Brand Guide

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

The Sutton Brand Guidlines

Our success is a direct result of knowing how to market a brand and having the right people representing the brand

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Contents: to be filled once page layout confirmed

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Our vision is to build a sustainable community in which all can take part and all can take pride.

Our five core values – which form the acronym PRIDE – reinforce the vision and reflect the way in which we work.

We are committed to:

› › › › ›

Working in PARTNERSHIP with people who live and work in Sutton Making services open and accessible so everyone is listed to and treated with RESPECT Seeking INNOVATIVE approaches to provide better, more cost-effective services Promoting DIVERSITY, fairness and equality by recognising and celebrating differences EMPOWERING everyone so we can all take part and take pride as active citizens and staff

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines About the brand

Our ambition is to be an exemplar for a modern local authority: open and ambitious, creative and in touch, providing excellent services and value for money.

Our vision is to build a sustainable community in which all can take part and all can take part. We are committed to making the borough fairer by reducing inequality, promoting choice and providing value for money. We also want to make the borough safer, with the lowest crime rates in London, and greener, reducing car use and shrinking Sutton’s carbon footprint.

As the Sutton offer grows it is increasingly important that we look cohesive in our approach to the customer. Anything not covered in these guidelines please contact: brand@sutton.gov.uk

If In Doubt Should you require any clarification on the use of the Sutton brand, or advice on specific applications not covered in this document please contact Brand Guardian Address line 1 Address line 2 Address line 3 Postcode Telephone Number Facsimile Number Email brand@sutton.gov.uk Website www.sutton.gov.uk

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines What is corporate identity

A council’s brand and corporate identity play a vital role in making residents understand the link between the council tax they pay and the services they receive in return. The Sutton Council brand is a powerful tool; it says who we are, it’s how people recognise us, and it’s how people remember and relate to us.

The corporate identity plays a critical part in building and maintaining our brand. It is vital that everyone involved with it continues the consistent and quality application of the corporate identity and the brand.

Why do we have a brand? › › › › › ›

To raise awareness of the wide range of services we provide So residents can see we get things done So residents know how to access our services So residents can see what they pay their council tax for To communicate our brand values To provide a consistent look and approach to all communications and services

This approach is endorsed by research conducted for MORI, the Local Government Association and the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA). This found that a strong brand improves resident satisfaction, while councils that don’t consistently apply their corporate identity have lower awareness ratings.

The research identified 12 core actions which, when delivered well, are proven to have a marked and positive impact on a council’s reputation1. One of these core actions is to ensure the council brand is consistently linked to services.

A strong brand and corporate identity helps the public to understand what they pay their council tax for. The visual expression of our brand, on things like vehicle livery, logos and staff uniforms, are key to how people see the council. Having a consistent visual identity helps people to understand what services we offer and the value they get from paying their council tax.

The LGA’s Reputation Project highlighted the need for strong management of a council’s identity and brand as vitally important to the public perception of local services.

The way that we badge our services is just one element of what makes up the council’s brand. It also includes the collection of understandings, ideas and experiences that make up the public’s view of the council. Our identity also includes the language and tone of voice we use when we communicate with residents, and each other.

1. See the LGA’s research on Reputation: http://reputation.lga.gov.uk

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

The Visual Elements

Often these logos are recognised by a limited, but critical, audience and it is better to ensure they are aware of it rather than placing it on all literature where it will have less impact.

Understanding how the visual identity works helps to provide Sutton with a consistent and cohesive look across all of its internal and external materials

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Logo

The primary Sutton logo is made up of three distinct but inseparable elements.

Logotype / Tree / Circle

These three elements form the cornerstone of the Sutton brand and should be used prominently on all public material.

› Logotype › Tree › Circle

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Crest

Sutton has a Mayoral crest. This crest should be used only for purposes to do with the Mayor directly and bears no relationship to the Sutton logo. This crest is used in activities with regard to the Mayor’s role in representing the Council, Mayoral office events or those endorsed by it. The crest is should never used in any non-Mayoral activity as a substitute for the logo.

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Formats (Colour) Print

Pantone colour accurate printed artwork always use the EPS file (as listed below) Filename.eps

4 colour printed artwork always (where possible) use the EPS file (as listed below) Filename.eps

Digital

Digital artwork always (where possible) use the GIF file (as listed below) Colour Filename.eps

Formats (Mono) Print 1 colour artwork always (where possible) use EPS files (as listed below) Black Filename.eps White Filename.eps

Digital Black Filename.eps White Filename.eps

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines The Identity The Options

The Sutton identity has three coloured states in which it can be used.

Colour

The Sutton logo is displayed in its core brand colours. The logo in full colour should be used in all instances that are possible, this includes against white backgrounds, coloured backgrounds where there is a suitable level of contrast between background and logo and against photographs where there is a suitable level of contrast. The logo must always be clearly visible.

Black

Sutton logo: Colour

The Sutton logo appears as a black logo when used against busy photographic images, in single colour/mono documents or against light background documents that the full colour logo is not suitable for. The logo must always be clearly visible.

White The Sutton logo appears as a white logo when used against busy photographic images, in single colour/mono documents or against dark background documents that the full colour logo is not suitable for. The logo must always be clearly visible.

