What a brand book includes
- Brand foundations: mission, values, positioning and personality.
- Logo usage: versions, sizes, clear space and what not to do.
- Colors: the palette, with exact codes (HEX, RGB and CMYK).
- Typography: fonts, sizes and hierarchy.
- Imagery: photo style, illustrations and icons.
- Tone of voice: how the brand writes, with examples.
- Templates: for presentations, social media posts, documents and ads.
Graphic charter vs brand book
A graphic charter, a term common in French-speaking countries, focuses on the visual rules: logo, colors, fonts and layouts. A brand book usually covers those as well as the brand’s strategy and voice.
Keeping it useful
Make it practical, with do’s and don’ts and ready-made files. Share it with everyone who creates content, and update it as the brand evolves.
Brand book example
A software start-up has a freelancer making its slides, an agency running its ads and a new hire writing blog posts. Each makes the logo a slightly different size and uses a different blue. The founder collects the rules in a 12-page brand book: logo sizes and clear space, two approved blues with HEX codes, two fonts, five example headlines in the brand’s voice and three slide templates. New suppliers get it on day one.
How to build a brand book
- Start with strategy: who you serve, what you promise and how you sound.
- Collect the final logo files, colours and fonts in one place.
- Add examples of correct and incorrect use, with pictures.
- Include ready templates for slides, social posts and email.
- Store it where everyone can find it, and name one person who updates it.
Brand book mistakes
- Making it so long that nobody reads it.
- Showing only the rules, with no examples.
- Forgetting accessibility, such as colour contrast for text.
- Never updating it after the brand changes.
Brand book FAQs
What is the difference between a brand book and a style guide?
The terms overlap. A brand book often covers values and voice too, while a style guide may focus on design and writing rules. See brand identity.
Who needs one?
Any business where several people or agencies create material. Even a two-page version helps. Related: marketing collateral.