Maintain brand consistency with multiple purchasers: a simple file checklist

Brand consistency with multiple purchasers: the simple file checklist

There are moments in every business when the brand identity is more at risk than others. A new admin starts who doesn’t know the whole history and grabs the logo they can find fastest in the digital file. Or a location manager reorders cards from a different supplier and doesn’t think to give them the logo that was updated with different colours last year.

Last week I posted a short video about a file storage system we've been building at Strand360. If you haven't seen it, it’s worth a quick watch — https://youtu.be/FHPhwKJ6RCQ?si=wmWwWeaRzcOMHz5y

It solves a problem we see constantly, keeping a brand consistent when multiple people can place orders.

After posting it, I realised there's a missing piece. Most businesses don't know what actually needs to be stored to keep things consistent, you just noticed when things aren’t. Suddenly you've got three slightly different blues, two different logos, and a sign that looks like it belongs to your cousin's side hustle.

This is actually rather easy to fix, but it requires diligence and an understanding of what needs to be monitored.

Here's a checklist that can help you keep track of the important parts of your brand identity.

The Brand Consistency File Checklist

• Logo files
  • Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, or print-ready PDF) for print.
  • High-res transparent PNGs for quick use.
  • You need a full colour version, a one-colour version, and a reverse for dark backgrounds.
  • No screenshots, no low-res JPGs, no "Final_v7_REALfinal2.png".

• Colour standards
  • Pantone, CMYK, and Hex values.
  • If you don't define your colours, every supplier guesses.
  • Guessing is how brands slowly mutate.

• Fonts
  • Your brand fonts, properly licensed.
  • If you don't have them, one approved substitute set.
  • A note on heading vs body use saves a lot of headaches.

• Layout rules
  • Minimum logo size, clear space rules, and a short do/don't list. This doesn't need to be a 40-page brand bible. One page is enough.

• Key templates
  • The things that get reordered constantly: business cards, letterhead, email signatures, signage layouts, vehicle graphics, apparel imprint positions. If they're not standardised, drift is guaranteed.

• Approved copy blocks
  • Your company name written correctly, your tagline, and common service descriptions.
  • Consistency isn't just visual, it's verbal too.

• One named approver
  • Reorders don’t need approval, but changes require sign-off from one person in your company. This single rule stops well-meaning edits becoming permanent damage.

This is all you need to protect your Brand Identity

These seven things are all you need to make sure that your brand identity remains consistent. Something like this helps us too. It keeps our storage clean, allows for fast reorders, and your brand protected across every person on your team who can place an order.

The goal is a controlled library, not a digital attic.

If your company has multiple purchasers and you're starting to feel the drift, this is one of the simplest fixes you can make because it makes consistency the easiest outcome.

If you want help setting it up? We can get your team ordering what they need without reinventing the brand every time.