Don’t › › › › ›

The identity never appears as the solid Sutton red The identity never appears as the solid Sutton green The identity never moves the colours of the identity around The identity never has coloured keylines around it Wherever possible the full colour logo should be used

Sutton logo: Black

Sutton logo: White

10

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Clear Space

The Sutton logo should be allowed to breathe without clutter.

To allow this a negative space allowance has been created, nothing should encroach upon this space.

Sutton logo with clear space

11

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Maximum and Minimum Spaces Legibility

Smallest and largest size specifications have been determined with reference to the legibility of the strapline. In cases where print quality or low resolution applications are likely to impair legibility, minimum size must be increased to ensure that the legibility is preserved.

Smallest

The logo should be used at no less that 15mm wide.

Largest

15mm minimum size / All colour variants / small documentation1

When reproducing the logo at larger sizes, it should not exceed 1/3 the width of the page,whilst also adhering to the exclusion zone guidelines. In cases where the logo is being used for a title page flexibility is allowed.

Large Format When reproducing the logo for large format print, please contact the brand@sutton.gov.uk for advice on suitable proportions.

Digital When being reproduced in digital format, the logo should appear at no less than 150px wide and in proporation in pixel height.

25mm minimum size / All colour variants / all other documentation2

12

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines How to Use and How Not to Use Visibility

The logo should only be placed on images where the logo is visible - busy photographs should not be used (please see image guidelines on page 18).

Where the logo is reproduced against a photographic image it should remain clear and prominent on the page or reproduced as a white out.

Squashed

Resizing

› Any resizing of the logo should retain the original proportions › The logo should not appear skewed, squashed or stretched

Integrity of the Elements

Skewed

› › › › › › ›

The logo should never appear separate from the logotype Logo should be visible Logo should not be rotated or squashed Logo should appear against suitable backgrounds Logo should always appear with the logotype The clear space should also be maintained The logo should never appear in colour beyond those given in the brand specification

Busy

Incorrect colour

Missing element 13

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Strapline What is it

The strapline for Sutton is ‘London Borough of Sutton’. Wherever possible this should be used to help strengthen and reinforce Suttons connection within London.

This strapline should only ever be used in tandem with the logo and should always be to the opposing corner of the documentation to the logo.

Usage Print

Advertising, corporate material and marketing literature: the logo should appear with the strapline wherever possible.

Digital Plasma screen displays and multimedia presentations: the logo should appear with the strapline wherever possible

Websites/HTML newsletters: Unless legibility can be guaranteed, the logo should be used without the strapline.

Low resolution documentation Where the Sutton logo is being reproduced in lower resolution documents (such as fax headers), then it should be used without the strapline, unless legibility can be guaranteed.

Examples Examples of the above strapline usage can be found in the application section of the Sutton Brand Guide.

14

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Colour

Colour is one of the key methods of identification and communication Here we will look at corporate palette and the supporting palette

Sutton Red

Pantone 200 CMYK 0/100/65/15 RGB 0/0/0 HEX CE1141

Sutton Green

Pantone 347 CMYK 100/0/79/9 RGB 0/0/0 HEX 009B67

Sutton Grey Pantone 432 CMYK 23/2/0/77 RGB 0/0/0 HEX 455560

Sutton Black CMYK 0/0/0/100 RGB 0/0/0 HEX 000000

Sutton White CMYK 0/0/0/0 RGB 0/0/0 HEX FFFFFF

15

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Supporting Palette

The supporting palette can provide Sutton with a way to differentiate its service lines. The palette below covers the major service areas. For further information about where your service lies please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk

Service Pantone CMYK RGB HEX

Environment 7495 0/95/100/29 134/159/41 869F29

Senior 2718 67/41/0/0 88 /113/179 5871B3

Adult 2965 100/38/0/64 2/36/61 02243D

Children 305 51/0/9/0 126/205/208 7ECDD0

Service Pantone CMYK RGB HEX

Business 484 0/95/100/29 181/12/0 B50C00

Visitors 5125 65/86/49/0 92/28/73 5C1C49

Housing 1365 0/29/72/0 254/181/61 FEB53D

Corporate N/A 0/0/0/0 0/0/0 FFFFFF

Service Pantone CMYK RGB HEX

N/A Cool Grey 2 0/0/0/10 230/230/230 E6E6E6

N/A Cool Grey 11 0/2/0/68 82/80/81 52/50/51

N/A Warm Grey 2 0/2/5/9 232/227/218 E8E3DA

N/A Warm Grey 9 0/11/20/47 134/120/102 86/78/66

16

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines The Device

The Sutton device provides visual interest were none may exist or where complex visuals require areas of calm. You can find guidance on using the device template guide later in this document. The device should never be used in isolation and is not an integral part of the brand identity. › › › › ›

The device should never be used to define the brand The device is not the brand The device should never be a constraining factor in promoting the brand The device should only be used in scenarios where no other solution can be found The strapline or ’take part, take pride’ can be used inside device in order to support the brand

Examples Examples device use can be found in the application section of the Sutton Brand Guide

17

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Images

The style of image should be simple reportage visuals that provide a striking visual and avoid clichés. Wherever possible use commissioned photography or good quality stock photography (examples of which are shown throughout this document). Please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk for access to photographic styles and photogaphers.

