300Brand Style Guide

The 300Brand Style Guide serves as a reference document for all 300Brand employees, regardless of tenure with or position in the organization.

Our clients select us over larger agencies and cheaper competitors based upon the results that we generate and the quality of our execution. Whether we realize it or not, all of our external contacts are evaluating each and every document we create, judging it as an indicator of performance. Even small errors or inconsistencies can cut against the credibility and reputation of the entire agency.

As such, it is critical that as an organization, we maintain standardized excellence in the way that we present ourselves and our work to the outside world. It is imperative that we maintain exceptionally high and uniform standards even as we continue to grow. If we cannot maintain standard document structure throughout our own organization, we run the risk of losing the reputation for professionalism that 300Brand has worked so hard to create.

300Brand follows the guidelines laid out within this document in all external communications – including, but not limited to, memoranda, proposals, press releases, status reports, and client correspondence. When you see an external communication that does not comply with these standards or stated exceptions, it is both your right and your responsibility to address it with the author. Every document that leaves your desk should be perfect within your ability to make it so.

Of course, many of our clients follow style guidelines that differ from our own. It is of the utmost importance to continue to adhere to 300Brand style in our documents – even if a client uses different style guidelines than we do. If a client requests that we use its style guidelines in documents produced for distribution under its name (e.g., a press release), we will comply with that request and focus on adherence to those standards.

The rule of thumb is that 300Brand style is the default – and is used 100 percent of the time in documents distributed with our logo/letterhead. We defer to clients’ style guidelines only upon request and never in “our” materials.

300Brand will save time, money, and frustration by following the following guidelines.

1

Referencing 300Brand and 300Brand Organizations

“300Brand” and “we” are the only acceptable options when referring to general or specific company actions.

“300Brand” is the standard method of referencing this company. Proper references for 300Brand subsidiaries include “O’Keeffe & Company,”“11mark,”“Telework Exchange,”“GovMark Council,” “PRSourceCode,” and “MeriTalk.” 300Brand refers to the company as such in all documents. This same rule applies to all subsidiaries.

Common incorrect deviations include:
O’Keeffe / O’Keeffe & Co.
O’Keeffe and Company /
OKCO
300 /
300 Brand
11 Mark
/
11Mark
PRSO
/
Govmark
Meritalk
/ TE

The only acceptable substitution for “300Brand” and its subsidiaries is “we.” We only use “we” after establishing the corresponding organization – “300Brand,” O’Keeffe & Company,” etc. – as the subject in a previous sentence. In all situations in which 300Brand is the “owner” of an action/responsibility (except for the “editorial outreach” section of the status report), we should use “300Brand” or “we” as the first words in an action statement – in documents including agenda items, memoranda, and proposals. Additionally, in all situations,“300Brand” replaces “we” as the last entry within the text.

In addition, 300Brand does not use individual team members’ names or the pronoun “I” in any document – or in email or on the phone. “We” promotes the idea that 300Brand works in a team environment, providing clients a collaborative effort. “300Brand” and “we” are the only acceptable options when referring to general or specific company actions. The only exception to the “we” rule is for senior managers accepting personal responsibility for a mistake, where using the plural might signal an avoidance of responsibility or accountability.

Incorrect example:
O’Keeffe scheduled an interview with the customer and obtained background information. Janice Clayton drafted a user profile and forwarded the document to the customer for review. Additionally,I sent the document to Oracle for review. We will stay on top of this project.
Correct example (standard action statement):
O’Keeffe & Company scheduled an interview with the customer and obtained background information. We drafted a user profile, and we forwarded the document to the customer for review. O’Keeffe & Company will stay on top of this project.
Correct example (“editorial outreach” action statement – status report):
Contacted the editor and pitched nothing newsworthy. O’Keeffe & Company felt badly. We sent the editor flowers. O’Keeffe & Company will pursue future editorial opportunities with this publication.

General Document Formatting

300Brand and all subsidiaries adhere to the following guidelines for all document development:

We set document view size at 100 percent when sending the document to an external party

We leave two spaces between all sentences and following all colons. Please note that in some instances, our creative department will recommend using only one space after a period or colon in collateral or advertisements for printing aesthetics. We will defer to this recommendation in this case

We use serial commas. This means that we insert a comma before the last listing in a group. Example: “The reporter conducted the interview, wrote a story, and called 11mark to thank us for facilitating the opportunity”

We insert page numbers in the document footer at the bottom right of each page in documents longer than two pages

We leave one line space above and one line space below text in a table

We italicize the titles of all publications referenced in document text

We spell out the numbers zero through nine; we write the numbers 10 or above in numeric form. We have a few exceptions to this rule. For percentages, we always use numerals: 1 percent, 5.25 percent, 100 percent, unless the number/percentage is the first word in a sentence. In tabular material, we use the percent sign (%); in text, we spell out “percent.” We also use numerals when referring to dollars and cents. Please see pages15and 16 for detail

In addition to the general document formatting guidelines, each company maintains its own font and spacing rules:

