Oxfordshire County Council

Brand Guidelines Revisions November 2015

Contents Our corporate identity….……………………………………………………………… Our logo...………………………………………………………………………………... Size, position, use, new logos, working with partners and contractors. Our colours..…………………………………………………………………………….. Corporate colours and secondary palette. Our fonts...……………………………………………………………………………….. Applying our identity………………………………………………………………….. Digital……………………………………………………………………………………... Web pages, websites, social media and tone. Print……………………………………………………………………………………..... Letterhead, writing letters, secondary logos, compliment slips, business cards and PowerPoint presentations. Building signs…………………………………………………………………………… Highway signs…………………………………………………………………………... Public Health……………………………………………………………………………. Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue…………………………………………………………… Vehicle branding……………………………………………………………………….. Workwear and clothing………………………………………………………………...

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Our corporate identity An effective corporate identity represents an organisation, shapes how customers

perceive it, and communicates its personality.

First impressions count

Oxfordshire County Council has a budget of £845 million and is responsible for an

extremely diverse portfolio of services. From bus advertising and websites, to

business cards and public reports; our corporate identity gives us presence and

ownership of what we do.

These guidelines provide a clear framework of how to apply our logo and other visual

elements of our corporate identity effectively.

If you have any additional queries about the council’s corporate identity, please

contact the Communications Team:

marketing.network@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Our logo Our logo consists of the Oxfordshire coat of arms followed by the wording ‘Oxfordshire County Council’.

Never compromise on its legibility and prominence.

Under no circumstances should it be re-created or altered in any way.

It must not be used as part of a sentence.

It must only be used in black, white or the corporate green. All services and projects funded and run by Oxfordshire County Council must use our corporate logo. This gives the public a clear awareness of the services and projects we fund or support. Before using our logo always ask yourself:

Does it need to be used?

Why should it be used?

What is our relationship with the communications?

Size

On A3 documents it should be at least 70mm across.

On A4 documents it should be at least 50mm across.

On A5 documents it should be at least 30mm across.

The logo must never be less than 30mm across.

Position On printed publications, it must be located on the front cover, in the bottom right corner. The minimum spacing around the logo is 10mm as shown below. Use

All services must use our logo.

All county council communications must bear our logo. No new logos Colleagues are discouraged from developing new logos for projects / service areas. If you need to create a specific brand look and feel, please fill in the campaign support form and send it to the Communications Team. We will be able to discuss how your requirements can be met through design, rather than use of a logo. Working with partners When working with partners our logo is used to help people understand the relationship and responsibilities of the partnership. Our logo should be present on all materials positioned in the bottom right corner. Partner logos should be equally sized and arranged to the left of our logo.

Working with contractors When we have contracted services to specific suppliers it is important that the treatment of both our logo, and theirs, is consistent. The way the logos are used needs to be agreed with the communications teams of both organisations. Specific guidelines have been agreed with these property and facilities contractors

Carillion

Capita

Symonds Example of Carillion/Capita agreed branding PowerPoint slides

Our colours Colour is a core element of our corporate identity.

Corporate colour – OCC green

This is our corporate colour. It is the only colour our logo should appear in, and

should feature on all corporate communications.

It can be used as a background colour, or for the titles of corporate documents, and

is the background for corporate signage.

Secondary colour palette

All corporate communications should use our county council green but we are open

to other shades for different campaigns. These are colours which can be used with

our corporate green to add more variety to communications.

Pantone – 3308

CMYK – 100, 0, 60, 72

RGB – 0, 72, 58

Hexadecimal (web) – 00483A

Secondary Green

CMYK – 69, 0, 100, 0

RGB – 78, 173, 49

Hexadecimal (web) – 50b948

Lilac

CMYK – 70, 70, 0, 0

RGB – 80, 75, 156

Hexadecimal (web) – 6460ab

Burnt Yellow

CMYK – 0, 50, 100, 0

RGB – 240, 127, 10

Hexadecimal (web) – f7941e

Burgundy

CMYK – 0, 81, 40, 67

RGB – 88, 19, 34

Hexadecimal (web) – 6e1b2d

Pink

CMYK – 0, 100, 0, 0

RGB – 222, 0, 123

Hexadecimal (web) – ec008c

Navy

CMYK – 99, 99, 33, 27

RGB – 28, 25, 73

Hexadecimal (web) – 27235a

Our fonts

Our corporate fonts are Bliss and Arial.

