The brand ecosystem requires clear rules and their adherence to convey the desired company image. Brand guideline is the main document for implementing these principles in life. It contains the most complete information about the brand. Its contents vary from company to company, but it usually includes the brand platform—attributes, rational and emotional benefits, personality, values, mission, archetype and positioning.
The brand guideline also reflects the company’s field of activity, the brand’s history and features, and information about the target audience.
The brand guideline explains how to use the brand’s visual system: logo, graphics, colours, typography and photo style. The final pages showcase examples of how the assets are applied.
A brand book enables efficient brand management by capturing its ideology and style, creating synergy among different professional spheres: designers, production teams, managers, SMM and PR.
Development of a brand guideline: creation process and cost
The development process has two stages. The first defines brand attributes and audience; the second presents the identity and assets. A brand book structures all brand-related information and establishes clear guidelines for its development. This document enhances a company’s market value by streamlining business processes and ensuring brand consistency.
A brand book is needed by everyone—large and small companies, established businesses and start‑ups—to build the desired communication and develop it within the brand’s essence, both semantic and visual.
When is a brand guideline needed?
Developing a brand guideline is the final stage of the branding process. It brings together the most complete and structured information about the brand.
Brand guideline helps to:
enter a new market
launch a new product
create a holistic view of the company
maintain recognition
increase a positive reputation
save time on setting technical requirements for specialists
create added value for your product
Work stages
The agency’s project manager, creative director, brand strategist, copywriter, and designer all take part in creating the brand book. The work then follows this sequence:
Step 1. Brand core
Brand attributes
Description of the archetype.
Formulation of mission and values.
Fasten positioning.
Audience
Identification of audience segments.
Description of the brand champion.
Step 2. Visual system
Identity
Description of the metaphor.
Fixing the rules for using the logo.
Fixing the rules for using graphics.
Structuring color graphics and typography.
Description of photo style.
Layouts
Showing examples of layout visualizations.
Creating a layout guide.
Structuring all layouts in a common storage.
Project team
creative director
Alexey Molchanov
Makes brands not only beautiful, but also fills them with meanings.
head of strategy
Valeria Tyapina
Creates a unified picture of brand development from different data.
project manager
Elena Chernikova
Appreciates projects built on complete mutual trust.
brand designer
Julia Sukhareva
Thinks in terms of structures and questions, which creates a special order in the projects.
graphic designer
Ilya Obukhov
Creates a mood in projects, and is most immersed in SMM design.
copywriter
Maria Tashchyan
Helps brands speak the language of their audience.
Work result
brand awareness
With your brand guide, you can ensure that the creative concepts you've crafted are preserved for the purpose of boosting brand recognition.
brand guide
The brand guideline serves as a valuable reference for your team and partners. It provides clear guidelines and standards for understanding the core principles of a brand.
ideology and design
With a well-prepared and structured brand guideline, you can easily transfer the layout to production and achieve the expected outcome.
Why should you order a brand guideline?
We use a research approach, studying the hidden motives of the audience, and work out in detail each stage of creation and implementation.
Features of our approach are in-depth analysis and creative thinking. Thanks to them, we unite the brand and its audience into a single organism.
Project examples
We created a brand guideline for the East European Institute of Psychoanalysis. We used the Mage archetype and the idea of highlighting the main thing from the general flow of information (as happens during a session with a psychotherapist).
When creating a brand guideline for the Grant jewelry factory, we made the search for a product the basis of the concept, endowing the brand with the features of a Seeker.
The cost is determined individually based on a preliminary online/offline briefing with you.
The final cost is defined by the timing, scope, and complexity.
FAQ
Why do I need a brand guideline?
A brand book captures both the verbal and visual concepts of your brand and provides structured guidelines and assets for your team, partners, and external specialists. With it, every process involving brand management and usage becomes faster and more consistent.
How long does it take to create a brand guideline?
Developing a brand guideline is a comprehensive, multi‑layered task. Timelines are calculated individually for each client and depend on the number of brand attributes we need to cover.
What’s included in a brand guideline project?
A brand guideline has two main parts:ideological section – brand attributes and target audience. Style guide – standards for using the logo and brand elements (graphics, typography, colour palette, photo style). The final block shows real‑world applications such as banners and promotional merchandise.
In what format will I receive the brand guideline?
You can choose between two formats: digital a PDF presentation and print a physical guideline.
What do I need to provide before we start?
Share your existing brand core and visual identity assets. We’ll package everything into a brand guideline that reflects your brand’s ideology and visual standards.
How do I request a brand guideline?
Fill in the contact form below—once we receive your request, a manager will reach out within 24 hours to discuss your project.
Can a start‑up order a brand guideline from scratch?
Yes. First, we recommend a full branding package that includes a brand platform plus verbal and visual systems. A brand guideline is then created at the final stage to consolidate and document your new brand.
Customer reviews
AdVita
Yulia Paskevich
Head of PR
Our relationship with the ICU team goes beyond partnership—we’ve been more like friends for the past five years. What matters most to us is that the agency shares AdVita Foundation’s values, and they truly listen to and understand our needs. That’s why our joint projects turn out bold, vibrant, and emotionally resonant, helping us connect with our current audience and attract new supporters.
Alfa Leasing
Evgeniya Bespalaya
Marketing Department
We’ve never had this kind of experience with agencies before. As for the result—we were impressed by how accurately the neural network handled a creative task. We really liked the outcome. Based on what we received, we can confidently say this kind of solution will become part of our brand communication.
Syrobogatov
Anna Zakharova
Lead Communications Manager
Working with ICU was a true collaboration—one we’re happy to recommend. The agency team developed a communication strategy for us, diving deep into our brand, our messaging style, and our goals in the market. The entire process was built on trust, respect, and a genuine immersion into our product. Thank you, ICU!
Aloha Browser
Bruce Kurtz
Chief Marketing Officer
Partnering with ICU Agency was a game changer for Aloha Browser. ICU's adept understanding of our brand ethos and market needs translated into a standout advertising campaign, and frankly, they stood out from the other agencies in RFP stage. They blended humor and seriousness effectively, conveying our message on online privacy. Highly recommended for their efficiency and creativity.
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