TAXSLAYER.COM BRAND GUIDELINES · travel in style without breaking the bank. Plan wisely, search...

TAXSLAYER.COM BRAND GUIDELINESDecember 19, 2016

TAXSLAYER BRAND GUIDELINES2

BRAND VALUES .................................................................................................................................................3-4

BRAND VOICE. ...................................................................................................................................................5-6

BRAND VOICE: CHARACTERISTICS ...................................................................................................................7

BRAND TONE .....................................................................................................................................................8

BRAND TONE: USAGE.........................................................................................................................................9-11

COLOR PALETTE ................................................................................................................................................12-13

LOGO ..................................................................................................................................................................14-15

LOGO: DO’S & DON’TS ........................................................................................................................................16-17

THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER ..................................................................................................................................18-19

THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER: DO’S & DON’TS ........................................................................................................20

THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER: USAGE EXAMPLES .................................................................................................21-22

TYPOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................................................23-25

PHOTOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................................................26-28

PHOTOGRAPHY: DESATURATION TREATMENT.................................................................................................29

PHOTOGRAPHY: DO’S AND DON’TS ...................................................................................................................30

GRAPHICS .........................................................................................................................................................31-33

INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS ..................................................................................................................................34-35

PRINT..................................................................................................................................................................36-37

DIGITAL...............................................................................................................................................................38

SOCIAL ...............................................................................................................................................................39-43

VOICE AND TONE

DESIGN GUIDELINES

SAMPLE EXECUTIONS

CONTENTS


VOICE AND TONE


We are committed to providing tax filers a high-quality product, experience and expertise. We’re dedicated to fairness, clarity and transparency in everything we do.

These values speak loudly and clearly through the TaxSlayer brand voice.

It’s so much more than just our tagline.It’s our guiding principle.

SIMPLE PRICING. NO SURPRISES.

VOICE AND TONE


We convey competency without being stuffy.We speak with authority without being forceful. We express warmth without being sentimental.

VOICE AND TONE | BRAND VOICE

TaxSlayer’s voice is confident, capable and casual.


“At TaxSlayer, we give you clear pricing that includes... everything. Unlike other tax prep sites, we won’t charge you for the extra forms you need to file. It’s quick and easy tax preparation with no surprises.”

THIS IS OUR VOICE… AND IT COMES TOGETHER LIKE THIS:

VOICE AND TONE | BRAND VOICE


ASSURED + APPROACHABLEWe’ve been in the tax business since 1965, but we know what the modern filer needs.

DIRECT + CONVERSATIONALWe alleviate the anxiety of tax season by keeping things simple, straightforward and relaxed.

KNOWLEDGEABLE + FRIENDLYWe’re trusted advisors who help our customers file their returns with ease and clarity.

Voice should sound: Voice shouldn’t sound:PUSHY + OBTRUSIVEWe offer TaxSlayer as the most beneficial and practical solution to tax season — not the greatest, only, or superior tax prep service.

SNARKY + CRITICALWe’re always an ally to our customers — not judgmental, sarcastic, or demanding of them.

BLUNT + ABRUPTWe’re straightforward about our products and expertise — not terse, brash, or abrasive.

VOICE AND TONE | BRAND VOICE: CHARACTERISTICS


VOICE AND TONE | BRAND TONE

While our brand voice remains consistent across all media, our tone can shift to match who we’re talking to and what we’re talking about.

Tone can lean heavily on one of our brand characteristics more than the others. For instance, our display media tone is almost entirely direct, while the TaxSlayer blog tone is more knowledgeable.

Additionally, tone can also be conveyed without words. We utilize iconography to express clarity and directness, but we don’t utilize emojis because of the informality they signify.

Brand Tone


VOICE AND TONE | BRAND TONE USAGE: WEBSITE

Directness is key with website content but our friendly, approachable characteristics are just as important.

We convey large ideas with brevity and simplicity.

We are our customers’ helpful partner in tax prep.

We’ve got the expertise and the real-world knowledge.

TAXSLAYER IS SUCCINCT.

TAXSLAYER IS INFORMATIVE.

TAXSLAYER IS PRACTICAL.

Simple pricing. No surprises.Discover simply priced tax preparation that includes everything you need to file… with no surprises. Discover the difference at TaxSlayer and e-file with us today.

