Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MAY 2011
DEFINITION
What is a brand? There are almost as many definitions of a brand, as their are brands. Put very simply, a brand is the internal and external perception of an organization by its constituency. But what makes a good brand? And what, specifically defines the Uniguest brand?
Consistency enhances the value of the Uniguest brand. Our brand is cultivated by all of our communications, activities and customer interactions. Its what we say and what we do. As one of our most valuable assets, it is critical that each of us expresses the Uniguest brand every day. Specifically, the goals of this most recent re-examination of our brand are: Promote a unified and consistent brand message Reposition/reintroduce Uniguest as an intellectual partner to the hospitality industry Communicate Uniguests market leader status and international capability Support new revenue models Communicate to the industry a change in leadership at Uniguest
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brand guidelines
april 2011
WElcOME
As Uniguest realizes its vision to become a globally capable high growth company, the Uniguest brand is one of our most important assets. It is essential that the entire organization understands our shared brand and acts with common purpose to express it and thereby enhance its value. A consistent brand is a powerful brand. It helps our customers confidently navigate through options, it builds preference in the minds of our partners. And importantly, it sends a strong message worldwide that we are united and focused in our efforts. This document was created to help you understand what our brand is, and your important role representing it. In that pursuit, our brand team made this document easy to navigate, educational, simple, and clear. It will guide you to the right course of action as we work as a team to build a consistent, strong, and trusted brand across the globe. Just as Uniguest continues to evolve, so will our brand. Turn to our brand advisor, Joseph Moore, for additional communication direction as we rise to meet new challenges. Its an exciting time to be part of Uniguest a time of change, and of opportunity. As we set our course for the new Uniguest, a big part of that journey is your effort, every day, to build and strengthen the Uniguest brand. Join us on our journey. My hope is that these brand guidelines will guide and inspire you along the way.
uniguest
brand guidelines
may 2011
Brands are valuable in business and human terms. Strong brands enhance revenue creation by driving demand, creating preference, enhancing margins and protecting against the rare unavoidable failure or disappointment. A brand is also a repository of trust and relationship. The worlds top brands grow strong by the on-brand choices their employees make every day. Each decision, action, and expression you make on behalf of Uniguest has the potential to grow our brand and reinforce the relationship between our stakeholders and our company. These brand guidelines are intended to inspire you to make building the Uniguest brand an integral part of your goal-setting and accomplishments. These guidelines provide practical guidance on how to meet the communication needs of your individual work in the context of the overall Uniguest brand. Its not a how-to list of directives, but a how-can-you directional document. It will help you balance the fundamentals with your own creativity. Your common sense applies your judgment is the most fundamental element you bring to everything you do at Uniguest. Feel free to turn to me, as well as these additional resources, to help you balance the dayto-day practice, and the art, of managing the Uniguest brand.
uniguest
brand guidelines
may 2011
Guidelines Brand strategy ...........................................................................................................................................................................6 Brand evolution .........................................................................................................................................................................7 Brand pyramid ...........................................................................................................................................................................9 Name .........................................................................................................................................................................................10 Mark ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Tagline ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Mission statement ................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Pitch ...........................................................................................................................................................................................14 Story........................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 History....................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Talking points .......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Standards Trademarks ............................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Prominence, isolation ........................................................................................................................................................... 26 Size, colors .............................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Knockouts................................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Donts ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Alternates................................................................................................................................................................................. 31 Lockups .................................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Typography ..............................................................................................................................................................................33 Correspondence .................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Communications ....................................................................................................................................................................37 Production ............................................................................................................................................................................... 38
BrAND sTrATEgY
Uniguest competes in a profoundly dynamic marketplace, the pace of change accelerating rapidly as hotel brands race to use technology to gain advantage over competitors. As a result, we are significantly transforming ourselves to better serve our customers, our employees, and our partners. Key to our ongoing and accelerated success is communicating this change, leveraging every opportunity to enhance the impact of our brand on how we do business. To do so, we must have a crisp, clear articulation of what differentiates us in the marketplace this focus is the cornerstone of a good brand, and is communicated in our brand strategy. We needed to outline a forward-looking vision for our brand: how we want to be positioned in the minds of our stakeholders. Thus, the executive team engaged in a dialog amongst themselves and their team members about what the Uniguest brand means. Whether you realize it or not, your input and involvement have been crucial in developing our brand strategy. And together, we have created this over-arching positioning our brand idea - for Uniguest:
UnigUest empowers gUests by designing, depLoying and managing information toUchpoints gLobaLLy.
