The Essential Elements of a Brand Style Guide BenchmarkONE is sales and marketing software for small businesses and marketing agencies. We help agencies and small business owners propel relationships into sales with all-in-one CRM and marketing automation. Another important aspect of brand identity is the shape and form of different elements that represent your brand. This effective yet subtle element can be utilized for branding purpose. For instance, if your logo comprises soft edges and circles then people will react differently to it compared to when they see a logo that is square and sharp. 10 Branding Elements and What They Mean. Let us begin with the very basic. What exactly is a brand and what is brand identity?The brand of course is an easily recognizable name that immediately tells people about a certain organization that manufactures certain products or renders certain services.
Just like human beings brands also consist of different parts which are called elements. People have a head, face, nose, legs, arms and so on. Brands have name, logo, packaging, storytelling and a lot more. Famous brands have their own style of specific elements which help them to differentiate in the market like Nike says “Justo do it”. The element of slogan is presented here. Or the red color of Coca-cola is the color element. Another interesting element of Coca-cola are fonts. They have an innocent and happy style. So what are the key brand elements and how great brands are using them.
Elements Of Branding And Definition Brainly
Name element.
When somebody Is going to create a company, he/she comes to the problem of having an original name, which will never be changed. The name is everything for a brand. Good name means good future, just like us, humans. Many successful companies have a great name like Google or iPhone. These names are specific ones and are chosen very carefully. Nobody knows what is Google. It is obvious that the name sounds very clear and short. 2 Gs and some funny associations comes with the word. The word “iPhone” is another interesting name. It is a combination of the letter “I” and word “phone”. This is something that was never there before. The logic is exceptional. “I” it’s like me. In reality, it sounds like, My phone, or I’m a phone. It is not clear in reality․ There are many interesting examples is Facebook. Again a word that was not there before. The book of your face, it means the story of a life full of many events. The word anticipated the whole future of the great company.
Logo element.
One of the main branding elements is the Logo of the company of the product. As the name of the brand logo also should be clear and comprehensive. The fonts of the logo should have a meaning also the color, size, and every little particularity. I would like to speak about 2 logos, the logo of Mont Blanc and Apple. Mont blanc’s logo is done so simple. The name is written in strict and fashionable fonts. The fonts are black with a white background. And also the little and simple star-like emblem. Apple’s logo is discussed very much. The originality of the brand is maybe hidden beneath their genius logo. Nobody did that before, an apple which is bitten. This is just a crazy idea. And the word crazy describes the company “Apple”.
Slogan element.
Slogan shows the philosophy of a company. What are the values and how the company wants to be presented in the customer’s head? Slogan gives us more than just 3 or 4 words. It is some kind of company value creator. In 3 words you see what they stand for. The slogan should be very comprehensive and laconic. Let’s look at the example of Nike’s (Just do it). Here we see the whole philosophy of the company. They encourage us to be masters, to be heroes. No matter who you are, what is your condition, you are able to do it and “just do it”. Another famous example is the slogan of Apple (think different). Somebody already thinks different while having an Apple device. If you have one, you are another person and belong to Apple high-status society, who are better than others. Do not be the one who always does the same things, be another person and think different. Coca-cola says “open happiness”. They say that the coca-cola bottle is happiness. And also you open your inner happiness, your inner door to joy. There are few keys for the door and one of them is the coca-cola bottle.
Color element.
Brand colors are carefully taken. We can see their colors in their brand books and the colors have a specific type of messages. Yellow color gives joy, but dark yellow and light yellow have a different type of messaging. There are mainly 3 colors for branding. Their mix is the perfect coloring. There are famous brands who have conquered the market with their colors and one of the most famous is the Coca-cola example. The red color of the brand is in our heads. Coca-cola spreads the emotion and the love of red color. We can see the color of the bottle also in the Christmas add where trucks were riding which were in red. The same red color we see in the Kit Kat packaging. This brand is sure that the color has brought them success. Starbucks has taken the color green. The green color is the color of nature. It motivates us to go for a journey and to find our individuality. Many websites have taken the color blue as the color spreads trust.
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Packaging, style elements.
Doing the packaging of a product is not a simple task. Here every little attribute should be considered carefully. The fonts, colors, logos, and sizes. The composition of these many factors creates perfect packaging.
The famous packaging example is Apple’s iPhone packaging. This was a revolutionary style of phone packaging. At first, it was very small and tiny. Before them, the packages were bigger. Now it is with the sizes of a simple smartphone phone. It is white with the little logo of Apple. When Apple began the type of packaging, everybody began producing the same kind of phone packages. Tic-tac has an interesting type of packaging philosophy. We see there is no other brand that has the same packaging philosophy. And they are differentiated due to their genius style. I also like the packagings of video games. It has been developed through the years and now they look very great.