Printed text must be 12pt or above.

Consistent use of typefaces and fonts contribute to a strong identity across internal

and external communications.

Bliss

Bliss is our primary corporate font and should be used on all external, printed

communications. It is not available on desktop computers but is available for use

through the Communications Team.

Arial

Arial should be used for digital communications and documents produced in

Microsoft Office. For example: letters, agendas, minutes, fax cover sheets, reports

and emails.

Size

Text on printed materials must not be smaller than 12pt.

The Disability Discrimination Act recommends a minimum of 12pt sans serif fonts for

easy readability. The use of italics should be avoided for the same reason.

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Bliss to be added

Applying our identity The keys to making effective use of our brand identity are

Simplicity

Clarity These are essential to the look and feel of any communications, as well as any written message. Always keep them in mind. Oxfordshire County Council three ways… To ensure effective communications, we have a flexible approach to applying our identity. It depends on the type of message / audience. There are three types of messaging:

Corporate communications

Directorate campaigns

Joint communications If you are unsure which one your work falls into, please contact the Communications Team. Corporate communications All county council corporate communications must include the following elements:

Our logo, positioned top or bottom right (depending on visual balance).

The logo must be white, black, or corporate green.

Our corporate green, or monochrome.

Our corporate font Bliss (headlines can use other fonts with approval from the Communications Team).

For the purpose of flexibility, these elements can be blended, or separated. For example:

A headline in white Bliss, in a corporate green text box, with our logo in white bottom right.

A corporate green logo in the bottom right with a headline in Bliss.

A non-corporate headline font, with body copy in Bliss, a corporate green footer with a white logo bottom right.

Directorate campaigns These campaigns usually target more varied and specific audiences. They still must be approved by the Communications Team but we allow them a greater degree of flexibility. They must include the following elements:

Our logo, positioned top or bottom right (depending on visual balance).

Our logo must be white, black, or corporate green.

Our corporate font Bliss (headlines can use other fonts with approval from the Communications Team).

If colour is required for text, textboxes, backgrounds, icons, etc. only the secondary colour palette must be used.

Joint communications There are many services that we commission / fund / work in partnership on. When we are not the lead for the communications work (not directly managing it), but play a part in the goods / service being communicated:

Our logo, positioned top or bottom right (depending on visual balance).

Our logo must be white, black or corporate green.

While we may not be directly managing these communications, all designs baring our logo should be supplied to the Communications Team for approval.

Digital

Web pages

All Oxfordshire County Council web content should form part of the main corporate

website. Every page must:

Use the standard header, footer, and white background templates

Use the corporate styles

Comply with the corporate web guidelines

Use the “oxfordshire.gov.uk” domain name

URLs must

Follow the same format as below:

- www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/365alive

- www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/supportfinder

- www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/familyinformation

- www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/A420londonroad

Direct visitors to pages on our website effectively

Include easily, user friendly web addresses

Websites

Digital communications funded and run by Oxfordshire County Council must comply

with our guidelines to ensure that there is a clear awareness of who is funding, and

providing services and projects.

Exceptions

Sometimes there is a case for a county council site to vary from the corporate

template. For example:

Content for children

Information for people with learning disabilities

If you think this applies to your work please contact the Web Team to discuss your

requirements.

Any variation from the corporate guidelines must be agreed with the

Communications, and Web Teams in writing.

Any agreement does not allow a business unit or service to create a new

identity.

Social media

It’s important that the public are clearly aware when they are communicating with

Oxfordshire County Council through social media.