We must take the initiative to recognize the expertise and the value of Uniguest to help our customers see The Point of Touch at work. This includes our products, our people, our scale and scope. As we continue to connect with our customers to understand their ever-evolving needs, we must turn insight into action and our brand will be common ground for everything we say and do. Now is the time for Uniguest to begin consistently communicating the brand for all our audiences.
uniguest
brand guidelines
may 2011
BrAND EVOluTION
The new Uniguest is an evolutionary, not revolutionary, refinement of the brand. It acknowledges the strength of our history, while consciously embodying strategic changes in focus. It is also important to note that the new brand is aspirational, it not only reflects how we are known today, but how we want to be known. One of the most fundamental shifts in perception that the new Uniguest brand communicates is the evolution from a utility (internet access, PC sales, printing, etc.) to a strategic partner of refined, authentic information, a real value proposition. PAST PERCEPTION A Utility The business center guys The guest directory guys Service providers Not innovative One of many choices Regional and national NEW PERCEPTION Strategists Experts in designing touchpoints for the hospitality industry. Partners Forward thinking Market leader International
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brand guidelines
may 2011
BrAND EVOluTION
Another change in the Uniguest brand comes not from what we say, but from how we say it. This shift in tone should be subtly present in everything we do. PAST BOASTFUL Pride FEAR Risk NOW SERVANT Confident humility COMFORT Benefit
External communications The cult of personality, is not a part of our brand. Uniguest is team focused. Reliability and security are benefits. Uniguest removes the fear from the situation, delivering comfort. Internal communication Uniguest is at its best when we work as a team. Do not fear change. Embrace it.
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brand guidelines
may 2011
BrAND pYrAMID
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brand guidelines
may 2011
NAME
Uniguest
uniguest \ yongest
The name Uniguest communicates our brand strategy. It conveys strength, confidence and dedication to a single (uni) purpose, empowering the guest. It also implies our goal of universal reach as a global one-stop-shop for any guest information touchpoint. When Uniguest is referred to in text, it should be capitalized as a proper noun with no distinct styling from the surrounding text. If the actual company name needs referenced, for instance in a legal document, the correct usage is Uniguest Inc.
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MArk
The Uniguest mark includes both a distinct icon and a custom logotype that may be used together or independently. The Uniguest mark is designed to be a highly recognizable evolution of the brand, communicating confidence, service and innovation. It is also designed to be as flexible in use as Uniguest is in servicing our customers. Detailed guidelines for its use can be found later in this document, but it cannot be stressed enough that the marks ability to communicate the Uniguest brand is only as good as its least effective usage. Consistency in application is the hallmark of every good brand.
2004
2009
2010
CURRENT
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TAglINE
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MIssION sTATEMENT
Uniguests mission is to enable hotels across the globe to enhance their guests experience through strategically-designed and well-managed information touchpoints.
