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Most top brands have what is known as a “brand manual” or “brand book”. Essentially, this is a set of guidelines and actions to perform that are relevant and according to a brand’s personality. They will tell employees how to react in certain issues, how to use the brand’s logo, when not to use the slogan or tag line, how to deal with tough consumer issues, and sometimes go to the length of describing in what kind of marketing tactics and strategies can the brand be part of.
These manuals have proved to be helpful in brands and companies that use them; and many brand managers insist on having manuals as a way of keeping control of the brand. However, certain times this book becomes more than just a set of guidelines and “recommendations” and people tend to look at it as a brand bible. It dictates every step that a brand (and brand manager) can and cannot take. So here I present three reasons why brand manuals might end up being negative and counteractive for your brand:
- Removes flexibility from a brand. No matter how conservative or traditional a brand is, it must remain flexible to be able to meet with modern challenges. Times change and so do consumers, the brand essence might remain one and the same for a century, but the ways of connecting with the target (most often than not) shouldn’t.
- Doesn’t allow for a case-by-case analysis. Manuals tend to be to the point as to what is allowed and what is not under a brand name. However, sometimes a strategy (IE. participation in an event) might not be useful or fit in with a brand name, but in other occasions it actually might.
- Binds brand manager creativity to a set of pages. Human brand managers are sure to change overtime, not only internally in one person but even between different people. Each new player in the management field can and certainly will bring his/her creativity along to make the best out of the brand; letting a book limit his/her ability to do so is like putting a cap on the brands growth, it ain’t smart.
With this post I just want to try to see both sides of the “brand manual” issue. Most people tend to see through the negative side and just focus on how good a manual is. Perhaps this isn’t meant to say “don’t have a manual”, but instead to devout more time into the creation of the manuals as to make them open and smart enough to not fall into these three dead end traps.
What’s your say as to Brand Manuals? Use them? Love them or Hate them? Leave your message via comments.
This article should be called “1 Reason why Branding Manuals are bad for your brand,” since the 2nd and 3rd reason fall under the first reason (flexibility problems).
I agree that a “brand manual” or a “style guide” can restrict marketing creativity. In our view, a guide should be updated annually or even every 6 months. Most of the controls in a guide will remain unchanged but elements such as promotional communications should be allowed to evolve with current trends or changing market audience.
You can never effectively control all visual elements but you can control the use and interpretation of the brand properties such as logos, graphic devices, tag lines, fonts, color palette, etc. Its a good idea for a company to have an ongoing relationship with a creative firm that can “tidy-up” things periodically.
1382 days ago
[...] an article arguing that you should sometimes be careful with manuals. The full article can be found here, but allow me to quote one of the most important parts [...]
Thye should only be used as a guide and not a bible. Human reasoning and intelligence in a situation should never be replaced by a one-size-fits-all written set of instructions. That’s like saying the people who wrote the manual considered every single thing that could ever happen in the future..
I disagree with the article:
————————-
First of all, you limited a brand manual to the shape and usage of the logo; and DO & Don’ts…
However:
1- I dont see any collapse between flexibility & consistency (A brand is made in the mind – we need to form a consistent and unfied impression; and should always be linked to the company’s brand identity)
2-(it does’nt allow case by case analysis) – again you are limiting the brand manaul!
3-Brand Manager is not limited to set of pages… because he creates those pages!!!!
so whenever it needs an update; he will do it.
1489 days ago
[...] an article arguing that you should sometimes be careful with manuals. The full article can be found here, but allow me to quote one of the most important parts [...]
Hi Jim. Photos i received. Thanks
Im not exactly up with how to write a Brand Manual and would really appreciate any links or suggested reading to do so. Could somebody please tell me what the difference between a Brand Manual and a Style guide are?
Hi Christine, of course you may link to this page, feel free to do so…and Thank you!
May I have permission to link to this page from the Links page of my site?
Thank you.
Hello Marcia and Rico. Thanks for your Comments.
Marcia- I agree on both of your points. Brand Manuals must exist, and must be done; that is my ‘hidden’ point of the post.
Rico- Exactly! Some might think I’m saying “NO” to branding manuals, but what I’m trying to do is exactly the opposite. Brand Manuals are excellent tools when created and managed correctly. The best way I know to improve something is to question it. Just some thought food for us to munch on.
I was actually about to write about brand identity guidelines. And how companies should spend the time to make good ones. So that freelancers will not limited by overly strict guidelines yet will have a proper framework to focus their creativity.
Your post highlights the importance of a brand manual. I totally believe that a company serious about its marketing should lay down guidelines so that their message will always be consistent. But it’s also good that you’ve gone against the grain and question the value of a traditional company asset. Thanks!
Ron,
I agree that brands need to be flexible, but I also believe brands need manuals and guides. Often, when we finish a branding process for a client and the day-to-day brand management will be left up to them, a brand standards manual is what they’re asking for. They really want to know how to work with it, and how to make decisions, as the management of a new brand is not something most of them are used to dealing with — lots of companies don’t have people with the skills to shepherd a new brand carefully and correctly during the first vulnerable periods, and they want (and need) some guidelines, especially if many people will be working with implementing the brand. We always add a caveat: that the manual guidelines can be altered at any time at the discretion of the company president, or other capable company executive.
That said, I agree that many brand and graphic standards manuals are overly strict and don’t give room for brands to grow with the company or the times, and these need to be updated or reviewed or reworked on a regular basis. Too often a company will stand by a manual long after its usefulness has run its course, just because “it’s our manual!”
Good food for thought.