Your brand guide. It’s that comprehensive set of commandments, an instructional manual meant to ensure your brand’s identity stays recognizable and resonant. It gives your marketing department its own constitution, and many go out of their way to avoid anything that could be deemed unconstitutional! The reality is that brand rules aren’t carved in stone. You shouldn’t go out of your way to break them, but sometimes you need to break rules that get in your way. So, when should you ignore the instructions?
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
-Pablo Picasso
In today’s marketing landscape, cultural relevance is a beacon to consumers, especially younger demographics. Your brand guidelines might dictate your company stay neutral, but neutral gets you nowhere. When a social issue actually aligns with your professed values, it becomes hypocritical to stay silent. Taking a stand is what makes you stand out, especially with consumers who share your views.
“I try not to break the rules, but merely to test their elasticity.”
-Bill Veeck
Your brand guide speaks to you. So do your customers. Consistency is crucial for brand awareness but being responsive to your customer is crucial to loyalty. If customers have a beef with an aspect of your brand you should take it seriously. You might not need to stray far from the rules. Sometimes minor adjustments can address any issues.
“The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
Innovation and evolution will sometimes demand you depart from the branding
guide dictates. Clinging to established guidelines can sometimes hinder competitiveness. Pharmaceutical firms and injury attorneys used to abstain from creating television commercials. Not anymore. A guide’s regulations about a brand’s voice might require formality, but stuffy isn’t the right stuff on X or even Facebook.
Times change and so do consumers.
“If you are going to break the rules, you might as well break them correctly.”
-Dan Gutman
Brand guides exist for a reason and should only be broken thoughtfully, and strategically. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. You don’t want to be cavalier about it and you don’t want to break the rules on a regular basis. That can dilute your brand, and confuse your customers. Don’t be afraid to deviate but be backed up by research, and internal consensus.
When approached judiciously, breaking the rules can elevate a brand from relevant to exceptional. If you’d like some help elevating your brand, creating a brand guide, or even breaking some rules, give us a call.