It's the 21st century — everything and everyone is a brand. You've got your personal brand. You work for a brand. That 52-year-old restaurant around the corner? They just started selling merch and posting self-aware memes on Instagram. It's the Age of Branding.

Whether you're an experienced Brand Manager, the founder of a budding e-commerce store, or just someone with thousands of TikTok followers, ready to monetize, it's always a good idea to study up on branding best practices. What does "brand experience" mean? How do you handle a rebrand?

Welcome to Air's Ultimate Guide to Branding. We've done the work so you don't have to. Below, find 20 articles that'll teach you everything you need to know about branding.

Part 1: The Basics

What does "branding" even mean? Don't think too hard. To be very clear — branding is about defining and maintaining an identity. It's about creating the perfect logo, but it's also about making sure your customers have a positive experience when talking to your support team.

Here are six articles covering all the basics of branding. Perfect whether you're new to the field or just looking for a refresh!

Branding vs marketing: Which one is more important?

The terms branding and marketing are often used interchangeably. While the two do work in tandem, it's important to distinguish the difference.

The Brand Glossary

Get up to speed on definitions for 75 common marketing and branding terms.

What is Brand Experience?

What exactly is Brand Experience and why is it so important? Hint: it's the combination of brand strategy, CX, and UX.

User-generated content: A valuable tool in your branding arsenal

User-generated content helps you build trust with potential customers while highlighting your brand’s value. Learn how to use it effectively in this post.

Brand consistency is more important than ever — here's why

Learn what brand consistency means, why it's so crucial, and how to achieve it.

What is a Brand Manager? And why are they important?

In order for a company or organization to stand out from their competitors, developing and maintaining a uniquely appealing brand is a must. Brand managers make it all happen.

Part 2: How-to

So you've got the basics covered, and now it's time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Below, find seven articles that both expand on the basics up above and guide you through important tasks like creating brand guidelines or pulling off a successful rebrand.

Why you need brand values (and how to create them)

Does your business have documented brand values? Brand values are a core part of your branding. They help you attract raving fans and create company culture.

Brand guidelines: the secret weapon behind memorable brands

Do you really need brand guidelines? Yes, you do. Find out why you need a style guide and how to create brand guidelines that keep branding consistent.

Brand Guidelines Guide

Browse our growing library of style guides from brands you love and learn how to create your own.

Use this branding questionnaire for your next project

Gather all the necessary information from your client so you can understand their brand identity before you start creating the visual identity.

The only branding checklist you'll ever need

We’ve created the ultimate branding checklist for designers, marketers, and other branding professionals who want to create strong brands.

How to build a branding board

A primer on how to create and best utilize a branding board, to be used as a single source of truth when creating brand collateral.

Rebranding: What you need to know about revamping your brand

Thinking about rebranding? Learn more about when to rebrand and what that process looks like while getting inspiration from popular brands who did it right!

Part 3: Advice and Inspiration

Got writer's block? Stuck staring into the abyss of a blank Figma canvas? We've got just what you need to snap out of that slump. Get advice from some of our favorite brand-builders and explore inspiring examples from a few of the world's most iconic brands. You don't have to reinvent the wheel every time — learn form the greats who came before you!

How to build an authentic brand, with Kevin Lee of immi

We sat down with Kevin Lee, CEO and Co-founder of immi, to talk fostering community and building an authentic brand.

Tips to elevate your brand from a real Air customer

Learn branding tips from the best in the biz. Our conversation with Charlotte Cooper, the Creative Director at Bev.

5 bold branding fonts to inspire your next project

Explore some of our favorite branding fonts with examples from some of your favorite brands.

35 branding quotes to inspire your next design project [2021]

Stuck? Need some inspiration? Here are our favorite branding quotes for when you need a little creative pick-me-up.

Why is most branded content so bad?

A conversation with Creative Strategist and fun human, Ben Rosen.

Rebranding? Use these branding ideas for inspiration

Use these four iconic rebranding pivots as inspiration when working on your own rebrand or refresh.

Want to learn more about branding? Take these 8 top branding courses

We've put together a list of our favorite branding courses for those looking to go beyond the branding basics.