01BRAND EXPERIENCE TOOLKIT TOOLKITEXPERIENCEBRAND
“UNITY COMMUNICATION”THROUGHCO-OPERATIONAND PATRICIA FOUNDERFAY,OF THE ARTS SOCIETY
WHY VISUALTONEBRANDOURBRANDBRAND?STRATEGYAPPROACHEXPERIENCEOFVOICEIDENTITY040511152228 TOOLKIT?INWHAT’STHIS
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Brand is much more than a logo. A brand is the sum of all the associations and feelings that people have relating to both the tangible and intangible parts of an organisation. It’s what they know factually and it’s also how they feel emotionally. Put simply, the brand is what people think and feel when they hear the name of an organisation or product.
Developing the brand is one of the tools an organisation has to enhance its position in the marketplace and build loyalty and engagement with audiences in an increasingly competitive world.
This toolkit has been created to help anyone creating visual and verbal communications and events for The Arts Society, with guidelines on how to create a consistent and coherent experience or a piece of communications. Thank you to everybody who has been part of the process so far.
The brand relationship with an audience is a promise to provide a specific set of benefits, offers and features. Brand is a discipline and the strongest and most enduring brands result from consistent work in order to align what they do and why, with the expectations, motivations and requirements of their audiences.
The process to develop The Arts Society brand is ongoing work. The catalyst to change was the rebrand in 2017 when the organisation renamed to The Arts Society. This was a collective piece of work; that collective spirit continues and the next phase of work to build a more recognisable brand has involved many different constituents to develop a set of brand guidelines - tools to help The Arts Society present a sense of unity.
BRAND?WHY
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STRATEGYBRAND
Our strategy describes what makes us distinctive and different, what we stand for and the promise to our Members and partners. Our name The Arts Society embodies who we are and what we mean to our Members. A big part of that is social, hence: ‘Society’ and an even a bigger part of that is the arts, thus: ‘The Arts’. It’s both descriptive and emotive and communicates our purpose that we believe a thriving society is an arts society.
The Arts Society brand strategy is there to help make decisions, in every part of the organisation. It should also inform communications, behaviours and partnerships. We also want to share what is being done well across the Society and promote best practice.
• are joined together by a passion for the arts which can nourish and empower us all. BE THE MOST INCLUSIVE OFFEROUR
We offer enjoyable and expert opportunities to discover and support the arts of yesterday, today and tomorrow, wherever you are.
THE ARTS SOCIETY06OURVISIONOURPURPOSE
Together as one global community we will influence and widen involvement with the arts by inspiring the interest of all generations.
• build on the strengths of our people who give their time, expertise and desire to make a difference;
This means we:
• believe that our work creates a better, healthier and more connected society;
TO
WEWEWETHETHROUGHLIVESENRICHINGARTSINFLUENTIALANDSOCIETY.ARTS.INSPIRE,DO,GIVE.
• keeping things to ourselves
• relying on email to connect and communicate
• support each other to listen, engage and respond to the needs of our Members
CONNECTED WE ARE ONE TEAM. TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION WE NEED TO BE OURCOHERENTRESPONSIVERELEVANT,ANDINAPPROACH.
This doesn’t mean:
• involving everyone in everything
• communicate ideas, good practice and learnings with each other
This means we:
VALUESOUR
• understand and anticipate the big issues which impact our society, organisation and our Members
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KNOWLEDGEABLE WE ALWAYS STRIVE FOR THE
COMMITMENT.DEDICATIONTHISANDOFSTANDARDSHIGHESTEXPERTISERIGOUR.REQUIRESAND
• overthinking and being elitist
• take time to reflect, adapt and are willing to learn from each other if we don’t know
This means we:
• ensure information is accurate and clear
• being good at everything
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• base decisions on evidence, insights and expertise
This doesn’t mean:
• doing things just because we think they make us look knowledgeable
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• strive to remove barriers to interacting or engaging with The Arts Society
This means we:
• saying yes to everything
This doesn’t mean:
• are approachable, inclusive and act natural
• over-sharing
• being fussy and precious
WELCOMING WE IDEAS.EXPERTISEEACHWEOURGENEROUSSOCIABLEANDAPPROACHABLEAREOPEN,ANDINATTITUDE.RESPECTOTHER’SAND
• are respectful of individuality and provide a warm, supportive and nonjudgmental environment for all who engage with us
• rushing things through, being unrealistic and neglecting quality
• letting fear of failure stop us from seeing a new idea through
• are open to new ideas and different approaches
This doesn’t mean:
• taking risks for the sake of it
This means we:
WORKING.WAYSANDEXPLORINGDO.EVERYTHINGCOURAGECURIOSITYIMAGINATION,BRINGANDTOWEWEENJOYNEWDIFFERENTOF
• are flexible and can adapt to and embrace new opportunities and changing circumstances
PIONEERING WE
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• try to treat each day as a new opportunity to innovate and push boundaries
WHAT DOES MY CAREAUDIENCEABOUT?