All accounts

Must use the OCC crest as the profile picture unless given permission

Should use cover photos and account names that make it clear to the public

what they can expect from the account

Use ‘bio’ or ‘about’ pages to add additional information

We welcome services using social media but ask that you discuss any new accounts

with the Communications Team first.

To apply for a new social media account, or for advice on using existing accounts to

publicise work contact the Communications Team:

marketing.network@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Tone

It’s important that we use social media the way that the public does. In general, this

means posts and conversations that

Are friendly, approachable and responsive

Are positive and aspirational

Use engaging images (real photos if possible, if not use good quality stock)

Don’t use acronyms and jargon

Use inclusive language, (‘us, ‘we’, ‘you’ rather than ‘Oxfordshire County

Council’)

Respond in a calm and friendly way to posts, even if critical

Tips

Creating an ‘online persona’ can help you write posts in a way that is accessible to

your audience and keep things consistent, especially where several people are

contributing to an account.

Picture someone who sums up the qualities, habits and interests of the people you

want to engage with on social media. Create posts as if they are writing them, rather

than you.

Printed materials

Printed materials must always be purchased via the Print Procurement Team. They

will ensure that you receive print work that offers value for money and a high level of

quality.

Whether produced in-house, or by a graphic design agency, all printed materials

should be consistent with our brand identity. They

Must include our logo, Bliss font and corporate green

Must not use clip art for illustrations

All print should contribute to our corporate mission of: “A thriving Oxfordshire”.

Requests for materials should be channelled through the Communications Team

(marketing.network@oxfordshire.gov.uk). They can

Provide quotes for design and print

Offer guidance on branding

Manage the print and delivery process

Campaigns

At any one time there are a number of county council campaigns running; having a

clear brand identity does not mean they all need to look the same. If used correctly it

will strengthen a campaign rather than hinder its design.

It is essential that campaigns attract maximum impact.

The message of the campaign is main focus of the design.

Our brand identity is applied as outlined in this document.

The Communications Team (marketing.network@oxfordshire.gov.uk) can provide

help and guidance on planning a campaign and creating artwork.

Posters

A key part of internal and external communications; posters are best used to

communicate a single idea to an audience.

Leaflets

These are often needed to provide more detailed information about services and

projects.

Newsletter

Newsletters should follow an agreed format and template. The design and print team

can help with templates that follow corporate guidelines around branding and style.

Stationery

Stationery is an important part of our identity. We should always be consistent in our

letters, faxes and business cards.

Letterhead

Our letter head template can be downloaded here.

Logo positions must not be changed.

Letters must be printed in black and white.

Letters

All letters sent from the council should look professional and use the same agreed

corporate style.

Letterheads are only used for the first page of a letter.

For additional pages use plain paper.

Text must not be smaller than 12pt.

Tips

When sending a letter from Oxfordshire County Council, ensure

The letterhead is the latest version

All text is at least 12pt Arial font

Your wording is concise and easy to read*

Yourself, and a colleague have proof read for spelling

And the letter contains correct contact details

Always read the final letter to yourself aloud as a final check.

It is not essential to include the director's name and directorate. This depends on the

purpose of the letter and is a preference to be decided by the director.

If you are preparing a large run of letters please contact the Communications Team

(marketing.network@oxfordshire.gov.uk) and we will be happy to assist with

wording, layout and delivery solutions.

Secondary logos Sometimes you may need to include logos from a campaign, organisation and

accreditation on your letter. These should always

Be relevant to the service being provided

Appear at the bottom right of the your letter as displayed

All uses of secondary logos must be agreed before use by the Chief Executive

through the Communications Team.

Compliment slip Compliment slips are for hand-written, informal notes where a letter is not needed.

Our compliment slip is shown below.

