splender.com brand guidelines

BRAND IDENTITY GUIDELINES

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Splender.com Brand Identity Guidelines


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Table of Contents Brand Basics • Purpose • How To Use the Guidelines • How Not To Use the Guidelines • The Value of a Brand • Consistency and Flexibility

Brand Strategy • Our Vision and Mission • Target Audience • Brand Positioning • Support for Positioning • Core Beliefs

Communicating our Brand • Logo and Tagline • Look and Feel • Tone and Manner • Color Palette • Typography • Imagery • Copy Guidelines

Creative prototypes • Copy • Design and Layout


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BRAND BASICS Purpose of the guidelines This document has been created to form the basis of the Splender identity, to guide consistent usage of all identity elements and help build the Splender brand. Initially, the Guidelines will focus on development of the Splender.com web site. Therefore special attention is paid to developing effectively branded communications for this channel. How to use this document This document should be used to understand the background on Splender and what has been created as identity elements. All elements within this book should be applied consistently, according to these guidelines. How not to use this document We have purposely labeled this document as a Guideline; it is not meant to be a set of unbreakable rules. The diverse, dynamic nature of marketing communications will present situations that call for exercising creative license. We should feel empowered to use that license when our professional judgment tells us to. The value of having a strong brand Companies whose activities are grounded in well-defined principles also possess strong integrity and character—which makes them respected, trustworthy leaders. A company’s principle beliefs shape its brand and every expression of it, from brochures and the web site to user interfaces and customer service e-mails. In turn, the creation of a strong, appropriate, and consistent brand builds business. In other words, a well-conceived and well-managed brand is a corporate asset, one that can help us arrive at the ambitious goal we’ve defined for our business: to become an innovative new financial solution that will revolutionize the way consumers borrow, spend, think and feel about money.


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The importance of consistency Splender is in the initial “brand building” stage. To make it easier for customers to know and like us, we need to strive for uniformity and continuity. And a major way to do that is to create communications, and an overall customer experience, that look, sound and feel like they come from the same company As we launch Splender, having a strong brand can be particularly valuable to us, providing a set of fixed coordinates that can help ground us as we establish our presence in the marketplace and in the minds of consumers. The need for flexibility Over time, as our company grows and adapts to market conditions, business results and consumers input, our brand will need to evolve accordingly. For this reason, these guidelines allow for the flexibility this evolutionary process demands.


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Brand Strategy Our Vision The consumer finance market is poised for inevitable and dramatic changes, driven by the convergence of powerful trends in technology, government regulation and business, as well as consumer sentiments, needs and lifestyles. These changes will result in new financial products and services that are far more economical, simple, flexible, and convenient and consumer friendly than those they replace. Our Mission Splender aims to usher in this new era of consumer finance by introducing a innovative new model that will revolutionize the way consumers borrow, spend, think and feel about money. Splender provides the first and only financial solution that offers low-cost, convenient, access to cash for credit-worthy consumers, provides them with previously unavailable financial leverage, and does so in a manner that demonstrates our respect for their intelligence and our appreciation for their patronage. Our Target Audience The research we conducted helped us develop a profile of our best prospects as summarized below:

Demographics • Approximately 50% Male and 50% Female

• Age range: 25 to 44.

• Household Income: $75k plus

• Heavy credit card ownership: 4+ cards

• Higher credit limits: $15k on any one card

Psychographics • Understand and utilize the benefits of using borrowing to pay for purchases and

other expenses


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• Are increasingly unhappy with the business practices of credit card banks, but

are pessimistic they can find a better solution • Are comfortable using the internet for information gathering and shopping • Possess a growing sense of empowerment as it relates to their shopping,

borrowing and overall financial affairs Need fulfillment

• Convenient, low cost borrowing – We offer rates from 1 - 2% below the market and a quick, simple online application process that offers immediate notification of approval

• Greater payment flexibility – Proceeds of the loan are deposited as cash in the account of choice. Borrowers have easy access to funds and can use them however they wish

• Debt reduction – Our unique rewards system helps borrowers pay back their loan

• Simplicity and predictability – Our loan rates are fixed, there are no hidden fees, and the monthly payment are scheduled and predictable

• A refreshing alternative – To consumers who are increasingly angry at the deceptive, predatory practices of credit card banks, our innovative, superior product and trustworthy, consumer-friendly brand image will provide the “better mousetrap” they have been looking for.

Our Positioning Splender will be positioned as the smart, consumer friendly alternative to credit cards and other “traditional” sources of borrowing. A key component of our positioning is the promise of allowing consumers to “turn the tables” in the borrowing game. In contrast to the status quo, where banks essentially impose rates and terms, we enable consumers to gain the upper hand by leveraging their spending power to obtain lower rates and more consumer-friendly terms.


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Support Points for our Positioning When communicating with consumers about the benefits of Splender, the following support points should be conveyed.

• Lower Rates – consistently 1 to 2 points below the competition over the life of the loan

• Simpler Process – streamlined online loan application and instant approval notification

• Clearer Terms – no deceptive small print, sudden rate increases or excessive fees, just a fixed rate and a predictable payment schedule

• Exclusive Savings – a state of the art shopping portal offering “Members only” savings on a big purchases like electronics, travel as well as everyday shopping needs

• Superior Rewards – while credit card rewards are earned by increasing a consumer’s debt, Splender rewards help eliminate debt

• Better Business Model – our business model and corporate values will enable the company to prosper while also providing an economical, flexible and superior borrowing solution for consumers

• Community Spirit - the website will embrace “Web 2.0” principles, including member generated content, two way dialogue, and consumer empowerment, to foster loyalty and interaction with the website.

