A branding board typically represents a brief portfolio of your unique brand elements from your logos, key fonts through to your colour scheme and aesthetics.
If you are a business owner or marketer, I’m sure that by now, you have probably come across a few of these documents online. If you haven’t figured out why do you need them for your business or how to create them, I’m writing this article to help you. Just follow my steps below and you’ll see how easy it is!
Why you should have a brand board:
- Firstly, a #brandingboard comprises of all visual elements that make your brand recognisable to the public and help your brand persona stand out from your competitors.
- Secondly, having a brand board helps you maintain consistency throughout all your marketing materials including web graphics and printed copy. Having a consistent brand message is a major factor to consider especially when you are marketing a business to millennials.
As Tim Minnium wrote: “Consistency is key to authenticity. In today’s fragmented social media environment, […], it is vital that brand messages be synchronised, because consumers expect their experience to be consistent across all devices and platforms.”
Tim M., Marketing Land (2018)
- Lastly, it helps you visualise your brand image as a whole and makes it easier for you to make changes as needed. By labelling different design components and arranging them on a single page document, you can roughly gage the overall look and feel of your brand. DoBased on this, you can make future modifications and add-ons to your branding elements.
What should you include in a brand board?
There are various online templates that you may use, however, most of them will comprise of a variation of the following:
1. Primary Logo
This logo entails the main image / icon of your brand. It’s the first thing your customers will see when they discover your brand. If you aren’t comfortable with using graphic design software yourself, you may ask the help of a graphic designer to help you out. Once are pleased with your main logo design, you will publish it on your website and all other corporate stationery such as: letterheads, invoices, brochures etc.
2. Logo Variations and Submarks
Based on the main logo, you can create a few alternate logos by making slight modifications in textures, colors or backgrounds. All in all, these logos still need to be recognisable as a representation of your main brand, but you may want to use them to communicate a different idea or for a particular sub-brand project. Submarks are usually a simplified version of the main logo that are used as watermarks in certain corporate materials.
3. Fonts
Fonts are an important part of your brand image. They can communicate the company’s vibe and overall character (is your brand a serious brand? or you wish the audience to perceive you as a fun brand?). Research your industry and see what kind of fonts deliver the brand image you aspire. Typically, every brand should have at least 2 font styles: title and body. Choose a charismatic title font and select subtitle and body fonts that are easy to read and suit your brand.
4. Colour Palette
Typically a colour palette consists of 3 to 6 colours which are strategically chosen to reinforce a company’s brand image. There is an entire psychology behind how colours affect consumers’ perception of a brand, so I will discuss more on this topic in another post. As a start, choose a colour palette that reflects your personality and will also stand the mark of time.
5. Inspiration Images and Patterns
These are inspiration images that will give your brand an aesthetic value. It can be made up from different images that together help to tell the story of your brand. A good way to start is by creating a Pinterest board of images that are in line with your brand.
Okay, now to the fun part! Scroll through the images below to see how a brand board brings all these elements together:
For a simple brand board template, you may download the FREE template below and fill out the details with your own branding elements!
If you like the template, feel free to share with me your brand boards! I’d love to see how it turned out. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @allebusinesscoach
References:
Tim M. (2018) “Brands Strive for Authenticity as Audiences Turn a Skeptical Eye Towards Ads” [online]. Available from <https://marketingland.com/brands-strive-for-authenticity-as-audiences-turn-a-skeptical-eye-toward-ads-236295>
CrowdSpring (2018) “Brand Authenticity: Is It Important and How Can You Increase Your Brand’s Authenticit? [online]. Available from <https://www.crowdspring.com/blog/brand-authenticity/>
Inkbot Design (2017) “How to create a Brand Board” [online]. Available from <https://inkbotdesign.com/create-brand-board/
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