Sound elements.
Sound is another aspect of branding. We hear some voices in commercials where somebody is speaking. The tone of the voice of the speaking man or woman is very important. Some device products have sounds like Jbl speaker (Extreme). When they are turned on and of some Extreme type of sound is heard. A famous example of voice is Siri of Apple. Everybody knows the characters and we all have a lot of conversation with Siri. The helping voice of the character has solved many problems. Tv channels and News channels are full of people who are very unique and they represent the channel. National Geographics voice is more exploring type, instead, CNN sounds official. Just like a person a brand also has a voice and it sounds in a different way. There are also many songs and tunes are written for a specific brand. Coca-cola has many songs written for them. Whoever listens to the tune immediately remembers coca-cola.
Archetype element.
Every successful brand has the element of the archetype. What is that? Archetypes are 12, they are unconscious patterns of our deeds. All the successful companies are using the strategies to find out their own path in branding.
The 12 archetypes are 1. The hero 2 The magician 3 The rebel 4 The Explorer 5 The sage 6 The innocent 7 The lover 8 The everyman 9 The Jester 10 The Creator 11 The Ruler 12 The Caregiver
Nike example of archetypal branding is a very famous one. Nike encourages us to be masters and heroes, do not afraid of struggles and obstacles. Nike has taken the Hero brand archetype for its branding.
Apple, instead, pushes us to think differently, to do everything in a different way. To use another software for pc and for mobile phones. Apple has taken the tactics of the outlaw brand archetype. With Apple, everybody becomes another person.
Another interesting example of the archetypal branding is Red bull example. This is a perfect combination of Magician and Outlaw archetype. They promote events which are extreme ones. But in reality, the sportsmen feel the real magic with these dangerous types of sports.
Every successful brand has implemented the strategy of 12 brand archetypes. We need to take just 8 steps for completing archetypal branding with the following book.
1. Find out your brand archetype.
2. Create a logo.
3. Do the packaging.
- 8 Steps (eBook)
Font elements.
Fonts are entirely another aspect of branding. Here also every brand has its own font style. There could be 2 or maximum 3 fonts in the brand book. Fonts also show the philosophy of the brand. There are loving style of fonts for the brands like Victoria;’s secret and there are reserved and simple fonts like Hugo Boss. I want to speak about 2 famous brand fonts. First is Coca-cola. Their logo is created by letters and the fonts are written by hand. The simple and innocent style of writing. Somebody has taken a pen and written coca cola. And that’s all. Another example is Mcdonalds’. The fonts are very entertaining here. Their logo is the letter M. And the “M” letter is more than a letter. It is like 2 arcs combined. The arches are very round which captures every little child and not only them.
I also like the written fonts of Harley Davidson. They are some kind of brutal ones. Whoever sees them, understands the inner world of bikers.
Messaging elements.
Every brand gives a different kind of messages. It depends on the product or service they present. Mcdonald’s say that everybody is happy with their food as it arrives very quickly or a little basketball player has McDonald’s on his hands and is really happy. Being happy mixed with the color yellow is McDonald’s style of messaging. Instead, the brand Amazon speaks about the waiting emotion of their product orderers. When the boxes come, they become happy and take pictures with amazon prime boxes. These boxes also symbolize the messaging type of Amazon. Another interesting messaging style has the brand Oreo. We can see the little biscuits in many actions. Once they are donats, another time they have changed the shape and become another style sweet. Oreo promotes changes and creativity.
Videomaking elements.
We can see tones of videos nowadays. On Facebook, on TV and Youtube. Videos are just a part of branding and content creating. Many companies have done in very creative ways. I love the videos of red bull. They sponsor extreme sports all over the world. And have millions of od videos on their website and social media. Facebook is a social media platform where many videos are uploaded and interesting ones win. I love the videos of Fanta. They are very creative ones and full of oranges and c vitamin. Every brand has its own way of video creation.
Elements of advertising tools.
Advertising tools include banners, flyers, catalogs, and posters. Here, in advertising tools, we see the whole magic of counted elements combined. Here we see the catalog of Christian Dior. Simple white color and so elegant. Elegance is key while concerning such kind of high-class brands. Flyers also are referring to the same category. Fast food restaurants and all the restaurant definitely have their flyer types. Mcdonalds have flyers where new burgers are advertised.
Elements of websites, apps social media platforms.
Nowdays almost every brand is presented on Facebook and on Instagram. Also, there are Twitter and Pinterest and Linkedin and many other platforms. Each of them has a specific type of audience, therefore different types of content should be shared in different platforms. Instagram likes trendy and interesting pics. Facebook is more for videos. Share polls in Twitter and so on. Even profile and cover photos should be different in the following platforms.