These can be ordered from the print team: print.procurement@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Business Cards An example of our corporate business card is shown below. Our business cards

Are always in landscape

Must follow this layout

Business cards can be ordered through the print team: print.procurement@oxfordshire.gov.uk PowerPoint Template slides for PowerPoint presentations can be downloaded here. There are 2

master slides:

The first should be used for the introduction

The second is the main content slide that can be copied

Tips

Keep it simple

- Create impact

- Only include useful information

Limit bullet points / text

- Too much text is difficult to read

Use animations carefully

- Too many can be distracting

Keep fonts at 30pt

- Smaller text can be difficult to read

Banners

Pull-up – or roller – banners are an easy and cost effective way of providing

temporary signage at events where visibility is important.

Requests for these banners should be made to Design & Print, they can source and

design how the banner looks using the latest guidance on corporate logos, colours

and style.

When creating a banner make sure

Our logo is positioned in the top right corner (it’s often not visible if at bottom)

You include contact information, ideally a shortened URL

External signs

The preferred format for external signs is now oblong shaped with rounded edges.

The signs need to uncluttered with the design clear and crisp. Signs are provided by

our preferred suppliers who are aware of the corporate style.

Key points in the design of signs

Signage should be oblong shaped

Our logo top right corner

The background must be corporate green

Main text in white Bliss Bold

Secondary text in our secondary green

Examples of external signs

Highway signs

We have a set style and layout for major highway projects. All signs must clearly

show

Who is delivering the project

The name of the project

The nature of the work taking place

The start date

The estimated time it will take to complete the work

Where to go for more information

To be considered ‘on brand’ signs must have

Our logo in green, clearly displayed on white at the top of the sign

All information displayed in our Transport font in black on yellow

Public Health Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for protecting and improving public health

in Oxfordshire. We work closely with the NHS. Therefore we need to ensure our

branding compliments our partners’ work, including the NHS’.

Some campaign identities are the responsibility of the NHS. In such cases careful

consideration should be given to redesigning printed materials rather than just

swapping one logo for another.

It is useful to consider which organisation is the lead in the message being delivered;

this will help understand how it is branded.

Examples of public health campaigns

Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service The fire service is an integral part of Oxfordshire County Council but has its own fire

service logo or crest and usually appears with the fire safety campaign logo, 365

alive. It is important that the Oxfordshire County Council logo always appears

alongside the fire service logo to ensure that the connection is made between the

organisations.

Given the nature of the service the primary colour used is red.

Leaflet example

Vehicle branding

The Oxfordshire County Council logo should be included on vehicles being used

publicly. The logo is most effective on white vehicles. The logo should be placed in a

prominent position and should not be placed at an odd angle.

When buying vehicles and considering branding the use of vinyl 'overlays' are an

effective way ensuring our logo appears. Specialist sign companies have access to

spec sheets that shows the layout and size of each body panel of the vehicle. They

can help determine the best layout for branding on vehicles. The logo should appear

in the dark green colour.

The communications team are happy to work with sign companies to ensure the best

final result.

Work wear and promotional clothing

Work wear that requires branding should include the Oxfordshire County Council

logo on the front left chest area with any partner logos on the reverse or opposite

chest.

The logo should appear in the dark green colour but may also be more effective in

black or white.

Example of PPE Clothing (Personal Protective Equipment)

Mock-up of jacket front Mock-up of jacket rear

Design & Print unit - County Print Finishers

Oxfordshire County Council has its own Design and Print unit that can design

materials and print them as specified. They operate as a commercial function and

are known as County Print Finishers. They can provide important advice and

guidance and should always be the first point of contact when requiring design, print

work and fulfilment.

No design or print work should be commissioned externally before it has been

directed through the design and print team. They are a small unit and will either

action the work themselves or will source it through one of the council’s approved

suppliers. It is essential that all work be placed through Design & Print to ensure

consistent quality and branding control. They can provide creative ideas and

solutions and quote for work enabling a full understanding of the costs involved.

When printing a large number of materials this should not be done on office printers

as this is not cost effective, this should also be directed through Design and Print.

For more information contact the team: print.procurement@oxfordshire.gov.uk