9 Brand Kit Examples To Inspire Your Brand Style Guide
Think of any brand, big or small. Chances are, you recall a lot of the same things, right?
Like color, font, maybe an ad, a slogan?
The key to creating such a brand is to create a powerful and recognizable brand identity in your target market.
And that’s where a brand kit comes into play. It’s a brand guide that helps you define your brand’s personality, values, and aesthetics.
In this post, I will share some brand kit examples so you realize how big brands like Google, Amazon, Spotify, etc., create this brand kit.
It can help to inspire your small business branding efforts and make your brand stand out.
What is a brand kit?
A brand kit, also known as a brand style guide or brand guidelines, is a collection of design assets and guidelines that show how your brand should look across different platforms. It indicates, for example, how your logo, name, slogans, and other brand imagery elements should be used.
A brand kit is a vital tool that ensures your branding is consistent across all channels and that your brand is instantly recognizable.
It is a valuable resource for your design team, content marketers, and freelancers who create promotional campaigns using your brand elements.
Read my full post on what is a brand kit and how to create one.
Brand kit checklist
So, what brand elements are in this magical brand kit of yours? Let’s break it down into bite-sized pieces:
Logo: Your brand logo should be clear and scalable. Ensure there are different variations of your logo in your brand kit. And there should be guidelines for usage, spacing, placement, and acceptable background color contrasts.
Color palette: This includes your brand’s color palette including primary and secondary colors and their codes.
Typography: Specify the primary fonts for your titles and headings, the secondary fonts for body text, and the font weights and styles. You must also include guidelines on the usage and combinations of these fonts.
Imagery: Indicate the style and tone of photography and illustrations of your brand. If you want to use icons for your brand, also include in your brand kit a set of consistent icons that represent your brand’s identity.
Templates and layouts: This includes templates for business cards, letterheads, social media graphics, print graphics, website layout, design, etc., to maintain a consistent brand identity.
Guidelines for digital use: Guidelines on how the brand’s visual assets can be used on social media, emails, websites, and online ad placements.
Examples and inspiration: Show the correct application of brand elements across multiple channels.
9 Brand kit examples to inspire you
Now that you know what a brand kit is and why it’s important for your business, here are some brand kit examples to inspire you:
1. Google
Google’s brand kit gives clear instructions on how to use the brand logo and other visual assets.
For example, Google instructs that unless you have an official partnership or sponsorship from them, you shouldn’t use their logo in a way that implies an endorsement or affiliation.
The Google brand kit also clearly states how much space it wants around its logo in any design and that no modification should be made. Even more, the kit has clear instructions on the use of Google’s official colors, product names, icons, etc.
Google’s brand design kit is one of the best brand identity kit examples you can refer to for inspiration on making your brand identity stand out using your brand kit.
2. Spotify
The Spotify brand kit is another clear example of what a simple brand design kit should look like. It gives instructions on how its logo can be used and the acceptable color options.
In the brand kit, Spotify specifies that you should only use their icon, which is a simpler version of their logo, only when you don’t have enough space for the full logo.
Other essential information captured in the Spotify brand kit is the minimum acceptable logo size, the typeface, fallback fonts, and the acceptable background colors for its visual elements.
Very few branding kit examples provide detailed information, such as Spotify brand kit, on how brand elements should be used on different interfaces and materials.
3. Netflix
The Netflix brand kit is one of the most detailed brand media kit examples you can find out there. It contains clear instructions on how all Netflix visuals should be used.
Though the company prefers to be identified by its red N symbol, it also notes that its wordmark is an essential identifier of the brand, especially for recognition in low-awareness markets or when production limits the use of color.
The Netflix brand design kit has clear instructions on acceptable brand colors and combinations, clear space, and an acceptable contrast ratio for readability purposes.
Besides that, it also demonstrates different applications of the brand imagery and lays out specific branding dos and don’ts.
4. Amazon
Amazon’s brand kit contains a detailed guide on how third parties should use its logo, icons, colors, and other brand elements. It has clear instructions on acceptable clearspace, minimum logo size, capitalization, punctuation, etc.
There’s also explicit instruction on not altering the logo artwork, proportion, or color.
The brand design kit contains many images describing how and where the Amazon logo shouldn’t be used. Even more, the brand kit has guidelines on using any product imagery belonging to Amazon for advertisement purposes.
One key thing to note about Amazon is that it’s a marketplace, which means it is associated with many other small brands that also mention Amazon on their own sites.
Thus the Amazon brand kit also has to lay down guidelines on what their party sellers can do with the Amazon logo and not, on their own websites.
A similar example is Apple.
All Apple products have brand design kits detailing how their visual assets can be used.
However, the App Store is one of Apple’s most used products by developers, especially for marketing purposes.
So the Apple app store brand kit shows how Apple App Store badges and other branding assets can be used. It shows the preferred badge, which is black with gray borders, and the alternative one, which is white with black borders. There’s also the localized badge, which has a Mandarin inscription.
