Business Magazine Brand Book

brand standards

CONTENTS This brand standards document explores the message, visuals, and expression of your brand.

1. Brand Message 2. Design & Visuals 3. Words & Content 4. Live Your Brand

BRAND GUIDELINES GROWTH ADVANCE

MOODBOARD

The moodboard was curated to express the “mood” of the brand and to inspire the visual decisions. The images chosen convey a sense of exploration and the journey mixed with the reality of modern entrepreneurship.

brand message

POSITION

CORE IDEA Growth Advance is here to give entrepreneurs the confidence to take the next step in their journey. We also want to empower them to think more holistically about the place that their business serves their life and their community.

OUR GOAL We help entrepreneurs get into action. Our goal for the brand is to attract more magazine subscribers and members.

HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT Our brand isn’t about the hustle & grind. We want to help entrepreneurs build a business that fuels an amazing life - not one that is at the expense of their lives.

WHAT WE DELIVER Our brand is experienced through our magazine, website, and membership programs.

01


BRAND MESSAGE

PERSONALITY

HERO & EXPLORER PERSONALITY ARCHETYPE

Our goal is to help entrepreneurs grow their authentic, fulfilling business that gives them more freedom and a better life. We do this by teaching them the skills and mindsets they need to master their businesses.

We are motivated by a desire to find our own path in life, to discover more about ourselves, and to make an impact in the world.

We are driven by a sense of personal responsibility and the knowledge that our impact doesn’t just affect our own lives, it affects everyone around us.

When they encounter our brand, our audience FEELS confident, motivated, empowered, self-aware, & equipped.

We are: • Practical • Living by example • Contagiously confident • Driven to take action • Aware of our own power • Approachable • Open-minded to change

01


BRAND MESSAGE

POINT OF VIEW

A whole new league of Entrepreneurs is rising up. We no longer have to sell our time (our lives, really) to the highest bidder who will define the worth of an hour of our lives. No more. These Entrepreneurs understand that we live in a time of unmatched opportunity for anyone who is willing to work for it, to create a successful, meaningful business AND a life they love living.

The business world is changing. It is awakening to a whole new level of consciousness – a realization that bottom-line profits, while certainly desired and an important part of success, are no longer the greatest measure of success. Business should serve our lives and the greater community around us.

Real success is multi-faceted. Real success comes when you build profitability with a holistic approach – while protecting your health, empowering great relationships, staying connected spiritually, taking responsibility for your impact on the planet, remembering to have fun and adventure, and doing something that matters to you and brings positive change to the world.

Hard work is necessary. Having a dream isn’t enough. You can create whatever you are willing to work for. We all have a personal responsibility to honor our gifts and talents by sharing them with the world. We need to step up into our own best selves. The power is within ourselves to build the business and life that we want.

01


BRAND MESSAGE

We use entrepreneurship to build a meaningful life through meaningful

contribution.

MANIFESTO

UNFAIR ADVANTAGE

Your unfair advantage is that you’ve lived through the transition that you are helping others go through. You’ve moved your business from a place of hustle and grind to ease and flow. Your brand will guide others to do the same.

You also have the teams, people, network, and resources in place to make this brand truly great. You are invested in its success - your commitment is crucial to driving this brand forward.

01


BRAND MESSAGE

design & visuals

LOGO

02

VISUAL IDENTITY

Your main logo is clean, and straightforward. The icon (alternate logo) is a recognizable icon that can be used for the app and as a photo watermark.


PRIMARY COLORS

VISUAL IDENTITY

Your primary brand colors are a mix of Hero and Explorer. The blues evoke a sense of community and camaraderie. The bright green creates a sense of action and urgency (and a bit of fun!)

#014276

20% 40% 60% 80%

#1f2145 #8ebe1f

20% 60% 20% 60%


02

SECONDARY COLORS

VISUAL IDENTITY

Your secondary colors have been built around your primary colors to give your brand some depth. The bright yellow is used as a “Call to Action” attention grabber. The neutral grey and whites give us some balance with the more saturated colors.

