What you need to know about creating a brand kit

Scooby Doo is not only an iconic franchise but an excellent lesson in branding too. Take a moment, and think about each of the human characters – Fred, Daphney, Velma, and Shaggy.

Each character has their own way of speaking, dress sense, and distinct colours that they stick to – no matter what they’re wearing. The creators do this to create a clear sense of character that doesn’t confuse the audience. The same approach needs to be taken with your brand.

The brand of your business should be something that is carefully constructed and used consistently throughout your marketing and business activity – much in the same way that no matter the occasion, Shaggy will always be wearing something brown and something green whilst talking about how hungry he is.

But how do you ensure that your brand remains consistent and is used correctly by those both inside and outside of your business? With the help of a brand kit.

A brand kit is essential if you have an existing brand or are looking to get started with your brand for the first time. Above all else, a brand kit is needed to ensure that your brand is used consistently – whether by people inside or outside your business.

But what exactly is a brand kit, and how do you create one? We’ve put together everything you need to know…

 

What is a brand kit?

A brand kit is a resource that contains the rules of how your brand can and should be used to ensure the consistency of your brand. It can be shared with people within your business and those who mention your brand externally, such as freelancers, partners, or journalists.

 

What is in a brand kit?

Whilst brand kits will vary from business to business, at the very least, your brand kit should contain the following:

• Your logo: Your company may have just one logo, or, a few variations of that logo – such as different colour versions or different sizes. It is essential that you have these on hand so that you can ensure that it is used correctly.
• Your fonts or typography: When it comes to branding, the way that words are written is just as important as the words themselves. For example, if you’re a legal firm, you aren’t going to be using fun fonts like pacifico. You may have certain fonts that are used for headings and others that are used for body text, so ensure that you have this information ready in your brand kit.
• Your brand colours/colour palette: Your colour palette is the colours that can be used for your brand. This mainly relates to graphic design elements such as a tile for social media. As we touched on earlier, no two colours are the same. One company’s ‘orange’ may be a completely different shade from another – which is why having a brand kit can help.
• Your tone of voice: Tone of voice guidelines dictate how your brand communicates through external messaging. This could be anything from an online ad to a billboard and everything in between. Whoever is creating communications material for your business must write any copy in your brand’s tone of voice – your brand kit can help them to understand how to write in this way.

 

Do you need a brand kit?

The short answer is yes.

Whether you’re working with external third parties or bringing on new staff, a brand kit can help to make everyone’s lives easier. It can save lengthy presentations, conversations, and questions, and instead, offer all the answers and tools that one may need in one place.

For example, you could reach out to an external advertising or marketing agency to create some material for a promotional campaign. Unlike you, they won’t be familiar with the nuances and characteristics of your brand. Providing them with a brand kit will ensure they have all the information that they need such as logos, tone of voice, colour specifications (not two dark blues are the same), and anything else they may need. This saves unnecessary back and forth and can help you to get the right assets sooner rather than later.

Above all else, if you want your brand to be consistent in the eyes of your customers, you need a brand kit.

 

Who should have access to your brand kit?

There isn’t a definitive answer to this question, however, it’s important to know that not everyone in your business may need access to this information. Instead, focus on anyone that is creating branded communication or products for your business. This could be your packaging supplier, an in-house or external designer, your social media manager, or even your HR manager. If they are creating something branded, then they need to have your brand kit ready and waiting to go.

 

Wrapping up

Now that you understand the who, what, and why of a brand kit, it’s time to get started on your own. Keep the tips in this guide in mind and you’ll be able to create an essential resource that you and your business can benefit from for years to come.