Stock photography can be sourced from the following locations: › › › › ›

People imagery

www.gettyimages.com www.dreamstime.com www.jupiterimages.com www.punchstock.com www.istockphoto.com

Always ensure that you have purchased the right kind of licence for any stock photography you wish to use. Images supplied by google and other forms of search engine will not come with the required licence and you will leave your organisation (and you personally) open to prosecution for Intellectual Property theft. If in doubt please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk Where a non-photographic solution is required an illustrative option may be considered, illustrations like photography can be purchased through reputable stock libraries or via commisioning.

Environmental imagery

Environmental imagery 18

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Typography

Often these logos are recognised by a limited, but critical, audience and it is better to ensure they are aware of it rather than placing it on all literature where it will have less impact.

at the heart of a great brand and great design is amazing typography. this brief overview will provide the guide as to the way sutton handles the visual side of the written word

19

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Typographic Conventions

The corporate font family for use in the Sutton brand is the Helvetica Neue Where this is not available Arial should be used as the substitute.

In all PowerPoint documentation Arial should be used for consistency across all platforms and formats (Please see Brand Application section for further details).

No other fonts should be used in corporate communications.

Where the needs of the document are beyond brand guidance please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk for advice.

Headlines

Primary Condensed Secondary Light Condensed, Bold Condensed Where these options are not available Arial in a roman weight should be used.

Smaller Titles Primary Condensed, Bold Condensed, Roman, Bold Secondary Light Condensed, Light Where these options are not available Arial in a roman or bold weight should be used.

Bodycopy and Bodycopy Highlights Primary Light, Roman, Bold Secondary Light Condensed, Condensed, Bold Condensed Where these options are not available Arial in a roman or bold weight should be used.

Alignment The suggested method for text alignment is left aligned ragged right, as per these guidelines.

Colour Colour of copy is document dependent For corporate communications solid black should be used for bodycopy.

Examples Examples of typographic styling can be found in the application section of the Sutton Brand Guide

20

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Specific do’s and don’ts

Effective communication in our publications is dependent on care being taken with how our texts are seen. Good typography within Sutton publications comes from an attitude that regards every detail as important and meaningful. It should lead the reader around the page or spread in the right order, drawing attention to important messages and explaining detail.

Do

› Break up long passages of of text with subheads and paragraph breaks for comfortable reading › Use text ‘callouts’ – text highlights pulled out from the running text – to enliven the copy and create messages that will be remembered › Annotate photographs or diagrams to explain their relevance › Consider whether complex or technical information would be communicated more effectively in a table or chart › Use the divisional colour for text subheads, callouts and information panels on our factsheets

Don’t › Set line lengths greater than 120 characters or fewer than 30 characters › Set large amounts of text in a highlight colour. Use these colours sparingly to catch the eye, but not to overwhelm › Overuse a combination of colour and weight change when emphasising text when one or the other may be sufficient › Use too many text sizes or styles within a document. Simpler is usually better › Set more than 10 bullet point listings on one page and preferably not in one location

21

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Helvetica Neue

Arial

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (light)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (regular)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (light italic)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (italic)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (roman)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (heavy)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (italic)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (bold italic)

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (medium) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (medium italic) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (heavy) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (black) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (light condensed) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (light condensed italic) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (medium condensed) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (medium condensed italic) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (bold condensed) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (heavy condensed)

22

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Often these logos are recognised by a limited, but critical, audience and it is better to ensure Partnering and Co-branding they are aware of it rather than placing it on all literature where it will have less impact.

as an organisation with many activities in the community we work with a diverse range of groups, this section will support how those groups are harmoniously represented alongside the sutton brand

23

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Partnerships

Co-branding introduction

All Sutton Council services and projects must be clearly identified through the council’s corporate identity. Central to the understanding of the work of the council is our presence across the borough in terms of a visual identity. We are accountable for our services and have a duty to explain to taxpayers how their money is spent.

The council works in partnership with a wide variety of organisations. The need to show that we’re operating in partnership and give credit to our partners can present issues in terms of presentation.

It is recognised that with partnerships where there is not a straight forward client contractor split consideration needs to be given to the best approach. This can depend on a whole range of issues from accountability to percentage of funding and we have included a useful flow chart to help you through the decision making process.

This chapter gives advice on how to represent contractors, business partners and sponsors in communication materials, signage and livery. Any company or organisation delivering services on behalf of the council should adopt the Sutton corporate identity and take responsibility for its accurate representation on uniforms and vehicles.

Contractors All Sutton Council services should be branded in the council’s corporate identity, with no exceptions. Contractor logos will not feature and existing contractor logos will be phased out over time.

NB: This guidance should be communicated to contractors at tender/contract negotiation stage and written into contracts. A vehicle/uniform/signage cleaning agreement should also be written into street-based service contracts.

The following paragraph should be included in contracts and tender documents: “All services provided by any organisation on behalf of Sutton Council must be delivered using the council’s corporate identity. At the outset of the contract Sutton Council will approve templates for any marketing materials and designs for any vehicle livery or uniforms required for the operation of the contract to ensure Sutton Council’s identity is represented appropriately.’

All materials should use the Sutton logo as the primary logo. The inclusion of the following words on publicity material in an appropriate place (to be agreed by Sutton Communications Team) may be considered: ‘x service provided by xxxx’.

All public relations or marketing activity involving, quoting ar referring to Sutton should be cleared with the head of communications at the Council.

24

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

The contractor’s logo may only be used in exceptional circumstances and with the express permission of Sutton’s communications team.

