WDET Brand Book

Brought to you byteamdetroit.com a brand story.

A LITTLE BOOK ABOUT A BIGGER-THAN-LIFERADIO STATION.

In more than 60 years of broadcasting, WDET has been a lot of things to a lot of people. But even a station deeply committed to diversity needs to have a focus. And even a station thats famous for breaking the rules needs a rule book.

People who work for and with WDET need to know what the station stands for. What it was. What it is. What it isnt. And what it wants to be when it grows even more.

This book contains the guiding principles that WDET works by, lives by and plays by. We want the words to help us speak with one voice, yet help our community broadcast many voices. We want the words to help Detroit get attention for all the right reasons.

We want the words to inspire all of us, which shouldnt be too difficult. The truth is, none of us would even be here if we didnt share the values of our amazing radio station.

Please note: Some assets found within the WDET Brand Book are for position/reference only.

WDET 101.9 FM started in 1949. For the first four years, the UAW owned us, airing public-service programming to its union membership. One can imagine on-air content like Barbecuing Tips for Shop Stewards and Television: Will It Ever Catch On?

WDET was given to Wayne State University in 1952, with a mission to continue its public-service tradition.

WDET broadcasts a 48,000-watt signal covering a 40-60 mile radius of metropolitan Detroit and reaching into northern Ohio and southern Ontario, Canada.

WDET is one of the few public radio stations with a commercial radio frequency.

WDET is the third most powerful FM radio signal in southeast Michigan, available to nearly four million people in 17 counties.

Operating funds are provided through federally appropriated monies by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Wayne State University, and through private donor and corporate contributions.

More than half of WDETs operating cash is contributed directly by listeners.

WDET once had a massive neon sign on top of the Maccabees Building, now the Schools Center Building.

A supershort butdeeply meaningfulset of bullet points

WHOM WE SPEAK TOPeople who are multiethnic.

People who are 25 and older (with an emphasis on the 35-54 demographic).

People who are socially, culturally, politically and environmentally aware. And thrillingly active.

People who get involved. Doers. People who dont just spout off,

but jump in. Leaders. People who want to make a positive impact

in their communities. People who are optimistic, outgoing and not mired

in the past. People who are curious. Provocative. Engaging. People who

educate, inform and entertain. People who are tolerant, open-minded

and encouraging. People who have blueprints, real or imagined, of new

concepts, never-before notions and get-Detroit-on-the-map visions.

Lots and lots of people love morning teams and shock jocks.

Thats not our frequency, Kenneth.

A 48,000-WATTSENSE OF PURPOSE.

OUR CLEAR-AS-CAN-BE PROGRAMMING

Its a carefully planned, thoroughly researched

architecture that complements the lifestyle of

our current audience. Its also a platform that

encourages listeners to talk back to us. Engage

in conversation with us. And create an open

community forum that allows many voices

to be heard.

Thats the setup that will allow us to continue

to expand our listenership. Growth is absolutely

essential. It means our values wont just have

an impact in Detroit, but across the nation and,

if were really firing on all eight, the world.

OUR CLEAR-AS-CAN-BE PROMISE

WDETs promise is to help advance Detroit. A challenge if there ever was

a challenge. But one with a potential reward bigger than most cities will ever know.

So lets keep our eyes on the prize. Well keep our promise if we stay true to the

things weve always been good at.

WDET has a simple broadcast agenda: News on the weekdays. Music on the weekends.

THE WDET PROMISE:A MANIFESTODetroit is a car. But WDET is not the radio in the car.

Its the engine. No other entity can come close to

keeping the city going like WDET.

WDET is not interested in moving Detroit forward at

a pace that allows it to simply stay alive. Theres no life

in just staying alive.

WDET believes moving Detroit forward is about

enhancing life in Detroit. To enhance life, you have to

move forward with purpose, attitude and a little growl

from under the hood.

Which is why were committed to doing things no one else

is willing or able or gutsy enough to do:

A local news show that doesnt just spew headlines, but actually

invites discussion from community leaders and station listeners.

A national news show so progressive, its created via a special

partnership between three global news sources.

Local music shows that feature the best tunes youve never heard.

Many of them played, recorded and produced right here in Detroit.

WDET makes Detroiters feel inspired. Intrigued. Curious.

It makes Detroiters think. React. Respond.

It makes Detroiters want to get more involved in their community.

It makes Detroiters love and respect the city they live in.

One very dedicated radio station. Moving Detroit forward not to stay alive

Moving Detroit forward to thrive.

To enhance life, you have to move forward with purpose, attitude and a little growl from under the hood.

By pumping up Detroit.

WDETs Detroit-ness is essential. People believe that were committed to Detroit

and connected to the community. Its true. Its what we do. Few radio stations in

the country, public or non-public, have as much heart for their city.

By enlightening people, home and away.

Were a radio station with a really big tower. Our powerful transmission should inspire

and educate people. It should expose people to new ideas. It should bring people

together to create a better community. The brighter Detroit becomes, the more

glowing it becomes in the eyes of the world.

By providing a levelheaded perspective.

Its a land of chaos out there. The yelling and the screaming. The bashing and the

belittling. And thats just the media. WDET is above the fray. Were thoughtful and

calm. Honest and unbiased. We inform, we make people think, and we encourage

them to make up their own minds.

