Hello Thanks for coming! Let’s head into the world of MOO.
Dear friends in the US and EU, we flipped a coin and UK English won for the first edition of the MOO Manual
Meet MOO
What do you get if you cross a design-lover and a cheerleader carrying a freshly baked chocolate cake?
A brand a bit like MOO! In this guide you’ll find lots of handy tips about what makes MOO, well, MOO – from what we choose to focus on, to our written words and how we look. Our brand is in your hands. The MOO magic is built by every one of us, a little every day, from the inside out.
The big ideas at the heart of MOO
Our vision is of all businesses, big and small, looking their best. We believe that design works wonders and really matters in business. But it can often feel out of reach. That’s why we use the power of technology to open up design to everyone. At MOO, we’re on a mission to help people build a brilliantly designed professional world they’re really proud of – and have a little fun along the way.
Our Customers Our customers are a loveable and passionate bunch. They are from all sizes of business and all industries, but one thing unites us all – an appreciation for what quality products and great design can achieve. For our customers, our brand is what they expect from MOO. We build those expectations inside MOO by deciding what to focus on and how we bring ideas to life.
Premium experience We deliver the premium quality our customers expect as well as delightful unexpected extras.
Great design From our products and graphics to service and point of view, we craft and celebrate well-made things.
Fresh thinking
Is it a MOO idea?
It’s easy to rest on creative laurels, so in every department we challenge ourselves to find new twists on the familiar.
Identity everywhere We want to help our customers express their business anywhere they need to, both on and offline.
The things we choose to focus on say a lot about our brand. If you’re trying to decide if an idea is ‘MOO’ or not, ask yourself, ‘Does it support one of these things?’.
Customer champions We’re genuinely excited by what our customers are doing, and we’re in a great position to help them share their stories and advice.
Made for business By focusing on the business world, we can give customers the experience, the products and the tools they need to stand out from the rest.
M Working in a MOO way
K
Make it simpler
Keep it human
A Always deliver delight
E Every detail counts
Our beliefs about how we work best at MOO are nicely summarised by MAKEIT. Think of them as a not-so-secret recipe that’ll help you to explore an idea from all angles, a handy way of planning a project, or a friendly way to look back and assess how a piece of work has gone.
I Imagine it better
T Tackle it together
Social
MOO is a sociable brand, we’re chatty and work hard to keep our customers feeling at ease and informed.
Being helpful is something we’re ace at, understanding our customers and making sure they’ve got what they need.
Helpful
Encouraging A bit like a person, every brand has its own personality, which customers will get to know and love.
Being encouraging is a big part of the MOO spirit. Business can be tough, and who doesn’t need a little extra support along the way?
Playful
Our brand personality
BOO! We can be playful, telling funny stories and planning cheeky surprises that make everyone smile.
Open We’re the kind of brand that likes to be open when things go wrong, as well as when they’re right – it’s all part of being trusted and relied upon.
Our five personality traits shape our writing for MOO – but not all at once. Like any Grammy Award-winning vocal group, each situation requires some parts of our personality to lead, while others provide the harmony.
Sociable Playful Encouraging
To decide which parts lead, ask yourself… How is my customer feeling and how do I want them to feel? Shifting our customers’ emotions takes a careful balance – sometimes being Playful will make our customers smile, but other times a joke will make it worse not better.
Imagine you’re having a terrible day and you’ve lost your house keys – do you want the locksmith to make a joke before he helps you out, or just to open your door?
Helpful
Do we treat all customers the same? Yes! We choose the most appropriate personality traits depending on our customers’ feelings and what we’re talking about, not who they are (otherwise we’d be like that friend who suddenly acts differently when they need something).
Open
Sociable
We want to be an easy-going, positive voice in each of our customers’ worlds. Write to be enjoyed We love telling good stories and adding extra nuggets. We’re conversational We write like we speak. If that means breaking a few copywriting rules, it’s OK! Everyone’s equal We’re respectful with advice and take care not to talk down to our customers. Keep active! We always try to say ‘we’ or ‘MOO’ to show we’re present and proud – and to share our energy.
The kind of copy you might find on a Postcard at a networking event that we’re hosting: MOO (confident but not in-your-face) Interested in rebranding? We have a few great tips we think could help get you started.