Online KnowledgebaseEasily find the answer to your tax question through our online knowledgebase. Simply type in your question to search the Help Center for links, forms, questions, state issues, instructions and publications.

Estimate Your Tax Refund for FreeEstimate your 2016 federal tax refund with our easy and simple tax refund calculator. Choose your options, enter the requested information and the calculator will do the rest. Even better — it’s free!


VOICE AND TONE | BRAND TONE USAGE: BLOG

Our knowledgeability and expertise shine in our blog content but we keep it conversational and uncomplicated.

We’re experts in our field and want to share that expertise with our customers.

In 2013, the average family spent $2,060 on their energy bill with 29% going directly towards heating the home, according to EnergyStar.gov. We don’t do average, at TaxSlayer, so here are a few home improvements you can start doing now to reduce the costs of heating.

Believe it or not, Halloween is one of the largest spending days in the United States. The National Retail Federation reports that this year, Americans will spend about $82.93 on Halloween stuff. With that in mind, beware and be aware when planning your party and creating little ghouls and goblins.

With many Americans spending into the thousands for vacations, we have 5 ways you can travel in style without breaking the bank. Plan wisely, search for deals and think of alternative ways to relax and unwind. Planning for your budget doesn’t mean you can’t have fun when you travel.

We frame facts and figures in a relatable, approachable way.

We offer helpful tips, useful information, and simple solutions that any customer can benefit from.

TAXSLAYER IS PROFESSIONAL TAXSLAYER IS PERSONABLE TAXSLAYER IS ACCESSIBLE

Home Improvements That Can Reduce Heating Costs

Take the Scare Out of Halloween and Save Taxes

Top 5 Ways to Travel in Style and Afford It

MONEY SAVING TIPS MONEY SAVING TIPS MONEY SAVING TIPS


VOICE AND TONE | BRAND TONE USAGE: SOCIAL MEDIA

We offer tax tips and filing information with a neighborly quality.

We remember our company’s history and celebrate its milestones with levity and sincerity.

We post useful, entertaining content that is short and to the point.

TAXSLAYER IS HELPFUL TAXSLAYER IS INSIGHTFUL TAXSLAYER IS CONCISE

We showcase our witty side through social channels while keeping credibility front and center.


COLOR PALETTE


R: 216 G: 38B: 49

C: 2M: 97Y: 85K: 7

PANTONE® 1797CHEX: D82631

COLOR PALETTE

80% 60% 40% 20%

Red as the primary color with secondary cool gray positions TaxSlayer as a premium, first-rate service. Tertiary colors are to be used only as an accent to primary and secondary colors and should be used sparingly, that is, in less than 10 percent of the palette.

This bold but simplified color palette conveys clarity while being distinct.

PANTONE® COOL GRAY 11 HEX: 333740

R: 51G:55B: 64

C:44M: 34Y: 22K: 77

PANTONE® 299HEX: 00A9E7

PANTONE® 7494CHEX: 94B492

C: 35M:5Y: 42K: 14

C: 86M:8Y: 0K: 0

R:149G:181B:147

R:0G:170B:231

80% 80%40% 40%60% 60%20% 20%

SECONDARY

TERTIARY

PRIMARY


LOGO


SPACING

COLORS

SECONDARY: WHITE KNOCK-OUT

PRIMARY: BOLD REDThis is the main color the logo should be used in.

This is the secondary color the logo may be used in. Use it over red or Pantone® Cool Gray 11 whenever possible.

For instances where no color is possible.TERTIARY: BLACK AND WHITE

When using the logo, adequate spacing must be given. For a reference use the logo’s “a” as a guideline.

LOGO | USAGE


SPACING

DIMENSIONS

COLOR

ELEMENTS

Give spacing equal to the TaxSlayer “a” around all sides of the logo.

Do use the red logo over approved background colors (White #FFFFFF).

Keep the logo dimensions. Ensure the graphic swoosh and register mark always accompany the logo and are never altered.

Don’t place the logo up against the edges.

Don’t distort or warp the logo dimensions. Don’t alter or remove parts of the logo.

Don’t place the red logo over clashing or unapproved background colors.