300Brand:

  • We develop all documents using Palatino Linotype with 10-point font size and exactly 15 point spacing between lines, with the exception of email; please see the section on email below
  • In Microsoft Word documents, we use one-inch margins on all sides – top, bottom, left, and right, with the exception of the first page – we use a two-inch top margin on the first page. We place headers and footers .5 inches from the top and bottom of the page
  • We use 300Brand letterhead (logo in the header, address in the footer) on all project management and planning documents – e.g., memorandums, agendas, status reports – distributed outside the company

O’Keeffe & Company,GovMark Council, MeriTalk, and Telework Exchange:

  • We develop all documents using Garamond with 12-point font size, with the exception of email; please see the section on email below
  • We use single-line spacing for all documents, with the exception of documents we distribute to the media (press releases, case studies, etc.). We use 1.5 line spacing in these documents. However, again, we may need to defer to clients’ style in documents we produce under their logos/headings
  • In Microsoft Word documents, we use one-inch margins on all sides – top, bottom, left, and right. We place headers and footers .5 inches from the top and bottom of the page
  • We use O’Keeffe & Company letterhead (logo in the header, address in the footer) on all project management and planning documents – e.g., memorandums, agendas, status reports – distributed outside the company. We insert two spaces before the date, unless it is a one-page document and the extra space at the top will cause the document to flow onto the second page. Please see the attached memorandum example

MeriTalk and GovMark Council:

  • We capitalize titles in email blasts and on our websites

PRSourceCode:

  • We develop all documents using Verdana with nine-point font size, with the exception of email; please see the section on email below

11mark:

  • We develop all documents using Arial with 10-point font size

Subject Headings

300Brand uses bold text for all primary subject headings. We then insert one space before we begin the text portion of that section. We use italicized (un-bold) text for secondary headings. 300Brand inserts a space before a secondary heading, but we do not insert a space between a secondary heading and the text underneath it. We insert another space before beginning a new primary subject heading. In addition, we indent the first line of each new paragraph. 300Brand does not use a colon at the end of a primary or secondary subject heading. Finally, we eliminate hanging headers; if a header appears at the very bottom of the page and there is no room for additional text below it on that page, we move the header to the next page.

Correct example:
Program Objectives
11mark designed the program to achieve the following objectives.
Secure Coverage
11mark will pitch the study to horizontal and vertical trade publications, as well as business press, to secure coverage in key outlets.
Drive Relationships
11mark will schedule and facilitate a media tour to begin to build relationships with key reporters.
Program Administration
11mark…

Verb Conjugation for Organizations

300Brand uses the third-person singular form when conjugating a verb that expresses the action taken by a particular organization. An organization is a singular entity, even though it is comprised of many people.

Incorrect example:
11markare tracking for coverage.
Correct example:
11markis tracking for coverage.
Incorrect example:
11mark submitted their proposal for consideration.
Correct example:
11mark submitted its proposal for consideration.

Possessive Pronoun Usage

300Brand does not use possessive pronouns when two or more organizations or entities appear in the same sentence. In this case, use of possessive pronouns confuses readers as to whom the pronoun is actually referring.

Incorrect example:
O’Keeffe & Companyfollowed up with the publication regarding its CDW briefing.
Correct example:
O’Keeffe & Company followed up with the publication regarding the CDW briefing.

Abbreviations, Contractions, and Acronyms

300Brand does not use abbreviations unless the abbreviation is a standard component of a proper noun.

300Brand does not utilize abbreviations, with one exception: when the abbreviation is a standard component of a proper noun (e.g., a company name such as CDW Government, Inc.). In all other instances, we spell out the word or words in total.

300Brand must initially spell out all phrases that will later utilize acronyms. The initial phrase will precede the acronym, which is enclosed by parentheses on first reference. From that point, use the acronym in all places throughout the document.

300Brand also spells out contractions in total.

Incorrect example:
The DOI realized that it couldn’t integrate new software packages without first addressing database tech. issues. The Department of the Interior contacted Oracle and resolved these problems.
Correct example:
The Department of the Interior (DOI) realized that it could not integrate new software packages without first addressing database technical issues. The DOI contacted Oracle and resolved these problems.

Bullets

Capitalization and punctuation

300Brand capitalizes only the first word of bulleted text. All other words use lowercase letters with the exception of proper nouns. We never use a period after bulleted text. We use a colon at the end of a primary bullet to introduce a secondary bullet, and we use a colon at the end of a secondary bullet to introduce a tertiary bullet.

Correct example:
Press releases:
  • Department of Energy: O’Keeffe & Company is drafting a press release announcing CDW-G’s Microsoft enterprise agreement with the department

Incorrect example:
Press Releases
  • Department of Energy: O’Keeffe & Company is drafting a press release announcing CDW-G’s Microsoft enterprise agreement with the department.

