Brand Guidelines Manager

Overview

This skill helps you maintain consistent brand identity across all business communications by applying your brand guidelines automatically. Ideal for Australian small businesses who want professional, on-brand content without hiring a designer.

What This Skill Does

• Applies your brand colors, fonts, and tone of voice to content
• Checks content against your brand guidelines
• Suggests brand-aligned alternatives for off-brand content
• Maintains consistency across emails, social media, proposals, and marketing materials

Setup Instructions

Step 1: Gather Your Brand Assets

Collect the following information:

• Logo files (ideally PNG with transparent background)
• Brand colors with hex codes (e.g., #FF5733)
• Typography (fonts used for headings and body text)
• Tone of voice (professional, friendly, authoritative, etc.)
• Key messaging (tagline, value propositions)
• Visual style (minimalist, bold, elegant, etc.)

Step 2: Create Your Brand Guidelines Document

Create a file called brand-guidelines.md with this structure:

# [Your Company Name] Brand Guidelines

## Brand Identity
- **Industry:** [e.g., Plumbing Services, Accounting, Retail]
- **Target Audience:** [e.g., Sydney homeowners, Small business owners]
- **Brand Personality:** [e.g., Trustworthy, Professional, Approachable]

## Colors
- **Primary:** #[HEX] - [Color Name] - [When to use]
- **Secondary:** #[HEX] - [Color Name] - [When to use]
- **Accent:** #[HEX] - [Color Name] - [When to use]

## Typography
- **Headings:** [Font Name] - Bold
- **Body Text:** [Font Name] - Regular
- **Call-to-Action:** [Font Name] - Bold

## Tone of Voice
**Do:**
- Use short, clear sentences
- Be friendly but professional
- Include Australian spelling (e.g., colour, organise)
- Reference local context (suburbs, states)

**Don't:**
- Use jargon or technical terms
- Be overly formal or stuffy
- Use US spelling

## Key Messages
- **Tagline:** [Your tagline]
- **Value Prop 1:** [Key benefit]
- **Value Prop 2:** [Key benefit]
- **Value Prop 3:** [Key benefit]

## Visual Style
- Clean and professional
- Use plenty of white space
- High-quality images only
- Consistent icon style

Step 3: Activate the Skill

1. Upload your brand-guidelines.md to Claude
2. Tell Claude: "Use my brand guidelines for all content"
3. Claude will automatically apply these guidelines

Usage Examples

Example 1: Social Media Post

Your request:

Write a Facebook post announcing our new plumbing service special

Claude applies your brand:

• Uses your brand's friendly tone
• Includes your brand colors in suggested graphics
• References your Australian market (e.g., "Save on plumbing this winter in Sydney")
• Follows your messaging about quality and reliability

Example 2: Email to Client

Your request:

Draft an email to a client about their project delay

Claude applies your brand:

• Professional but empathetic tone
• Uses your standard email signature format
• Maintains brand voice consistency
• Australian business communication style

Example 3: Proposal Document

Your request:

Create a proposal for office fit-out project

Claude applies your brand:

• Uses your brand color scheme
• Applies correct typography hierarchy
• Includes your value propositions
• Maintains professional Australian business English

Australian Business Context

This skill is particularly valuable for:

• Trades: Maintain professional image across quotes, invoices, social media
• Professional Services: Consistent brand across proposals, reports, LinkedIn
• Retail: On-brand product descriptions, marketing, customer emails
• Hospitality: Menu descriptions, social media, booking confirmations

Tips for Success

1. Be Specific: The more detailed your brand guidelines, the better results
2. Include Examples: Show Claude examples of on-brand vs off-brand content
3. Update Regularly: Refresh your guidelines as your brand evolves
4. Start Simple: Begin with colors, fonts, and tone - add more later

What Makes This Different from Templates?

• Templates are one-time use documents you fill in
• This Skill teaches Claude your brand rules to apply automatically to any content
• Works across all content types without creating individual templates
• Evolves with your brand as you update guidelines

Next Steps

Once your brand guidelines are set up:

1. Test with small content pieces first
2. Check brand consistency across different content types
3. Refine guidelines based on results
4. Use for all business communications

Estimated Setup Time: 30-45 minutes Ongoing Time Saved: 2-3 hours per week on brand consistency checks Best For: Businesses creating 5+ pieces of content per week