#e7d501 #9aa7ab #e7e7e5


02

COLOR RULES

01

VISUAL IDENTITY

Header: #1f2145 Signup/Login text: #8ebe1f Call to action bar: #e7d501 Login button: #e7d501 Social media icons: #004276 Middle video block background: #9aa7ab

Font colors on light backgrounds: H1: #1f2145 (Nexa bold, all caps, 1px letter-spacing) H2: #9aa7ab (Nexa bold, all caps, 1px letter-spacing) H3-5: #1f2145 (Nexa bold, all caps, 1px letter-spacing) Body: #1f2145 (Nexa light)

Font colors on dark backgrounds: H1: #FFFFF (Nexa bold, all caps, 1px letter-spacing) H2: #FFFFF (Nexa bold, all caps, 1px letter-spacing) H3-5: #FFFFF (Nexa bold, all caps, 1px letter-spacing) Body: #FFFFF (Nexa light)


PATTERNSVISUAL IDENTITY

The patterns your brand uses help communicate the brand message. The triangle shapes create a sense of movement and energy. The colors are bright and saturated.


02

TYPOGRAPHY

HEADLINES: NEXA BOLD ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()

VISUAL IDENTITY

Body: Nexa Light

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()

Accent: Pacifico ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()

The font used in the vast majority of your communication is Nexa. If Nexa isn’t available, Proxima Nova or Source Sans Pro are good alternates. These are very modern and clean fonts. The script font (Pacifico) will be used sparingly as an accent.


02

FONTS IN ACTION

HEADLINE LEVEL 1 This is a description paragraph. It explains the purpose of the page and describes the title to the left.

1. Example 2. Example 3. Example 4. Example

“This is a quote from a very impressive person.”

-IMPORTANT PERSON

HEADLINE LEVEL 2

This is a description paragraph. It explains the purpose of the page and describes the title to the left. This is a description paragraph. It explains the purpose of the page and describes the title to the left.

• Example • Example • Example

VISUAL IDENTITY

Main font color: #1f2145 Links: #8ebe1f Accent (headline 2): #9aa7ab


02

image style

IMAGE DO’S

VISUAL IDENTITY


Images of actual entrepreneurs you are profiling or who wrote the article

Images of your ideal reader working as an entrepreneur

Nature images with bright greens and blues

“Real life” shots of events & activities your entrepreneur would be

participating in - not staged looking.

When choosing images for your brand, pick ones like these.

02

IMAGE DON’TS

VISUAL IDENTITY


No dudes in V-neck shirts. Stock images of concepts that aren’t found in real life.

Nature images that are outside your main color scheme

Images of people working that are too “corporate” - big office buildings,

large meetings, teams, etc.

When choosing images, avoid ones like these.

02

ICONS

01

I curated and edited these icons to fit your brand with your colors. Use them throughout the magazine and website to add design interest.


VISUAL IDENTITY

words & content

TONE OF VOICE


03

BRAND COMMUNICATION

Content and communication from your brand should sound direct, motivational, and practical. You’ll want your brand communication to always be moving people forward into action by giving them the tools and the mindset needed to take the next step.

Examples should include real-life stories from your own life and other entrepreneurs that open your ideal reader/member’s eyes to the possibilities of entrepreneurship.

You’ll sound: • Confident but not overzealous • Optimistic but not silly • Approachable but not too casual • Helpful but not enabling • Smart but not all-knowing • Motivational but always with substance

We want to be the guide to our entrepreneur’s journey. We aren’t their guru, therapist or mother. Honor their journey and highlight their successes whenever possible.

We also want to throw in bits of real-life fun into our language. Business is not meant to be so serious.

