A brand kit encompasses all the visual elements of your brand. It’s essentially a cheat sheet for your marketing department or third-party to understanding and communicating your brand’s identity.
Brand kits are typically sent to graphic designers, partners, external stakeholders and internal teams and it’s a vital part of your strategy whether you’re a company of 2 or 2,000+.
In this post, we’ll lay out exactly what is included in a brand kit, show different examples, and show you how you can build your own brand kit today (with the help of the LeKAC Pack, of course!).
What are the components of a Brand Kit?
There are a few important elements that are essential to your kit. These elements are the core of your brand and what you can offer, and they are usually the tools you need in order to convey your brand’s message.
People often use the terms Brand Kit and Brand Style Guide interchangeably – but there is a difference. As mentioned above, a Brand Kit focuses on visual assets of your brand, while a Brand Style Guide (or Brand Guidelines) communicates your brand as a whole. The guide doesn’t apply to just visual elements, but also written and verbal ones as well.
So what exactly are these non-negotiable elements that can make or break your brand? Let’s look at them.
Logo
The obvious component. Your logo is usually the first impression customers have of your brand.
It’s also an opportunity to tell your story in one image. Your logo should be consistent across all platforms (social media, website, printed materials etc.) but feel free to include variations such as submarks and alternative logos.
When talking about consistency, we don’t mean that the logo has to be exactly the same – but any variations must be recognisable by your customers as your brand.
If you want to take it a step further, you can even define what proper logo use looks like to your brand. This includes providing standards for white space around your logo, use of negative space or stipulating size.
Colour Palette
Your colour palette sets the tone for your brand. Successful and consistent colour palettes allow for quick recognition – for example, yellow and red makes you think about McDonalds, while green and white may trigger the idea of Starbucks.
Your colours can be divided into two sections: primary usage and discretionary usage.
- Primary usage essentially dictates what colours your brand is usually represented by. For example, your white logo or submark may primarily be used on a black background. It may also be used with a pale purple or inverted (black logo/submark on a white background).
- Discretionary usage refers to usage of your secondary colour palette. In the unlikely instance there is already a strong presence of pale purple, your logo/submark can be used on top of complementary colour from this palette (e.g. a pale yellow or grey).
Your division of primary and discretionary usage is crucial, especially for brands with a lot of user content – this allows them to become advocates for your brand and spread your message while remaining cohesive with the brand.
Typography
Your typography should be thought of on the same level of importance as your logo or other visual aspects of your brand. When it comes to typography you can use a readymade font or even design your own.
Some companies that have gone the unique way are:
- Netflix
- YouTube
- Apple
Using only one or two typefaces gives your brand consistency. Think through all cases and variations – font-weight, size, hierarchy etc. For example, you can specify font size and weight for headlines versus subheadings versus body content.
Whichever font(s) you use, make sure it represents your brand well. Some themes that companies tend to follow are:
- clean & classic
- fun & whimsical
- bold & daring
Visual Attributes
Similar to the first 3 components to your brand kit, visual attributes play a role in brand recognition. From in-store touch points to websites and digital ads, visual attributes should be consistent. This section is great for expressing acceptable styles such as lifestyle photos, stock images, illustrations and graphics.
If you prefer dark and moody imagery – this is the space to specify that. Include example images or even create a mood board so that anyone viewing your brand kit can get a feel of what your brand is all about.
Examples of Brand Kits
What Now?
That’s probably a lot of information to take in. Seem overwhelming? If you’re unsure of where to start or just don’t have an interest in creating a brand kit on your own then we’ve got your back!
With LeKAC’s new marketing services available, the LeKAC pack can help create brand kits, guidelines, custom packaging and much more.
Contact us today to start your brand journey!
