I’ve done a few brand books and guidelines, too many to make case studies of them all. Here a few of the latest. They’re from companies that all had to rethink and align their brands when they were acquired by the ZF Group. They’re all from the automotive aftermarket sector but as brands they’re quite distinct. One of the key things was to set them apart from each other yet keep them in line with the overall group ethos.

The other factor to bear in mind, when setting out guidelines in general, is that you have to be aware of how the rules and guides you make are applied across the myriad of different formats and mediums. It’s not exactly a thankless task, however, it does require a very organised, methodical and focussed mindset to make sure every detail is not only consistent and correct but still makes sense for the brand. Believe it or not this is the easy part. The area that requires the most attention is the brand itself of course. It’s identity, values, personality, tone of voice, positioning, promise and essence to name a few. What is the brand and what does it stand for. These become the guiding principles to formulating a cohesive message, look and feel. It’s a lengthy process, and certainly not merely creating a logo, choosing some colours and picking a typeface. You need to push both your left and right brain. Ultimately though, creating and developing a brand as a whole can be very rewarding.

LEMFÖRDER

SACHS

TRW

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