As a successful brand grows to serve customers through multichannel avenues (packaging, online, retail and customer service), it is essential that all aspects of the brand follow a consistent model. Additionally, just like an orchestra working in harmony to play a symphony, all internal and external stakeholders of the brand need to understand this unity through all modes of the brand’s communication. This in turn leads to a stronger performance in the company’s respective industry. This is where the importance of brand guidelines comes into play. When corporate branding or packaging and retail design is executed, it is crucial that a cohesive set of brand standards is developed.

1. The importance of
brand guidelines
Tips on how to ensure they are followed

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At Shikatani Lacroix, we design compelling purchase
moments that connect in the blink of an eye. Shikatani
Lacroix is a multidisciplinary branding and design firm with
expertise in corporate identity, naming, packaging, retail,
brand strategy, wayfinding and communication design. Our
philosophy and strategic design approach, the Blink Factor,
hones in on that instant when a consumer makes a decision.
Everything we do is geared to owning the “at purchase”
moment. We forge customer connections that build trust
and drive sales, while measuring ROI, developing growth,
and increasing brand loyalty.
About the author
Ryan Talag, Account Coordinator at Shikatani Lacroix
As an account coordinator at Shikatani Lacroix, Ryan works
with retail and corporate brands such as Second Cup
International and TD Bank Group. A graduate of
Communications, Culture & Information Technology at the
University of Toronto, Ryan conducts research and analysis
for client projects and presentations.
Prior to joining SL in 2012, Ryan did a work term in the
Middle East as a brand strategist for The Brand Union in
Dubai, U.A.E., where he worked on the following brands:
Riyad Bank and Dettol.

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“Companies
The answer to all
with greater
As a successful brand grows to serve customers
through multichannel avenues (packaging, online,
retail and customer service), it is essential that all
aspects of the brand follow a consistent model.
portfolio
coherence
outperform
their peers in
terms of
operating
margin”
– Traci Entel, Booz&Co.
Additionally, just like an orchestra working in
harmony to play a symphony, all internal and
external stakeholders of the brand need to
understand this unity through all modes of the
brand’s communication. This in turn leads to a
stronger performance in the company’s respective
industry.
SL’s recent white paper on brand coherence includes
a quote that effectively summarizes this notion:
“Companies with greater portfolio coherence (that is,
those whose business units have mutually reinforcing
capabilities that distinguish the company as a whole)
outperform their peers in terms of operating margin.”
– Traci Entel, Booz&Co.
This is where the importance of brand guidelines
comes into play. When corporate branding or
packaging and retail design is executed, it is crucial
that a cohesive set of brand standards is developed.

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What’s so great about brand standards?
For starters, they establish and protect the integrity
of the brand identity through consistent visual
representation of the brand; and consistency over
time is essential in building strong brand equity.
Before we dive into the different ways you can
onboard brand guidelines, first let’s glance over
some key details found in brand identity guidelines.
The brand story
Before delving into the guidelines’ technical specs, it
is important that every stakeholder involved with the
brand – from brand managers to packaging printers
– has an understanding of the brand’s overarching
story. The introductory sections of the brand
guidelines should communicate these aspects.
This includes such things as:
• brand essence (the core point of difference that
clearly defines the organization and how it fits a
specific consumer need)
• brand card (a promise of performance and a
summary of the interaction, attitudes and
experience of its brand equity)
• brand position (defines the target group, the
unique needs the organization is providing, and the
credible reason why the organization can meet
these needs)

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• brand personality/tone and voice (identifies the
key characteristics that define the organization in
humanistic terms, similar to how you would define
an individual. The brand personality sets the tone
and manner by which the organization
communicates with its key audience)
Why is it important for everyone to understand
this?
Creatively, the essence of the brand will be
integrated into all artistic elements of each brand
touch point. If a brand focuses on being high quality,
optimistic and reliable, a graphic designer will choose
to use a particular method of
gradients, colours and shapes to
illustrate that. Furthermore, a
photographer will understand why
she must execute a certain style (i.e.,
capturing genuine and emotionally
engaging real-life moments).
Even from a technical perspective,
the brand essence will be referenced
when working with logo-safe zones
(clear open space), signage
dimensions, photo lighting,
gradients, etc.
Once every person involved with the brand
understands the brand story (the values deeply
engrained in the core of the organization), they will
effectively integrate this knowledge into their work.