Our Core Beliefs The following core beliefs form the basis for how we want to communicate with customers: •Consumers already have the leverage, we’re just helping them use it better: We’re living in the age of the empowered consumer. Splender acknowledges that reality by enabling consumers to leverage their spending power by connecting borrowing to shopping. That let’s them receive lower rates up front. Over time, they can earn points that lower the rate even more and pay off the loan. •Transparency is our mutual friend: People are tired of complex, deceptive applications, terms and offers from credit card companies and banks. We’re not like those old fashioned lenders and we certainly have nothing to hide.


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So we go out of our way to make sure consumers know exactly what they’re getting into when doing business with us. •Go for the win/win: Splender is a for-profit business, not a charity or a consumer advocate. However, we’ve created a new lending model that enables us to succeed while also helping our customers. Unlike most lenders, we don’t rely on interest payments and fee income. That’s because we also make money from the shopping and advertising on our site. So we can afford to roll out the red carpet and offer consumers below market rates on loans. •Embrace the spirit of community: As visitors click around our site and get to know our company, we want them to see that we’re not just another company hoping to “take the money and run”. Splender aims to be a hub of empowerment, learning, honesty, cooperation and trust in the personal finance space. We’re reaching out to people who want the same things we do. We believe this approach powerfully conveys our core features and benefits. It is well suited to the mindset of our target audience. And, it claims a distinctive position in the marketplace, one that clearly distinguishes us from other lenders and one that only Splender can claim.


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COMMUNICATING OUR BRAND Tagline: Our loans. Your terms Look and Feel Simplicity, transparency, empowerment and customer-friendliness are the cornerstones of our overall brand. Our communications should be warm, open, clean, and easy to use, so as to reflect these core attributes. Whenever possible, we should let the consumer “see for themselves”, by providing helpful charts, calculators and other tools to understand our product features and benefits. Tone and Manner Copy should convey our positioning as a smarter, faster, more innovative and useful alternative, but not with an arrogant or self-serving tone. Instead, we should embrace the following attributes:

• Empathetic, • Well-informed • Trustworthy • Passionate • Down to earth • Responsive

Copywriting Guidelines Make the copy easy to scan. People often prefer to scan and go back to get detail later. To facilitate scanning, we should break up text with highlighting, bold type and crossheads, which enable readers to get the gist of our message in a few seconds. Don’t make them hunt for the details. Whenever possible, we want to back up statements about our product benefits with concrete supporting facts and figures. We want to do so in the main body text, not buried in the tiny legal copy.


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Consumers will appreciate our simplicity and transparency, and they will prefer that approach to the sneaky, misleading terms and claims presented by credit cards and other lenders. Write with urgency and conviction. If we want customers to become excited about our product, we should come across that way ourselves. And why shouldn’t we be enthusiastic– Splender truly is a better solution for consumers. Have a conversation with the reader. We need to demonstrate an understanding of the reader’s thoughts and needs, and an eagerness to address them. We should talk to them like a peer, not a prospect. Whenever possible, we should solicit their feedback. When we get it, we should make every effort to acknowledge their input. Make our points quickly but confidently. The average visitor to a website will stay no longer than a few minutes, clicking through no more than three links before moving on. To capture the visitor’s attention we should make our point quickly or not at all. Be direct, confident and brief: use simple language and don't use any more words than necessary.


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Creative Prototypes - Copy The examples provided below provide an example of how the Brand Guidelines might be applied to various sections of copy on the web site. Web Site Home Page Copy {Headline} Welcome to Splender – where smarter consumers get better loans. {Bodycopy} People are fed up with old-fashioned banks and credit card companies. The high interest. Expensive fees. Tricky terms. The “take it or leave it” attitude. You deserve something better. Much, much better. Now you’ve found it. {Crosshead} We make loans that pay YOU back. Introducing Splender. We created a new kind of lending that lets you leverage your spending power to get a great low rate. How low – all the way down to 0% (See the example at left.) To learn more, visit “Why it’s Better”. * Cash Loans - from $500 to $25,000 * Lower rates – from {8.5%} down to 0% * Rewards Program – earn points that pay off your loan * Simple application – get approval in minutes * No red tape. No hidden fees. No tricky terms. Blog Entry Copy Free Toasters Redux For years, bankers half-joked that three numbers could sum up the keys to success in their business: 2+4=3. Translation? Bring deposits in at 2 percent.


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Lend money out at 4 percent. And you can be out on the golf course by 3 p.m. (I swear I’m not making this up.) But what about the customers in that little equation? Bankers figured all they had to do was offer a shiny toaster with every new passbook saving account (paying out that paltry 2%!) and the customer was happy. The bankers? They made huge profits, and had ample time to work on their short game. Fortunately for those of us who are trying to save, or borrow, or invest, the world of financial services has changed for the better since the “old days”. But maybe not as much as the industry would like you to think. Look at the credit card segment. They make huge profits. (Annual income is about $30 billion) And that wealth is becoming increasingly concentrated among 5 big, powerful credit card companies. How are today’s customers doing? Let’s see. According to recent figures from Motley Fool Credit Center, the average American carries $8,562 in credit card debt, which grows every month with the help of an average interest rate of around 18.9%. Not surprisingly, 1.3 million cardholders had declared bankruptcy the previous year. How do people like you and I get lured into this kind of mess? Not by a toaster. But by a bright and shiny 0% teaser rate. So, really, how much better off are we today? At least with the toaster, you could make yourself a nice Eggo waffle or something before heading off to debtor’s prison.