4. Tone of voice guidelines
CIM’s tone of voice
As with many tasks, writing can seem daunting if you’re left
without guidance. But if you have something to say – and you
know the way in which it needs to be said – it isn’t as arduous
as it first appears.
We’ve put together this tone of voice document to aid and direct
you when writing any form of communication on behalf of CIM.
It’s essential that we maintain our personality and tone of voice
when talking to any audience – whether it’s across our social
media platforms or in our annual report.
Whatever we say; whenever we say it – we always sound like CIM.
Introduction
These guidelines are designed
to help CIM deliver a confident
and consistent tone of voice.
Access more resources
www.cimbrandcentral.com
Feedback?
brand@cim.co.uk
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5. Tone of voice guidelines
CIM’s tone of voice (cont.)
—— Think back…
Cast your mind back ten years.
There was no such thing as Twitter. Facebook
was only open to students at a selection of US
universities. There was no Gmail, nor Google
maps. The iPhone hadn’t been released, and
Blackberry and Nokia were still thriving. The
App Store and its multi-billion dollar economy
weren’t in existence. And marketing technology
implementations took months, not the moments
they do now.
If the last decade of disruption is anything to go
by, the next 10 years could see a seismic change
in marketing’s role.
We foresee the profession taking a stronger
position at the centre of the wheel –
orchestrating and consolidating competitive
advantage across all areas.
But what does this mean for CIM?
Introduction
—— Our opportunity
The scale and pace of change over the last
decade has had a transformational effect on
how we live and how we work. If our prediction
is correct, then the next 10 years will make or
break marketing’s role.
As the only Chartered body for marketing
internationally, we have a responsibility to
lead during this period of change – and it’s a
responsibility we take seriously.
To signal this change, we introduced a new brand
image for the first time in more than a quarter of
a century.
The recrafting and reintroduction of CIM’s crest
retains and respects our rich heritage and
history, whilst our new wordmark and fresh
colour palette renovate and modernise our
brand.
But our rebrand represents more than just a
creative remodel of our logo. It signifies a shift in
position, a shift in attitude, and an opportunity
to assist in producing the best – not only
for the marketing community – but for their
organisations and ultimately their customers.
—— Our vision
For more than 100 years, we’ve been
supporting, representing and developing
marketers, teams, leaders and the profession
as a whole.
Our vision is for marketing to be recognised for
playing a pivotal role in business, constantly
harnessing, integrating and acting on collective
intelligence.
As the world’s leading professional marketing
body, CIM is uniquely placed not just to be
the voice for future debate – but an active
participant, catalysing and shaping the future of
our changing profession.
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7. Tone of voice guidelines
Our tone of voice
Our shift in attitude signifies a new verbal identity that
complements our brand position. Coupled with a new visual
identity, how we sound has a sizeable influence on how we’re
perceived. So it’s important that we understand who we are and
how we speak before we address our audience.
At CIM, we produce a substantial amount of written
communication across all areas of the business. Regardless
of author or audience, our voice and personality are integral
components of our writing which should always remain
consistent.
If inconsistent, we could easily confuse – leaving people uncertain
of what we stand for and who we are.
The way in which we write (or speak) is an opportunity to convey
our personality, underpinned by our four core brand values:
—— Authoritative
—— Intelligent
—— Open and optimistic
—— Catalyst
Our values
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8. Tone of voice guidelines
Our core brand values
—— Authoritative
We’re always authoritative in all we say. We know that our
networks have an unrivalled breadth, depth and diversity –
making us the world’s leading community of marketers – but
we’re far from complacent.
When we divulge our opinions, we do so with credibility – not
superiority.
We’re confident in what we know, and what we know is
marketing. We have an expansive view on its ever-changing remit
which we’re enthusiastic about sharing.
—— Intelligent
We’ve been acquiring and applying knowledge and skills since the
day we were founded. Today, we continue to share our wealth of
unmatched ideas, insights and resources. And we’re able to tailor
our actions and deeds in response to constant change.
Our vocabulary is extensive, but we do not need to litter a
sentence with complicated words just to sound intelligent. We’re
meticulous in crafting clear, concise copy which conveys our
intelligence – and never condescends.
We don’t confuse our audience with overly complex sentences.
Nor do we muddy our messages with unnecessary jargon.
We speak with authority, but we do not dictate. We are intelligent, but we are not complicated.
We are…
Leading
Responsible
Credible
Reliable
Established
Recognised
Connected
Expert
Confident
We are not…
the only ones with a view on
marketing. We’re careful not
to be overbearing, imposing or
dictatorial in any way.
We are…
Knowledgeable
Adaptable
Skilful
Focused
Original
Innovative
Visionary
Competent
We don’t mean…
that our intelligence is
superior. We are not self-
important or assuming.
Our values
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9. Tone of voice guidelines
Our core brand values (cont.)
—— Open and optimistic
Our language shows that we are approachable. We welcome
anyone looking to glean and share marketing intelligence, and our
tone of voice reflects this. It aids us in supporting, representing
and developing the profession as a whole.
We’re a receptive and adaptive community in a period of constant
change – and we’re harnessing more than a century of experience
to fuel our future.
We create content that invites, engages and evolves, whatever
the platform.
—— Catalyst
We’ve built on our heritage and authority by moving past being
just the voice of marketing. Now, we’re an active participant in the
conversation.
It’s our responsibility to convene the debate and report on
progress – bringing together the best and brightest to ensure
marketing delivers at the centre of business growth.
Our messages always intrigue, excite and elicit a response. We
recognise that there are other voices to be heard, and we value
what it is they have to say.
We are proud of our rich history, but continually embrace change. We set the stage, but we do not monopolise the discussion.
We are…
Receptive
Adaptive
Welcoming
Warm
Approachable
Flexible
Transparent
Trusted
Evolving
Accepting
We don’t mean…
that we’re lacking ambition,
drive or focus.
We…
Enable
Inspire
Convene
Discuss
Enrich
Orchestrate
Shape
Participate
Develop
Collaborate
Facilitate
Provoke thought
We don’t…
incite conversation and then
remain dormant. Nor do
we manipulate its course.
We continue to encourage,
develop and participate.
Our values
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11. Tone of voice guidelines
Step by step
1.Take the time to choose your words carefully…
We don’t speak solely for the sake of hearing our
own voice. Saying anything just to be able to say
something is counterproductive and can easily
undermine our intelligence.
It’s better to use 10 words that deliver an
impact than to labour over composing 100 that
go unread. So do your research. Select content
that will add value to your copy. And use your
words with purpose.
Everything we say is worth being said.
2.Get to know your audience…
The purpose of producing copy (for the most part)
is to compel your audience to complete an action.
Understanding who they are and the way in which
they like to be spoken to is a key component in
crafting messages that truly resonate.
We write what our audience wants to hear
because we understand exactly what that is.
3.Don’t overcomplicate the situation…
With most forms of communication, readers
have a wealth of available options in a varying
number of formats. Copy and content that is
difficult to follow will only succeed in deterring
potential readers. Avoid jargon and draft clear
calls to action in everyday English.
If a single sentence becomes too complex,
shorten it. A short sentence is still capable of
evoking a formidable response. So don’t be
misled. Longer sentences don’t automatically
make us appear more intelligent
Our copy is simple, not simplistic.
4.Bend the rules…
The English language has an almost endless
list of rules which we’re careful to follow. But
where breaking the rules aids your creativity,
don’t shy away from doing so. Remember that
our language is constantly evolving. When used
imaginatively, words are a powerful tool.
We’re not afraid to show creativity.
5.Speak with confidence…
We are the world’s largest community of
marketers. And we’re aware of the extent of our
reach and capabilities. But there is no place for
complacency in our writing (or any other form of
communication).
Take our heritage in your stride and be confident
in our knowledge as an organisation, as well as
your knowledge as an individual. Be direct with
your language and avoid using the passive.
We know our strengths. We know marketing.
6.Consider the context…
We should always sounds like us, regardless
of the platform we’re using. But a letter to a
corporate client requires a different response to
a tweet or Facebook update.
There’s no need to incorporate each of our brand
values in equal measure into everything we
write. It’s up to you to decide which approach is
most appropriate in each situation.
An email regarding a failed exam requires
more of an open and optimistic approach
than an authoritative one.
We always sound like CIM.
Sounding like us
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12. Tone of voice guidelines
Step by step (cont.)
7.Include the reader...
Our members (whether current, past or
potential) are human. And each individual is
equally important to us as a business. Use ‘you’
and ‘we’ in your writing to appeal to the reader
on a personal level, and let them know that we
value their role in the organisation.
Try reading your copy aloud to see how it sounds.
If you think it comes across as cold and unfriendly,
address it to somebody you know. It should be
easier to inject a warm and friendly tone.
We see our members as individuals, not numbers.
8.Lead with the benefits…
Our writing demonstrates that we understand
our members’ needs and deliver a range of
information and services that will benefit
them. Be clear and explain in simple terms the
advantage we’re offering.
Providing obvious benefits presents readers
with a reason to complete whatever action it is
you’re asking of them. We already know that our
products are of genuine value. The aim of our
communications is to highlight how.
We focus on our customers and tailor our
products according to their needs.
9.Be honest…
We never lie. Communicate openly and treat the
reader with respect. When we do something
wrong, admit it. And when we have something
to say, say it in plain English – without deceiving
our audience.
We’re straightforward and trustworthy.
10.Put your thoughts on the page...
It’s rare that we produce anything without fault
in one draft. So don’t be disheartened if copy
doesn’t flow from your pen in perfect prose. Put
your thoughts on paper and fine tune them at a
later stage.
We constantly perfect and refine our ideas.
Sounding like us
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14. Tone of voice guidelines
CPD submission
—— Old
Submit your CPD record card
Dear Jennifer,
We need to receive your record card for 2011-12 by 31 July
2012 to reward you with the recognition you deserve. If you miss
out on this opportunity you will not receive your evidence of
development certificate and you could miss out on one of your
two consecutive years towards Chartered Marketer status.
Once you have completed your CPD record card with the
compulsory 35 hours of activities and supporting evidence, this
can be e-mailed or submitted by post:
Chartered CPD Programme
The Chartered Institute of Marketing
Moor Hall
Cookham
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 9QH
Alternatively, complete you record card online.
If you have already sent us your record of activity with the
necessary supporting evidence, please ignore this reminder - your
submission is being processed.
Kind regards,
Jennifer Stevens MBS MCIM FInstCPD Chartered Marketer
Chartered CPD Programme Manager
PS: If successful you will then receive your evidence of
development certificate - proof for potential employers, peers and
colleagues that you are professional and up to date.
—— New
Hi Jennifer,
To make sure you get the recognition you deserve, your record
card needs to reach us by DD MONTH YYYY.
You’ll be awarded your evidence of development certificate and
1 of your 2 consecutive years towards Chartered Marketer status
once we’ve got everything we need; so remember to submit your
evidence with plenty of time.
As soon as you’re done, email your CPD record card and supporting
evidence to ______ or send it via post to:
Chartered CPD Programme
The Chartered Institute of Marketing
Moor Hall
Cookham
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 9QH
Alternatively, you can complete your record card online.
Kind regards,
Jennifer Stevens
Head of Professional Development
Examples
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15. Tone of voice guidelines
Webinar email
—— Old
Hi Sandra,
Consumers today expect brands to deliver relevant experiences
and fulfil their needs at every touch point. Therefore, it’s
important for marketers to manage and use the data that they
collect to deliver smarter marketing campaigns. To succeed,
marketers must adopt a data-driven culture by breaking down
organizational silos and learning to work seamlessly with IT and
analytics teams to drive innovation.
Join our Views from the Top webinar, Want to boost business?
Conquer the data! with Accenture Digital’s Managing Director, