A brand book – also called a brand guide – helps you create a clear visual identity for your business. It contains rules for using elements like logos, fonts, and icons – but why is this so important? How do you create the brand manual? How do you share the elements?
Here you can read more about why your business needs a brand book, and how Imageshop can help you create an effective brand guide that is easy to use.
Why do you need a brand book?
A brand book ensures that everyone communicating on behalf of your business uses the same elements in the same way. This creates a clear and recognizable identity for your brand. If you have a recognizable identity, customers will remember you more easily. With the help of the brand book, external communication will have a consistent theme, and the brand will appear exactly as you want it to.
If there are significant differences between your website, advertisements, presentations, business cards, and other materials, it can quickly become confusing for your customers. In the worst case, an inconsistent and unclear identity can damage the impression and weaken trust in your brand.
Everyone must adhere to the same rules regarding how to communicate the brand, which icons and fonts to use and where to use them. If all employees and partners follow the brand book, the identity and communication will remain consistent over time, making it clear and easy to remember.
Downloadable elements with an online brand guide
Many companies create a brand book in the form of a PDF document. However, this can be a cumbersome solution that may take up a lot of time. Not only do you need to send the brand book to those who need it, but you also have to distribute the logo, images, and other elements separately. There is also the risk that multiple people might end up using outdated versions of graphic elements, such as an old logo, simply because they don’t remember that an updated version has been released.
Imageshop’s brand book makes all elements downloadable, such as fonts, logos, and icons. The end-user only needs access, and then they can download what they need. This way, you have control over the content, ensuring that everyone in the company is using the correct version of the elements.
Who has access to the brand book?
The brand book in Imageshop makes it easy to share elements without requiring the end-user to log in. This is useful for those who want to make certain elements accessible externally, such as colors, main logo, and guidelines. The end-user only needs to follow a dedicated link to access the brand book directly.
You can choose whether to share your link directly or put it on your website. If you are frequently contacted by the press requesting images and logos, it might be wise to make the link available on your website. However, you have greater control over who downloads the elements if you share the link directly with those who should have access or require people to create a user account before they can download elements from the brand book.
Elements intended for internal use only can be placed behind a login wall, so that only those you have granted access to can access them. You control user access through Imageshop. Users must then log in to view and download elements.
The brand book collects everything in one place
Imageshop allows you to have all files and elements collected in one place, making them accessible wherever needed. The brand book is fully integrated with the image bank, enabling you to easily import updated elements directly into the brand book.
In addition, Imageshop offers a range of integrations and plugins. You can, for example, connect Imageshop to selected CMS systems, Adobe Creative Cloud, ERP, and PIM solutions. This saves you time searching for the right elements and files. It also becomes much easier to publish your images and files using APIs and plugins.
When you use the online brand book from Imageshop, you will always have the brand book easily accessible for all employees, partners, and others who need that information. This way, you can be confident that everyone involved is clearly and accurately communicating your company’s personality, identity, and authenticity.
Contact us if you want a demonstration of the brand book in Imageshop!
