Create practical brand guidelines for [BRAND NAME] using only the information below. Do not invent customer research, proof points, legal claims, market position, or visual assets. Business, offer, and audience: [BRAND AND AUDIENCE] Positioning and competitive context: [POSITIONING] Existing voice, values, and evidence: [BRAND MATERIAL] Desired channels and deliverables: [CHANNELS] Constraints, prohibited claims, and approval rules: [CONSTRAINTS] Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing. Otherwise, write a 1,200-1,600 word internal guide with these sections: 1. Brand foundation: purpose, audience, problem solved, category, positioning statement, and 3-4 message pillars. For each pillar, state the supporting evidence or label it “needs substantiation.” 2. Audience and message priorities: primary audience, secondary audience if supplied, what each needs to understand, and the action the brand wants them to take. Do not pretend all audiences have identical needs. 3. Voice and tone: 4-5 attributes defined through observable writing choices; a do/don’t table; vocabulary to favor and avoid; and three short before-and-after examples for website, sales, and support copy. 4. Messaging framework: value proposition, elevator pitch, approved proof points, objection response boundaries, and calls to action matched to the supplied channels. 5. Visual direction: describe principles for typography, color, imagery, iconography, and layout only from supplied materials. If assets are absent, write decision criteria rather than specific hex codes or font names. 6. Governance: who uses the guide, which claims require review, and a pre-publish checklist. Make distinctions that a writer or designer can apply under time pressure. Before answering, check that every claim can be traced to my inputs and that voice guidance does not conflict with the audience, offer, or compliance constraints. Flag unresolved choices instead of guessing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [BRAND NAME] | Enter the company, product, or organization name. | Harbor Ledger |
| [BRAND AND AUDIENCE] | Describe the offer, who buys or uses it, and the problem it addresses. | Bookkeeping software for U.S. independent restaurants with 5-30 employees; it helps owners see cash position and payables weekly. |
| [POSITIONING] | Describe the intended category, differentiators, alternatives customers use, and market position. | A restaurant-specific alternative to general accounting tools; differentiate through operator workflows and human onboarding, not promises of automatic tax compliance. |
| [BRAND MATERIAL] | Paste existing messaging, values, customer evidence, voice notes, or approved copy. | Existing line: “Know what the week costs before Friday.” Customers cite less time chasing invoices. Values: practical, candid, respectful of busy operators. |
| [CHANNELS] | List the channels the guidelines must cover, such as website, email, sales decks, or support. | Website, lifecycle email, sales deck, onboarding screens, and support replies. |
| [CONSTRAINTS] | List regulated claims, words to avoid, legal requirements, approval owners, and other limits. | Do not claim tax advice, guaranteed savings, or bank-level security. Finance claims need review by the COO. |
How to use
- Paste approved brand materials alongside the prompt; do not rely on an AI-generated description of your company.
- Test the do/don’t guidance by asking a marketer and a support writer to rewrite the same message independently.
- Verify every proof point against a source your team can produce if challenged, such as research, contracts, or customer approval.
- Send this follow-up: “Turn the voice section into a one-page checklist for writers creating paid social ads, keeping the same prohibited claims.”
Variations
Voice guide
Use this when positioning is set but writers need consistent language.
Create a voice-and-tone guide for [BRAND] based on [EXISTING COPY], [AUDIENCE], [VOICE ATTRIBUTES], and [CHANNELS]. Produce 600-900 words with definitions of each attribute, sentence-level rules, preferred and avoided language, punctuation and capitalization conventions, and six paired examples across the named channels. Separate fixed brand voice from tone changes for high-stakes support, product education, and sales. Do not infer values from competitor language. Check that every example demonstrates the stated rules and flag rules that conflict with the supplied copy.
Brand messaging
Use this when you need a message architecture before a full guidelines document.
Build a messaging architecture for [OFFER] aimed at [PRIMARY AUDIENCE], using [CUSTOMER EVIDENCE], [COMPETITIVE CONTEXT], and [CLAIM LIMITS]. Deliver a positioning statement, one value proposition, three message pillars with evidence, a 25-word elevator pitch, three objection responses, and channel-specific CTAs for [CHANNELS]. Mark any claim that lacks supplied proof. Do not frame unverified features as outcomes. Before answering, check that each pillar is distinct and that the primary promise is relevant to the stated audience’s actual problem.
Brand audit
Use this when existing materials feel inconsistent and you need a diagnosis first.
Audit these brand materials: [MATERIALS]. Evaluate them against [INTENDED AUDIENCE], [OFFER], [POSITIONING], and [COMPLIANCE RULES]. Produce a table with the asset, its current message, inconsistency or risk, severity, and recommended correction. Then write five concise standards that would prevent the most repeated problems. Quote only short excerpts needed to identify an issue; do not rewrite the full assets. Check each critique against the supplied positioning rather than generic branding conventions, and distinguish a factual claim risk from a tone preference.
Tips
- Write message pillars as claims a buyer must believe before acting, then attach the approved evidence for each one. A list of adjectives is not a messaging framework.
- Separate brand voice from tone. A direct brand can still sound calm in an outage notice and warm in an onboarding email without becoming a different brand.
- Name claims that need approval, especially comparative, security, health, financial, environmental, and performance claims. This prevents polished copy from creating an avoidable compliance problem.
- Include examples from the channels your team actually ships. A homepage example alone will not settle how a support reply or sales deck should sound.
FAQ
Can AI create visual brand guidelines without a designer?
It can document visual decision criteria and organize existing assets. Final logo, type, color, accessibility, and production specifications need qualified design review.
How long should brand guidelines be?
A small team often needs a focused 6-12 page guide plus reusable examples. Add detail where decisions are repeatedly inconsistent, not for every imaginable channel.
Should competitors be named in the guide?
Name alternatives when that helps teams explain the category and differentiation. Avoid unsupported comparative claims or copying a competitor’s distinctive language.