The Apple store brand style guide has other vital guidelines on using Apple app store icons, the minimum acceptable size for their visual elements, the acceptable use of product names, etc.
5. Slack
Slack’s brand kit is another inspiring brand kit example.
Of course, like most kits, it starts with detailed guidelines on using Slack’s logos, typeface, colors, and other branding assets.
Apart from giving clear guidelines on the use of its logo, the Slack brand kit also shows the acceptable backgrounds for its logo and the core and secondary colors acceptable for representing the company.
The brand kit of Slack then includes details of how the typography should be used, along with examples, even for localized typographies.
But then it goes even one level extra.
It provides guidelines for the illustrations, icons, photography, and videos, that can be used by the brand.
6. Shopify
Shopify’s brand kit is one of this list’s most concise brand kit examples. It has straightforward guidelines on the use of Shopify’s brand assets.
For instance, the brand kit shows Shopify’s acceptable primary logo, an inverted primary logo for dark or busy backgrounds, and monotone logos for when the primary logos aren’t an option.
It also shows vivid circumstances under which Shopify’s brandmark, the shopping bag with the S symbol, can represent the brand.
The brand kit also contains information on acceptable clearspace and minimum print and digital sizes. There’s also a set of Shopify logo best practices, where the kit displays images of how the company’s logo shouldn’t be displayed.
7. Yelp
Yelp’s brand kit, nicknamed Cookbook, shows the components of the company’s brand assets. Just like a cookbook contains ingredients, recipes, and entrees, Yelp’s brand design kit contains the colors, styles, and other components that make its website and app accessible.
The brand kit shows its primary brand color and areas where it’s used, plus the text color and how badges, buttons, reviews, ribbons, and selections appear on their channels.
What I personally like about the Yelp brand kit is that it adds explanations about its design principles and approach, which makes it easy for any designer to grasp the brand immediately.
8. TikTok
The TikTok brand kit does not start with logo usage, but by laying out the core design idea, concept, and system.
This ensures that you follow what comes next, namely the 3 types of logo and their usage, followed closely by color guidelines.
It clearly lays out 2 brand color palettes that are allowed to use, as well as co-branding guidelines.
9. Medium
Like the others, the Medium brand kit has clear instructions on the use of Medium’s logo, wordmark, and symbol. Each brand asset has a section detailing how it can be used, acceptable clear spaces and margins, acceptable colors, and minimum digital and print sizes.
There are sections in the brand design kit showing how the Medium logo appears in black, and white, or when alternating black and white and applying them to other colorful backgrounds.
It provides guidelines for the usage of its icon.
And of course, then comes the color.
Why is it important to have a brand kit?
Now, you might be wondering, “Why should I bother with a brand kit, especially if my business is small?”
A brand kit is an invaluable asset to your overall branding strategy. Here’s why you need a brand kit.
1. Establishing consistency
A brand kit helps you build and maintain a consistent brand across all channels by providing clear guidelines on how your brand elements should be used.
These usage guidelines are important to strengthen your brand personality in the minds of your followers. This way, customers will instantly recognize your brand wherever they encounter it.
2. More efficient design creation
A brand kit streamlines your team’s operations, greatly enhancing their efficiency and reducing costs for your business.
With a detailed brand design kit, your designers, marketers, and other stakeholders can save many hours spent searching for suitable colors, fonts, or other design elements when creating brand-related designs.
A well-crafted brand kit adds a touch of professionalism to your business.
It shows that you’ve put thought and care into your brand’s visual identity, making you look trustworthy and reliable.
And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want that?
3. Guide design decisions
Don’t worry if you’re not a design expert.
A brand kit provides clear guidelines for your designers or even yourself, so you can create materials that are on-brand every time.
No more guesswork! It’s like having a cheat sheet that helps you maintain a cohesive and impactful brand image.
4. Support brand growth
As your business grows, collaboration becomes more important.
A brand kit ensures that everyone involved, be it employees, freelancers, or agencies, understands your brand’s visual identity and can create materials that align with it.
A brand kit also fosters collaboration with other brands and protects your brand from misuse and misrepresentation.
Remember, a brand kit is not set in stone. It’s a living document that can evolve as your brand grows and adapts to changing trends.
Are you inspired yet to create a brand kit that reflects your branding?
A brand kit is one of the most crucial aspects of your brand story and brand platform, and reflects your brand pillars and brand adjectives appropriately.
So even if you don’t create an elaborate brand kit, jot down the basics so that you always have this internal compass while creating your brand messaging and brand attributes.
A comprehensive brand kit ensures your brand identity is consistent and cohesive across all channels and materials, increasing brand recognition even in low-awareness markets.
However, remember, a brand kit is not set in stone. It’s a living document that can evolve as your brand grows and adapts to changing trends.
Originally published at https://weignitegrowth.com on June 18, 2023.