One of the objectives of creating The Arts Society brand was to raise the profile of the organsation and its activities. To achieve this, we want to work closely with Societies to implement a content marketing approach.
WHAT DOES MY STANDBRANDFOR?
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Content marketing is all about storytelling; sharing our unique and collective stories. It is a strategy that focuses on building a strong relationship with potential Members by giving them high-quality content that is very relevant to them on a consistent basis.
MARKETINGCONTENT
It shows that we care. Today, more than ever before, people want to feel like you care about them. The world is louder and noisier than ever before, and attention is our most valuable Weresource.want to attract new members through our content. We have created a clear strategy to support this which means that all content we feature will fall within one of three content strands, which we are calling this the ‘3is’ strategy.
APPROACHOUR
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audienceand, ultimately, to drive action such as joining or renewing membership.
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• Our second strand is INFORMATION. This is content that showcases our core focus on arts education. It is content that provides learning opportunities for readers: becoming an ‘instant expert’; enjoying arts content through lectures, visits and holidays; sharing more widely and across different platforms the knowledge of our acclaimed Accredited Lecturers.
• The first is IMPACT – sharing stories of what is happening at a local Society level to enrich lives through the arts. This includes our Member Societies’ work with vulnerable and older people as well as in supporting the arts and heritage through volunteering and grants.
INFORMATIONINFLUENCEIMPACT
We need to raise a higher level of awareness to generate the interest of potential new Members. Not everyone who will hear about us will join as a Member; but we need to reach a large number of people to increase our chances, as the marketing funnel illustrates.
By creating valuable, relevant and consistent content and amplifying it through local and national channels (websites, social media, The Arts Society Magazine, press, print materials etc.) we aim to create awareness and brand recognition: the first stage of the commonly referenced ‘marketing funnel’.
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• And the last strand is INFLUENCE. This is our ‘wow’ content, showing The Arts Society as a confident organisation with influence and reach, attracting high-profile interviewees and collaborations. It is also about influencing public conversations about arts education, especially to ensure that the arts are accessible to all.
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AWARENESSEXPERIENCETHECREATINGBRANDRAISING
Once we have the attention of potential Members we have to cultivate their interest, consideration, intent, evaluation and eventually encourage them to join. We do this by creating a distinct Brand Experience.
MARKETING FUNNEL
Simply - the brand experience can be defined as all the interactions people have with The Arts Society.
Having a good experience will make Members happy and happy Members will be more loyal and therefore more likely to recommend The Arts Society to others. Brand loyalty is vital to the future growth, profile and sustainability of The Arts Society.
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EXPERIENCEBRAND
The Arts Society brand is shaped by all Societies and every experience - in every Societymatters. What The Arts Society X does or does not do will impact on Society Y and Z.
To create a consistent, coherent brand and reputation for The Arts Society we have developed a simple guideline to further support Societies to offer a distinctive experience.
Maya Angelou once said “people may forget what you said – but they will never forget how you made them feel”.
There is an opportunity to guide these perceptions and opinions by thinking about the kind of experience you want to offer people and Members to ensure they form positive opinions of The Arts Society. Each Society has a unique personality, programme, venue and Membership, but the overall experience of The Arts Society should be consistent and coherent by expressing a set of beliefs and a purpose to enrich peoples lives.
A brand experience resembles the experiences you have with the people in your life. Just as your perception of someone is formed by every direct or indirect encounter with them, so is your view of an organisation.
3. PROFESSIONAL
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Each Society experience should be a fun and stimulating, learning experience. This is reliant on selecting a diversity of Accredited Lecturers and programming a range of different lecture subjects, which can excite and engage. Enrichment can also come from being involved in a Society’s local volunteering projects and it’s important to find opportunities to regularly communicate the volunteering offer of each Society to galvanise and recruit interest.
The reputation of The Arts Society relies on the quality and professionalism of its offer. It’s important to ensure that all aspects of the experience, not just the lecture, set a high professional standard. This means excellent customer service at every ‘touch point’ and surpassing expectations. Respond as quickly as you can to enquiries. Try to personalise communications and remember to follow-up events with a thank you and details of the future programme. Our Members are discerning, and we have to deliver a first-rate experience to them.