For many businesses, websites and apps are an income source. For example for blogs. The design and interpretation of the sites must be interesting and trendy. Trends change a lot in their sphere and brands should be flexible and do not be late for the latest fashion in websites and app design.
Overall, we see that companies do hard for their perfect branding. And here we see the importance of the elements of brands. Every element must be created carefully and done perfectly. They must be connected. The slogan should contain the elements of brand messaging. Brand messaging should be closely connected to videos and the sound. All of these elements should be in one logic in order not to create confusion. One of the ways to create one system of elements is defining the brand archetype of the brand at first. It gives the direction and the path that the brand should pass.
Choosing branding elements that define your business to your audience and distinguish you from competitors can be challenging for startups.
Your brand style is what customers use to identify you and your products—it is one of the most visible aspects of a company—which is why it needs to be planned out carefully.
It is best to use process diagramming to plan out your branding elements, how they will communicate your brand, and how you will implement your brand across various materials.
What are the essential elements of a brand? Here are the top five that all startups need to create.
Logo
Your brand logo is the most visible part of your company—it is trademarked to represent your company and hence, is one of the most essential branding elements.
The logo is tied into your brand name, but also with the products you sell—it doesn’t need to be a replica of your name, but it should evoke the essence of your brand.
Of course, some brand names lend themselves to literal translations in logo form—Apple and Target have logos that leave nothing to the imagination.
Google and Coca Cola have created logos out of their names—albeit with stylized fonts that are instantly recognizable.
On the other hand, if you look at the logos for Starbucks or Twitter, you won’t immediately be able to distinguish their brand name—these brands have chosen the interpretative route.
When designing your logo, ensure that it resonates either with your name or services—otherwise, creating an attractive logo that doesn’t tell your story will defeat the purpose of the exercise.
Letterhead
Once you design your logo, you need to incorporate it into your marketing efforts and administrative materials, like letterheads and reports.
Letterheads are particularly impactful for demonstrating branding elements like your logo and personality—and they put an official stamp on any documentation.
For startups, it may seem like creating a letterhead is an easy task—slap your logo into one corner of a letter, and you’re done.
While that does the job, it doesn’t accomplish the function of a letterhead—to look more official but also give the startup room to showcase its personality.
Look at this corporate letterhead—note how the company has added a border and used multiple brand colors.
Elements Of Branding
When creating a letterhead, consider the following tips to get this branding element right:
- Choose two or more colors
- Use a solid color for the background
- Add a border
- Create an asymmetrical header
- Design a creative footer
- Add relevant visuals like icons and photos
Follow the above points to design a letterhead that accurately reflects your company’s values.
Tagline
A company name and logo may come easier to entrepreneurs than a tagline or slogan—yet, it is a branding element that is almost as memorable as a brand name.
Slogans and taglines are used interchangeably, although a slogan is more about the company’s mission, whereas a tagline is short and quippy.
Whether you create a slogan or a tagline, remember that it has to be reflective of your brand, such as Nike’s ‘Just Do It’, McDonald’s ‘I’m Lovin’ It’, or Pringle’s ‘Once You Pop, You Can’t Stop’.
Once you settle on a tagline, you can use it for marketing purposes like social media hashtags, advertising campaigns, and event posters.
Visuals
Visuals may seem like branding elements that are brought in when a startup is creating its content marketing strategy, but they should be part of the earliest business planning processes.
Your brand visuals showcase your company’s values and ethos—which is why you need to decide how you will present yourself early on.
Elements Of Branding Pdf
For some companies, behind-the-scenes photos are the best way to showcase their culture, as Asana does.
Other brands may feel that illustrations or graphics depict the ethos of the brand better.
You need to decide which works best for your business. Analyze competitors in your industry to determine the kind of visuals they are using and how you can stand apart from them.
Tone
The tone of voice a startup adopts is an important branding element—and a powerful marketing tool.
While not an easily discernible aspect of branding, the tone of a company’s messages can impact the way it is perceived by the audience.
Brand tone needs to be defined before company communications are shared—and this doesn’t just mean externally, but internally to employees, as well.
The brand voice chart below can help startups define what they want to imbue into their messaging.
Key Takeaways: Design Branding Elements that Reflect Your Company’s Ethos
Among the many branding elements that startups need to consider when building their companies, we have shared five of the most important:
- Logo
- Letterhead
- Tagline
- Visuals
- Tone
3 Elements Of Branding
By following the guidelines for these elements, startups can begin to present themselves to their audience in ways that reflect their ethos and personality.