Our mission statement communicates in one sentence our entire reason for existence. It defines our purpose. It guides our actions, spells out our goal, provides a sense of direction, and guides decisionmaking. It provides the framework or context within which our strategies are formulated. There is a great deal of meaning encapsulated in Uniguests mission statement: Uniguests mission is to enable hotels
Uniguest focuses on the hospitality industry. We employ an invisible touch so that the spotlight remains on the hotel brand, property and employees. Uniguest recognizes that the reason for everything we do, no matter how disparate it might seem, is in service to the hotel guest and to improve their satisfaction with our hotel customer. Uniguest is a strategic partner in architecting end-to-end solutions, not just a product or service supplier. Uniguest doesnt just sell a product and then go away. We service and support all of our offerings 24/7/365. The commonality between all of our many diverse products and services is their function, to provide information at the right time, at the right place, to the right audience.
through strategically-designed
and well-managed
information touchpoints
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pITch
What does Uniguest do? This is the first, most obvious question any potential customer, partner or employee is likely to ask. As employees of the old Uniguest, this question was often difficult to answer, and your response was likely to be different depending on what side of the company you worked in. As a team member of the new Uniguest, this question is easy to answer no matter what discipline you focus on, no matter who is asking. Q. What does Uniguest do? A. Uniguest is the global leader in designing and managing information touchpoints for the hospitality industry. This concise, carefully worded response sets expectations about our market leading position, while inviting in-depth conversations about specific product and services within the context of our integrated strategy. It creates the proper environment to tell our brand story.
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brand guidelines
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sTOrY
We are hard-wired, as a species, to connect to stories. The most effective teachers throughout history have been master storytellers. We quickly forget carefully-crafted statements, and even the most profound principles, but we remember a compelling story sometimes for decades. To effectively communicate the Uniguest brand you must be a storyteller. The sum of Uniguests story cant be dictated by brand guidelines. Our story is rich and deep, and is constantly evolving. Every day, with every communication, and every interaction you add to the story. Each new opportunity is a new chapter. The best these guidelines can hope to do is to empower you as a better storyteller. To that end, what follows are a set of themes, and talking points about those themes, that serve as an effective framework for thinking about Uniguests story.
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hIsTOrY
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TAlkINg pOINTs
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TAlkINg pOINTs
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TAlkINg pOINTs
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TAlkINg pOINTs
Innovating touch
Innovation is a part of everything Uniguest does, but it is never the reason for anything we do. Uniguest is forward-thinking and technology savvy, but we are not a technology company. We are innovative, but we do not strive to be known as innovators.
Who we touch
The hospitality industry as a whole Hotel business decision-makers at 3 levels: - Corporate/brand level - Strategic partner we unify and mediate between the different departments and interests within a corporate structure - Glue between brand and individual property where mandates are implemented - Owner/management group level - Property level - Not perceived as part of the Brand Machine, we are on their side - We make it easier for the property to adapt to brand standards, we are the path of least resistance
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TAlkINg pOINTs
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brand guidelines
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TAlkINg pOINTs
Designing touch
Touchpoint architecture is information architecture with the addition of consideration for the physical connection (human, print or technology) Touchpoint architecture designs the flow of information throughout hotel ecosystem (time & place) Unicore is our proprietary system for delivering this information, irregardless of the touchpoint, even touchpoints that we do not manage As architects, we often curate the information that we deliver, filtering it to ensure that it is authentic for our customers
Managing touch
Uniguest creates, deploys and maintains a wide variety of touchpoints Uniguests customer service is available 24/7/365, just like the industry we serve Uniguest shields its customers from the complexities of the logistics of managing touchpoints. The process should be invisible
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TAlkINg pOINTs
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Brand Standards
AprIl 2011
TrADEMArks
All trademarks must receive a symbol as a notice of ownership. These trademarks and their symbols identity our products and services and help distinguish them from our competitors offerings. You help protect our trademarks by using them correctly in all applications. The Uniguest U uses the symbol (shown in the same color as the U) and accompanying footnote: Registered Trademark of Uniguest Inc. Uniguest product and service trademarks use the symbol and accompanying footnote: Trademark of Uniguest Inc. Footnotes are only required once per deliverable. & symbols are required in each instance when visually styled. When used in text, the respective symbol is only required once per deliverable.
