SECURITY GROUP
BRAND & MESSAGING GUIDE Welcome to OPS Security Group’s brand guidelines. This document contains information about representing the OPS Security Group brand in a clear and consistently professional way. Brand building takes vision, passion and most importantly–discipline. Adhering to this brand guide will support the identity of the company and build recognition. Most importantly, it will help us connect to each other and with our clients in a meaningful and lasting way. Please enjoy getting to know OPS Security Group.
OUR ORIGIN STORY.
We’re men and women from a variety of backgrounds—military, law enforcement, hospitality with a common MO: we care about what we do (we even like it!) and we care about others. Our founders had a dual mission when they started OPS in 2013: Mitch Gyger, on the operations front, is industry agnostic but wanted to create a business to empower people with work they believe in. Daniel Costa, coming out of a 30-year career in law enforcement, noticed a significant lack of professionalism in the private sector, so he built a company focused on hospitality, service, training and professional development. OPS serves employees who in turn serve a variety of industries in the Mid-Atlantic region, and growing.
WE EXIST TO OFFER MEANINGFUL AND ENGAGING CAREERS IN SECURITY, RISK MANAGEMENT AND CONCIERGE.
WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE SECURITY IS A CAREER.
OUR MISSION
To lead the way in caring for, compensating and offering careers to our people, who in turn provide unparalleled professional services to our clients.
VIRTUES People First
Treat people with dignity and respect and help them become who they are capable of becoming.
Servant Leadership
Continuously improve and bring out excellence in others by modeling it yourself.
Accountability
Stay loyal to what you said you would do long after the mood you said it in has changed.
Diligence
Proceed on the course you laid out knowing that all good things come with time, effort and creativity.
Integrity Our virtues represent the high standards by which we hold ourselves accountable everyday.
Give people a reason to trust you knowing that a true measure of character is what you do without reward and how you treat those who can do nothing for you.
VALUE PROPOSITION By offering meaningful work, training opportunities, and career advancement, we foster a culture of employee loyalty, resulting in a better service that improves our customers’ brands, profits and peace of mind.
MOODBOARD
PROFESSIONAL, SKILLED, HOSPITALITYORIENTED, RELIABLE, EMPLOYEEFOCUSED
Visual aspects of our identity should always aspire to directly correlate with our values. High-end photography and a clean, minimal & friendly graphic design style define our look. Professionalism should always be prioritized when making design choices and when choosing photography.
BRAND PERSONALITY
CAREGIVERS– WITH A DASH OF REBEL We have fun but we’re professional. We’re anti-conformists, rebels, and risk-takers. We’re on a mission to make every industry better. We believe everyone can become a leader. We know work can be enjoyable. We aren’t afraid of failure. We are confident and headstrong but compassionate and wise. We believe that actions matter more than words. Our motto is: to serve and protect before self. After a hard day’s work, we’re proud of who we are and what we do. We’ve earned battle stripes through hard-won life experience. This gives us perspective about what is important and what isn’t. It’s also taught us that gratification comes
from giving to others. We value honesty and transparency above being comfortable. We’re not afraid to challenge each other but we do it because we’re on a team and everyone wants to grow. We don’t sell ourselves short and we don’t cut corners. We are on a mission to help others find achievement and fulfillment, knowing that when both exist, lightning will always strike.
PRIMARY LOGO OPS Security Group’s primary logo is a monogram plus wordmark. The type used in the wordmark has a bold and consistent aesthetic that conveys dependability and strength. The monogram includes orbiting graphics, conveying safety. Our logo should always be used with care and in accordance with this brand guide. The continued, correct use of our logo will help ensure the growth and success of our brand.
Secondary Logo/ Monogram Our secondary logo consists of just our monogram, omitting our wordmark. This iteration can be used in place of our primary logo in instances when use of our full brand name isn’t necessary.
GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE USE .25”
Minimum height and clearspace 1”
.25”
.25”
.75”
.25”
Mandating a minimum logo height as well as clearspace serves to clearly delineate it from competing graphic elements in any application. This also ensures clarity and legibility of text within our logo. Our primary logo has a minimum height of one inch, and minimum clearspace of 1/4”. Our secondary logo has a minimum height of 3/4” and minimum clearspace of 1/4”.
SECURITY GROUP Colored Backgrounds Priority should always be given to original colors, except in the case of dark backgrounds. In this case, logotype should be used in white for legibility. Photographic Overlay There are a few ways in which our logo can be used in conjunction with photography. This combination should always happen with care and consideration. Avoid images with too much detail, prioritizing placing our logo on a solid or subtly textured background with high enough contrast for clear legibility
COLORS Our palette has been curated to represent our brand. Blues convey trust and safety, orange evokes friendliness and beige represents strength and integrity. Priority should be given to calyx and caspian.