Not MOO (too humble) Interested in a bit of rebranding? It’s possible that we’ve got a few little tips that could maybe help get you started. (too patronising) You’re probably thinking, ‘What’s this rebranding thing all about?’ Never fear, we will help you out there. Yay!
P F
Y A
L U
L
A local ad campaign might feature this kind of copy: MOO
Playful
(clever yet light hearted) What do you call a StarTrek fan at a networking event? Jean Luc Pick-card. Groan, we know, but luckily we’re better at business cards than jokes – check out ours online.
Not MOO
When it’s right for our customers, we show our sillier side to entertain them. It’s a big part of what helps our brand stand out – but it’s the hardest to get right. Imagine your customer face-to-face Would you be happy saying that to them? Don’t be creepy or smutty, we’re not that brand. Playful needs to be gettable Be careful your references don’t get too obscure, and ask around the office if you’re in doubt. Everyday inventiveness Creative imagery, original comparisons and fun punctuation are good ways to show our creative side. Details keep it human Our storytelling is in the little comments and analogies that our customers can connect to.
(way too rude) Don’t pull out a tatty business card from the bottom of your bag, like some kind of networking tramp. (too creepy) Got a hot business idea? We’re hot for making you great Business Cards, so check out our range online.
Our customers are often on journeys to build their businesses and we want our tone to cheer them on at every step of the way. Carrots not sticks We always take the positive side and champion good things no matter how small. Be generous and nice We freely share our expertise and enthusiasm with others, helping the customer feel smart. We’re never mean. Help them act We don’t want to sound bossy, but do want to direct and help our customers.
We might put up a sign like this if we were having an event: MOO (fun and builds excitement) Here for the Tech at MOO talk? Step right this way.
Not MOO (too boring) Tech at MOO talk this way. (over the top and patronising) Well done for making it to the Tech at MOO talk! We are going to learn new skills today. Yay!
Encouraging
Helpful
We have to be in tune with what our customers need and want, as well as what they’re thinking and feeling. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes Empathise with what works best for them. Give people clear direction For instance, a question-and-answer format can often help the customer navigate a piece of writing. Helpful doesn’t drone on Challenge yourself to get straight to the point. Technical terms Not everyone’s an expert. Make sure you’re matching your words to your customer. Imagine how you’d feel if you walked into calculus class when you were meant to be in art history.
This might be something we have on moo.com: MOO (solves the problem without getting in the way) Forgotten your password? Don’t worry, click here.
Not MOO (too impersonal and passive) Invalid password. Try again. (way too playful for how the reader feels) Uh oh, isn’t it annoying when you lose your password? Have you checked down the back of the sofa? If it’s not there try clicking here.
Open This might be how we’d deal with sending customers a broken link: MOO
We welcome questions and conversations – they help our customers feel they can trust us. The human touch We write in a down-to-earth way, so our customers feel close to the real people inside MOO. Have an opinion We always try to balance our point of view with other ideas and references. Be upfront Put the meat of the matter at the start of the piece, especially if the content is serious or awkward. Mistakes are human Everyone makes them. We’re honest when we do, but focus on the solution rather than the problem.
(acknowledges the problem quickly and reflects how customers are feeling)
Oh no! We just sent you a broken link, how embarrassing. Here’s the right one.
Not MOO (too apologetic, too mean, too much information)
We’re so, so sorry but Neel hit send before checking the link in the last email – and it turns out to be broken. Here’s the right one and we’re having words with him now.
(too distant and lacks MOO’s personality)
Sorry, the link in the previous email doesn’t work; here’s the correct one.
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R T O
G I
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F
A N A
T G K
I C E
Writing on behalf of MOO This could be in an email to an external supplier: MOO
(warm and to the point with one ‘MOO’ touch)
We’re all writers for MOO, whether it’s emails to customers and partners or the occasional blog. Sometimes, you’ll be writing on behalf of MOO but not trying to be the MOO brand voice. The knack is to have fun and be yourself, but also to make sure you’re supporting MOO in your content and style. Use a less formal tone that doesn’t feel out of place next to the tone on our website and in the MOOsLETTER. It’s always good to work in a little MOO Playfulness if it’s appropriate, but don’t force anything if you’re not feeling it.
Hi, we noticed that you haven’t registered your details with our lovely Finance team yet.
Not MOO (too formal really, we sound a bit distant)
Dear Sir/ Madam, it has come to our attention that your registration details have not yet been received by our Finance team.