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prOMINENcE
The Uniguest U mark is our companys most valuable trademark. Feature the Uniguest U as the valuable asset it is. Let it serve a prominent role. It should not be cluttered by other elements. This breathing room around the mark helps draw attention to it... and gives it the respect it deserves. Always portray the Uniguest U in the proper colors and proportions as described in these brand guidelines. Consistency will strengthen our brand. Avoid the temptation to add to much window dressing around the Uniguest U. Clutter will weaken our brand. Isolation area The Uniguest U must always be surrounded by abundant free space. The minimum amount of negative space from all sides of the mark must be no less than the height of the circle incorporated in the mark (X), and twice the height of the circle is preferable.
IsOlATION
X X X X
X X
MINIMuM prEFErrED
X X
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sIZE
To ensure optimal legibility when reproducing the Uniguest U, the width should not fall below 3/8 in print, or 24 pixels on-screen.
.375 IN
cOlOrs
In full color print, the Uniguest logo uses two colors, and these colors may not change. SPOT: Pms 132C CMYK: 0, 20, 100, 0 RGB: 255, 200, 0 HEX: #FFC800 SPOT: Pms 432C CMYK: 20, 10, 5, 50 RGB: 120, 125, 135 HEX: #767e88
Uniguest grey, or any shade of it, may used freely in graphic elements. Uniguest yellow should be used sparingly in any other element besides the Uniguest U. It should never compete for attention with the Uniguest U. As a general guideline, the amount of Uniguest yellow on a page or screen should not exceed the size of the Uniguest U itself.
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brand guidelines
april 2011
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cOlOrs
If the Uniguest logo is presented against a white background, the standard full color or the 1 color (black) version may be used. If the Uniguest logo is presented against a black background, the standard full color or the 1 color (white) knockout version may be used. If the Uniguest logo is presented against the Uniguest grey background, the alternate full color knockout version or the 1 color knockout version may be used.
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brand guidelines
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kNOckOuTs
The color version of the Uniguest logo should not be used over another colored background or artwork or photography. The one color (white) knockout version should be used in these scenarios.
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DONTs
technical support
dont place against a visually distracting background dont combine with another text element
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brand guidelines
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AlTErNATEs
AlTErNATE VErsIONs In general, the standard stacked version of the Uniguest mark/typeface is the prefered treatment. But there are certain usage scenarios (a website being an example) in which a horizontal treatment may be necessary. The horizontal versions below are the only approved alternate treatments. note: This alternate horizontal version is the only approved treatment for combining the mark and the tagline, without the name. The tagline can be placed either to the left or right of the mark depending on the layout.
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brand guidelines
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lOckups
prODucT & sErVIcE lOckups In general, consider using a lockup as a header for a page or screen. Only use as much text as is necessary to indicate Uniguest has a relevant offering; the rest of the description of our offering should follow in text/ body copy. Only text may be used as a lockup with the Uniguest U. Lockup text should be set in the Locator Light font, lower case, Uniguest grey with a height equal to the height of the circle in the Uniguest U. The lockup text may be positioned to flush either right or left with the center of the Uniguest U. Lockup text should be set the height of the circle in the Uniguest below.
secured advantage
secured advantage
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TYpOgrAphY
To ensure the similarity of written materials, Uniguests brand guidelines contain a versatile set of fonts and simple guidelines for their use follow:
locator light
Locator Light is only to be used as part of a product or service lockup with the Uniguest U mark. It should only be set in small caps. It should be used relatively large compared to other type elements in a design. The title lockup on this documents cover is an example of recommended usage.
locator bold
Locator Bold should be used for text elements that are clearly differentiated from normal body copy. It should only be used when the Uniguest mark is also present in the design. It should never be used to style or emphasize body copy. The page titles and footers on this documents pages is an example of recommended usage.
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TYpOgrAphY
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TYpOgrAphY
CSS Cascade When an exact font cannot be specified, or Uniguests brand standard fonts are not available, specify the next closest available font for body text. The locator font should never be substituted, and instead should be converted to a graphic if necessary.