Calyx
Caspian
Carolina
Concrete
0, 75, 80, 0
100, 85, 33, 28
62, 26, 0, 0
35, 36, 43, 1
rgb
236, 102, 61
16, 50, 98
116, 158, 211
163, 152, 140
hex
#ec663d
#103262
#749ed3
#a3988c
cmyk
STROKE Our signature three-point dotted stroke should be used decoratively, but also as a tool direct the eye towards information. It should never overpower type, graphics illustration or photography. Should be limited to one use per page or spread and used with consistency.
TYPOGRAPHY Our type has a recognizable aesthetic that is both contemporary and highly legible. We use this guide to delineate hierarchy of information on internal and external documents.
AVENIR LT Headline/Display Copy: to be used in it’s standard weight at forty point size minimum, in uppercase for display copy. This font contrasts with the weight of our wordmark while mimicking it’s minimalist style.
Helvetica Neue Medium Subheadline Copy: To be used in its light weight at fifteen point size and in title case for subtitles. Should never be used in place of our display type, Avenir, but alongside it.
Helvetica Neue Thin Body Copy: To be used in sentence case and at eleven point size for the main copy in a document. This typeface is extremely legible when used correctly. Helvetica Neue Thin Italic Descriptive Copy: To be used in sentence case and at nine point size, Helvetica Neue Italic can occasionally be used in a caption to delineate hierarchy.
INCORRECT LOGO USE Rules are necessary for maintaining the visual integrity of our logo. We should never compromise it’s look by altering it. Here are a few examples of common pitfalls to avoid.
A. Do not re-type our word mark. B. Do not stretch or compress in any way. C. Do not place a white or colored shape behind our logo, it should remain transparent. D. Do not add drop-shadows or other alternate text styles. E. Do not re-type our monogram. F. Do not change the color of the logo, use off-brand colors or fill aspects of our logo with color. G. Do not rotate, flip or turn in any way. H. Do not rearrange parts or create new variations that are not provided.
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SECUR I GROU TY P SECURITY
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BRAND MESSAGING GUIDE TONE: WE ARE / WE ARE NOT
• • •
Knowledgeable, not elitist or condescending Current on industry trends, not a think tank Experts, but not unreachable—we want to be a part of the team
VOICE Authentic, trustworthy, a little more on the serious side but still service forward, confident, capable, professional
SERVICE IS A VERB NOT AN ADJECTIVE. IT’S THE ACTIONS WE TAKE EVERYDAY TO ENSURE PEACE OF MIND AND PURPOSE FOR ALL WE REACH.
MESSAGING GUIDE
VALUE PROPOSITIONS & BENEFITS BY VERTICALS FRONT-DESK We take a hospitality-first approach and become an extension of your company so that tenants feel cared for. We prioritize excellence by doing due diligence and firing on all cylinders to make sure security operations happen seamlessly. We do it with a smile. Benefits: • Happy employees that reduce turnover and contribute to continuity for your residents • Added amenity value with 24/7 service as a property selling point • Lost package prevention to increase trust in your brand • Increased building safety so you, and your tenants have peace of mind • Better ratings, reviews and brand reputation to attract and retain tenants
SECURITY Whether protecting a construction or warehouse site, monitoring a crowd at an event or keeping close track of a person, we seek to serve knowing the most valuable assets are at stake. We take care of people and places like they are our own. Benefits: • Protection of people and places so that you’re never concerned about physical safety • Regular reporting for complete transparency • Industry best practices to mitigate risk or respond appropriately when the need arises
RISK MANAGEMENT Gone are the days when companies can get away with not doing the necessary due diligence to assess potential risks and threats to people and operations. In a less secure world prevention becomes more important than ever. Risk management solutions keep you prepared. Benefits: • Regulatory benchmarks to make sure you are compliant • Insurance kickbacks for necessary due diligence • Peace of mind knowing someone is watching closely • Pre-planning for continuity of operations so that you are prepared for whatever • comes your way
PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS Sometimes you need an outside perspective. Sometimes that perspective can change an outcome—hiring a risky employee, validating an insurance claim, changing a decision in criminal law. Investigative operations can give you the insight you need to move forward. Benefits: • Experts that know the law to help validate a case • Undercover operations to give you keen insight with full discretion • Pre-employment screening to validate candidates before issues arise
MESSAGING GUIDE
POSITIONING STATEMENTS BY PERSONA Employees
For people who want more than just a job, OPS provides career advancement opportunities so that you can take care of your bottom line while enjoying your co-workers and finding meaningful work serving others.
