we are
revision date: 11/2019
table
of contents
Identity: Who We Are
02
Our Core
03
Our Position
04
Voice: What We Sound Like Copy Imagery: What We Look Like
05 06
09
Imagery
10
Color Palette
11
Typography
12
Logo Identity Usage
14
Design Elements
19
Execution: Where We Engage
20
21
Advertisements
22
Sales Pitches
23
Pop Up Banners
24
Social Media
25
Snail Mail
26
01
identity:
who we are
our
core Our Vision Be Golf’s Most Valued Partner. Our Elevator Pitch
EZLinks has a 25-year history of pioneering technology and services that modernize golf operations and make it easier for golfers to book rounds. The industry’s foremost technology partner, we are proud to offer technology that spans the needs of the top private clubs, resorts, management companies, municipalities and independent clubs and to have earned our position as the industry’s leader.
03
our
position Smart. Focused. Relevant.
As the industry leader, EZLinks acts like a leader and invests time to teach others about the industry we love and innovations we are driving. We make difficult concepts easy to understand, we see knowledge as something to be shared, and we relish the chance to talk about our sport, our team and our clients. We entice by providing an opportunity to learn. And we invite our consumer to learn more and partake in meaningful conversations. We engage to engage.
04
voice:
what we sound like
copy Our Voice
We are personable, knowledgeable and current. Our communications emote our corporate values: Passion, Integrity, Team, Innovation and Fun.
How do we feel about pronouns?
“We” want to be personable and professional in all corporate communications, and the use of “we” and “you” is an excellent way to ensure that our clients know that we are communicating directly with them. So, in instances where it is 100% clear that we are the ones communicating, the use of pronouns is strongly encouraged. The key to proper pronoun usage is consistency. Slipping from 1st to 3rd person should be avoided. If we want “EZLinks” in a sentence, we should present it properly.
Do: “At EZLinks, we believe that you are the most important facet of our business.”
Don‘t: “EZLinks believes that you are the most important facet of our business.”
How do we sign emails to clients and prospective clients?
Saying “Thanks” & “Thank You” goes a long way in business. This showcases that we value partnerships and it is a great way to close out an email to clients and prospective clients.
How do we spell out our corporate name? EZLinks Golf or EZLinks Golf LLC
(note: there isn’t a comma between Golf and LLC)
06
How do we spell out our products in written correspondence? Our products are to be written out as follows: EZ is in all caps. The 2nd word is conjoined to EZ and receives all caps. Any additional words are separated by a space and receive all caps as well. Example: EZTEE PRO, EZENGAGE, EZ24 PRO, SENALYSIS
How do we spell out our website in email correspondence? EZLinksGolf.com.
How should we refer to our support team when we communicate with clients?
Always look to build equity in our 24/7 availability, so please call our customer service center 24/7 Client Support.
How do we refer to our B2B client service team?
To emphasize our dedication to customer success, our B2B client services team should always be referred to as Customer Success Managers. “CSM” is for internal use only.
Does our brand vision have to be written a certain way?
The mantra, Be Golf’s Most Valued Partner, is always presented with initial caps unless in headline instances where everything else is in all caps.
07
Does our tone shift when we‘re writing/speaking to different clients, prospects and stakeholders?
Echoing our desire to be personable and professional in our corporate communications, we use discretion in determining our tone for audience or situation. • Our client communications are shown to emote industry, experience and knowledge so that we are always viewed as a trusted resource for best practices within and beyond our software’s capabilities. •
Private and Public clients and prospects are different, and we celebrate what makes their different businesses successful. For example, language focused on massive quantities & aggregation is more suitable for a daily-fee multi-course operator than a high-end country club that prides itself on exclusivity.
• In direct correspondence with clients and prospects, we maintain a formal tone until the client steers our correspondence in a different direction. (i.e. “My dad is Mr. Johnson, please call me Jim.”)
How long are our emails? What about our social media posts?
Less is more. To appear knowledgeable and current, employ brevity. Recent studies have shown that social posts of 100 characters or less drive nearly 10x more engagement than posts of 200 or more characters.
08
imagery:
what we look like
Vibrant Photography
imagery
Our photographs are vibrant and never staged, and they convey the love of golf and give consumers something they can truly feel. Our illustration work is kept minimal, and it is carried out by vibrant colors and sharp content to carry out the overall message that we are innovative, approachable and trustworthy.
10
color
palette
Main Color Palette
Color plays a key role in building brand recognition. Using the formulas specified will ensure the best color match in all of your documents. Please note that CMYK and PANTONE colors are for print and RGB and HEX colors are for screen use.
