OTTER TAIL COUNTY - MINNESOTA LOGO USAGE POLICY

Transcription

1 OTTER TAIL COUNTY - MINNESOTA LOGO USAGE POLICY Prepared By: The Branding Task Force as directed by the Division Directors and the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners. Manual Version Control Version Date Author Change Description /29/13 Branding Task Force draft /05/13 Branding Task Force Clarification sections 2.1, , 3.5 & /19/2013 BTF/Div. Directors 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, /26/2013 BTF/Div. Directors 1.1 org vs. corp.,misc. grammatical/ spelling Note Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners at its option, may change, delete, suspend, or discontinue parts or the policy in its entirety, at any time without prior notice. Otter Tail County Logo Use Policy - 121

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION The Otter Tail County Brand Adoption Changes in Policy LOGO KEY ELEMENTS Logotype ( OT ) Color Typography and Layout LOGO DEFINITIONS/RULES Placement and display of logo Safe Space Size Quality control Preferred Fonts Enforcement CO-BRANDING Co-Branding with Other Agencies ACKNOWLEDGMENT...10 Page 2

3 1 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this guide is to provide clear information for the consistent use of the county brand and organizational identity, including the official Otter Tail County OT logo and branding system. The following pages present guidelines and specifications defining the logo its elements, arrangements, font and color. Any customization must be approved by the Public Information Officer, prior to implementation. 1.1 THE OTTER TAIL COUNTY BRAND The branding/logo designs were not designed to represent the area in which we live and work; its intent is to identify the Otter Tail County government entity. Consistent branding of county communication, including naming conventions and signage, creates the county s organizational identity. A strong organizational identity increases public awareness of county services, and strengthens the public s association with the value of those services. Otter Tail County has many divisions, departments, functions and programs that are highly valuable to our organization and our residents. Under an effective identity system, all these services must be promoted and highlighted as belonging to one organization: Otter Tail County Government. 1.2 ADOPTION The Board of Commissioners adopted the OT logo at the County Board meeting October 1st, This logo will be used on all official county correspondence moving forward and is designed to give the county a more unified, consistent, and professional look. 1.3 CHANGES IN POLICY This manual supersedes all previous employee manuals and memos regarding county department logos or brand policy with the exception of established and nationally recognized symbols (i.e. Sheriff s star logo or Public Health logo ). While every effort is made to keep the contents of this document current, Otter Tail County reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate any of the policies, procedures, and/or benefits described in the manual with or without prior notice to employees. Page 3

4 2 LOGO KEY ELEMENTS 2.1 OFFICIAL COUNTY LOGOTYPE ( OT ) The O shape appears as a solid blue sphere with an inset T shape that is always displayed as white. The way a logo is used and presented is just as critical to Otter Tail County s brand as the design of the logo itself. The official logotype or logo will be prominently displayed on all county information and promotional material, including county assets, such as facility signage, vehicles, etc. The logo must not be changed in any way (color, font, proportion). Regimented use of the logo ensures accurate and consistent messaging. You may use the county logo without the words Otter Tail County -Minnesota as a graphic element AS LONG AS it otherwise meets the criteria in sections 3 and 4. It is preferred that the logo be displayed on a white background. The logo can still be used on a different background as long as sufficient contrast exists not to distract from the logo. This logo is to be used on ALL OFFICIAL Otter Tail County print and digital publications this includes brochures, annual reports, newsletters, electronic communication, forms, letterhead, signage, vehicles, business cards and advertising. No other logo may be used in place of the official county logo. Vertical Logo Horizontal Logo Black Horizontal Logo White On Black Horizontal Logo Page 4

5 2.2 COLOR The primary color blue is Pantone 2727 C or its equivalent CMYK 75,49,0,0 or RGB HEX #3a7dda. The secondary color palette is shown below. This may be used as an accent color to the main logo. These colors should not appear in the logo itself. A black and white version of the logo is available and acceptable to be used ONLY in cases where it is impossible to display color. Pantone 2727 C CMYK RGB HEX 4379bd Pantone Process Black C CMYK RGB HEX 231f20 CMYK RGB HEX 8c6126 CMYK RGB HEX eba821 CMYK RGB HEX 8baa3f CMYK RGB HEX CMYK RGB HEX b3c TYPOGRAPHY AND LAYOUT The wordmark element Otter Tail County Minnesota of the graphic should appear directly under and centered of the OT as displayed in the illustration below. The red boxes, based off of the I in Ottertail, are used as guides for the clear area for the placement of the logo relevant to copy and graphics. The Font type is Proxima Nova. In approved exceptions (such as or letterhead), it is acceptable to have the words Otter Tail County Minnesota to the right and centered of the OT. Safe Area - Please use the I in Ottertail as a space guide for placement of the logo. It should have room to breath to allow for the logo to be displayed prominently. Page 5