2. ENRICHING
1. WELCOMING
When people interact with The Arts Society we want their experience to be:
Every experience of The Arts Society should feel welcoming and inclusive and leave Members feeling positive and with a strong sense of an open community. Consider how to make every part of the experience welcoming – from the greeting at the door to the atmosphere of the venue. Offering a social element as part of the programme will also introduce a welcoming feel and an important part of attending a Society is the chance to meet new people.
People often replace experiences that feel complicated with ones which are less demanding. You can generate goodwill by being effortless and efficient to deal with. Look for opportunities to reduce time, use simple language and improve convenience. Also seek Members’ feedback and ensure you are listening to their needs and motivations. Demonstrating that their opinion counts will make them feel appreciated, involved and proud to be a Member.
BEFORE THE LECTURE • An informative programme card and leaflet/flyer • Up to date website • Newsletter • Flyers/leaflets distributed widely
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The Arts Society has a very appealing offer and a vital message to communicate to its existing and potential Members. Ensure you are communicating regularly and consistently and that the communications are based on the main things you want Members to understand and remember about your Society. Make sure each experience is consistently branded - from the name badge to the introductory lecture slide.
BEFOREDURINGAFTER
AFTER THE LECTURE • Monthly newsletter • Keep recruiting new Members • Keep volunteers involved (raffle/drinks)
4. EFFORTLESS
AT THE LECTURE • Signposting • Meet and greet volunteers • Network and connect with Members and visitors • Name badges for Members, new Members and visitors • Power point rolling programme • Audience feedback on the lecture
5. CONSISTENT
THE ARTS SOCIETY AREA CHAIRMEN
Happy Members keep coming back and tell their friends. It’s up to us to keep them happy and to enjoy the sometimes undervalued fun and friendliness associated with all our activities. Your Members and especially aspiring Members need to know clearly and as soon as possible what to expect.
Social Media – Facebook and Twitter are also an option as we begin to attract new Members. NB Leaflets may be printed very economically and The Arts Society can advise. Leaflets can also attract sponsorship so may not cost the Society anything. It is helpful to write the information in a concise and informative style that is a pleasure to read. Start the meeting 5 minutes earlier, to allow regular updates to the Members from the Society’s Arts and Heritage volunteers. Their enthusiasm will be infectious!
(Circumstances will vary considerably and most Societies already practice what is below) Clear signposting. A couple of volunteers to ‘meet and greet’ at the door to welcome all and identify visitors and new Members make a big difference in the Members’ experience. Although all Societies probably think of themselves as friendly, visitors and potential Member are still reported to say ‘I went to the meeting and no-one spoke to me so I didn’t go again’. ‘Mingling time’ with tea/ coffee/ wine makes for a welcoming experience prior to the lecture. As well as meeters and greeters, it’s good if the Committee can also be out there doing the same and making introductions. There could be a couple of designated Committee Members who could ‘target’ newcomers and guests. Encouraging Members to stand and mingle with their coffee before sitting down is good as, once seated, people
THE ARTS SOCIETY18BY
AT THE LECTURE
Details of future lectures are effectively advertised in newsletters to Members, in Society leaflets put in places where potential new Members wait (libraries, doctors and dentists’ surgeries, local theatres and concert venues) as well as on your up-to-date society website.
BEFORE THE LECTURE
then only talk to the person next to them, usually their friends. To help conviviality and build relationships individual name badges let Members feel that they belong to an inclusive Society. Visitors and new Members can easily be identified with a badge and it is also useful to include the Member’s home district on the badge. Future Society and Area events can easily be advertised on a rolling Pearl & Dean PowerPoint presentation and more details put on a Society notice board. A lecture themed raffle is clearly a fundraiser and it generates conversation with a Member of the committee for attending Members.
Feedback from the audience demonstrates to Members that their opinion counts. Many Societies collect feedback scores electronically on their website immediately following the lecture from a substantial number of Members. Others place a small slip of paper on each chair listing the review categories; at the end of the lecture Members make a small tear next to their chosen rating before handing it to a Committee Member. There are of course other ways of doing this to help with the quality assessment of our Accredited Lecturers. This can often be a lost opportunity as people tend to rush back to cars, particularly if parking is a problem or expensive. How about an occasional ‘meet your Committee’ at the back of the hall afterwards, for a second cup of coffee/wine and an opportunity to find out more about forthcoming trips, Study Days, etc. Organise occasional Committee lunches and maybe even an outing! It doesn’t have to be all day and expensive, somewhere local and with a sandwich before or after works well. Don’t forget to look after the non-committeethe meeters/greeters and curtain-pullers! They also form a team of supportive players.
