Brand consistency checklist for marketing teams

Brand drift is quiet. A new freelancer, a rushed ad, a template nobody updated, and suddenly your posts look like three companies. This brand consistency checklist gives you twenty checks to run before anything goes live.

Why a checklist works

The Nielsen Norman Group lists "consistency and standards" among its usability heuristics (published 24 April 1994, last reviewed 30 January 2024). It says people should not have to guess whether different wording or situations mean the same thing. A checklist turns that idea into a habit. You check the same things every time, so the work looks the same.

The brand consistency checklist

Copy this into your approval step. Answer yes or no. Any "no" gets fixed before you publish.

BRAND CONSISTENCY CHECKLIST

LOOK
[ ] The logo is the approved version, with the clear space kept.
[ ] Colors come from the palette. No new shades.
[ ] Text and background pairs pass 4.5 to 1 (3 to 1 for large text).
[ ] Fonts are the two approved fonts. No substitutes.
[ ] Images match the approved style. No stock look-alikes.

VOICE
[ ] The headline makes sense in under 8 words.
[ ] No words from the "never use" list.
[ ] Sentences are short and the first line is the point.
[ ] Prices, times and claims match the approved facts.
[ ] The button says verb plus result, such as "Book a call".

LAYOUT
[ ] It starts from an approved template.
[ ] Margins and spacing match other pieces.
[ ] One idea per piece. One call to action.
[ ] It still reads at phone size.
[ ] Nothing important sits in the edge zone where apps crop.

FILES
[ ] The final and the source file are saved in the brand folder.
[ ] The file name follows the naming rule.
[ ] Image sizes and formats suit where it will appear.
[ ] A named person gave the final yes.
[ ] The change log or README is updated if a rule changed.

The contrast line uses the WCAG 2.2, contrast minimum thresholds for level AA. Test any pair in our color palette and contrast tools.

Voice has two parts

Mailchimp's content style guide separates voice from tone. Voice is the consistent personality. Tone shifts with the situation and the reader's mood. Check both. The Mailchimp voice and tone page is dated 2023 in its footer. Write your own voice rules in a brand brain, then check against them.

Fix the biggest gaps first

1. Run the checklist on your last ten pieces.

2. Count the "no" answers by section.

3. Fix the section with the most gaps first.

4. Add the fix to your templates, so it stays fixed.

If you want a score instead, take our brand consistency quiz. For the rules behind the checks, see what to include in brand guidelines.

Want a designer who checks every piece against your rules? Ours work from your brief, and you brief once. Book a call.

How to run the checklist

Run it at one fixed point: right before approval. The person who made the piece fills it in first. The approver checks it again. Two sets of eyes catch more than one.

Keep a simple count. Note how many "no" answers each piece had and which section they came from. After a month you will see where the drift starts.

Three failed checks and their fixes

What failed	Likely cause	Fix
Wrong shade of the main color	Color copied from an old file	Put hex codes in the template
Two different fonts	A substitute font on another computer	Share the font files and licences in the brand kit
Button says "Learn more"	No rule for button text	Add a rule: verb plus result

Source: our own examples from common patterns. Put the fix in your brand kit so the same failure does not return.

Make it part of the workflow

A checklist only works if it sits in the path of the work. Add it to the approval step in your task tool, or paste it into the request. For quick posts, use a short version of five lines: logo, colors, fonts, headline and button. Use the full twenty for launches and anything paid.

When a check fails twice for the same reason, fix the template, not the person.

Keep the checklist short and current

Review the list every quarter. Remove checks that never fail and add checks for new problems. A list that grows forever stops being used. If a new channel appears, add one or two lines for it, such as size limits and where text may be cropped.

What we could not verify

The twenty checks are our own list, not a standard. The "8 words" rule is a style choice from our writing guide. We did not measure how much a checklist improves consistency.