What should brand guidelines include?

What are brand guidelines and why do you need them?

Brand guidelines (also called a brand book) are the rulebook for using your brand. They turn a designer's work into a system the whole company can use.

Off brand content is common. Lucidpress found 81% of companies still deal with it. Their 2019 study also reported consistent branding could lift revenue by up to 33%.

Off brand content usually comes from busy teams, new suppliers and branches making their own versions. Clear guidelines fix that.

The brand guidelines checklist

How should brand guidelines handle Arabic and right to left layouts?

This is where many guidelines written abroad fail in our region. Write these rules down clearly.

• Name the exact Arabic font and its matched Latin font, with weights for headlines and body.
• Do not add letter spacing (tracking) to Arabic. Arabic letters join, so spacing breaks words. Use kashida (the stretched joining stroke) sparingly; W3C warns overuse makes text look uneven.
• Arabic often needs a larger size or more line height than English to look equal.
• Do not use fake italics on Arabic. Use weight or colour for emphasis.
• Set right to left grids: text aligns right, reading order flows right to left, and navigation arrows flip.
• Do not flip everything. Logos, photos, clocks, play buttons and numbers keep their direction.
• Set a numeral rule. W3C notes Egypt and Saudi Arabia commonly use Arabic Indic digits (٠١٢٣); many digital brands prefer 0 to 9 for prices.
• Show both Arabic first and English first versions of every key template.

Rules that come from the market, not just taste

In Dubai, shop signs must show Arabic above English (Khaleej Times, 2026). Saudi Arabia's national Arabic language policy, approved in February 2026, requires Arabic in commercial signage and advertising (Saudipedia). Your guidelines should reflect this.

Which digital and social templates should you include?

• Feed post, carousel, story and reel cover templates, in Arabic and English.
• Safe zones for TikTok and Reels, so text is not hidden by buttons and captions.
• Subtitle style: font, size, colour, position. Many people watch with sound off.
• Ad templates for Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Google display sizes.
• Seasonal kits: Ramadan, Eid, White Friday, National Days, back to school.
• Profile picture, cover image and highlight icon rules.

Which do's and don'ts save the most time?

Guidelines in action: the KFH Egypt rebrand

In January 2025, Ahli United Bank Egypt officially became Kuwait Finance House Egypt (KFH, January 2025). The bank had around 44 branches across Egypt at the time.

OneKind is KFH Egypt's BTL agency (BTL means below the line: branch, print and on ground materials). We executed the AUB to KFH rebrand across branches and touchpoints over about a year. Work at that scale only stays consistent because every supplier and branch works from the same rules.

How we build brand guidelines at OneKind

1. List every touchpoint your brand appears on, physical and digital.
2. Write rules for the most used touchpoints first. A short guide people read beats a long one nobody opens.
3. Design Arabic and English versions of every core template together.
4. Add real examples, not just rules. Show good and bad side by side.
5. Package files in one shared library with clear names.
6. Train the in house team and key suppliers, then review a sample of their work after one month.
7. Update the guide at least once a year, and after any major campaign or product launch.

Related guides

What is brand identity?

How many ad creatives do you need?

When should a business rebrand?

Sources

Lucidpress brand consistency study, 2019 (via PR Newswire)

W3C: Arabic and Persian Layout Requirements

Khaleej Times: Shop owners in Dubai asked to abide by signage rules (2026)

Saudipedia: National Policy for the Arabic Language in Saudi Arabia (2026)

Kuwait Finance House: KFH Egypt Unveils New Identity (January 2025)

FAQ

What is the difference between brand guidelines and a style guide?

The terms are often used for the same thing. When separated, brand guidelines cover strategy, identity and voice, while a style guide focuses on detailed visual or writing rules.

How many pages should brand guidelines be?

There is no fixed number. Most small and mid sized brands do well with a short, clear guide plus a template library. Length matters less than whether people use it.

Who should own brand guidelines?

One named person, usually the marketing or brand manager. They approve new materials and keep the guide updated.

Should brand guidelines be a PDF or online?

A PDF is fine to start. As your team grows, an online brand portal with downloadable files is easier to keep up to date.

Do brand guidelines need an Arabic section?

Yes, if you sell in Egypt or the Gulf. Arabic fonts, right to left layouts, dialect and numerals all need their own rules.