Special events. Ask the Committee and volunteers to provide ideas for something different and fun at some lecture meetings – for example, a themed dress style related to the lecture topic or timing of the lecture (e.g. Christmas) with a small prize. Or a lunch / dinner reflecting the theme of the lecture. Tie in a lecture with a social or fundraiser e.g.
KEEP IN TOUCH
AFTER THE LECTURE
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garden visits after a garden themed lecture. A regular newsletter (preferably monthly but other frequencies may also work well). This is easily produced with Mailchimp. Let your Members know what is coming up in the next few months both for your Society, neighbouring Societies and local non-Arts Society artistic events (exhibitions and concerts – people who like to go to live classical music are a rich area for recruitment so make some of your Society publicity materials available there). We all know that awareness of The Arts Society is low and marketing the Society in every way is productive.
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OTHER EVENTS
There is no doubt that the Arts and Heritage Volunteers find much satisfaction in their cooperative and valuable works. Group study tours, day visits, courses and study days bring Members together and all encourage the friendly atmosphere we seek to achieve. Run a specific lunch or drink for new Members each year, with the committee and one or two Members. It need only be a soup and sandwich but it gets them together and is a chance for the Chairman to tell new Members all about The Arts Society and the bigger picture. Above all, make it fun for everyone. Society Chairmen can set the tone to ensure that Committee Membership is a joy. Share the loads with suitable non-Committee volunteers for specific tasks (meet and greet, badge distribution and collection and tea/ coffee/biscuits). Organise the occasional Committee lunch. The team that plays together stays together! Also, make sure that everyone knows that a lot of help is available. Through Training, the Support Team, Area Teams and of course The Arts Society House a wealth of resources, experiences and tools are available. Costs are an issue for many Societies, and sometimes those who need publicity and new events and ideas the most do not have the funds to pay for these. Please contact The Arts Society House if you feel that you cannot do things that might help you improve The Arts Society experience.
USER EXPERIENCE PYRAMID
The model of the User Experience pyramid might help. To create and manage a great brand experience, we need to not just focus on objective features (such as ‘Did we start on time?’ or ‘Were the images sharp?’) but also on the subjective ones (such as ‘Did guests seem happy when they left?’ or ‘Did our members have a memorable experience?’)
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WHEN PLANNING AND DELIVERING EVENTS, ASK YOURSELF:
How can we ensure we are welcoming, generous and sociable? How can we communicate we are connected and responsive to our Members’ needs? How can we get across that we are knowledgeable and striving for the highest standards? How can we express that we are pioneering by trying new and different ways of working?
The more consistent our tone of voice is, the more likely our community will recognise and understand us as the people who enrich their lives through the arts. The way we write and speak should reflect our brand values. Consistency will also develop through sharing and asking others to do a sense and tone check, especially when a communication is going to multiple recipients.
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TONE VOICEOF
WHAT IS TONE OF VOICE?
Tone of voice is the way in which we write and speak; what we say and how we say it. Having a tone of voice doesn’t mean we all sound the same. It’s a springboard for our imagination and creativity. It gives us the confidence to write our own materials rather than relying on copying and pasting the varying quality of other sources.
Our tone of voice should shine through in everything we do from our website and newsletters to our internal communications and the way we talk to Members when they call or email us:
• day-to-day conversations
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emails • events and meetings • leaflets, posters • press releases, speeches and blogs • recruitment adverts and interviews • training materials • videos and online tutorials • website and social media platforms
We use our tone of voice in:
• e-newsletters,
WHERE DO WE USE OUR TONE OF VOICE?
Members • volunteers • external stakeholders • general public • grant recipients • lecturers • partners and sponsors • the team at The Arts Society House
DO WE USE OUR TONE OF VOICE?
Our community includes:
THE ARTS SOCIETY24HOW
• potential
existing and
We use our tone of voice for all the people we need to communicate with. Before we write (or speak) we need to consider who our audience is, as this will help us engage with them. We are talking to real people with needs, wishes and aspirations.
about tone of voice we’ve broken it down into 5 things to remember.
WHAT MAKES OUR TONE OF VOICE DISTINCTIVE?
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Try telling or sharing with people something new, that they might not know.
OUR TONE OF VOICE AT A GLANCE
In the same way as thinking about our community, it’s useful to think about The Arts Society as a person with a distinct personality that we are seeking to convey in any conversation. Our personality is underpinned by our brand values. If we were to meet The Arts Society they would be informed, responsive, warm, personable, sociable, curious and Toimaginative.helpusthink
Start any communication with the single most important point.
