Brand guidelines were originally created to create consistency. But somewhere along the way, consistency became rigidity. And rigidity kills connection.
As digital ecosystems evolve—with AI-generated content, multimodal platforms, and user-driven storytelling—the best brands are asking a better question:
Are our brand rules still helping people understand us—or are they getting in the way?
Here’s how to evaluate whether your brand guidelines still serve humans, or if it’s time to rethink the rules.
1. Do They Make Communication Easier… or Harder?
Guidelines should simplify decision-making. But when teams have to cross-check eight PDFs to write a social caption, you’re not enabling brand clarity—you’re creating brand anxiety.
Ask:
- Can your team apply the voice quickly and naturally?
- Is the tone flexible for different audiences or platforms?
- Are your guidelines written like tools—or like commandments?
If your brand can’t adapt to real conversation, it won’t scale.
2. Do They Empower or Silence Teams?
Great brands create internal ambassadors. But overly rigid brand rules often:
- Prevent personalization
- Undermine trust in frontline employees
- Mute authenticity in internal and external comms
A better approach?
- Provide principles, not just examples
- Give people confidence to sound like themselves within the brand
- Train for judgment, not perfection
If your guidelines don’t invite buy-in, they’ll just be ignored.
3. Do They Scale Across Contexts?
Your brand voice in a TV ad shouldn’t sound identical to your tone in a customer support email.
But your values should still shine through.
Brand systems that scale:
- Offer tone variants by use case (e.g., bold for campaigns, soft for service)
- Respect platform culture (LinkedIn vs. TikTok vs. in-product UI)
- Adjust language for cognitive/emotional load (especially in high-stress flows)
Humans speak differently depending on where they are and who they’re with. Brands should, too.
4. Do They Invite Co-Creation?
Modern brands aren’t monologues. They’re participatory.
If your guidelines are designed only for internal use, you’re missing the opportunity to help partners, influencers, creators, and even AI tools represent you clearly.
That means:
- Providing open-source assets or toolkits
- Offering AI prompt guidance (yes, seriously)
- Clarifying core values over surface aesthetics
Brands that invite collaboration are brands that grow.
5. Are They Designed for Behavior—Not Just Appearance?
Your logo, fonts, and colors matter. But if they’re not paired with clear behavioral guidance, your brand becomes a visual shell.
Ask:
- What do we want people to feel when they experience our brand?
- How does our tone build trust?
- What behaviors (internally and externally) reinforce who we are?
Brand behavior builds meaning. Visual identity only signals it.
Final Thoughts
If your brand guidelines aren’t written with humans in mind— • Humans who use them • Humans who engage with the brand • Humans who evolve in how they work and communicate
…then it might be time to revisit them.
Because a brand that can’t flex, can’t connect. And a brand that can’t connect, can’t last.