By creating momentum.

Yes, WDET needs listeners. But we want our listeners to be so motivated by our

work that theyll turn into doers. Lets float great stuff out on the airwaves and let

the positive attitudes and participation become contagious.

Its intimidating, but its really the only way to start.

The brighter Detroit becomes, the more glowing it becomes in the eyes of the world.HOW WELL LIVE UP TO OUR PROMISE:

WDET IS OBJECTIVEBALANCEDINFORMATIVE

THOUGHT-PROVOKING

MOTIVATING

HOMEGROWN

CONNECTED

CONNECTING

SOULFUL

ENTERTAINING

DETROIT

On the Web. On TV. In brochures. On posters.

On banners. On T-shirts. On everything worth looking at.

To make sure our visual communication is as fundamentally

sound as our broadcast communication, lets stick with

some basic guidelines. The guidelines will help us tell our

story in a simple, straightforward way. And theyll clearly

establish that we can speak with one voice.

WDET is meant to be heard. But if were really committed to advancing Detroit, then this is a radio station thats also meant to be seen.

RULES OF COMMUNICATION

THE TONEThe WDET voice is educated, approachable and unpretentious.

It is realistic, yet optimistic. It doesnt speak just to hear itself

talk; it brings substance and an informed perspective.

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Gotham BookABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

Gotham MediumABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

Gotham BoldABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

Gotham was chosen for its

friendly, conversational qualities.

Its clean, easy-to-read forms bring

a modern sophistication to WDET

communications without being

pretentious or fussy.

THE FONT

THE COLORSThe WDET palette is as vibrant as the station itself.

Strong together or on their own, these colors

feel urban, yet earthy. Youthful, yet sophisticated.

Energetic, yet calming. Diverse, yet unified. Pulled

from the sights and colors of Detroit, this rich palette

is just waiting to be turned into something curious

and inspiring.

CMYK 8 | 2 | 100 | 20RGB 194 | 188 | 47

HEX C2BC2F PMS 612 C

CMYK 19 | 16 | 100 | 39RGB 137 | 131 | 40

HEX 898328 PMS 619 C

CMYK 0 | 85 | 10 | 0RGB 208 | 78 | 139

HEX D1B227 PMS 7424 C

CMYK 0 | 100 | 53 | 37RGB 139 | 0 | 59

HEX 8B003B PMS 7426 C

CMYK 0 | 18 | 100 | 0RGB 244 | 206 | 48

HEX F4CE30 PMS 109 C

CMYK 0 | 35 | 100 | 5RGB 220 | 165 | 46

HEX DCA52E PMS 110 C

CMYK 100 | 30 | 20 | 40RGB 12 | 92 | 120

HEX 0C5C78 PMS 3025 C

CMYK 60 | 0 | 15 | 0RGB 128 | 197 | 214

HEX 80C5D6 PMS 305 C

CMYK 15 | 75 | 100 | 12RGB 167 | 88 | 44

HEX A7582C PMS 159 C

CMYK 0 | 47 | 100 | 8RGB 208 | 141 | 44

HEX D08D2C PMS 143 C

CMYK 5 | 0 | 31 | 75RGB 94 | 96 | 77


CMYK 5 | 6 | 12 | 0RGB 237 | 232 | 220


THE LOGOLike WDET, our logo is rooted in fueling dialogue

and a sense of community. Whether you see a

quotation mark, a talk bubble, or simply a round and

friendly shape, youre seeing the right thing. Together

with the elements in this book, its voice is authentic,

conversational, curious and open-minded. After all,

what brand guidelines provide this many colors

to choose from?

The logo likes to have a little breathing room.

We recommend a safe zone (shown above) when

using the full logo. And when using the logo over

an image, position it over an area of the image

where you can ensure that it is legible (left).

THE GRAPHICLANGUAGEThe WDET logo inspires a wide range of shapes

and forms. On the facing page is a range of elements

that could be used as devices in print, Web and

merchandising. Together with the color palette

provided, youve got a toolbox of graphics at your

fingertips that are distinctly WDET.

Youll see examples of the use of this shape throughout this book. It works well in both positive and reverse, and is a nice place for a longer quote to sit and stay awhile.

13%60%

79%

LOREM IPSUMQUOT DOLOR.



THIS CURVED RIBBONCAN HOLD ANYTHING FROM HEADERS TO STATISTICS.

dont always sound like a shout. Still, consider using lowercase when a more conversational tone is needed.

These devices could be used to divide up sections of information on a website or in print. The top cap could move up or down depending on how much (or little) you have to say.




The Culture. The People. The Music. The Talk.

ALL CAPSThe rounded corners of the logo lend themselves to a number of intriguing shapes. Just be sure to use them tastefully and thoughtfully. Less is more.

WDET inspires and educates. We expose people to new ideas. We bring people together to create a better community.

Portraits courtesy of The People of Detroit photodocumentary

(thepeopleofdetroit.com) by Noah Stephens, copyright 2010.

Used with permission.

Photo Credits:Noah Stephens

Brandon Bayer

Ray Schwartz

Ken Snyder

Danny Jacobs

Linda Hamlin

WDET Brand Book

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