A brand book is used when it is short and shows examples. It needs four parts: brand elements, brand tone, story elements, and do and do not examples. This post gives you a contents checklist for each part.
Learn these skills in the course Brand Management (MC-BM), module 3.
Who This Is For
Marketing executives who make the brand look and sound the same. Also designers and agencies who work from the brand book.
The Brand Book Contents Checklist
| Part | What to Include | Test |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brand elements | Logo and its clear space, colours with codes, fonts, picture style | A new designer can make a correct flyer from it |
| 2. Brand tone | Three tone words, with one sentence written in each tone | Two writers produce emails that sound the same |
| 3. Story elements | The brand essence, vision, personality, and the one brand story | Each sales person tells the same short story |
| 4. Do and do not | Real examples: a correct post next to a wrong one | Staff can spot a wrong use in one minute |
How to Write It in Five Steps
- Collect every material your customers see today.
- Choose the best example of each element. Mark the others as wrong uses.
- Write the tone words with one example sentence each.
- Add the story elements from your brand essence and vision.
- Keep the book under 20 pages, and share it as one file for everyone.
Example: A Food Manufacturer
Take a sauce maker in Penang that exports to three countries. Each distributor made its own labels and posts. The marketing team wrote a 16-page brand book with do and do not pages. New labels now match in each market.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- A 100-page book that nobody opens. Keep it short.
- Rules with no examples. Show the correct use next to the wrong use.
- A book with logos only. Add the tone and the story, or the brand sounds different everywhere.
Try It This Week
Open your current brand book, or start a new file. Write the four part headings. Fill one example in each part.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a brand book the same as a logo guide?
No. A logo guide is one part. A brand book also sets the tone and the story.
Who owns the brand book?
One person, usually the brand or marketing manager. That person approves every change.
Next Step
Read the full outline of Brand Management (MC-BM). Public classes: 1 and 2 February 2027; 7 and 8 April 2027. All dates are on the Training Calendar. For a group from your company, get a quote for in-house training. More Work Tips are in the skill area Brand. Read also:
