Brand Guide

Brand guidelines help our staff, volunteers and partners understand how to represent SCORE in all forms of communication and marketing. These are the rules that you must follow when creating written, printed or digital materials. Following these guidelines will help us build a strong brand that our audience can trust. 

These guidelines also help with:

• Brand consistency and cohesion. 
  To build a strong brand, we must be consistent in all we say, show and do. Consistency shapes perceptions, eliminates confusion and thereby helps us with brand awareness.
  
  
• Brand recognition. 
  Consistency in our branding, combined with our brand awareness efforts, will help us achieve brand recognition. This is especially important for SCORE as we compete against many organizations offering similar services. Effective and consistent branding will help our brand stand out against others.
  
  
• Brand identity and promise.
  An essential part of our brand is our identity and the inherent promise we make to our clients about who we are and what they can expect from us. 

There are several elements that make up the SCORE brand. Learn more about them below.

Brand Story
Our brand story tells you who we are and what we're about. It makes us unique and differentiates us from others serving small business owners. Our brand story includes the following elements:

• History
  SCORE has evolved since our founding in 1964. Our rich history helps provide a foundation of excellence that we can build upon as we serve clients into the future.                                                                                                                
• Brand promise
  Our brand promise tells the world what they can expect from us. It can be explicitly stated and implied in what we do, say and create.                                                                                                                                                                    
• Vision
  Future-facing and optimistic, our vision outlines who we aspire to be as an organization.                                                       
• Values
  These represent how we think, feel and behave towards each other, our clients and our stakeholders. They are core to our business and our practices.

Brand Visuals

Visual representation of our brand in print and digital media is critical in attracting and engaging new and current clients and volunteers. SCORE's brand visuals are made up of the following elements:

• Logo
  The SCORE logo should be displayed on all materials. In this section of the brand guide, you will find guidelines on using our logo in different materials. 
  
  
• Typography
  The fonts we use in text help create a feeling and impression with our audience. Download the SCORE fonts in this section of the guide.
  
  
• Color Palette
  SCORE's color palette is an essential component of our brand visuals. Learn which colors can be used in SCORE materials with guidance on how to use them.
  
  
• Visuals
  Pictures, videos and other visuals help tell our brand story. Find image guidelines in this portion of the brand guide.
  
  

Brand Voice and Content
Written and verbal communication is one of the most essential parts of our brand. How we speak, the words we use, and our tone and voice all matter to presenting a strong and consistent brand to our audience.

• Voice and Tone
  SCORE's voice and tone create our brand in the eyes and ears of our clients and partners. SCORE’s voice is that of a mentor. SCORE’s tone varies depending on the communication medium and the reader/viewer’s point of view. Learn more in this section of the guide.
  
  
• Writing & Editorial Style
  SCORE follows AP Style for writing and has specific guidelines for text. Follow these guidelines to use the appropriate voice and tone in your communications.
  
  
• Messaging
  Learn how to talk about SCORE. This includes how to describe our services, products and resources and how to answer FAQs about SCORE.

These elements, paired with our values, should help you understand how to write about SCORE, how to represent our brand visually and how to carry these guidelines through to your everyday interactions with our clients.