As staffing responsibilities change, it may be difficult to ensure that your organization’s communication is consistent and branded. A style guide creates a set of standards to be used when designing and writing online communications, handouts, reports, and other creative assets for your organization.
This guide is helpful for organizations that do not have a single person responsible for creating the communications and images that represent your work. It is especially critical for nonprofits that rely on consultants, volunteers, and interns to create content as they may not be familiar with your organization’s brand. Creating an editorial style guide will yield immediate results as it saves staff time and cuts costs.
Outline of Services
A Brand and Editorial Style Guide created by Social Change Consulting (SCC) is customized to the needs of each organization and often consists of the following elements:
Color Palette
- Primary and secondary colors and when they should be used
- CMYK, RGB, PMS, and HEX/HTML definitions for each color
Typography / Fonts
- What fonts and typefaces should be used
- When to use different typefaces
Logo Usage
- Recommendations on the use of logos
- Instructions on when primary and secondary (if they exist) logos should be used
- Rules when a logomark should be used
- Clear space and sizing for logos recommendations
- Guidelines for co-branded materials
Photography and Images
- Best practices in using images to highlight your organization’s work
- Examples of images that align with your organization’s brand
Editorial Style Guidelines
- Best practices in how your organization communicates
- Topics vary for each organization and often include:
- Abbreviation and Acronyms
- Bulleted Lists
- Capitalization
- Use of boldface type
- Use of numbers
Value of This Project
- Stronger brand recognition
- Consistency in look and language of your organization to increase efficiency and effectiveness of communication
- Better tools to boost the success and efficiency of your team’s content creators
- More streamlined and effective content creation when collaborating with other organizations
- Staff time saved
Timeline and Price
For most organizations, this project takes 3-4 weeks. An introductory video or phone meeting is necessary for SCC to learn more about your previous communication, existing brand standards, and organizational goals.
The price for this project varies depending on how in-depth your needs are. We will work with you to determine a price that fits your budget and project needs. Previous projects have ranged from $750 to $3,500.
If your organization needs a Brand and Editorial Style Guide or you would like to talk with us about a potential project, please contact us today. You can send us an email at info@socialchangeconsulting.com or fill out this form.
We look forward to hearing from you!