LOGO | DO’S AND DON’TS


LOGO | DO’S AND DON’TS: PHOTOGRAPHY

WHITE VERSION OF LOGO

RED VERSION OF LOGO

Use the white version of logo over dark and less detailed areas of the photography.

Use the red version of the logo over lighter, more blurred photography for optimal legibility.

Don’t use the white version of the logo over photography that is too light.

Don’t use the red version of the logo over photography that is too dark.

Don’t place the logo anywhere that obscures or competes with the photography or the person.

Don’t place the logo anywhere that obscures or competes with the photography or the person.


THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER


A real-life representation of our values and voice, she’s friendly, helpful, conversational, knowledgeable, direct and approachable.

She protects people from preventable situations as a means of saving them from unnecessary stress — just like we protect our customers during tax season.

The Face of TaxSlayer

THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER


CROPPING

ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS

BACKGROUND COLOR

TYPOGRAPHY

Leave plenty of breathing room above and around her.

Always use Pantone® Cool Gray 11 as the background color.

Leave plenty of space between her and any graphic elements.

Use appropriately sized typography and graphic elements next to her.

Don’t crop off the top of her head or too much of her shoulders.

Don’t overlap or crowd her with any graphic elements.

Don’t use oversized typography that overpowers her.

Don’t place her on red or any other unapproved color background.

THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER | DO’S AND DON’TS


THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER | USAGE EXAMPLE: BROADCAST


THE FACE OF TAXSLAYER | USAGE EXAMPLE: DISPLAY


TYPOGRAPHY


ROBOTO THINROBOTO THIN ITALICROBOTO LIGHT ROBOTO LIGHT ITALICROBOTO ITALICROBOTO REGULARROBOTO MEDIUMROBOTO MEDIUM ITALICROBOTO BOLDROBOTO BOLD ITALICROBOTO BLACKROBOTO BLACK ITALIC

ROBOTO IS THEPRIMARY TYPEFACE

Its clean type forms allow for a natural reading rhythm, render crisply on screens, and are legible even at small sizes. Mechanical and friendly, Roboto communicates the confidence and capability in TaxSlayer’s brand voice with effortless style.

Modern and approachable with geometric shapes and open curves, Roboto expresses both clarity and directness — making it an ideal font to convey TaxSlayer’s message.

TYPOGRAPHY


TYPOGRAPHY | USAGE

PRIMARY HEADLINE

ROBOTO MEDIUM

ROBOTO BOLD

Roboto Medium

Roboto Bold

ROBOTO REGULAR Roboto RegularROBOTO MEDIUM Roboto Medium

ROBOTO BOLD

ROBOTO BLACK

Roboto Bold

Roboto Black

SECONDARY HEADLINE

SUBHEAD

BODY COPY

Roboto Bold or MediumTitle case or sentence caseRed, White, or Pantone® Cool Gray 11

Roboto Black or BoldUsually title case Red, White, or Pantone® Cool Gray 11

Roboto Medium or RegularOptional for headlinesTitle case or sentence caseRed, White, or Pantone® Cool Gray 11

Roboto Regular or LightAlways use sentence casePantone® Cool Gray 11 on white when possible

At TaxSlayer, we give you clear pricing that includes... everything. Unlike other tax prep sites, we won’t charge you for the extra forms you need to file. It’s quick and easy tax preparation with no surprises.


PHOTOGRAPHY

TAXSLAYER BRAND GUIDELINES

Our imagery, like our core business, focuses on people. We use in-the-moment images to illustrate real, identifiable scenarios in the lives of our audience.

By utilizing naturally-lit shallow depth of field photography, beautiful details emerge of our audience’s everyday lives.

Visual Approach

27

PHOTOGRAPHY | VISUAL APPROACH


PHOTOGRAPHY | DIRECTION

Use candid wide-angle shots for narrative purposes.

Target audience in some kind of actionable way or manner.

Draw attention to certain aspects or actions with close crops.

Use a shallow depth of field for emphasis.

WIDE ANGLE MID ANGLE FOCUS ON DETAILSHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD

Brand photography should adhere to a neutral palette with cool coloration, natural light, and muted tones. Shallow depth of field may be used to draw focus to the individual or featured product. Additionally, images with out-of-focus backgrounds or backdrops may be used if it contributes to copy legibility.


