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Brand Guidelines

Maintain consistency across all your marketing with brand standards

Hayden Zammit Meaney avatar
Written by Hayden Zammit Meaney
Updated today

Brand Guidelines

Your brand is more than a logo — it's how people experience and remember your business. Consistent branding builds recognition and trust. Launchpad helps you define and maintain your brand standards.

What are brand guidelines?

Brand guidelines are rules for how your brand looks, sounds, and feels across all touchpoints:

  • Visual identity — logos, colours, fonts, imagery

  • Voice and tone — how you communicate

  • Messaging — what you say about yourself

  • Application — how to use these elements

Why consistency matters

  • Recognition — people remember consistent brands

  • Trust — professionalism builds confidence

  • Efficiency — clear guidelines speed up content creation

  • Clarity — everyone knows what's on-brand

Accessing your brand guidelines

  • Go to Marketing from the main menu

  • Click Brand Voice or navigate to Brand Voice

  • View and edit your brand settings

Visual identity

Logo

Your logo usage rules:

Primary logo

  • Full colour version for most uses

  • Preferred placement and sizing

Logo variations

  • White/reversed for dark backgrounds

  • Black for single-colour applications

  • Horizontal and stacked versions

Clear space

  • Minimum space around logo

  • Never crowd with other elements

Minimum size

  • Smallest size for readability

  • Different for print and digital

Logo don'ts

  • Don't stretch or distort

  • Don't change colours

  • Don't add effects (shadows, outlines)

  • Don't place on busy backgrounds

Colour palette

Your brand colours:

Primary colours

  • Main brand colour(s)

  • Used most frequently

  • Hex codes, RGB, and CMYK values

Secondary colours

  • Supporting colours

  • Used for accents and variety

Neutral colours

  • Backgrounds and text

  • Typically blacks, whites, greys

Colour usage

  • When to use each colour

  • Colour combinations that work

  • Accessibility considerations

Typography

Your brand fonts:

Heading font

  • Name and style

  • Where to use

  • Web and print versions

Body font

  • Name and style

  • Paragraph text and details

Alternative fonts

  • System fonts when custom unavailable

  • Email-safe options

Typography rules

  • Minimum sizes

  • Line spacing

  • Heading hierarchy

Imagery

Photography and visual style:

Photography style

  • Mood and feel

  • Lighting preferences

  • Subject focus

  • Colour treatment

Image guidelines

  • Quality standards

  • Composition preferences

  • People and model requirements

  • What to avoid

Voice and tone

Brand voice

How your brand communicates:

Voice characteristics

  • Professional yet approachable

  • Knowledgeable but not condescending

  • Warm and welcoming

  • Authentic and genuine

Tone variations

  • Social media: casual and friendly

  • Website: informative and inviting

  • Emails: personal and helpful

  • Formal documents: professional

Writing style

Language preferences:

Australian English

  • Colour, not color

  • Organise, not organize

  • Centre, not center

  • Licence (noun), license (verb)

Grammar and punctuation

  • Oxford comma usage

  • Capitalisation rules

  • Number formatting

  • Date and time formats

Words to use

  • Experience (not activity)

  • Guest (not customer)

  • Journey (not trip)

  • Discover (not find)

Words to avoid

  • Cheap (use affordable)

  • Tourist trap

  • Boring

  • Basic

Messaging

Brand story

Your narrative:

  • Who you are

  • What you do

  • Why you do it

  • What makes you different

Key messages

Core points to communicate:

  • Your unique experience

  • Your commitment to quality

  • Your connection to place

  • Your guest focus

Tagline

If applicable:
​

  • Your brand tagline

  • When and how to use it

  • Variations if any


​

Value proposition

What you offer:
​

  • The primary benefit

  • Supporting benefits

  • Proof points


​

Application guidelines

Marketing materials

How to apply brand to:

  • Brochures and flyers

  • Social media posts

  • Email campaigns

  • Website pages

  • Advertising

Signage

For physical spaces:
​

  • Exterior signage

  • Interior wayfinding

  • Vehicle branding

  • Event displays


​

Digital presence

Online applications:
​

  • Website design

  • Social media profiles

  • Email signatures

  • Digital advertising


​

Partnerships

Co-branding guidelines:
​

  • Partner logo placement

  • Joint marketing rules

  • What's allowed and not


​

Maintaining brand consistency

Brand review

Regularly check:
​

  • Marketing materials in use

  • Partner applications

  • Staff communications

  • Third-party listings


​

Common issues

Watch for:
​

  • Outdated logos

  • Wrong colours

  • Off-brand photography

  • Inconsistent messaging

  • Poor quality applications


​

Brand governance

Who's responsible:
​

  • Final approval authority

  • Asset distribution

  • Partner compliance

  • Regular audits


​

Sharing guidelines

With team members

Ensure staff understand:
​

  • Where to find brand assets

  • How to use templates

  • Who to ask for help

  • What needs approval


​

With partners

Provide partners with:
​

  • Logo files

  • Usage guidelines

  • Approved imagery

  • Messaging points


​

With suppliers

Give designers and printers:
​

  • Complete brand files

  • Colour specifications

  • Font files

  • Example applications


​

Updating your brand

When to review:
​

  • Annually for minor updates

  • Major milestones

  • Significant business changes

  • Market repositioning


How to update:
​

  • Document proposed changes

  • Get stakeholder input

  • Update all materials

  • Communicate changes

  • Archive old assets


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Consistent branding builds recognition and trust — make every touchpoint count.

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