It covers grammar and punctuation preferences, capitalisation rules, number and date formatting, the correct use of specific terms and phrases, words and expressions to avoid, and guidance on how to handle common writing scenarios. It’s a reference document for anyone who writes on behalf of the brand.
Tone of voice defines the brand’s personality and how it should feel. A copy style guide specifies the mechanics — the granular rules about how things are written. Both are necessary; they serve different purposes and are often used by different people.
Everyone who writes content for the brand — marketing team members, social media managers, copywriters, PR agencies, sales team members who write proposals and emails, and customer service staff. Broad adoption is what makes it valuable.
As specific as your business needs. A brand in a regulated industry may need very detailed guidance on terminology and legal language. A smaller consumer brand may only need a few pages covering the most common usage questions.
Yes, periodically. Language evolves, new products and services create new terminology, and questions arise in practice that weren’t anticipated when the guide was first written. An annual review keeps it useful and current.
A style guide that isn’t used is usually either inaccessible, too complex or poorly communicated. The most effective style guides are short, clearly organised and actively promoted — and their value is explained, not just assumed.
Yes. Many style guides include guidance on how to refer to competitors — whether to name them, how to compare without making misleading claims and how to maintain a professional tone in competitive contexts.
It should. Worked examples of correct and incorrect usage are significantly more useful than abstract rules. Seeing the rule applied to a real sentence makes it much easier to understand and apply.
Yes. For international brands, separate style guides — or language-specific appendices — can cover the specific rules and preferences for each language. Tone of voice principles may also need to be adapted for cultural context.
A format that’s easily searchable and quickly accessible is most valuable — a well-organised PDF, an online document or an internal wiki page. The priority is that people can find the answer to a specific question quickly when they need it.