Internal Contracts

Rules also apply to contracts that provide internal council services. All internal customer facing communication should be branded as Sutton. This includes email sign off, call answering protocol as well as signage and printed materials produced under the contract eg Sutton staff payslips. Contractors based within council buildings should not use their branding on materials or signage.

Check-list for contractors – is your communication being used for: › Service delivery ie internal ,or external client directed: use Sutton corporate identity only. › Sales and marketing-focused activity for your own business: use own branding: as long as this is not on council property, vehicles or literature that also will be experienced by a large number of customers. › Staff communications: contractors can conduct their own internal communications activity using their own branding to their own staff.

Partners Projects where the majority of funding comes from the council or where the council is the accountable body should use the corporate identity. If support from other organisations must acknowledged use one of the following options: › use a strapline in the curve to acknowledge a joint partner on the cover (fig 1). › include a section on the inside front cover where partners are listed and explain their involvement. In the case of reports (page 68) this can go › on the inside title page. › place partner logos on the back cover of a document (fig 2).

However there will be cases where this is simply not feasible such as where space is limited.

If we are a partner but not the lead partner in a project and our logo is required to demonstrate our support, you should provide the corporate logo on page 29. You should not use the ‘supported by’ logo (see section 6.3.4 for its correct usage).

Partnership Logos There are existing partnerships in Sutton with their own identity eg The Sutton Partnership, Sutton Drug and Alcohol Action Team and Sutton Learning Disability Partnership. We are currently reviewing all partnership logos. Some of these will remain, some will be phased out over time. No further joint logos should be agreed without the authorisation of the head of communications. A full list of all permissible partnership logos will be included in the next version of the guidelines and on the intranet.

25

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Assume no council involvement, so no council branding

Is the service or project you are publicising entirely funded and delivered by the council?

Is the council offering support in other ways and required acknowledgement

Use council’s corporate identity

Is it partnership project between the council and another body or bodies

Is the service or project delivered by a partner, commercial or otherwise on behalf of the council

Is it a partnership with exisitng branding of its own

Are there agreed rules on branding written into the contract with the organisation Is the council the accountable body

Defer to the partner organisation’s branding and ensure correct size and position

Defer to the partner organisation’s branding but include the council logo

Use the council corporate identity and if appropriate acknowledge the partner’s involvement

Is the council the majority funder?

Work within the agreed branding for that partnership, but ensure correct use of the logo

Are there agreed rules on branding written into the contract with the organisation

Work within those agreed rules until the contract is renewed but include the council logo No Yes

26

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines A Practical Example

The NHS identity guidelines support our approach of not devising new logos for new partnerships. The following extract is in relation to children’s trusts: “Creation of new identities and logos: We do not recommend the development of a new identity and logo for your children’s trusts for the following reasons:

Accountability – children’s trust pathfinders are not separate legal entities and accountability for the services provided remain with service provider. The service provider identity should therefore be used to demonstrate this line of accountability.

Recognition – The NHS mark has over a 90% spontaneous recognition rate amongst the public and has high levels of trust and credibility. The local authority logo would similarly have high levels of recognition with the local public. Both these logos are already recognised as deliverers of health and social care services. A new logo would not have this intrinsic recognition and meaning.”

Council Funding The material should explain the funding agreement in the document’s body text, not add a strap-line to the logo itself. The tick logo below should no longer be used.

This logo should only be used if the council has provided funding for a project or given a grant to an organisation. It should not be used to reflect our support of a project if we are a partner – see section.

Sponsors Some projects or events are part-funded by sponsorship from private companies or other organisations. In this case their financial contribution needs to be publicly acknowledged as this is often the main reason a sponsor has decided to give their support. Before seeking sponsorship you must think through how you will approach the companies ie your proposal and be prepared to offer sponsorship packages ie what you can offer them in terms of acknowledging their sponsorship eg logos on printed materials.

How you acknowledge sponsorship should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. You should seek to minimise the display of multiple logos as much as possible.

It is also important that we do not approach the same companies for sponsorship on a regular basis. If you are planning to seek sponsorship ask the communications team for advice.

Service Excellence Logos The Sutton logo is our promise of excellence and we prefer to use this single, unified approach to logos.

However, if your service has received significant external recognition, such as beacon status, one additional logo on specialised material or recruitment literature is permitted where it is recognised by, or is important to, a particular audience.

27

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Practical Partnering

The Sutton logo is the lead brand within Sutton – all other brands should be held in a lower hierarchical position.

How Many Partners?

Sutton should not be joined by any more than a single supporting logo. Where there is more than one supporting partner a text list should be used in preference on the inside cover or reverse of documentation.

Execeptions to How Many Partners

Where advertising campaigns are being produced more than a single partner may be required – please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk for specific advice.

Single Branded On documents that are single branded with the Sutton logo, the logo must also be incorporated at the bottom right hand corner with the strapline delivered into the bottom left hand corner.

When used as a title page (for example PPT presentations) the logo may be positioned centrally on the page. For all subsequent pages the page format should as above.

Dual Branded (Sutton as Lead Partner) On documents that are dual branded and Sutton is the lead partner then Sutton should appear at a greater weighting to any additional sub brands. The Sutton logo should sit in the bottom right hand corner, partners should appear horizontally in the left hand corner working towards the right.

Where this is not possible please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk for specific advice.

