Visual Brand Guidelines 2023.pdf

Interim Visual Brand Guidelines

Table of Contents Introduction

Brand Overview

The Logo

Typography

Color Palette

Photography

Key Brand Elements

Usage Examples

Introduction

Objective & Overview Establish a consistent brand for the organization to increase brand awareness leading to favorability and trust, and ultimately engagement.

We will do this by...

• Creating brand guidelines to be used in the interim while new strategic plan is finalized and brand awareness study is conducted.

• Evolving and bringing together multiple existing brand elements/guidelines which will allow for more options and flexibility.

• Ensuring consistency with all external promotional materials whether created in house or by a vendor and/or consultant.

Roles and Responsibilities We are all responsible to promote, strengthen and protect our brand.

Remember:

• Anything that uses The Maritime Aquarium logo must be approved by the Philanthropy and Engagement team.

• All requests for approvals and / or creative support must be entered into the Marketing, Communications, and Creative Requests Tracker.

Please contact Danielle Tranzillo, VP Philanthropy and Engagement or Amy Diaz, Director Marketing and Communications, with specific questions.

https://maritimeaquarium.sharepoint.com/Lists/Marketing%20and%20Communications%20Team%20Requests/AllItems.aspx

Brand Overview

Brand Identity Brand identity is of utmost importance for businesses as it can play a vital role in attracting and retaining customers. A strong and well-defined brand helps to differentiate the business from its competitors and creates a unique identity in the minds of consumers. It allows customers to easily recognize and recall the business, which can lead to increased trust and loyalty.

Adhering to brand guidelines is crucial for any business, and it is particularly important for internal stakeholders to follow them closely. The guidelines provide a set of standards and principles that ensure consistency and coherence across all aspects of the business's communication and visual identity. By adhering to these guidelines, internal stakeholders can help to strengthen the brand and maintain a strong and recognizable identity. They have an active role in reinforcing the business's values, personality and messaging, which can lead to increased loyalty and advocacy among customers and—ultimately—long-term success for the business.

Brand Name “The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk” is the name of the organization. It must be used in full when first stated in any document or publication. It can be shortened to “The Maritime Aquarium” or “Aquarium” when used again within that same document or instance.

When abbreviating for the purposes of an agreement, proposal or other B2B reasons, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk should read “TMA.” It should never be abbreviated in B2C communications.

The Logo

Logo Standard Usage

Primary Logo

This is the primary logo for The Maritime Aquarium. It should be used whenever and wherever possible.

Stacked Logo

This is the secondary logo for The Maritime Aquarium. It can be used when the primary logo will not fit / align best with its usage.

Seal-Only Logo

This logo should be used only when the primary or secondary logo cannot fit on the material. Its use should be limited and must be approved by the Philanthropy and Engagement team.

The logo should always be surrounded by a margin of empty space to ensure a high degree of visibility and legibility. It is recommended that this empty space be equal to the size of the emblem (i.e. the seal).

Logo Variations

Full Color

Use the full color logo as often as possible.

Single Color

Use a single color logo only when necessary.

Only “Maritime Aquarium Blue” may be used for this single color, or white via a knock-out (see below)

Single Color

Use a white knock-out version of the logo on dark backgrounds.

Typography Fonts are carriers of content and are an important vehicle for the messages of The Maritime Aquarium. The below are the recommended, organizational fonts:

Montserrat Extra Bold for Headlines

(28pt font recommended)

Montserrat Medium for Subheadlines (20pt font recommended)

Open Sans Regular for body copy (12pt font recommended)

Primary & Secondary Fonts

Our primary brand font for print and web is Montserrat and should be used for headlines.

Our secondary font for print and web is Open Sans.

Open Sans should be used for body copy. Font weight should be selected based on what is appropriate to the design. Consistency should be maintained and messaging hierarchy considered.

All communications should use sentence case.

When designing for campaigns and/or exhibits, other fonts may be used to support the topic. In such cases however, these additional fonts should only be used in headlines or when a specific text needs to stand-out (e.g. call-out buttons). Use of alternate fonts should be discussed in advance with the Philanthropy and Engagement team.

At all times, fonts must be ADA compliant.

https://www.ada.gov/

Color Palette The following revised and expanded color palette was informed by:

• Summer 2022 palette that was market tested;

• Colors that exist in nature; and is

• Complemented by white and soft black.

Photography Photography engages and attracts our audience. Bold and colorful photography is preferred over black and white and documentary style over posed or studio setups.

An emphasis on detail and movement captivates the viewer and makes them want to dive deeper. When showing people, show them engaging with the exhibits and keep diversity in mind.

Remember: any and all photographs including people must have a release on file for use.

Key Brand Elements The following key brand elements are suggested for creative use across all mediums (on- and off-line) to create a unified brand look.

Brand Color Usage Examples

Brand Fonts, Colors & Photography Usage Examples

Our Mission The Maritime Aquarium inspires people of all ages to appreciate and protect the Long Island Sound ecosystem and the global environment through living exhibits, marine science, and environmental education.

The Maritime Aquarium At Norwalk, 2023.

Please reach out with any questions.