely in an effective brand manual. This may include updating images and descriptions of your items.

3: Communicate changes that keep your brand manual effective

It is important that all members of the organization that use the brand are aware of changes and updates to the brand manual. Different communication channels can be used, such as email, internal meetings, among others.

Is the logo being updated due to a new branding strategy? Are new design guidelines being added to reflect a new direction? By communicating the reason behind the change, you will help people better understand and accept the changes.

It should specifically highlight what has changed in the brand manual. You can do this by creating a summary of the changes in the manual or by comparing the old version with the new version.

By providing detailed information, you ensure that team members understand what has changed and how it will affect their activities.

Be sure to provide clear and concise guidance on how to implement the changes. You can provide examples of how the new design guidelines should be applied or provide templates to help people follow the new guidelines effectively.

In addition to communicating the changes, it is important to empower the users of the brand (designers, marketing, even sales) to effectively use the updated elements and maintain the brand identity.

Conclusions

In summary, keeping the brand manual effective requires a periodic review process, a person responsible for updating, identifying relevant changes, documenting them and communicating them to the members of the organization.

Reviewing the brand manual does not mean the death of the brand or a resignation of corporate identity, but that the company is open to renewal when necessary and that it knows how to train and communicate with its members.