Dual branded (Sutton as Supporting Partner) On documents that are dual branded and Sutton is a supporting brand Sutton should appear in equal weighting to any additional sub brands but be smaller than the lead brand.

Where applicable the Sutton logo should adhere to partners own brand guidelines – if there is a conflict please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk

Examples Examples of single and dual branded material can be found in the application section of the Sutton Brand Guide

28

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Copy Style

Often these logos are recognised by a limited, but critical, audience and it is better to ensure they are aware of it rather than placing it on all literature where it will have less impact.

The copy tone and style will help to maintain a consistent language as we present ourselves to the people we serve

29

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Copy

Tone of Voice

Promoting ourselves can come across as alienating, brash, and a waste of money: particularly when using a corporate tone of voice. More importantly, it risks sounding like naked promotion and therefore not credible.

Instead we should speak to residents as equals. This reflects a broader trend among service brands to using a less corporate tone of voice.

Research shows tone of voice should be honest, trustworthy and accessible. In practice this means: › › › ›

Using everyday language Using wit, but not ‘broad’ humour Acknowledging popular perception of councils Using this tone of voice makes the message more ‘human’ and credible.

Corporate tone-of-voice A priority of Sutton council will be providing value for money. Over recent years, we have consistently set one of the lowest council tax rates in the UK. We have achieved this through minimising burecracy and efficiency savings. This has led to our Audit Commission ranking us in the top authorities in the country for sound management.

Accessible tone-of-voice We hate red tape and burecracy as much as you do, and try to spend as much money on giving you a good service instead of writing longwinded reports and doing all the things us bureaucrats are famous for. Our auditor agrees and has given us top marks for the last six years and voted us as one of the top councils for managing our budget and giving us value for money.

Note: a corporate tone of voice will still be appropriate for certain documents such as the A-Z or annual reports.

Remember the Rules › Keep it short › Eliminate jargon › Be straightforward

Copy Style Below are a list of commonly used wordings, grammar and phrases that have various forms that can be used to express them, Sutton have established a style guide to help in developing a consistent written style for all communications. This is available on page

30

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Abbreviations Avoid unnecessary abbreviations or acronyms Addresses

Where addresses are given in the body of the text, use commas – eg Mr A N Other, 35 Vincent Square, London, SW1E 6QP. Where an address is laid out line by line, do not

indent the lines and leave out commas. Spell out Street, Road or Avenue in full with a capital letter.

Ampersands (&)

This should only be used in organisational names. Otherwise ‘and’ should be spelt out.

Apostrophes

The most frequently misused punctuation mark. Apostrophes indicate: › belonging – “Mrs Smith’s house is in Hammersmith”, or › a shortened word – “There’s the road”.

‘Its’ is an exception to this rule, and means ‘belonging to’ – “This is my car. Its engine is the latest model”. When short for ‘it is’ it is written ‘it’s’ – “This is my car. It’s new and very fast.”

Bullet points For lists of short points use this style: › point one (no cap) › point two (no cap) › point three (no cap and no full stop) Bullet points should begin with a capital letter but never finish on a full stop Capital letters These should be used for highlighting key information. Don’t use too many as this will mean the remainder lose their impact › Council if you are using the title eg ‘Sutton Council’ but ‘council’ when referring to ‘the council’ or councils in general › Councillor if specific to an individual eg “Councillor Smith said…” if general eg Sutton councillors are calling for legislation. › Days of the week › Months of the year › Department if using the specific title eg Education Department – uncapitalise if general eg “all our departments” › Internet but not ‘website’ and ‘web’ › Legislation Environmental Protection Act, subsequent mentions of ‘the Act’ should be capped › London not ‘central’ London or ‘the capital’ › Members/members as above

31

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

› Proper nouns ie a person, place, or organisation’s name › Parliament, Houses of Parliament, Commons, Lords Do not capitalise

› City unless included as part of a title eg City of London › Cabinet

› Committee

› Compass points unless used as a name eg South Africa › Email body text this is equivalent to shouting.

› Council tax, housing benefit, electoral registration

› Cleansing unless you refer to a specific team’s title eg the Cleansing Division › Government/local authority/local government Clip art Should not be used on any form of communications material.

Commas If commas are put in the wrong place they are distracting and stop the text from flowing. Your commas should be in places where, if you were reading aloud, it would sound natural to stop and take a breath.

Colon Colons have three main purposes: › To introduce a vertical or a running-text list, eg “She has several positive characteristics: charm, dignity, and poise”. › To act as a ‘why-because’ marker: “There’s one big problem with tennis on radio: you can’t see it”. › To separate two sharply contrasting and parallel statements, eg “During Wimbledon, television is like someone with a reserved ticket: radio is for the enthusiast who has queued all night to get in.” › Council When referring to the organisation Sutton Council, always use a capital ‘C’.

When referring to ‘the council’ or ‘councils’ in general, use a lower case ‘c’. Always refer to Sutton as a city not a borough. › Councillors When referring to councillors use the title Councillor followed by the surname.

Include an initial if more than one member has the same surname. The abbreviation of Councillor is Cllr. Refer to committee chairmen – not chairs or chairwomen. If you are not referring to a particular member, use councillor with a lower case ‘c’. › Dates Write the date in numbers followed by the month in letters and the year in full – without commas eg “I called on 30th September 2005 to say hello”. Do not use the day of the week at the top of a letter. Spell out decades – eg the eighties, not the 80s.

