The short answer is absolutely. Without it, you’ll be operating without a compass. Communication and your corporate identity will be messy. A corporate style guide creates a unified and clear understanding about the company’s corporate identity as well as the language and tone that should be used in all company communications. Read on to learn what corporate style guides are as well as the benefits of creating one for your company.
What is a Corporate Style Guide?
Many in the corporate world assume a style guide only refers to colors and logos. While knowing the recommended sizes, configurations, and color palettes is essential for business branding, these details only represent one component of an effective corporate style guide.
In short, a corporate style guide is an official document that lays out guidelines for communicating in various ways. These can include letters, proposals, documents, emails, speeches, press releases, etc. In addition to clarifying communication standards, a style guide also presents visual branding.
The major elements of a corporate style guide include:
- Overview of the company or organization’s history, vision, personality, and key values
- Brand language and spelling (Are we The XYZ Company, the XYZ Company, the XYZ Company, Inc., or the XYZ Company, LLC?)
- Spelling options (traveling vs. travelling)
- References to divisions or departments
- Parameters of using or avoiding jargon
- Punctuation/grammar rules (especially for the controversial Oxford comma)
- Abbreviations
- List presentation/formatting of headings and bullet points (title or sentence form)—Do headings end in periods? Do bullet points begin with capital letters and end with periods?
- Numbers, times, dates, measurements
- Inclusive language (use of the singular “they” and capitalization of Black and White, for example)
- Tone of voice (formal, informal, direct, friendly, etc.)
Corporate Style Guides & Company-specific Grammar & Usage Rules
When we make decisions about which grammar and usage rules to follow, we may look to various language style guides for initial modeling. Sometimes, the decision depends on the communication medium. For example, the publishing company I work for produces print and digital magazines, performing arts programs, newsletters, and annual reports. We use the The Chicago Manual of Style as our overall guideline. But our editorial and marketing departments create lists of exceptions. For example, “in-house” rules regarding the capitalization of people’s titles and local geographical regions (northeast Ohio vs. Northeast Ohio). Our style guide ensures company-wide consistency with these exceptions.
Benefits of Corporate Style Guides
As companies grow, so too grows the importance of developing a corporate style guide. After all, each new team member acts as a brand ambassador for your company. Just as a company crafts a mission statement to offer clarity on why the company exists, your corporate style guide should offer clarity on how it communicates that mission. Here are the major benefits to creating or updating your brand’s corporate style guide.
Ensure Consistency in Communication
Consistency in written and verbal communication is crucial to brand identity. Without it, a brand is neither clear nor memorable.
Save Time and Money
Consider this scenario. You’re drafting a proposal, and you’re on a deadline. In your haste, you’ve written a draft without checking your corporate style guide. You send your draft to the appropriate people who need to approve it, and they respond they have to dig into the style guide to make corrections. Talk about a waste of time and poor use of resources. If multiple editors and proofreaders are working on the same project, the risk of communications delivered with errors increases. Mistakes also cost your company money by reducing credibility with clients.
Establish the Company Tone
Is your company’s tone formal, informal, direct, friendly, or clever? Your employees (aka brand ambassadors) need to understand the prescribed tone and how to use it. Some companies provide templates for various kinds of communication that demonstrate the desired tone.
Establish an Attitude of Respect
Guidelines outlining the dos and don’ts of sensitive language prevent offensive language from being used in both internal and external communications. This helps you avoid serious negative consequences from such missteps. It also establishes yours as a socially conscious company. One that is keenly aware of the power of words and the importance of being mindful about how we use (or don’t use) certain language.
Crafting a style guide is essential to protecting an organization and instilling trust in your brand. Ensuring all employees at all levels understand and use it is even more crucial.
Do you need help developing a corporate style guide? Do you need to revisit your style guide to ensure your brand has a socially conscious voice? We offer a full line of editorial services to businesses just like yours. Contact us to learn more.
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