All About Style: How to Create a Brand Manual and Writing Guidelines for Your Company

Presenter: Julie Shaffer, CPSM & Lindsey Kubes, CPSM
Tuesday, May 22, 2–3:30 p.m. EST/1 p.m. CST/Noon MT/11 a.m. PST

Session Description

Does a non-standard company logo drive you bananas? How about company emails with a notebook paper background? Better yet, who loves when a variety of formats and editing rules are used? Every professional services firm has a unique style, yet very few have approved style guides.

Marketing and corporate professionals can be leaders in driving the creation of a company-wide style guide at their firms. It’s a great reference tool for all employees – from new hires, seasoned professionals, C-suite leaders, and technical and marketing staff.

Our May webinar will explore the various components of a style guide. Part I: Brand Manual focuses on graphic elements such as logos, colors, fonts, and formatting. Part II: Writing Guidelines are specific to each company’s communication style and will include an abbreviated reference list tailored for company use of acronyms, software, and industry terms (typically following AP Stylebook).

Session Learning Objectives

During this webinar, participants will:

Understand how to get started and develop a style guide at their firms. This includes key benefits applicable at all levels: marketing and technical groups, as well as leadership.
Discover the top reasons and selling points for a style guide at their firms.
Understand components and layout of a style guide as a final deliverable.
Through handout templates, develop a draft framework for their firm and priority levels for development and implementation.

SMPS webinars are sponsored by Cosential

Julie Shaffer, CPSM

Owner/Consultant/ Designer, Shaffer Creative, LLC

Julie Shaffer, CPSM, founded Shaffer Creative in 2012 with a vision: to provide creative marketing and graphic design solutions through communication strategy, company branding, photography, and data management. As an Adobe Certified Expert in InDesign CC 2015, she is a go-to expert for hands-on learning with professional associations and clients. She is a member of SMPS Fort Worth and served as Sponsorship Director and President. She was the 2015 SRC Communications Chair. Julie holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with an English minor from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Lindsey Kubes, CPSM

Owner, Kubes Communication LLC

Lindsey Kubes, CPSM, is an award-winning writer and marketer for projects that include media articles, awards, corporate messaging, direct mail campaigns, magazines and marketing plans and campaigns. As owner of Kubes Communication, Lindsey helps clients put thoughts on paper, organize projects, and prioritize deadlines so their future workload becomes a well-developed plan for achieving results. She is a member of SMPS Fort Worth, served as a founding board member and secretary, and was named the chapter’s Marketer of the Year in 2019.

SMPS webinars are approved for 1.5 continuing education units for the Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) program and 1.5 learning units from the American Institute of Architects. Recordings of SMPS webinars are approved for 1.5 CPSM CEUs.

Per-Site Registration Fee*

SMPS Member Site Registration: $199

Nonmember Site Registration: $259

*Remember: webinars are open to your whole staff. Your team can participate from one location in your office for one fee. Register today and benefit from affordable, convenient, actionable learning and earn valuable CPSM CEUs and AIA LUs!

Recordings of SMPS webinars are available to train your marketing professionals. Learn more