What is a brand kit? Make one in ten minutes
By the BrandForge team · Updated · 2 min read
The short answer
A brand kit is the short set of decisions that make everything you publish look and sound like you: your name, what you do in one sentence, who it is for, your voice and two colours. Write it once, and every post, ad and page starts from it instead of from a blank page.
The five parts
- Name: exactly as you want it written, capitals included.
- What you do: one or two sentences a stranger understands.
- Who it is for: the people you most want to reach, in plain words.
- Voice: how you sound. Pick one and keep it.
- Two colours: a main colour and an accent that stands out against it.
Pick a voice
| Voice | Sounds like |
|---|---|
| Clear and confident | Here is what we do, and why it works. |
| Warm and friendly | We made this for you. Come say hi. |
| Bold and punchy | Stop scrolling. This changes your week. |
| Calm and thoughtful | A quieter way to get it right. |
A bank and a skate shop should not sound the same, and neither should change voice from one post to the next. Consistency is what makes a small brand look established.
Choose two colours that work together
Start with the colour people already link to you, often from your logo or shopfront. Then pick an accent that is clearly lighter or darker, so text on it stays easy to read. Two colours used every time beat a palette of eight used at random.
Use it everywhere
Your brand kit is only useful if every piece starts from it: social posts, ads, your site, your email footer. On BrandForge the kit is saved once at /brand; Schedule writes in its voice for its audience, and Create starts every picture in its colours.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a logo before a brand kit?
- No. A name, a voice and two colours are enough to start. A logo can come later, and the kit will tell the designer what to aim for.
- How is a brand kit different from brand guidelines?
- Guidelines are a long document for big teams. A brand kit is the short version a small business actually uses every day.
- Can the BrandForge team design my brand?
- Yes, as a task: a logo, a full identity or a refresh, with the price agreed in the chat before you pay.