Property Managers
For property managers who want to provide exceptional service and peace of mind for their tenants, OPS provides high-caliber staff that care about how they represent your brand so that your tenants have a personal connection and positive experiences that make them renew their lease year after year.
Event managers
For event managers who want to ensure everything goes off without any hiccups or security breaches, OPS provides highly-trained staff that know how to find and deter risky people and situations before an incident occurs so that your attendees have a pleasant experience and your brand reputation stays intact.
Facility managers/loss prevention specialists
For facility managers concerned with regulations, loss prevention and safety, OPS provides seasoned personnel so that you experience less shrinkage, and better overall compliance.
C-suite
For leaders who want full visibility into their security operations and white-glove treatment, OPS provides easy access to your account manager so that you can always get answers and service-oriented staff who help you avoid turnover, maintain continuity of operations and keep your people and properties safe.
Director of Security
For security leaders who need operational support, OPS provides personnel and consulting services so that you have the backup and expertise to execute your security plan.
Director of Operations // COO
For directors who need continuity of operations, OPS offers a full suite of security services to protect people and places so that business runs smoothly and without interruption from potential external threats.
MESSAGING GUIDE
SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTENT Please refer to our official social media policy. Unless you have express permission of OPS Security Group please do not use social media to talk about the company. You may update your LinkedIn profile to reflect your position at the company. If you have been identified as a company spokesperson please follow the guidelines below:
Stick to a mixture of characters and some images. Images are not necessary when reposting or retweeting. Use a maximum of 3 hashtags (2 is better) and keep them inside the post as opposed to after the writing.
Use imagery or video with every post. Content should be focused on employees.
Keep imagery in line with the attached style guide. Content will focus on employees and current clients/projects. Use of hashtags at the end of the post is acceptable. It’s also acceptable to tag others.
Know that all views become representative of the company. Use LinkedIn for thought leadership or to target prospective employees. You may also use it to share company news about awards. Always include an image.
White paper
3000-5000 words; custom graphics; Clear CTAs throughout.
Blog
600-1000 words, images included; CTA at end of blog that converts readers to the next stage of the buying journey.
Landing pages
Built to convert, addresses persona’s needs and pain points clearly. Clear CTA. 1200 words roughly. Refer to the landing page template.
MESSAGING GUIDE
EDITORIAL STYLE In general, refer to the AP style unless expressly stated in this guide.
Word Choice
AVOID INSIDER JARGON
Our clients and employees might not know industry-specific terms or general acronyms. Put yourself in a beginner’s mindset and attempt to define anything that might not be clear to the general public. Avoid terms like: • Fixed Site • 168 • SOPs
OKAY IS BETTER THAN OK Use Okay, not OK or Ok.
ACTIVE VERBS
Use active versus passive voice. For instance, “the next step is to book a consultation” to “book your consultation today.”
TENSE
Use second person tense. Avoid first and third person.
Punctuation AMPERSANDS
Don’t use an ampersand unless part of an existing brand (i.e., Tiffany & Co.)
CAPITALIZATION
Capitalization should be reserved for the first sentence of a word. Don’t use all caps for emphasis in a blog or social post. May use all caps in titles or for emphasis in a sentence where everything is all caps.
COMMAS
Place commas inside quotation marks. Do not use the Oxford comma.
CURRENCY
Stay consistent with AP style. Use numerals to refer to money. For cents or amounts of $1 million or more, spell the words cents, million, billion, trillion, etc. For example, $26.52, $100,200, $8 million, 6 cents.
DATES
Omit st, nd, rd, or th. Abbreviate the month (Jan., Feb., Nov., etc.) when used with a specific date. When a phrase lists only a month and year, spell out the month and do not use commas. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, use commas.
ELLIPSES
Use ellipsis sparingly.
EM DASH
Use em dash—instead of two dashes(--)—and don’t put spaces on either side of it
EN DASH
Use to indicate a range.
EXCLAMATION MARKS
Don’t use exclamation marks.
PARENTHESES
Use sparingly. Ok to use to clarify a point.
PERIODS
Place periods inside quotation marks and outside parentheses.
QUOTATION MARKS
Single quotes can be used to denote a speaker when nested within a set of full quotes.
SPLICES AND SEMICOLONS
Comma splices and semicolons can be used sparingly. Identify when it might be better to use two separate sentences.
TIME
Use lowercase “am” and “pm” for morning and night, separated from the hour and minutes by a space. If it’s an exact time 6 am, no :00 is required.