6 3 LOGO DEFINITIONS/RULES 3.1 PLACEMENT AND DISPLAY OF LOGO The Otter Tail County logo must be used on all official publications. Placement of the logo is based on both its need for prominence and how the piece will be designed, mailed, presented or displayed. In general, the logo should always appear on the mail panel of a self-mailing publication and prominently placed on envelopes. The logo is a brand and wordmark it is not necessary that it be used as the central visual element of a publication. The logo may be used in conjunction with photos or illustrations as a graphic element. When the OT letterform is used as a graphic element, a logo must still be used on the same document following the standard guidelines. The logotype OT may appear without the included graphic wordmark Otter Tail County Minnesota as long as the words Otter Tail County Minnesota are included on the document in close proximity to the OT and written with one of the preferred county fonts as indicated in section 4. Please note: Otter Tail County Minnesota is the preferred naming convention to be used with the logo graphic. The County of Otter Tail or Otter Tail or OTC are NOT acceptable substitutes. 3.2 SAFE SPACE The logo should be used in such a way that it is not immediately adjacent to other graphic elements preferably on a white background. A minimum area, as illustrated in section 2.3, should be left blank around the logo. The logo can still be used on a non-white background as long as sufficient contrast exists not to distract from the logo. 3.3 SIZE The logo when used with the words Otter Tail County Minnesota below the OT has a minimum size for legibility and may not appear less than 1 inch x 1 inch. It should never be stretched to a different width x height ratio. Alternatively, if the logo must be used in capacity smaller than one inch, like in an signature, the words Otter Tail County - Minnesota should appear to the right and centered of the OT. In this instance, the logo may not appear less than 1/4 inch or 44 point finished height. Approved alternate example: Page 6

7 3.4 QUALITY CONTROL To create a strong, unified Otter Tail County image, it is imperative to avoid improper use of the logo. The key elements the color palette, and the designated safe space (see section 2.3), are integral to the logo. To ensure high-quality reproduction, the logo should always be reproduced from the approved digital artwork available on web2. Once downloaded, these logotypes should never be altered in any way. Be careful to avoid these common usage errors: DO NOT use the logo in a NON OFFICIAL way DO NOT change the height to width proportions of the logo DO NOT remove the words Otter Tail County Minnesota, except as authorized in section 3.1. DO NOT change the letter spacing or letter size in relation to the OT DO NOT change the font style DO NOT use the logo in unapproved colors DO NOT use the logo as part of a cartoon DO NOT use the logo in a low-contrast or busy background 3.5 PREFERRED FONTS An important part of creating a professional image is the standardized use of typography. Preferred fonts have been selected for readability and ease of use. Verdana and CG Times are the primary brand typeface and must be used whenever possible. The fonts listed on the next page should be used in print and digital publications this includes signatures, brochures, annual reports, newsletters, forms, letterhead, signage, vehicles, business cards and advertising. For maximum flexibility the selection includes three sans serif and two serif fonts. These five fonts can be used interchangeably although the preference is to use the sans serif (Myriad Pro / Arial / Verdana) fonts for titles / headlines, and the serif (CG Times / Times New Roman) for the body copy. Other fonts may be used for display copy as necessary. Page 7

8 FONT FAMILIES Any version (bold, regular, italics, condensed, narrow) are allowed for use. SERIF CG Times ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Times New Roman ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz SANS SERIF Verdana ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Arial ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Myriad Pro ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Page 8

9 POLICY ENFORCEMENT Division Directors will have formal enforcement responsibility. They are responsible for investigating all allegations of violations of this policy in a timely manner and taking corrective action as appropriate. All supervisors and employees are expected to follow the policy. Employees who violate this policy may be subject to corrective action as per applicable personnel rules and/or county contracts up to and including termination. 4 CO-BRANDING 4.1 OTTER TAIL COUNTY LOGO USE WITH OTHER AGENCIES LOGO(S) It is often necessary to brand Otter Tail County in addition to other government agencies, municipalities or outside business and non-profit groups. When this is needed, please place logos as follows: If Otter Tail County is the primary funding stream or resource contributor: the Otter Tail County logo appears first (and must not be smaller than other logos), followed by other logos in succession of contribution level. If all organizations provide equal contribution to the effort: All logotypes appear in alphabetical order and should be of similar size. If Otter Tail County does not supply funding, it may not be necessary or appropriate to include the county logo. If Otter Tail County is working with another agency whose logo policy conflicts with this one, Division Directors, with a simple majority vote, may allow an exemption to Section 4.1 of this guide. Page 9

10 5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the Otter Tail County Logo Use Policy, and I do commit to read and follow this document. I am aware that if, at any time, I have questions regarding Otter Tail County Logo Use Policy, I should direct them to my supervisor or the Public Information Officer. I also am aware that Otter Tail County, at any time, may on reasonable notice, change, add to, or delete from the provisions of the company policies. Employee s Printed Name Position Employee s Signature Date Page 10