Anatomy of a Brand, a framework for branding projects by BRINK

How the creatives and strategists at BRINK approach branding projects from the ground up.

The old cliché "your brand is a story" is inaccurate. Your brand is a character that shows up in stories. No matter what you do don't become beholden to frameworks.

Consider making your brand guidelines look a lot more like how a Hollywood writer or a novelist might keep track of the characters in their stories. Talk about it in a plain spoken way, avoid hollow words like “authentic” or “inspiring”.

Try to get to something sticky, tangible and unique — like any great character from any great story you've enjoyed.

As for your distinctive brand assets: instead of creating 40 pages of rules, identify the 3-5 most critical distinctive brand elements you will rally behind and focus on those.

Usually the logo is one of those, of course. Beyond that, instead of checking a bunch of boxes down a pre-canned list of actions, put more thought and craft into a few key splashy elements that can stand out in the space you operate:

A bold color.

A distinctive sound.

A funky mascot.

A repeated motion.

A novel art style.

And one last thought — your brand may not be a story, but it has a backstory based on the founder of the organization and the people in the room giving it life. Be sure to make the process inclusive and enjoyable. A good process yields a good product.

1. WHAT CAN OUR STAKEHOLDERS CONSISTENTLY EXPECT FROM US?
PROMISE
BACKSTORY
IDENTITY
CHARACTER
EXPRESSION
WHAT SETS US APART FROM OUR COMPETITORS?
Define a key benefit or outcome we hope to always deliver. Think Disney’s “happiest place on earth.”
Why us? Are we broad or niche? Are we high-end or affordable? Are we service-focused? Are we bespoke? Etc.
PURPOSE
WHAT IS OUR REASON TO EXIST? WHAT VALUE DO WE BRING TO THE WORLD?
Not “make the world better” — be specific. What market or mission do we serve and how is it improved by us?
PERSONA
DESCRIBE THE BRAND WITH HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS.
Explore jungian archetypes. Find parallels with real world characters. Explain like how an author defines a character.
CONCEPT
DEVELOP A BIG IDEA TO MOTIVATE THE CREATIVE PROCESS.
Find a single thread that feels natural for the persona and salient for the market. Think Dove’s “real beauty.”
POSITION
BRAND GUIDELINES + ASSETS
BRAND TOUCHPOINTS
LOGO
DESIGN SYSTEM
TAGLINE
COPY GUIDE
SONIC IDENT
SOUNDSCAPE
LOGO ANIMATION
MOTION RULES
VISUAL VERBAL SOUND MOTION
ANATOMY OF A BRAND
WEB PACKAGING SPACES MEDIA COLLABS PEOPLE
BRINK.COM