False moves and other marketing mistakes exposed

MARKETING MISTAKE NUMBER TWO:

STYLE GUIDE, WHAT IS THAT?

Not having a style guide for your business makes the ‘design’ process more difficult to oversee and control, whether you work with graphic designers direct or through an agency.

A style guide is there to help you manage one of the most challenging aspects of a brand, which is, consistency over a long period of time.

The fact is, over the life of your business it is going to be pretty rare to have one graphic designer work on your brand, even if you use the same agency.

Why is this a problem? Without basic brand rules and guidelines, the natural instincts of designers will be to ‘play with your brand’, and if you are managing the process yourself, you will have to be very diligent to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.

In summary, a style guide:

• Reduces design time (costs) over the long term
• Facilitates brand recognition (sales) through design consistency

QUICK TIP: Have a style guide for your business and brand. Create an environment where consistent design work is a basic requirement.

If you are looking for outsourced help, Next Marketing can help.

Coming up next – Mistake Three, misaligned brand.

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