​I’ve come to the conclusion that detailed brand guidelines and manifestos – and even 'BrandKey’ summaries or similar - can be counterproductive to brand success.

They give brands the false impression that, by producing these lengthy tomes, they’re paving the way for a strong, consistent brand identity.

In reality, they can stop teams thinking beyond what’s in the document - which is a problem, because brand guidelines tend to focus on visual identity (logo, colours, fonts), tone of voice, and a handful of more nuanced ideas and feelings. These are all important dimensions of brand identity. But they’re only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to building a truly memorable, multi-sensory brand.

The 'Distinctive Brand Audit' framework shown here is designed to highlight ALL the brand elements that should be considered and built strategically over time.

You can use this framework as a checklist or rough route map.








Check out this LinkedIn post about the topic.