Your branding checklist helps keep your brand on track. When creating a new brand or refining an existing one, the chances are, a lot of people will have a lot of different opinions.
- “Should we change the logo”
- “Is the strapline outdated”
- “I don’t like the colour blue”
And it can be difficult to know who to listen to.
However, the most important thing is staying true to what your brand stands for. With all this noise though, that can easily be lost.
Your branding checklist is something you should always refer back to, ensuring any decision is made for the right reason. This avoids you going off track simply because you don’t ‘like’ something or because you’ve seen another brand do something that you fancy trying.
By outlining the elements and processes that make up your brand, you can make more purposeful, strategic decisions that drive your company forward. It’s easy to get lost in the world of branding, and it’s increasingly competitive.
But don’t fly off making quick decisions! Follow the branding checklist outlined in this blog, and steer your business (and team) in the right direction.
What Is A Branding Checklist?
A branding checklist is a list of things that make up your brand. As this list outlines the different elements that your brand is founded on, you can refer back to it if you’re ever in doubt.
This checklist can take lots of different forms, and visually, can look very different for one company compared to another. For example, you might have your brand checklist in a shared Google Doc, whereas another business might choose to create a visual version in a presentation or PDF.
The most important thing is that it’s a list that you can refer back to and use as a genuine guide to make better decisions.
You should have this checklist whenever you’re:
- Creating a brand for the first time – it documents key actions and processes
- Working on an existing brand – it helps you make decisions that are purposeful
- Undergoing a rebrand – any new brand needs a thought-out process
Every business needs a branding checklist, so whether you already have one or you need to create one, use the steps outlined in this post.
Why Is A Branding Checklist Essential?
A branding checklist is a key part of getting your brand right as it helps drown out the noise so you can focus on what really matters.
When you’re in the middle of a rebrand or rolling out new creative, it’s easy for ideas, opinions, and preferences to pull things in different directions. A clear brand checklist acts as a guide, keeping everyone anchored to the core things that define your brand such as your tone of voice, visuals, messaging, and purpose.
It ensures decisions aren’t made in isolation or based on what feels right in the moment, but rather on what aligns with the bigger picture. By having a foundation to refer back to, you avoid deviating away from your brand meaning you can scale as your business grows.
Whether you’re growing your team, launching new campaigns, or moving into new markets, a branding checklist helps your brand stay consistent and recognisable. Internally, this keeps your team united and your output cohesive.
Who Should Create A Branding Checklist?
Anyone who owns, manages, or is building a business should create a branding checklist. For start-up founders and entrepreneurs it’s an important tool for staying on track in the early stages, helping you make better decisions that put you in good stead for the future.
That said, a branding checklist isn’t just for new businesses. Anyone responsible for managing a brand, whether that’s an in-house marketing lead, brand manager, or company director, should have one in place. You can then present this to your internal teams, ensuring everyone understands the brand in the same way and can apply it across different touchpoints.
If you work with external partners, it’s also a great guide to have. For example, if you ever bring a branding agency, marketing consultant, or freelance designer on board, having a clear checklist to share makes the process so much smoother.
How to Create A Branding Checklist Step-by-Step
A good branding checklist should do more than just detail your logo usage and colour palette. It should act as a practical guide that you can return to whenever you’re making brand decisions.
It’s about capturing the essence of your brand in an actionable way so that anyone who comes into contact with your brand (internally or externally), understands exactly what makes it what it is.
Start With What Makes Your Brand Different
Every brand says they’re unique, but it’s about finding out what that really is.
If you can’t find a clear way to differentiate yourself from your competitors, you’re going to get lost. If you don’t know why customers should choose you, then they’ve got no chance of figuring it out!
Write down what makes you different by thinking about:
- What you do better – Whether that’s your product quality, service, or the experience you give customers.
- How you do it differently – Your approach, process, or values that shape the way you work.
Who you do it for – Maybe you serve a niche audience or understand your customers on a deeper level than others. - Why you started – Think about your story, purpose, or the problem you solve as this can be a big differentiator.
- What you stand for – Your brand beliefs, tone, and personality all help people connect with you emotionally, not just practically.
The goal isn’t to find something no one else has ever done; it’s to define what makes your version of it stand out. When you can clearly articulate that, you’ll attract the right audience and create a brand people remember.
Nail Down Your Visual Identity
How your brand looks visually is so important as before customers know anything about you, this is what they will see. People are drawn to brands that are visually engaging and tell a story.
Going back to your competitors, if your visual identity fails to capture your customers they won’t be encouraged to find out more. Even if you have a great brand story, deep brand purpose, or a really niche offering, they won’t get that far before looking elsewhere.