Make statements which are backed up with evidence.
2. Keep it simple
Be genuine and write or speak like a person, not an organisation.
1. Stay informed
Establish conversation and dialogue by asking questions and being curious.
5. Make an impression
3. Act natural
4. Be curious
• Write simple sentences with a minimum of punctuation
THE ARTS SOCIETY26OUR
• Include facts and insights to support what we say and think
• Use different points of view to demonstrate a rationale
• Keep our language easy to digest and avoid jargon or acronyms
TONE OF VOICE IN MORE DETAIL
Achieving real simplicity helps us concentrate on communicating what matters and shows we know what we’re talking about.
• Start any piece of communications with the single most important point
• Relate The Arts Society’s work and mission to the wider context - relevant issues and opportunities in society
1. Stay informed
2. Keep it simple
• Start strong with bold, fresh and relevant statements
• Tailor and personalise messages
• Talk directly to people - include personal words and phrases that imply working together - with you, we, our, yours
• Use genuine stories about our work, especially those involving a human angle
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• Find new and creative ways of explaining things and unexpected angles to approach subjects
• Use everyday language to show there are people behind our words
4. Be curious
3. Act natural
• Ask questions to appear curious, engage people and to create dialogue
• Keep the tone positive
5. Make an impression
LOGOSYOUR
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A selection of logos are provided to best suit the application. The text should always be legible, so if printing at a small size the Tertiary or Quaternary logos may be the better options, whereas on a poster, for example, the Primary or Secondary might work best.
IDENTITYVISUAL
PRIMARY
QUARTERNARYTERTIARYSECONDARY
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CLEAR SPACE
A clear space should be kept around the logotype.
The endorsing logotypes are supplied as artworks and should never be recreated.
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Versions of these logos can be created for all Societies; please contact The Arts Society House.
• Use the monogram at an angle in isolation.
• Change the colour.
• Alter the typeface.
• Separate the two elements of the monogram with different colours.
Consistent use of the logotype is crucial. Always use the logotype as supplied, with the correct colours. It should never be recreated.
• Use effects on the logotype.
Do not (clockwise from top left):
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Always use the monogram as supplied, with the correct colours. It should never be recreated or altered.
• Distort the monogram.
WHATAVOIDPLEASENOTTODO
• Use the logotype at an angle in isolation.
• Use a keyline around the monogram.
Gotham Medium
Gotham should always be set in Gothamuppercase.Thin should be used for quotations and large titles.
Gotham Medium should be used for secondary titles.
Gotham Thin Gotham Book
GOTHAM
Please contact The Arts Society House to request Gotham and News Plantin fonts. For powerpoint and web safe fonts, Times New Roman can be used to replace News Plantin. Verdana should be used to replace Gotham.
Gotham Book should be used for Local Art Society names and titles locked up with the logotype.
THE ARTS SOCIETY32YOURFONTS 0123456789?!@£&{}OPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMN 0123456789?!@£&{}OPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMN 0123456789?!@£&{}OPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMN
33BRAND EXPERIENCE TOOLKIT 0123456789?!@£&{}abcdefghijlmnopqrstuvwxyzOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMN ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijlmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789?!@£&{} 0123456789?!@£&{}abcdefghijlmnopqrstuvwxyzOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMN NEWS PLANTIN News Plantin Regular and Italic should be used for body copy. News Plantin Bold should be used for secondary titles. News Plantin Regular News Plantin Italic News Plantin Bold
THE ARTS SOCIETYPRIMARYPALETTESCOLOURYOUR34COLOURPALETTE
The Arts Society Grey
R206 G201 B206
R230 G0 B100 Pantone 213 C
SECONDARY COLOUR PALETTE
C15 M15 Y10 K10
The Arts Society Pink
R66 G27 B72
Pantone 669C
C0 M100 Y30 K0
The Arts Society Purple
C80 M100 Y35 K40
The Arts Society Blue
C80 M0 Y5 K20
R0 G151 B193 Pantone 2995 C
Pantone 665 C
impact, drawing the viewers eye and excluding visual “clutter”. Photographs should be of the highest possible quality – never use pictures which look slightly out of focus or dull.
Cropping a photograph well can have a dramatic effect on its
BEFOREAFTER
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IMAGERYYOUR
Use of imagery is a key part of our visual identity. The photography should be inspirational and aspirational: engaging and exciting. Avoid the obvious and clichéd.
THE ARTS SOCIETY36 theartssociety.org