Centuries should be written as 18th century. Similarly use first, second, third etc up to 11th, 12th, 100th etc. Do not write dates in the US style ie ‘8 October’ or ‘October 8’.

32

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines eg or ie?

› eg (exempli gratia) illustrates with examples – “Sutton Council has many departments eg cleansing, social services, education”.

› ie (id est) explains – “Sutton Council has many departments ie business units that fulfil its different functions”.

› Do not use points after the letters.

Email

› You should always sign off your emails with your signature › Always write ‘email’, not ‘e-mail’ or ‘E-mail’.

Exclamation Marks

The exclamation mark is used at the end of a sentence or a short phrase which expresses very strong feeling eg “That’s fantastic!” or “Help!” Don’t use an exclamation mark unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Fonts › Bold should be used for highlighting › Underline do not underline › Centre no centreing for corporate documents › Left justify all bodycopy should be left aligned, ragged right › Justify no justification, individually track and kern › Size 10 point is the minimum where possible › Font Helvetica Neue › Full stops Use full stops to end a sentence. Don’t use full stops after short forms of titles, between initials of abbreviations, or between first name initials – for example Mr, Mrs, Cllr, TUC, Mrs A N Other. › Abbreviations Do not use stops when using abbreviations eg or ie Hyphens Use the en dash (a dash the width of an ‘n’) where the dash is replacing the word ‘to’ › Spans of numbers, such as ‘3–5’ › Connecting nouns, such as ‘France–Italy’ final. › 24-hour hotline, sub-committee. › Use the em dash (a dash the width of an ‘m’): › Instead of a colon; or to set apart a strong interruption — like brackets or bracketing commas — within a sentence.

33

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Indentations

All letters, reports and documents should be aligned left, without indenting the first line of the paragraph.

Italics

Italics can make your writing clearer and more precise. You should italicise › Book titles

› Names of newspapers and periodicals

› Scientific names of plants and animals, such as canis dingo

You can italicise to emphasise a word or short phrase using italics. For example, “You

should come to the party.” Don’t over use them, however, or they won’t have the intended effect.

Italicise foreign-language words that are likely to be unfamiliar to readers. For example, “At the Ristorante di Dante, I ordered cervello.” Don’t, however, italicise proper names, such as Ristorante di Dante.

Measurements No space is needed between an abbreviated measurement and the figure, and no full stop after the abbreviation. Numbers should always be given in figures – eg 15cm. Amounts of money should always be written in figures, eg £10,000.

Numbers Numbers from one to nine should be spelt out. Other numbers should be written in figures, except at the beginning of a sentence. eg “There were 14 books”, but “Fourteen books were on the table.” Fractions should appear as words eg two thirds and you should not use roman numerals. 1,000 not 1000.

Page numbers Page numbers should be applied to documentation where appropriate. Page number location should be dependent on the design Percent Use numbers and the percentage sign, unless it comes at the beginning of a sentence – eg “Ten per cent of the population walk to work.” “More than 10% of the population walk to work.”

Photocopying Photocopying should be minimised and where possible documents should be printed.

Ensure the print is legible and has not lost clarity during photocopying. If documents are usually produced on pre-printed headed paper: do not photocopy.

34

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Plurals

Collective nouns are followed by a singular verb – eg ‘the council has considered the issue,’ ‘A committee is looking into it.’ ‘Do not say the council have decided.’

Prices

Be consistent. If you round up pounds, £2 can be used in place of £2.00. If pence figures are included to two decimal points then ensure round pounds appear the same ie £2.00 and £2.

Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks to indicate that the words have been spoken or written by another

person. Quotation marks should enclose everything each speaker says – including their

punctuation. The quotation marks go around the exclamation mark and the final full stop. Each new quotation should begin with a capital letter, even if it is in the middle of a sentence. This is because it is the beginning of the quoted sentence.

Single quotation marks are used to quote examples eg ‘the ‘S’ in Sutton’.

Telephone numbers Numbers should be displayed as 020 8641 1411 with the spacing as shown. Always provide the full number, not just the extension. For publicity reaching an inner and outerLondon audience; do not include dashes or brackets and ‘7’ or ‘8’ sticks to the middle digits eg 020 8641 2809.

Time Use am and pm with figures. To avoid confusion write 12am as midnight and 12pm as noon or midday, and try and avoid using the 24 hour clock, if possible. Times are 8am9am not 8-9am.

Semicolon Semicolons should only be used if really necessary. Short sentences are always better. To use semicolons safely you need to satisfy two criteria: › the statements separated by the semicolons could stand alone as separate sentences › the topics mentioned in the two statements are closely related.

Status of the document When you save the document always record which version it is and mark its status ie ‘draft’ or ‘final’.

35

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Web

The website address ‘www.sutton.gov.uk’ should appear on all documents. If you want to direct someone towards a specific page request a short address from the web team

rather than inserting a lengthy full address. Also note that ‘Internet’ is capitalised, ‘website’ and ‘web’ is not. Never add a full stop to a web or email address as it may be typed by the user and prevent access to the site. Use ‘email’ not ‘e-mail’ or ‘Email’.

NB ‘Online’ is one word, ‘on-screen’ is hyphenated.

Sutton

‘Sutton Council’ is our organisation’s name.