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“Successful
branding
programs are
based on the
concept of
singularity...to
create in the
mind of the
prospect the
perception that
there is no
other service on
the market
quite like your
offering.”
- Al Ries and Laura Ries, 22
Immutable Laws of Branding
Setting the standards
Now that the brand story has been established, the
advertisers, designers, signage manufacturers,
packagers, copywriters, and everyone in between
need to know the technical standards and
specifications.
This wonderful portion of the guidelines includes all
the specs, such as exterior signage measurements
(width = x ft), headline sizes (x = ¼ of first letter),
safe zones (margin around a graphic element),
minimum size, Pantone colours, along with an entire
design system overview and hierarchy of
communication.
By this point, a copywriter will not only know which
specific fonts to use and where, but also why that
font has been chosen, thanks to the aforementioned
brand story. In other words, a copywriter would
know why a friendly sans serif font is used instead of
a formal typeset, and a photographer/photo editor
would understand why emotional black and white
imagery is a better choice over bright and colourful
stock images.

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How to ensure guidelines are followed
What good is it to have an incredible set of
guidelines that covers every detail about your brand
if it is not put to good use? The following are some
recommendations for getting everybody on your
team on board.
Online Portal
1. Easy access
An online portal is an effective way
for all individuals to access your
brand identity guidelines. With a
special login and password, this
information can be kept safe and
secure while the proper parties,
including third party vendors, can
gain access.
2. Many parties
There are instances when so many
different people doing a wide range of
jobs will need the guidelines. From an advertising
copywriter a few city blocks away to the signage
installer who desperately needs measurement specs
for an international store on the other side of the
world, all parties will be able to retrieve this valuable
information.

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3. Efficient updates
Things are always changing. As a brand evolves,
certain pieces may need adjustments along the way,
such as a new standard for sizing or updated legal
copy. Subsequently, these changes may not be
effective immediately, as organizations need some
transition time between changes (e.g., changing
photography standards for ad campaigns). Here, an
early notification of “things to come” can be
broadcast on the host site,
informing all parties of what lies
ahead.
Hand ’em out/meet up
1. In your face
In a digital world, sometimes it’s
more salient and effective to have
good, old-fashioned printed
handouts or a face-to-face
meeting with your intended
audience so that they cannot
easily ignore the messaging.
In package design meetings, there
is usually a discussion regarding artwork and layout.
Through the complexities of colour standards, sizing
and materials, it is often fundamental to be able to
refer to brand guidelines on the spot. Therefore, it is
important that the guidelines are distributed and that
all involved parties receive a copy.
Something to keep in mind is the importance of
proper and effective distribution. Depending on the
company size and various locations, online portals or
FTP sites can prove to be most beneficial.

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Final thoughts
The truth is, even if you live and breathe a brand, it is
very difficult for a single person to remember every
intricate detail of your brand standards. Certain
details simply do not come up often enough to
register in your brain without reference. As there are
many levels of communication within a brand, every
touch point must integrate the same brand essence
to achieve complete brand coherence.
Once the brand story and personality are established
in the brand guidelines, it is imperative that all parties
develop a high-level knowledge of this information.
From here, everyone on the creative and technical
sides, from the advertising and social media
departments to the packaging printers, will have a
clear comprehension of the brand and how it should
be properly communicated.

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For more information, contact:
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, President
Shikatani Lacroix
387 Richmond Street East
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 1P6
Telephone: 416-367-1999
Email: jplacroix@sld.com