PRIMARY COLOR
SECONDARY COLOR PANTONE 632 C
PANTONE 2767 C c100/ m90/ y10/ k77
c93/ m2/ y15/ k7 r0/ g147/ b178 HEX #0093B2
r19/ g41/ b75
HEX #13294B
ACCENT COLOR
ACCENT COLOR
PANTONE 431 C
PANTONE 427 C
r91/ g103/ b112
r208/ g211/ b212
c45/ m25/ y16/ k59 HEX #5B6770
HEX #D0D3D4
ACCENT COLOR
ACCENT COLOR
ACCENT COLOR
PANTONE 7737 C
PANTONE 1595 C
PANTONE 485 C
r107/ g165/ b57
r216/ g96/ b24
r218/ g41/ b28
c60/ m0/ y98/ k7 HEX #6BA539
11
c7/ m3/ y5/ k8
c0/ m71/ y100/ k3 HEX #D86018
c0/ m95/ y100/ k0 HEX #DA291C
typography Typeface Typography is an important element of our brand. By controlling the type styles used, we strengthen the visual distinctiveness of EZLinks. Our typeface is Avenir - a sans serif typeface that is clear and highly legible. For web-based applications, Avenir is also used for all HTML text including body, headers, captions, and links.
PRIMARY TYPEFACE
Avenir (Black) - titles
ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghiklmnopqrstuvwxyz 01234567890!@$%
PRIMARY TYPEFACE
Avenir (Book) - text/content ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghiklmnopqrstuvwxyz 01234567890!@$%
SECONDARY TYPEFACE
Avenir (Medium) - text/content ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghiklmnopqrstuvwxyz 01234567890!@$%
PRODUCT LINE DESCRIPTIONS TYPEFACE
Avenir (Book Oblique) - text/content ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghiklmnopqrstuvwxyz 01234567890!@$%
12
logo
identity
Final EZLinks Color Logo
The most fundamental visual element of a brand identity is its logo. The logo is our visual centerpiece and it is essential that the logo be used in a manner that adheres to the rules explained in this section.
LINKS is always on a vertical next to the EZ mark EZLINKS LOGO COLOR The EZLinks color logo always contains a blue ring inside to provide texture
13
Color Logo Usage
The full-color version of the EZLinks logo is the primary brandmark of our identity system. It is strongly recommended that this version be used in branded application whenever possible. The EZLinks logo was designed in a rectangular shape with elements that can be used in different variations depending on the medium. EZLINKS LOGO COLOR
BW Logo Usage
While it is preferred to display the logo in full-color, there are occasions when a single color treatment is required. The coloration is always one-color black or onecolor white. The application situation and background color value will determine which logo version is appropriate. EZLINKS LOGO BLACK
EZLINKS LOGO WHITE
PRIVATE LOGO BLACK
PRIVATE LOGO WHITE
14
Unacceptable Logo Usage
The consistent and correct application of the EZLinks logo is essential. Here are some uses of the EZLinks logo that we avoid.
Do not change the colors of the logo
Do not put the color logo on a dark colored background
Do not put the logo over a busy photograph
15
Do not stretch or compress the logo
Do not take the link out of the EZ
Logo Sizing
To ensure the integrity of the EZLinks logo, do not reduce its height to less than .75” inches for print or special usage. Page elements may not intrude into the .5” safe area to allow for maximum legibility. The logo is never reduced to more than a minimum size of .75“. In certain circumstances, ie. social media, the logo may go smaller per approval from the Creative Team.
.5“
.5“
.5“
.5“
.75“
16
Prestige Logo
The Prestige logo was created for use in the private space. It is our elite brand and therefore reflects a different feel of minimalism using one color to help focus on that demographic. The main Prestige logo contains several elements that make up the final mark. Prestige written in Blacksword font, tagline, divider line, and a pillbox shape containing interlocking rings cutout. This logo may present in one color: primary blue, black, and white This logo may not be altered, modified or redrawn in any fashion. The Private color logo is always the primary blue
Divider line between Private logo and links mark
PRIVATE LOGO PRIMARY
Pill box shape contains interlocking rings and are cut out of the pill shape background
17
Product Logos
With a robust product line and as many as three different logos for each product, it‘s essential to keep these simple rules straight. The letters EZ are always in Avenir Black in the primary color and the name of the product is in Avenir Book in the secondary color. These can also be reversed out to white if placed on a dark background. The link is present in the background of EZ.
Tee Sheets
Point of Sale
Revenue Management
Booking Engines
CLOUD POINT OF SALE
CLOUD POINT OF SALE
Reservation Center
POINT OF SALE PLATFORM
CLUB MANAGEMENT PLATFORM
COURSE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM
REZ
TEE TIME RESERVATION SERVICE
Distribution
Marketing MARKETING SUITE
For Private Clubs
The exception to these rules are the Agency 18, TeeOff and Private logos which reflect their own branding.
18
design
elements
Iconography
We leverage illustrated icons to tell our story simply and straight forward. Below are a few examples. Lines are kept simple and bold.
19
execution:
where we engage
emails
21
advertisements
22
sales sheets
23
pop up banners
24
social media
25
snail mail
401 S. LaSalle Street Suite 302 Chicago, IL 60605
26
EZLinks Branding Questions?
Heather Shevitz Creative Director 312.913.6959
hshevitz@ezlinks.com www.EZLinksGolf.com EZLinks Golf 401 South LaSalle St., Ste. 302, Chicago, IL 60605