> Whitney
HTF Book > Segoe UI (Windows 7 standard font) > Verdana (web standard font)
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cOrrEspONDENcE
It is important for Uniguest to present a consistent brand image through our everyday interactions. Correspondence materials such as letterhead, envelopes, notepads, facsimile transmittal sheets and emails are key touchpoints for communicating our brand ethos even when face-to-face dialog is not possible. No logos, graphic marks, photos or symbols other than the Uniguest U and tagline should appear on Uniguest correspondence unless legally required. Templates for common desktop applications, along with all other brand materials, can be found here:
https://uniguest.basecamphq.com/projects/6501593/
These designs purposefully accommodate both 81/2x11 and A4 page sizes to meet global demand for digital delivery and desktop printing.
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brand guidelines
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cOMMuNIcATIONs
Uniguest communications materials, such as sell sheets, pamphlets, brochures and presentations, convey the quality of our offerings and shape our stakeholders initial perception of our brand. The Uniguest U has an important role on these materials, serving as an endorsement of our products and services. Consistent use strengthens our brand. Whenever possible, use an existing communication, or start a new communication from an existing template. When a new communication needs created, use these guidelines: Single page/screen communications must include the combined Uniguest U and slogan, trademark notice and our URL (www.uniguest.com) and phone number 1-800-467-1218. Multi-page/screen communications should feature the Uniguest signature bar on the last page/screen. Minimalism and reductivism are the preferred design techniques for communicating the confidence and professionalism of the Uniguest brand. Avoid visual clutter and redundancy, which dilutes the brand. Aesthetic choices should always convey meaning, never use graphic embellishments for their own sake. Judicious use of photography is encouraged. Large, human-centric photos best communicate the benefits of touch. Abstract, impersonal photography should be avoided as it often does not communicate anything. Be respectful of our audiences limited time. Focus communications on our brand and our customers needs, versus the latest and greatest widget. Draw attention to The Point of Touch and its benefits.
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prODucTION
Uniguest requires that all materials be produced and provided electronically for digital publishing or commercial print production. Uniguest has standardized on the Adobe CS Suite of applications. All deliverables must be editable in either InDesign, Illustrator, Flash or Photoshop. Commercially Printed Deliverables All files should be provided in both their original editable format, as well as a PDF. Include all fonts used in the document, including fonts used in placed/linked files. Use the preflight/packaging function of your software to collect all files. Page sizes should be defined as the final trim size of your document. Bleeds should extend 1/8 beyond the trim size. All documents should use the CMYK model, and all colors should be reproducible within the SWOP gamut. Delete unused colors. Native resolution of bitmap images should be double the intended line screen at final positioned size. Bitmaps images should be TIFF or Photoshop format. Vector images should be AI, EPS or PDF format.
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prODucTION
Digital Deliverables All files should be provided in both their original editable format, as well as the final compiled format. (i.e. a PDF, or a SWF.) Include all fonts used in the document, including fonts used in placed/linked files. Use the preflight/packaging function of your software to collect all files. All documents should use the RGB model, and all colors should be reproducible within the sRGB gamut. Delete unused colors. Native resolution of bitmap images should be greater or the same as 100% at final positioned size. Bitmaps images should be PNG, GIF or JPEG format. Vector images should be AI, DXF or PDF format. WEB All designs should accommodate a minimum horizontal resolution of 960 pixels wide. Modern CSS, HTML & JavaScript best practices should be used to ensure cross-browser, cross-platform compatibility. EMAIL All designs should accommodate a minimum horizontal resolution of 600 pixels wide. Total weight of associated files should not exceed 1MB. ON-SCREEN/DESKTOP PRINTING Orient the page for landscape printing for both 81/2x11 and A4, as this also allows for comfortable viewing on screen. Deliver as a PDF. Total weight of file should not exceed 2MB.
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