(too silly)
‘Ello there, just a friendly nudge in the ribs to say please send over your details to our fan-dabby-dozy Finance team.
Everyday MOOisms
Where is MOO from? In case you were wondering, MOO isn’t from one particular country. We do tailor our writing though, ensuring spelling and idioms make customers feel at home no matter what language they’re reading us in, as well as using images that those folks can relate to.
Using our name
Style tips
Our name is MOO in all caps. We use it like this when people know us.
Keep it conversational by abbreviating things like ‘We have’ to ‘We’ve’ but avoid shortening such as ‘See you in a mo’ – it sounds a bit lazy.
moo.com is always lower case and we use it when people might not know us.
Brackets (parenthesis) are great for adding a little personality to a piece, reflecting the pace of human thought. Use them sparingly though, as too many asides sound unconfident.
If it’s our MOO product, we capitalise names, but if we’re talking generally we go for lower case. This might be clearer in this sentence: “It’s good to have business cards you’re proud of. Our Business Cards come in several finishes…” Our official puns, like the MOOsLETTER, feel a bit less special if there are too many others around, so we invent new ones only in exceptional cases.
Using Yay! It always has a capital Y and an exclamation mark at the end. It’s a hallmark of MOO, but only use it when you’d truly give a fist pump for the sentence you want to use it in.
MOO Print Ltd and MOO Inc. are our legal names in the UK and US, but we only use them when the legal eagles say we really have to.
Taboos! We avoid all the obvious stuff like sex and drugs (though we love rock ‘n’ roll).
Gotta love the details Numbers! For 1–9 we use figures, from ten upwards we spell out the word. Unless we’re really tight on space in which case figures are OK. Only use one exclamation mark per piece! Remember, dates, times and even paper weights are different in the US, UK and EU. Check our style guide for the details.
Using our
look and feel
Our logo
Logo lock up
Understated, clean and sophisticated but still has a fun side. We do like our logo!
The MOO wordmark and hollow droplet have been specially drawn so they fit beautifully together. Please don’t go experimenting with that!
Using the logo Here are some handy ways to make sure our lovely logo always looks its best.
Clear space
Logo colours
It’s important to allow generous amounts of space around the logo so that other information or elements don’t steal the show.
What beautiful colours we have here! These are the ones we can use for the logo. We can also reverse a white logo out of these colours.
The liberal spacing ensures maximum visual impact. The minimum area of clear space, as shown on the right, is defined by the height of the ‘O’.
Minimum sizing 7mm
To ensure legibility, the hollow drop shouldn’t be used at a height less than 7mm. For anything smaller, there is a solid version.
Using colour The green, Hero, is our signature colour, but we have many other colours to play with (perhaps not all at once). For our most luxurious range, Luxe, the lead colour is the sophisticated Plum. Along with Clay and Dough this is exclusively for Luxe.
Primary palette
Secondary palette
More MOO We try to be careful when pairing colours. Some combinations are more ‘MOO’ than others.
Luxe palette
Not-so-MOO
à la McDonald’s
Christmas
Ikea
Typography There are three different typefaces that are all used for different things, whether that’s digital or print.
Mm
I am the oh-so-respectable Mark MOO – I’m only really used for serious things like contracts.
Bb
I am Bryant MOO Pro, your first choice typeface for whatever you need. I love to make a statement in medium weight. But if I’m trying to be a little less loud, then I use regular.
If you need me to stand out more then please pad me out by using the bold weight. And if you just want a subtle touch, then I find regular works well.
Vv
I am Verdana and you can use me for anything digital – I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to computers! If you need to shout something try bold, it works brilliantly.
Regular is great for a slightly softer approach, or if you want to whisper.
Photography Our style is fun and slick. We want to show off our products in a way that’s informative and also makes you smile.
1
1. Hero shots We use bold, exciting background colours for our main range, to help bring the products to life.
2. Luxe hero shots You can see how the Luxe range has limited colours for a more sophisticated look.
3. Product shots
2
3
A bright and graphic approach gives these pictures depth and shows the products clearly and simply.
4
4. Luxe product shots We add dimension but in a more playful way, to really show off the paper quality.
Bye bye Hope you enjoyed the ride. Over to you!*
*OK, so we didn’t help you tie your shoelaces, or dance a jig – but we trust you!