How to Use Brand Assets Across Different Platforms
It’s not enough for your brand to look good. It needs to be recognisable and unforgettable. When your visuals, tone, and messaging work in harmony, people recognise you instantly. They trust you more. They know what you stand for. That’s the real power of brand assets.
But here’s the bit that trips most people up: how do you actually use your brand assets across print, web, social media, and everything in between, without it all becoming a tangled mess?
That’s what this guide is here for. Keep reading to learn how to adapt your brand assets for any platform, stay consistent, become a familiar presence for your clients or customers, and look polished wherever your brand shows up.
And don’t forget: there’s a FREE worksheet to help you map this out for your own brand, plus a video walkthrough you can follow along with!
What Are Brand Assets?
Brand assets are the key elements that shape how your brand is recognised visually, verbally, and strategically. These include:
Logo: The cornerstone of your brand, representing your business in a single, memorable mark.
Colour Palette: A set of colours that evoke specific emotions and reinforce your brand identity.
Typography: Fonts or typefaces that convey the personality of your brand.
Imagery: Photos, illustrations, and graphics that complement your message.
Tone of Voice: The style of communication your brand uses across platforms.
Together, these elements form your brand identity toolkit and, when used well, they make your business unforgettable.
For example, think about Coca-Cola. Its vibrant red color, Spencerian script logo, and uplifting tone create an instantly recognisable identity that’s consistent across all touchpoints, from vending machines to social media posts.
How to Adapt Brand Assets for Print and Digital
Your brand assets need to shine in both print and digital mediums, but the approach to each differs due to technical and contextual considerations. It can get faffy when you start to question RGB or CMYK, but let us try to break it down into an easy to understand summary:
Print Applications
Use 300 DPI resolution for sharp, clean print quality
Switch to CMYK colour mode for accurate printing
Consider materials! Paper texture, finishes, and scale can elevate your assets
Example: Apple’s print advertising often features minimalistic designs that emphasise clean lines and high-quality imagery. This is how they showcase their sleek and modern brand ethos.
Tip: Always test your printed colours and logo scale before a big batch run!
Online & Digital
Stick to RGB colour mode for screen clarity
Make your assets responsive, especially logos and banners
Prioritise accessibility: legible fonts, high contrast, and alt text for images
Example: Nike’s digital campaigns maintain brand consistency with bold typography, dynamic imagery, and a clear call to action, whether viewed on a desktop or smartphone.
Bonus tip: Save alternate versions of your logo (full, stacked, and icon-only) so you’re ready for every platform from YouTube banners to tiny favicons.
How to Stay Consistent Across Every Platform
Consistency builds trust. It’s another one of those subliminal (almost magical) things that good branding and strategy can do. If your brand looks different on social media than it does in an email newsletter, it can confuse your audience, and you really don’t want that. Here’s how to maintain a cohesive brand look:
Create a Brand Asset Guide
A comprehensive brand guide is your blueprint for consistency. It’s something you can refer back to and also share with others who have access to your brand assets (for example, social media teams). It should include:
Clear rules for logo usage, including minimum size and safe space requirements.
Guidelines for color codes in HEX, RGB, and CMYK formats.
Typography rules, such as acceptable fonts and their pairings.
Templates for common applications, like social media posts or presentations.
Example: Airbnb’s brand guidelines detail everything from logo placement to photography style, ensuring a consistent look and feel globally.
Tools That Help You Keep Brand Assets Consistent
Here are a few platforms we love (and use ourselves) that make it easier to keep everything aligned:
Canva – Free Online Design Tool
Canva is a brilliant choice for small businesses and creative teams who need to design on the go. It lets you store your brand colours, fonts, and logos in one place, so every new design feels like you. The best bit? It’s user-friendly and accessible, even if you don’t consider yourself a “designer.”
Adobe Creative Cloud – Professional Brand Asset Management
If you’re working at a professional level or managing multiple clients, Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries give you full control over your brand system. You can create centralised libraries of assets that update across projects, ensuring consistency from your InDesign files to your social ad campaigns.
Hootsuite, Later & Tailwind – Social Media Scheduling and Visual Planning
Keeping your brand consistent on social media starts with planning. These social media scheduling tools let you preview your feed before anything goes live, so you can spot when something feels “off” and adjust before it’s posted. Tools like Tailwind also offer Pinterest scheduling, which is perfect if your brand relies on visual storytelling.
Examples of Effective Brand Asset Usage
Starbucks
Starbucks demonstrates exceptional consistency in its use of brand assets. It has its signature green logo, and those seasonal red cups. Every element is unmistakably Starbucks. You could be in a physical store, or just scrolling through their Instagram feed, and you know exactly where you are. The experience feels cohesive and aligned with their brand promise of quality and community.
Spotify
Quick shout-out for Spotify. We couldn’t live without it at Cosy Fox. Ahem, anyway, Spotify’s use of vibrant colours and playful genre-inspired imagery sets it apart in the competitive music streaming space. Their Wrapped campaign, which highlights personalised listening stats for users, is a prime example of adapting brand assets to create a viral and shareable digital experience.
(Small fact: for two years running now, Spotify’s Wrapped end of year recap has left us with lumps in our throats. It’s just… so shiny and nostalgic.)
Mailchimp
Mailchimp’s quirky illustrations, bold yellow background, and informal tone of voice create a friendly and approachable brand image. These assets are always consistent across their website, email campaigns and advertisements, and they certainly reinforce their identity as a user-friendly email marketing platform.
Download a FREE worksheet:
How to Use Brand Assets Across Different Platforms
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Final Thoughts
Using brand assets effectively across different platforms is a balancing act between creativity and consistency. By adapting assets for print and digital mediums, creating comprehensive guidelines and taking inspiration from successful brands, you can ensure your brand’s identity remains strong and recognisable.
Remember, consistency doesn’t mean being boring! It’s about creating a unified experience that builds trust and makes your brand memorable.
Before you go, here’s your branding checklist
Make sure your assets are print & web ready
Create logo variants for different platforms
Stick to one consistent colour palette
Build a brand guide, even a small one helps!
Use tools like Canva or Hootsuite for consistency
