brand-guidelines

Brand Guidelines

When This Skill Applies

• Defining brand voice and tone guidelines
• Creating or updating brand style guides
• Ensuring messaging consistency across channels
• Establishing visual identity standards
• Building brand governance frameworks

Core Guidance

1. Brand Guidelines Development

Brand Audit -> Define Core Identity -> Establish Voice -> Set Visual Standards -> Create Messaging Framework -> Document Guidelines -> Train Teams -> Monitor Consistency

2. Brand Voice Framework

Voice Dimensions

Dimension	Spectrum	Your Position
Formal <-> Casual	Corporate to conversational	[define]
Serious <-> Playful	Professional to humorous	[define]
Technical <-> Simple	Expert to accessible	[define]
Authoritative <-> Friendly	Commands to suggests	[define]

Voice Definition Template

We are: [3 voice attributes]
  e.g., Confident, Approachable, Expert

We are NOT: [3 anti-attributes]
  e.g., Arrogant, Childish, Academic

We sound like: [description or persona]
  e.g., "A knowledgeable colleague who explains complex topics clearly"

3. Tone Adaptation by Context

Context	Tone Shift	Example
Marketing website	Confident, aspirational	"Transform how your team works"
Social media	Casual, engaging	"Who else struggles with Monday reports?"
Email campaigns	Personal, helpful	"Here's something that might help you..."
Documentation	Clear, instructive	"Follow these steps to configure..."
Error messages	Empathetic, solution-oriented	"Something went wrong. Let's fix it."
Sales materials	Professional, compelling	"Organizations using our platform see..."
Support	Patient, reassuring	"We're here to help. Let's solve this."

4. Messaging Architecture

BRAND PROMISE
├── [One sentence that defines your brand's commitment]
│
CORE VALUE PROPOSITIONS (3-5)
├── VP1: [Benefit statement]
│   └── Proof: [supporting evidence]
├── VP2: [Benefit statement]
│   └── Proof: [supporting evidence]
└── VP3: [Benefit statement]
    └── Proof: [supporting evidence]

AUDIENCE-SPECIFIC MESSAGING
├── Audience 1: [adapted message]
├── Audience 2: [adapted message]
└── Audience 3: [adapted message]

TAGLINE / ELEVATOR PITCH
└── [One-line brand summary]

5. Writing Style Rules

Rule	Guideline	Example
Active voice	Prefer active over passive	"We built" not "was built by us"
Concise	Remove unnecessary words	"Use" not "make use of"
Specific	Concrete over abstract	"50% faster" not "much faster"
Inclusive	Gender-neutral, accessible	"They" not "he/she"
Consistent	Same terms for same concepts	Pick "customer" OR "client", not both
Jargon-free	Explain or avoid industry jargon	Unless audience expects it

6. Visual Identity Standards

Element	Specification	Usage Rules
Logo	Primary, secondary, icon variations	Minimum size, clear space, backgrounds
Colors	Primary, secondary, accent, neutral palettes	Hex/RGB values, contrast ratios
Typography	Heading and body font families	Sizes, weights, line heights per context
Imagery	Photography style, illustration style	Do/don't examples, sourcing guidelines
Icons	Style (outlined/filled), size grid	Consistent weight and corner radius
Spacing	Grid system, margin/padding standards	4px/8px base unit system

7. Channel-Specific Guidelines

Channel	Key Considerations
Website	Full brand expression, primary voice
Email	Personalized, slightly more casual
Social	Platform-adapted, most casual
Paid Ads	Concise, benefit-focused, platform constraints
Print	Formal, high visual quality
Presentations	Professional, data-supported
Product/UI	Clear, instructive, consistent terminology

8. Brand Consistency Checklist

• Voice and tone match brand personality
• Key messages align with messaging architecture
• Visual elements follow identity standards
• Terminology is consistent across channels
• Cultural sensitivity reviewed for all markets
• Legal/compliance requirements met
• Accessibility standards maintained
• Templates updated and distributed

Output Format

BRAND GUIDELINES
================
Brand:      [brand name]
Version:    [document version]

BRAND VOICE
-----------
We are:     [3 attributes]
We are NOT: [3 anti-attributes]
We sound:   [description]

MESSAGING
---------
Promise:    [brand promise]
Value Props:
  1. [VP1]: [proof]
  2. [VP2]: [proof]
  3. [VP3]: [proof]

TONE BY CONTEXT
---------------
Context     | Tone              | Example
------------|-------------------|---------
[context]   | [tone descriptor] | [example text]

WRITING RULES
-------------
[Numbered list of do/don't rules]

VISUAL STANDARDS
----------------
Colors:     [palette with hex codes]
Typography: [font families and usage]
Logo:       [usage rules and restrictions]

Quick Reference

Voice Dimensions: Formal/Casual, Serious/Playful, Technical/Simple, Authoritative/Friendly Messaging Layers: Brand Promise -> Value Props -> Audience Messages -> Tagline Tone Adaptation: Varies by channel (website=full brand, social=casual, docs=instructive) Consistency: Same terms, same voice, adapted tone per context

---

Cold Start

When the user has no existing brand voice, style guide, or brand identity document:

1. What does the business do? (one sentence)
2. Who is the target customer? (demographics + psychographics)
3. What differentiates from competitors? (one sentence)
4. What is the primary goal? (awareness/leads/sales/retention)

Use answers to bootstrap the workflow. Mark assumptions with [ASSUMED].

References

• See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/voice-definition-framework.md for voice definition framework
• See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/messaging-architecture.md for messaging architecture

Rationalizations

The following table captures common excuses agents make to skip the rigor of this marketing practice, paired with factual rebuttals.

Excuse	Rebuttal
"Designers know the brand, we don't need a written guide."	Tribal knowledge evaporates with turnover; without a documented style guide, visual drift compounds across 6-12 months.
"Voice and tone are subjective, can't be codified."	Voice attributes (e.g., confident not arrogant, warm not saccharine) can and must be expressed as do/don't pairs with examples.
"Color tokens are a nice-to-have."	Without semantic color tokens, every new surface re-invents palette decisions and accessibility contrast fails audit.
"We'll fix brand inconsistencies in the redesign."	Inconsistencies erode brand recall by measurable percentages each quarter; governance must be continuous, not batched.
"Logo lockup rules are too rigid for social."	Clear-space and minimum-size rules exist because violations reduce recognition at thumbnail sizes by up to 50%.