{"id":14841,"date":"2022-08-30T15:53:24","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T20:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sageworld.com\/blog\/?p=14841"},"modified":"2025-04-14T13:07:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T18:07:34","slug":"your-brand-is-your-business-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sageworld.com\/resources\/index.php\/2022\/08\/30\/your-brand-is-your-business-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Brand is Your Business- Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Intro Into Style Guides<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your brand is your bread and butter. It\u2019s what makes your company unique and different! Your brand is your business, so how do you organize the look and feel to share with others in your organization? Today, I\u2019ll give you the inside scoop on branding your business and break down the inner workings of an effective style guide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why is it important to have a style guide?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A style guide, also called branding guidelines, describes different aspects of your brand including the look and feel, design, and mission of a business. This comprehensive guide is typically an internal set of rules a company follows in order to build a cohesive message\/voice on all marketing and advertisement materials. There are so many added benefits to having a style guide, but here are some of the most useful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Cohesiveness and Consistency-<\/strong> For any company, it\u2019s important that all team members are on the same page. <\/li>
  2. Memorable Brand-<\/strong> If the guide is followed, your company can develop a successful and memorable brand for years to come. (i.e. Coca-Cola, Doritos, Adidas, etc.) <\/li>
  3. Recognizability and Reliability-<\/strong> Clients can rely on your brand to maintain a consistent image and voice. (i.e. Like when you’re shopping for your favorite cereal or coffee at the grocery store, you want to be able to spot it from a mile away.) Source: <\/em>HubSpot<\/em><\/a><\/li>
  4. Small Changes, Over Time-<\/strong> Like every brand, you will want to make updates to modernize your branding as time goes on. With a style guide, you can successfully implement those changes but stay on track with your goals as a company. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What is in a style guide?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    So now that you know the importance of brand consistency, let’s dive into the editorial portion of what’s in a style guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mission Statement and Vision Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What is a mission statement?<\/strong> First and foremost, the company needs to have a clear, action-oriented statement of its purpose and how it serves the community. A mission statement is a sentence or two describing the company, its function, and its objectives. Source: <\/em>Hubspot<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When writing a mission statement, it\u2019s important to keep in\nmind your product\/service and your core values as a company. Start with two to\nthree adjectives that describe your company. Then, combine them with how your\nproduct\/service will better serve the community while abiding by those\nadjectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are a few examples to help: <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Patagonia:<\/strong> We\u2019re in business to save our home planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Honest Tea:<\/strong> To create and promote great-tasting,\nhealthy, organic beverages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IKEA:<\/strong> To create a better everyday life for the many\npeople. Source: <\/em>Hubspot<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Okay, you have your mission statement. Great! Let\u2019s dive a little deeper to discover what a vision statement is and why it\u2019s important to include one in your style guide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What\u2019s a vision statement? <\/strong>A vision statement is a broad statement describing the goals and future of the company. The vision statement can be a few sentences longer than the mission statement and can use some of the same verbiage, as long as it\u2019s in future tense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s look at a few examples to get the creative juices flowing:  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tesla:<\/strong> To create the most compelling car company of\nthe 21st century by driving the world\u2019s transition to electric vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nordstrom:<\/strong> To serve our customers better, to always\nbe relevant in their lives, and to form lifelong relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Warby Parker:<\/strong> We believe that buying glasses should\nbe easy and fun. It should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your\npocket. We also believe that everyone has the right to see. Source: <\/em>Shopify<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For more inspiration, head on over to your favorite company’s website and look for their about us page. There you should be able to find their mission and vision statement, as well as their corporate values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Creating a Buyer Persona<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    So after you’ve reached a clear mission and vision for your company, now is the time to create a set of ideal (semi-fictional) buyers to represent your audience. A buyer persona is a research-based representation of your target customer. Source: <\/em>Hubspot<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The buyer persona should include a list of characteristics that describe your clientele. This includes demographics, wants and needs, behaviors, and challenges they may face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the promo industry, you might have a larger or very diverse audience. My advice would be to pick a frequent customer or two that best represent your clientele and take down their characteristics. Start with the following questions to get a good idea of what your buyer persona looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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