Your visual identity is the initial hook so think about this carefully. This is equally important when you’re rebranding as you might have recognised that your current identity is not capturing the audience you want.
Make sure you include detail on:
- Your logo variations
- Colour palette
- Typography
- Image style
- Any specific design rules (such as spacing, backgrounds, or proportions)
Own Your Brand Tone of Voice and Messaging
Your tone of voice is one of the most powerful tools you have as it’s how people recognise and relate to your brand beyond the visuals. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it that builds trust.
Write down examples of your preferred tone and how you want your brand to sound in different situations (for example, social posts vs marketing reports).
Also consider the emotions you want to evoke i.e. are you friendly and conversational or confident and authoritative? Defining this helps everyone communicate in a way that feels on-brand.
In your branding checklist, detail things like:
- Core messaging pillars – the key themes or ideas you want to reinforce again and again.
- Go-to phrases and taglines – the words or expressions that sum up your brand’s personality.
- Language to avoid – phrases or tones that don’t align with your brand values or make you sound off-brand.
- Tone variations – how your tone flexes across channels (i.e. more relaxed on social media, more professional in reports).
The more specific your examples, the better so instead of simply saying your brand is “friendly,” show what that looks like in writing.
Decide On the Dos and Don’ts
A brand checklist doesn’t just help you decide on what to do, it also helps you avoid mistakes.
By setting clear boundaries, it’s much easier for others to get your brand right, especially when different people are creating content, visuals, or campaigns.
Clearly state examples of what’s on-brand and what isn’t; this could include colour combinations to avoid, imagery styles that don’t fit, or phrases that don’t match your tone of voice.
This might also include:
- Visuals: Which logo versions to use (and when), correct colour contrasts, image styles that feel authentic to your brand, and design treatments to steer clear of.
- Typography: Approved fonts and sizes for different uses, and what to avoid (e.g. no script font in professional documents).
- Tone of Voice: Words and phrases that fit your brand personality versus ones that feel off-brand or confusing.
- Content Style: How to format content (e.g. concise headlines, plain-language copy) and what to avoid (e.g. jargon, overused buzzwords).
- Customer Communication: How to respond to feedback, complaints, or enquiries in a way that still feels true to your brand values.
Including both sides (as in what works and what doesn’t) helps people understand your brand in a more practical way. It turns abstract ideas like “friendly” or “professional” into real examples your team can follow.
List Your Brand Assets and Where to Find Them
Your branding checklist should detail all of your brand assets and where to find them, so that anyone looking for your logo or typography for example, knows where they live.
This makes it easier for everyone to work on your brand without the panic of where things have been saved. It’s easy for things to get lost in any business and for different teams to store things in different places. However, by noting this in your brand checklist it saves time, prevents confusion, and ensures everyone uses the correct, up-to-date versions.
Ideally, all your assets should live in one central location, whether that’s a shared drive or cloud storage folder. Include clear links or file paths within your checklist so anyone can quickly find what they need without having to ask or guess. You might also want to note which file types are best for specific uses (for example, PNGs for digital use and vector files for print) to help non-designers make the right choices.
Keep It Practical and Accessible
Your branding checklist should be a working tool which people can genuinely use. It’s meant to make everyone’s lives easier and facilitate their understanding of the brand so it needs to be simple, actionable, and easy for anyone to use.
Whether someone has worked at your company for years or just started, it should be easily accessible. This is where the structure of your branding checklist comes into play as it needs to be easy to navigate. For example, use short explanations (not lengthy paragraphs), clear headings, and checkboxes that make it easy to tick things off as you go. If your brand assets or examples live elsewhere, include direct links rather than attachments.
Also don’t be afraid to keep things conversational and be human! Whilst this is an important document, it shouldn’t feel like a set of rigid rules; it should feel like a helpful guide that everyone can use.
When your team finds this easy to understand and apply, your brand naturally becomes more consistent and cohesive.
Does A Branding Checklist Need Updating?
Whilst your branding checklist is a great foundation, it shouldn’t be static.
Thats because your brand isn’t static – it’s a living, growing thing that evolves over time. And rightly so. Whilst it’s important to stay true to your roots, it’s also silly to be left behind.
Brands that don’t adapt can fail, as your customers, the market, and the competition is changing all of the time.
It’s your job to listen and to respond.
Claire’s Accessories is a great example of a brand who stayed true to its roots but to its detriment. It failed to keep up and as such, lost customers and revenue. When you went into any store, it threw you back to 2006. Having a strong brand history is key but so is listening to what your customers need from you. As a result, Claire’s has had to close a significant number of its stores in the UK and Ireland, with around 145 closures affecting roughly 1,000 jobs, though some locations were rescued by a private equity deal. These changes reflect the broader challenges the brand faces in staying relevant and competitive in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
