|
Why You Need A Company Style Guide
Whether large or small, companies need to have a
style guide: a defined and posted standard to which all corporate
communications must adhere. This is not just a tool for whoever is
writing your press releases. Rather, anytime your company is represented
in words to employees, customers, or business partners, your company’s
image needs to be protected by quality and style standards. This is what
a corporate style guide does for you.
Style Guides Raise a Standard of
Quality
From the company president to the
newest intern, employees stem from a variety of backgrounds and levels of
writing skills. Add to that your virtual employees, such as contract
workers, affiliates, partners, and vendors, and you have the potential
for substantial irregularities in how, or how well, your company is
represented. Compounding the problem is that many people think they are
good writers, or at the least not bad. In fact, most people don’t have
what it takes to create copy that accurately reflects their goals or
thoughts, let alone the ideals of the company.
Effective writing is either an inborn
gift or a well-honed skill, finessed through years of studying and
mastering the English language. Ineffective writing leads to vague or
misconstrued content. Coupled with poor grammar and spelling, your
company image can be marred. At the least, your standards for
professionalism will not be accurately reflected. The style guide
establishes standards of writing and the processes to assure that they
are reviewed before representing your company in any public fashion.
Style Guides Protect You Legally
By implementing a company style
guide, your company can avoid many headaches and, in some cases,
lawsuits. When dealing with the public, whether consumers or other
businesses, what you say better be what you
mean. The bigger your brand, the more critical it is to protect how it is
represented.
Is any of your public-facing
communication written by individuals or companies outside your company?
Then your need for a style guide is even more critical. What if a partner
uses your logo in a way that misrepresents you? What if your Web agency
misspells your company name on your Web site? This may not seem like a
big issue if your company name is something hard to misspell. But do you
mind if your company name is modified (“Let’s go Krogering,”
or “Payless-ify your way to savings” or “IBM’ers are waiting for your call”) or if it is
shortened (“H&R Block” verses just “Block” or “Big Brand Tire
Company” verses just “Big Brand”) in its use?
A style guide enables the company to
control content, references, and voice. Much like a business plan does
for running and developing a business, the company style guide identifies
and outlines the goals, objectives, and how-to of writing any document.
Style Guides Communicate
Company-Specific Rules
The style guide is the basis for
proper usage of grammar and spelling, which can vary from source to
source, whether it is the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual or
The Chicago Manual of Style, or any other style guide. But beyond those
broader standards, how do you want your company to come across to the
public; calm and reassuring? Vibrant and dynamic? Strong and
professional? Witty and aggressive? Where can anyone go to find the
correct spelling of individual officer names? What is the proper usage of
your company’s products, services, and titles? A real world example: do
you spell it “H & R Block” or “H&R Block” (note the spacing
difference)? The answer depends on whether you are writing about The H
& R Block Foundation www.hrblockfoundation.org/ or H&R Block
(www.hrblock.com), the tax preparation part of the business. And, is it
“The Disney Channel” or “the Disney Channel” without capitalizing “the,”
implying that it is part of the title? Until 1996, it was the former.
Since then, the latter. “The” has been dropped from the title and all
signage. How will your new employees or outside support service people
and organizations know which is correct? Exactly: your style guide. The
corporate style guide comprehensively documents the terminology, tone and
voice, and all aspects of communication that best represent your company.
Style Guides Assure Consistent
Representation
Consistency is the key value of a
company style guide. Whether for marketing, communications, customer
support, sales, advertising, or Web content, nearly every department generates
material that must uniformly reflect who and what the company is and
does. Whether you are a small company or a franchised corporation, you
have brochures, Web copy, letters, e-mail, newsletters, proposals,
reports, and more, all of which benefit from a style guide to maintain
uniformity and flow among all documentation. It defines boundaries and
still allows for creativity among the various departments.
Get Your Style Guide Started Today
If you have not put a company style
guide into place, now is the time. If you are not sure how, WriteWorks
can assist in creating a comprehensive guide that characterizes the
uniqueness of your organization and implements the guidelines for
continuity in writing. We will meet with your leadership and assist your management
teams in creating and implementing your corporate style guide.
|