Get a brand book

what exactly is a brand book?

A brand book, also known as a style guide, brand guide, or brand manual, defines how your brand looks, sounds, and feels.

Think of it as the user manual for your brand. For your own team, freelancers, printers, social media managers, and external agencies. Instead of constantly explaining which font you use or which logo belongs on a dark background, everything is simply in one place. It’s that easy.

A good brand book answers questions like: which colors and fonts do we use? How can the logo be used and how should it not be used? Do we write formally or keep it casual? What kind of imagery fits us? And how do we translate that to social media, presentations, and proposals?

A good brand book example doesn't just show what your brand looks like, but more importantly, how to work with it.

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why invest in a brand book?

Without clear guidelines, everyone goes a little freestyle sooner or later. One colleague uses a slightly different font, someone else puts the logo on a background where it completely disappears, and suddenly a color appears on social media that no one knows where it came from.

Before you know it, your brand looks just a little bit different on every channel.

And the larger your company grows, the faster that happens. More people work with your brand, more assets are created, and more external parties need to get to work with it. A brand book ensures that everyone works from the same foundation.

• Recognition across every channel: your brand feels the same everywhere, from your website to Instagram posts and proposals
• Work faster: no more discussions about colors, fonts, or tone of voice, because everything is set in stone
• Better collaboration: freelancers, printers, and agencies quickly understand how your brand works
• Professional appearance: a consistent identity looks polished and builds trust
• Time savings during onboarding: new colleagues quickly learn what does and does not fit the brand

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what is included in a Studio Flabbergasted brand book?

brand foundation

Mission, vision, core values, and brand personality. We translate big words into something your team can actually work with. Because three inspiring terms on a wall are nice, but you need to be able to do something with them afterward.

This foundation forms the basis for all visual and verbal choices that follow.

visual identity

How do you use the logo? Which colors belong to the brand? Which typography do we use for headings and body text? And what does the visual language look like?

We document it all clearly. With do's and don'ts, exact color codes like HEX, RGB, and CMYK, and examples of what works and what doesn't. This way, no one has to guess what the original intention was.

tone of voice

How would your brand sound if it were sitting across the table from you?

We define whether you communicate formally or informally, which words suit you well, and which ones you prefer to avoid. We also show how that tone of voice works on your website, social media, and in customer service.

With concrete examples, so it doesn't just stay at something like: "professional, yet accessible."

applications

A brand book only becomes truly useful when you see how everything works together in practice.

That is why we show what the identity looks like on things like business cards, stationery, social media templates, presentations, email signatures, and your website. This way, your team knows not only what the guidelines are, but also what they can create with them.

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the difference between a brand book and a style guide

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a real difference between them.

A style guide focuses primarily on the visual side of your brand, such as your logo, colors, typography, and imagery. A brand book goes further by also incorporating your brand strategy, core values, target audience, and tone of voice.

At Studio Flabbergasted, we prefer to look at the brand as a whole. Knowing which shade of blue to use is helpful, but knowing why that color belongs to your brand makes it much easier to keep making the right choices.

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what does the process look like?

Step 1: Introduction & briefing
We get to know your brand. What is your story, who do you want to reach, and most importantly: what should someone feel when they interact with your brand?

Step 2: Research & strategy
We examine your current brand identity, competitors, and target audience. From there, we determine the strategic foundation for the brand book.

Step 3: Design & development
We develop the visual identity and establish all guidelines. We will keep you involved throughout the process, and there is, of course, room for feedback.

Step 4: Delivery
You will receive a complete brand book, digitally and optionally as a printed copy, including all associated files.

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ready to define your brand?

A strong brand becomes even stronger when everyone knows how to use it.

Do you want a brand book that not only looks great but is also genuinely useful for your team? Schedule an introductory meeting with Studio Flabbergasted. We’ll ensure your brand is as consistent everywhere as you originally envisioned.