The title can be shortened to ‘Sutton Council’ or ‘the council’. The name should be written out in full the first time you use it in a document. You can then substitute ‘Sutton Council’ with ‘Sutton’, ‘the council’ and ‘organisation’. However, avoid referring to ‘the authority’, as this sounds bureaucratic.

If you are referring to ‘the council’ in general, do not use a capital ‘c’. You should not abbreviate to SC.

36

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Application Guide

Often these logos are recognised by a limited, but critical, audience and it is better to ensure they are aware of it rather than placing it on all literature where it will have less impact.

This directory is a visual guide to the application of the sutton brand in a variety of scenarios. for quick reference there is a list of available artwork templates, should you need bespoke please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk

37

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Applications Available Letterhead With Compliments Slip Continuation Sheet Fax Header Business Card

Stationery 12.5

12.5

58.764

4.5

58.764

4.5

58.764

Reference Code

40

10

Address line one Address line two Address line three Address line four Postcode

99

45

Date

121.532

To whom it may concern

5

This would be the letter location for Sutton communications with its customers, the letter template would be in MS Word and from there you would just type onto the document. This could either overprint or it could be printed straight onto good quality litho printed stationery. This would be the letter location for Sutton communications with its customers, the letter template would be in MS Word and from there you would just type onto the document. This could either overprint or it could be printed straight onto good quality litho printed stationery This would be the letter location for Sutton communications with its customers, the letter template would be in MS Word and from there you would just type onto the document. This could either overprint or it could be printed straight onto good quality litho printed stationery

99

Regards Sutton

5

Illustration: Letterhead

99

Address line one for Sutton Address line two for Sutton Telephone / Fax / Email / Website

12.5

12.5

38

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Applications Available Magazine

A4 InDesign CS2 Cover A4 Indesign CS2 Internal Page

Publications 12.5

12.5

58.764

4.5

58.764

4.5

58.764

Page Number

Sutton Council 2009

40

Brochure

A4 InDesign CS2 Cover A4 Indesign CS2 Internal Page A5 InDesign CS2 Cover A5 Indesign CS2 Internal Page DL InDesign CS2 Cover DL Indesign CS2 Internal Page

Report A4 InDesign CS2 Cover A4 Indesign CS2 Internal Page A5 InDesign CS2 Cover A5 Indesign CS2 Internal Page

Leaflet A4 InDesign CS2 Template A5 InDesign CS2 Template

Hero 38pt/38pt 8pt space after. Hero copy is used for introductions

2

57

Title 21pt/23pt 8pt space after SUB TITLES The bodycopy is set as 10/13pt in Helvetica Neue with 8pt space after, but this is not presecriptive other sizes and weights are available depending upon the project - this is 1pt more leading than usual, this gives the copy some extra breathing space. The font is Helvetica Neue Light and is a highly legible font even at smaller sizes.

Should the document require a highlight in bodycopy I would use either a bold weight highlight or even an italic highlight option, avoid bold italics as these do not reproduce as well as the options shown. Please refer to brand guidelines if unsure. No minimum text size has been set but it should remain legible and in a consistent hierarchy.

Lists

99

› This would be how a list could be formed › This would be how a list could be formed › This would be how a list could be formed

TABLE Title Title Title

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

** *** ***

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

SECTOR TITLE SUB TITLES The bodycopy is set as 10/13pt in Helvetica Neue with 8pt space after, but this is not presecriptive other sizes and weights are available depending upon the project - this is 1pt more leading than usual, this gives the copy some extra breathing space. The font is Helvetica Neue Light and is a highly legible font even at smaller sizes.

Illustration: Sample A4 Report Grid 76.5

12.5

12.5

39

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Applications Available

Envelopes

Envelopes

C4 envelope C4 Freepost C5 envelope C5 Freepost DL Envelope DL Freepost

87 (Stamp / Freepost / Freepost Plus Area)

108

Address 21pt/23pt 1pt space after Address line three Address line four Address line five 108

324

Illustration: C4 Envelope

108

clear space

12.5

20

12.5

40

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Applications Available

Advertising

Advertising

A3 (420(w)x297(d)) InDesign CS2 Colour (DPS) A3 (420(w)x297(d)) InDesign CS2 Mono (DPS) A4 (210(w)x297(d)) InDesign CS2 Colour (Full) A4 (210(w)x297(d)) InDesign CS2 Mono (Full) ½ A4 (105(w)x297(d)) InDesign CS2 Colour (Half - Vertical) ½ A4 (105(w)x297(d)) InDesign CS2 Mono (Half - Vertical) A5 (210(w)x148(d)) InDesign CS2 Colour (Half - Horizontal) A5 (210(w)x148(d)) InDesign CS2 Mono (Half - Horizontal) A6 (74.25(w)x148(d)) InDesign CS2 Colour (Quarter) A6 (74.25(w)x148(d)) InDesign CS2 Mono (Quarter)

10

image space

100

5

190

Title medium condensed This font is Helvetica Neue Light condensed, see guidelines for other usable fonts, no hyphenation has been set and in this example no colour work is given. Please see guidance on colour for further information.

This is an example of bodycopy, the bodycopy is set as 10pt text with 13pt leading this is 1pt more leading than usual, this gives the copy some extra breathing space.

The font is Helvetica Neue Light and is a highly legible font even at smaller sizes.