Spacing and organization

If secondary bullets follow primary bullets, we insert one space between primary bullets. We do not insert a space between primary bullets if secondary bullets do not follow primary bullets. However, there is one exception to this rule: We insert one space between primary bullets when secondary bullets do not follow, but only if the primary bullets have text that is five or more lines.

If you have only one secondary or tertiary bullet in a list,roll it up into the bullet above; i.e. do not use secondary or tertiary bullets unless you have more than one in the list.

Incorrect example:
Editorial outreach
  • Federal Computer Week,“Reinventing the IT Infrastructure” (06/30/2009): 300Brand understands this feature will focus on desktop virtualization
Press releases
  • Department of Energy: O’Keeffe & Company is drafting a press release announcing CDW-G’s Microsoft enterprise agreement with the department

When paragraph text precedes a primary bullet, insert one space between the paragraph text and the primary bullet.

Correct example:
Editorial outreach:
  • Federal Computer Week,“Reinventing the IT Infrastructure” (06/30/2009): 300Brand understands this feature will focus on desktop virtualization
Press releases:
  • Department of Energy: O’Keeffe & Company is drafting a press release announcing CDW-G’s Microsoft enterprise agreement with the department

Correct example:
Editorial outreach
Press releases
Customer stories
Incorrect example:
Editorial outreach
Press releases
Customer stories
Correct example:
Based upon the findings, CDW-G recommends that Federal agencies:
Become intimately familiar with the agency IT budget in order to accurately project virtualization total cost of operations and return on investment
Audit training needs and implement programs for rank-and-file and executive staff. Task subject matter experts with staying abreast of virtualization advances
Incorrect example:
Based upon the findings, CDW-G recommends that Federal agencies:
Become intimately familiar with the agency IT budget in order to accurately project virtualization total cost of operations and return on investment
Audit training needs and implement programs for rank-and-file and executive staff. Task subject matter experts with staying abreast of virtualization advances

Alignment

We align the primary bullet with the paragraph indent (at .5 in a Word document). We align the secondary bullet with the text of the primary bullet and align the tertiary bullet with the text of the secondary bullet, and so on.

Correct example:
Primary bullet:
  • Secondary bullet:
–Tertiary bullet
Incorrect example:
Primary bullet
  • Secondary bullet
–Tertiary bullet

Also, 300Brand uses consistent grammar structure – often called parallel construction – for all bulleted items.

Correct example:
Press releases:
  • Press release development
  • User profile development

Incorrect example:
Press releases
  • Press release development
  • Developing user profiles

Referencing Individuals

300Brand uses both the first and last name when referencing an individual person in document text on first reference. On first reference in agendas and other memoranda, we also include the individual’s title, except when the individual is a direct client contact. On second and subsequent references in a one- to two-page document,we reference the individual by his or her first name. In longer documents – such as a proposal or status report – we use the person’s first and last name and title on first reference in each subsection of the document, followed by his or her first name on subsequent references within the same subsection. We have two exceptions to this rule. If an individual has a formal title [e.g., senator, general, (medical) doctor], we always reference the individual by his/her title and last name. In addition, when creating a formal document for external viewing, such as a biography, we use the individual’s first and last name on first reference and then his/her last name on subsequent references.

We only reference a media contact by name in interview briefing books/notes. We do not reference media contacts by name in any other documents. In other documents, our two options for referencing a media contact are “reporter” and “editor.” When referencing a tradeshow or conference contact, we use “conference manager” as a substitute.

Incorrect example:
O’Keeffe & Companycontacted editor Lenny Meyers and pitched Robbins-Gioia as an expert resource. We scheduled an interview with Lenny and David of Robbins-Gioia. We moderated the call and met all feature requirements. O’Keeffe & Company is tracking for coverage.
Correct example:
O’Keeffe & Company contacted the editor and pitched David Holmes, vice president for strategic initiatives, as an expert resource on legacy extension. We scheduled an interview between the editor and David for May 29. We moderated the call and met all feature requirements. O’Keeffe & Company is tracking for coverage.

Passive vs. Active Voice

300Brand never uses passive voice.

What is voice?:

  • Every sentence must have a subject and a verb. Voice is the form of the verb that tells whether the subject does the action or receives the action

What is passive voice?:

  • When the subject is passive – receives the action – the verb is in the passive voice:

–The white paper was forwarded for review on December 6

What is active voice?:

  • When the subject is active – does the action – the verb is in the active voice:

–O’Keeffe & Company forwarded the white paper to CDW-G for review on December 6

Why do we care?:

  • We want 300Brand’s work to be engaging, concise, and clear on who is taking action
  • Passive voice makes writing flat and uninteresting, makes sentences longer, and evades responsibility

How do we identify passive voice?:

  • The verb phrase will always include a form of be, such as am,is,was,were,are, or been
  • That said, the presence of a “be” verb does not necessarily mean the sentence is in passive voice. Another way to recognize passive voice is that the sentence may include a “by the” phrase after the verb. The agent performing the action is the object of the preposition in the phrase:

–The Sanity Check study was conducted by Telework Exchange