PHOTOGRAPHY | DESATURATION TREATMENT

• Gaussian blur over background to draw focus to subject

• White fill layer over background to lighten image

• Hue/saturation adjustment layer to desaturate image with a mask over the jacket to bring attention to it

Slightly desaturated images with cool overtones create visual simplicity by drawing attention to foreground and reducing image “noise.”

BEFORE AFTER


SATURATION

NARRATIVE

AUTHENTICITY

DEPTH OF FIELD

Use slightly desaturated images with cool undertones and a shallow depth of field.

Use images that look natural.

Use candid images that tell a clear story. Use the Face of TaxSlayer on a secondary color background.

Don’t use oversaturated images.

Don’t use images that are meaningless. Don’t use any lifestyle images that have flat backgrounds.

Don’t use images that are over posed.

PHOTOGRAPHY | DO’S AND DON’TS


GRAPHICS

TAXSLAYER BRAND GUIDELINES

GRAPHICS | ICONOGRAPHY

ICON SYSTEM

SAMPLE ICONS

Icons are created within a 100 pixel square with a rounded stroke weight of 3 pixels. Stroke may be scaled proportionately with the size.

32

$ i


GRAPHICS | BADGES AND GRAPHIC ELEMENTS

EDUCATION CREDITS

LIVE CHATSUPPORT

OWN A HOME?

Like our brand message, our graphic elements are rooted in the idea of clarity and directness. These elements shouldn’t be combined, but can be used to highlight important information, simplify an idea, or add visual interest.

HAVE DEPENDENTS?


INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS


ICON/ HEADLINE LOCK-UPSFORM EXAMPLE HYPERLINKS

HYPERLINK

RED BACKGROUND

BASIC INFO

RED BACKGROUND

HYPERLINK

HOVER STATERED BACKGROUND

WHITE BACKGROUND

HYPERLINK

GRAY BACKGROUND

HYPERLINK

HOVER STATE

BASIC INFO

GRAY BACKGROUND

BASIC INFO

60% GRAY BACKGROUND

HYPERLINK

60% GRAY BACKGROUND

HYPERLINK

WHITE BACKGROUND

HYPERLINK

HOVER STATE

HYPERLINK

HOVER STATE

BASIC INFO

WHITE BACKGROUND

INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS

USERNAME

USERNAME

EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL ADDRESS

PASSWORD

PASSWORD

CREATE ACCOUNT

CREATE ACCOUNT

By clicking ‘Create Account,’ you agree to our License Agreement and Privacy Policy.

By clicking ‘Create Account,’ you agree to our License Agreement and Privacy Policy.

• 8-16 characters long• One lowercase letter• One uppercase letter

• 8-16 characters long• One lowercase letter• One uppercase letter

• One number• One special character• No prohibited characters

• One number• One special character• No prohibited characters


SAMPLE EXECUTIONS


SAMPLE EXECUTIONS | OUT OF HOME


SAMPLE EXECUTIONS | EMAIL


SOCIAL


Using the same lifestyle photography treatment from page 28, a red bar element with white type may be added to an image for social to draw attention to a headline, hashtag or visually connect a carousel ad unit.

Additionally, while organic social media can feature lifestyle imagery or iconography treatments, paid social media ad units should feature The Face of TaxSlayer in order to tie back to larger media campaigns.

Social Visual Approach

LIVESUPPORT

SOCIAL | VISUAL APPROACH


SOCIAL | ORGANIC VISUAL APPROACH

Using the lifestyle photography treatment from page 28 or iconography treatment from page 32, a red bar element with white type may be added to an image for social to draw attention to a headline, hashtag or visually connect a carousel ad unit.

SOCIAL | PAID VISUAL APPROACH


Paid social media ad units should feature The Face of TaxSlayer photography in order to tie back to larger media campaigns. Image should be used according to guidelines on page 20.

SOCIAL | VIDEO VISUAL APPROACH


Square (1:1) video layout is preferred over landscape (16:9) or portrait (9:16) aspect ratios in order to cater to mobile users and ensure legibility. The Face of TaxSlayer images and graphic elements and should be used according to pages 20 and 32, respectively.


THANK YOU

TAXSLAYER.COM BRAND GUIDELINES · travel in style without breaking the bank. Plan wisely, search...

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