Should I require a highlight in bodycopy I would use either a bold weight highlight or even an italic highlight option, avoid bold italics as these do not reproduce as well as the options shown. Pleasae refer to brand guidelines if unsure. No minimum text size has been set but it should remain legible and in a consistent hierarchy.

68

n: clear space

clear space

branded space

17

Strapline 10

border space

10

59

128

6.5

59

10

6.5

59

10

Title medium condensed, set at 28pt type over 28pt leading with 8pt space after This font is Helvetica Neue Light condensed, the type specifications have been left simple to allow for a greater degree of flexibility within type handling of documents.

118

image space

This is an example of bodycopy, the bodycopy is set as 9pt text with 12pt leading - this is 1pt more leading than usual, this gives the copy some extra breathing space. The font is Helvetica Neue Light and is a highly legible font even at smaller sizes. Should I require a highlight in bodycopy I would use either a bold weight highlight or even an italic highlight option, avoid bold italics as these do not reproduce as well as the options shown.

Pleasae refer to brand guidelines if unsure. No minimum text size has been set but it should remain legible and in a consistent hierarchy.

visit: www.sutton.gov.uk

Illustrations: A5 landscape and portrait advertisements

clear space

20

branded space

Strapline 10

border space

10

190

10

41

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Applications Available Large Format

Signage 10

15

69

10

89

10

69

15

A0 - A3 Posters (Image Led) A0 - A3 Posters (Copy Led)

Online

Large Web banner (Horizontal) Medium Web Banner (Horizontal) Small Web Banner (Horizontal) Web Banner (Vertical)

Livery

Vehicles Clothing

Signage Wayfinding Building Signs Road Signs

Hero 80pt/85pt 25pt space after. Display copy is used for signage and livery.

Display copy is for usage only on signage and vehicle livery, with no hyphenation

10

10

15

80

105

105

Illustration: Signage

95

10

For each of the above items please speak to the communications team for bespoke solutions on contact brand@sutton.gov.uk

42

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Applications Available Microsoft

Microsoft 10

PPT Cover Template PPT standard page PPT Chart Template MS Word Letterhead MS Word Continuation sheet MS Word Fax Header MS Word Envelope Labels (8up) MS Word Envelope Labels (6up) MS Word Envelope Labels (2up)

10

234

10

Folio

Title Arial Bold 32pt/32pt

30

5 5

100

Email

Available as JPEG Email Signature

5 10

clear space

23

Strapline 10

10

74.66

10

74.66

74.66

10

10

234

10

Folio

30

5 5

Title Arial Bold 32pt/32pt

Illustrations: PowerPoint Template

This font is Arial Bold, this is because Arial is a universal font Hierarchy is established through the use of size and weight. Fonts generally are larger in PPT presentations for legibility. This copy is set at 16pt over 18pt leading 100

This is an example of bodycopy, the bodycopy is set as 12pt text with 16pt leading - this is 1pt more leading than usual, this gives the copy some extra breathing space. The font is Helvetica Neue Light and is a highly legible font even at smaller sizes. Should I require a highlight in bodycopy I would use either a bold weight highlight or even an italic highlight option, avoid bold italics as these do not reproduce as well as the options shown. Please refer to brand guidelines if unsure. No minimum text size has been set but it should remain legible and in a consistent hierarchy.

5 10

clear space

23

Strapline 10

10

74.66

74.66

74.66

10

43

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Stocks and Weights

Stocks and weights of paper are very subjective but the Sutton brand should when in print use recycled paper stocks. Revive is the current preferred recycled choice, but as we continue to go greener and cleaner the choice is increasing and the price is decreasing.

Please speak either to your paper merchant or printer about stocks.

Weights of stock are dependent on two factors, the first is the job and the second is availablity. Below is a guide to paper weights to help assess your needs. › › › › › › › ›

Letterhead 350gsm Letterheaded paper 120gsm With compliments slip 135gsm Leaflet 135gsm Report cover 200gsm Report 120gsm Magazine Cover 180gsm Magazine 110gsm

For further information about paper stock and weights please contact brand@sutton.gov.uk

44

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines

Masterfile Directory

Often these logos are recognised by a limited, but critical, audience and it is better to ensure they are aware of it rather than placing it on all literature where it will have less impact.

The masterfile directory provides a full listing of the filenames and links to the sutton logo. these files should be used in the state provided and never amended

45

London Borough of Sutton

TO BE APPROVED Sutton Brand Guidelines Masterfile Directory

Understanding the assets

The masterfile directory has been set up to provide a single storage location for all identity assets. From here you will be able to download all the required Sutton logos for any artwork eventuality. Files include EPS (for print) through to PNG (for PowerPoint) a full explanation of each file type and each file is provided below

EPS

For print based material sutton_pantone.eps sutton_cmyk.eps

sutton_black.eps sutton_white.eps

TIFF For print based material sutton_cmyk.TIFF sutton_black.TIFF sutton_white.TIFF

JPEG For print based material use 300 version For screen based material use 72 version sutton_cmyk_300.jpg sutton_rgb_300.jpg sutton_black_300.jpg sutton_cmyk_72.jpg sutton_rgb_72.jpg sutton_black_72.jpg

GIF For online based material sutton_online_col.gif sutton_online_black.gif sutton_online_white.gif

PNG For Microsoft based material sutton_microsoft_col.gif sutton_microsoft_black.gif sutton_microsoft_white.gif

46