Melissa Hansen, Director of Membership & Marketing at The Club at Olde Cypress, says branding guides create clarity, ease, and consistency across departments.
After years of living with small inconsistencies that added up to bigger brand confusion, The Club at Olde Cypress (Naples, Fla.) made a deliberate decision to formalize how it shows up everywhere.
The result is a comprehensive branding guide that now governs everything from logo usage to photography, typography, and daily communications.
For Melissa Hansen, Director of Membership & Marketing, the timing was equal parts readiness and necessity.
“I have always appreciated the importance of a branding guide, but the project seemed daunting to tackle alone,” Hansen says. “After many years of seeing inconsistencies within the different departments of the club (as well as a nudge and request from our new General Manager), I teamed up with outside support to assist me in tackling the project.”
Keeping the project from becoming everything all at once
Before the work began, the branding gaps were already visible.
“The lack of brand standards was impossible to ignore because there was major inconsistency across departments,” says Hansen. “Multiple people were creating flyers and graphics, often using different fonts, colors, and layouts, with some still pulling from old or outdated logos. Imagery didn’t always reflect who we are or the level of experience our brand represents, which created confusion both internally and externally.”
One of the biggest risks with a branding initiative like this is scope creep. Olde Cypress avoided that by narrowing its focus early.
“We defined the scope early by intentionally starting with communications first, both internal and external,” says Hansen. “Instead of trying to fix every brand touchpoint at once, we focused on the areas with the most visibility and daily use: emails, flyers, digital assets, and member-facing communications.”
From there, the team tackled the most urgent problem first.
“The first part of the guide was about logo usage,” she says. “An outdated logo was being used across departments, so we thought providing a clear guide to the logo usage would be a simple and easy fix.”
Where clubs lose the plot
According to Hansen, brand standardization often fails for a predictable reason.
Olde Cypress’ branding guide formalizes usage of its primary logo and approved sub-brand marks across all departments and amenities.
“The trouble? Trying to be too creative instead of consistent,” she says. “Too many variations, personal preferences, and ‘one-off’ designs dilute the brand and slow everything down.”
Olde Cypress’s guide exists to remove choice, not add it.
“What surprised me most was how much clarity and alignment it created almost immediately,” says Hansen. “Once everything was documented in one place, decisions became faster, teams felt more confident, and the brand finally showed up consistently—without constant back- and-forth or second-guessing.”
That clarity also simplified enforcement.
“There wasn’t an option,” she says. “By putting a guide in place, this meant the team had to follow the guide. Without a guide, the lines are blurry.”
The role of photography in daily brand perception
Visual consistency turned out to be one of the most powerful levers.
“Photography and visual consistency played a huge role in elevating how our brand shows up every day,” says Hansen. “Using the right imagery instantly set the tone, reinforced our lifestyle and culture, and made even simple communications feel more polished and intentional.”
The branding guide spells out those standards clearly, including what not to use and why, removing guesswork for every department.
For clubs that think they’re fine without one
Hansen has heard the skepticism. She shared it herself.
“I say this as someone who was in that camp—trust me, I thought the same thing,” she says. “You can absolutely operate without formal brand standards, but once you have them, everything becomes easier, faster, and more consistent. A documented brand isn’t about fixing what’s broken; it’s about protecting your reputation, saving time, and making sure the club shows up at the level your members and prospects already expect.”
If she were advising another club starting tomorrow, the advice is specific.
“Don’t skip the ‘don’ts,’” says Hansen.
“It’s just as important to show what not to do as it is to show what to do. Clearly documenting the wrong logo usage, off-brand colors, poor imagery, and layout mistakes removes ambiguity, prevents well-intentioned errors, and protects the brand long-term. The ‘don’ts’ create clarity, and clarity is what makes standards actually stick.”
With the guide complete and in use, Hansen’s biggest regret is timing.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t have waited so long,” she says. “I’ve been at the club for almost 15 years, and looking back, I keep thinking, ‘What took me so long?’ My biggest takeaway is this: Start now. The sooner you put standards in place, the sooner everything becomes clearer, easier, and more consistent.”
