In recent years, there has been a growing demand for transparency and accountability from brands. Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing how brands operate and what values they stand for. By making brand guidelines and other information public, brands can demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability, which can help build trust and credibility with customers and other stakeholders. Beyond a growth in desired transparency, public-facing brand assets allow the brand to own more of the stories behind the brand, driving increased consistency and brand equity.
Learn more: Rekindling the powerful hidden stories behind brands
Smart brand teams from global organizations like Salesforce, Optum, Lenovo, and Starbucks are just a few industry giants leading the way and building brand centers with curated public-facing content. This allows them to use brand as a storytelling mechanism as they look to attract marketing and creative talent, in addition to raising their profile among future audiences like business school students who are always looking for public information. In addition, partners, community organizations and non-profits and the media are target audiences for public-facing content.
Salesforce, a BEAM powered by Monigle client, worked shoulder-to-shoulder with our team to create a site that was authentic to their brand, accomplished the storytelling aspects so vital to their brand, and the availability of assets to the public as well as their employees. While working with Salesforce, the decision to make the site public was a thoughtful one.
“We want people to know what makes Salesforce the brand it is, and to understand why we make the decisions we make. So, it was obvious to us to include in the public pages our brand origin story and brand promise.” shares Karen Sommerich, Director of Brand Strategy at Salesforce.
When done well, the brand center experience should serve as a best-in-class articulation of the brand. Even a comparison of the login page provides an indication, as seen when looking at Peloton’s login page for its brand center (built on BEAM powered by Monigle) and comparing it to its external facing website.
Learn more: Why are brands no longer keeping their guidelines under lock and key?
Here, we dive into 9 benefits of creating public facing brand assets and guidelines:
- Streamline collaboration: When stakeholders have access to the latest brand guidelines, it’s easier for them to collaborate and share ideas. By removing any ambiguity about the brand’s visual identity, stakeholders can focus on creating content and experiences that align with the brand’s values and messaging.
- Showcase brand’s values: Public brand guidelines provide an opportunity for brands to showcase their values and vision to a wider audience. By sharing the thinking behind the brand’s identity, brands can communicate their purpose and build stronger relationships with customers and stakeholders.
- Encourage innovation: Public brand guidelines can inspire creativity and innovation. By making guidelines accessible to a wider audience, brands can encourage people to experiment with new ideas and create fresh, innovative content that pushes the boundaries of the brand’s visual identity.
- Encourage consistency: Public brand guidelines make it easy for stakeholders to access the latest brand assets, ensuring that they use the right color palette, font, and imagery. This consistency is essential for building a strong brand identity that resonates with customers.
- Avoid misuse: When brand guidelines are not publicly available, people may try to create their own versions or interpret the brand’s identity in a way that’s not in line with the brand’s values. Public guidelines ensure that everyone is on the same page and using the brand’s assets correctly.
- Foster community: When brand guidelines are public, they can attract a community of fans and advocates who appreciate the brand’s design aesthetic and values. By opening up guidelines to the public, brands can encourage these fans to share their work and ideas within the guidelines, and ultimately foster a sense of community around the brand.
- Increase brand awareness: Public brand guidelines can help increase brand awareness by making it easier for people to recognize the brand across different touchpoints. By using the same design elements and assets consistently, brands can create a strong visual identity that sticks in people’s minds.
- Attract new talent: with public facing sites that provide compelling storytelling behind the brand, it is easier to attract new talent – from creative and beyond – by showcasing the excitement and components of the internal workings, and providing a story that increases engagement and excitement for the brand.
- Save time and money: By making brand guidelines public, brands can save time and money by reducing the need for custom design work. When stakeholders have access to the latest brand assets, they can create content that aligns with the brand’s visual identity without the need for costly design revisions.
Learn more: A better brand experience – for every team
There are also risks to consider, such as the potential for misuse of brand assets or information. This is heightened dramatically through the use of Google and pirated asset usage – usage that will happen that cannot be controlled easily, and often (or always) corrupts brand equity. However, these risks can be mitigated through careful planning and implementation, such as by providing clear guidelines and monitoring usage, as well as engaging a partner that understands the implications and structure needed to increase benefits while decreasing brand risk.
The continued trend towards public-facing brand centers is likely to accelerate in the coming years. The benefits of making brand guidelines and other information public are clear as illustrated by the eight benefits outlined above. By making brand guidelines publicly accessible, the brand becomes a single source of truth available for internal teams to ‘house’ content and publicly showcase brand and design positioning, brand values, inspiration and more, and a public-facing source of truth for the media, interested parties, and brand-partners.
Ultimately, the decision to make brand guidelines and other information public will depend on the specific goals and values of each brand. However, in a world where transparency, collaboration, and innovation are increasingly important, public-facing brand centers may be a valuable tool for building a strong and successful brand.
To learn more about what BEAM powered by Monigle can do for your organization, you can schedule a demo here.