WORD BANK

• Own who you are • Wake up to your impact • Honor the process • Contagious confidence • We have the power within ourselves • Business for good • Journey • Process • Growth • Self-actualization • Meaningful lives / meaningful contribution • Your unique voice • Working in your best space • Fully engaged with life • Ripple effect of good/impact • Positive change


BRAND COMMUNICATION

03

TAGLINE Where Business Fuels Your Amazing Life

OTHER OPTIONS Find your voice & mission in the world. Your impact ripples out into the world. Wake up to your impact. Honor the process forward.


BRAND COMMUNICATION

03

MEMBERSHIP

• Guided Growth Membership • Growth Insiders • Growth Crew • Growth Team • Growth League • Growth Guild • Academy of Growth • Action Alliance • Action-Takers Alliance • Advance Alliance • Advance Academy • Advanced Membership • Ascension Member • Elevate Membership


BRAND COMMUNICATION

03

I brainstormed a few options for your membership program that moved away from the “Royal” feeling “Elite” to focus on the growth and the journey of the entrepreneur.

BIOS SUPER SHORT (SOCIAL, BY LINE) Growth Advance helps entrepreneurs build businesses that fuel amazing lives.

MEDIUM (PROFILE, BLURB) Growth Advance is a magazine and membership site for entrepreneurs who are on the journey to build their business for good. We think your business should fuel your amazing life, not stop you from living it. Make your meaningful impact in the world!


BRAND COMMUNICATION

03

STORIES

LOW TO HIGH Your low to high origin story is how you are a recovering busy ‘workaholic’ and how your business actually improved and grew when you gave that habit up.

WHY STORY Your why story is reading that Editor’s Letter about how we worship the hustle & grind of entrepreneurship instead of honoring how it can serve our best lives.

HUMAN ELEMENTS Share your travels, anecdotes about your family, and examples of how you “balance” or integrate business and life so your readers can get to know the person behind the brand.

CLIENT STORIES Client stories and testimonials will become very important in selling the membership product. Build it into your process to collect testimonials (experience before, during, and results after) with each training.


BRAND COMMUNICATION

03

CONTENTTOOLS & STRATEGY FOR GROWTH Give entrepreneurs the practical “how to” to growing their business. Give them the specific steps they need to take action.

MINDSET FOR GROWTH Share your values around a healthy business/life freely and help entrepreneurs stop being so “busy” and invite more flow into their life.

ADVANCING YOUR LIFE Cover topics related to the “other stuff” that affects business but *isn’t* business. Things like health, relationships, self-identity, and community involvement.


BRAND COMMUNICATION

03

Everything needs to relate back to your ideal entrepreneur’s life — ESPECIALLY when you are ‘off topic’ talking about fitness, home topics, or relationships. Keep your content focused through the lens of the entrepreneur.

live your brand

ACTION STEPS

UPDATE BRAND PRESENCE Update website, email marketing, social media profiles, and web applications with the new brand visuals.

FOCUS SOCIAL CONTENT Social media content needs to be aligned with the brand goals. Focus on topics that are relevant and create graphics that match the new visual identity.

UPDATE MEMBERSHIP SALES PAGE I recommend a redesign of your membership sales page to break up the long page of text. It would be great to see what types of content (webinars) will be covered in the upcoming months.

IMPLEMENT LEAD GENERATOR ON HOMEPAGE Replace social media feed with a lead generation offer. A growth checklist or cheatsheet would do well here.

04


LIVE YOUR BRAND

BRANDEMIES

IDEA ENEMIES • Being busy for the sake of busy • “Manifesting” your dreams but not working

towards them • Selfish business that is purely for profit instead of

focusing on the good it can do • Sacrificing health, relationships, or well-being for

the sake of business success

NOT TO DO LIST • Share content that doesn’t tie back to

entrepreneurship • Give people ideas without implementation steps

WE ARE NOT • A cheerleader. We’re equipping entrepreneurs to

take action. • The “high end” option for business and personal

development. We are accessible to entrepreneurs on every step of their journey.


LIVE YOUR BRAND

04

Business Magazine Brand Book

Small Business & Entrepreneurship