Keep a brand consistent during a handover

A folder full of logos is not a complete brand handover. The next person may still be unable to tell which description is current, why a phrase was rejected or whether a service claim has been approved. Continuity depends on transferring judgement as well as assets.

Start with the current state

Provide a short account of what is in use now: the public name, main description, key audiences and active services. Link to the actual current files. Keep archive material separate so an old campaign does not look like the default identity. Label drafts clearly rather than expecting a new colleague to infer status from filenames.

Include a few real examples of approved communication in different situations. A service page, a customer notice and a short profile can show how the same brand adapts. Explain any important exception. Without that note, a one-off campaign style may be copied into routine messages where it does not belong.

Transfer the decisions that are easy to lose

Record disputed wording that has already been resolved and the reason for the choice. Perhaps customers confused two service names, or a broad promise was narrowed because it exceeded the actual offer. These explanations prevent the next writer from innocently reintroducing the same problem.

Make evidence and permissions findable where they affect published claims or assets. Do not place passwords in the brand document; use the organisation's approved access-transfer process. The handover should say who controls relevant channels and how authorised access is obtained, not become an insecure collection of credentials.

Try a small piece of work

Ask the incoming person to update a short description or draft an ordinary announcement using the handover. Compare the result with the brief. Questions raised during this exercise reveal missing context more effectively than asking whether the folder looks complete. Resolve those gaps while the outgoing person can still explain them.

A handover need not freeze the brand forever. Distinguish decisions that reflect current facts from stylistic preferences that can evolve. The new owner should know what requires verification before changing and where there is room for judgement. Otherwise consistency can become an excuse to preserve outdated information.

Finish with a concise list of unfinished work and known inconsistencies. An honest account of what remains is more useful than presenting every asset as final. The next person can then continue deliberately instead of discovering the gaps through customer confusion.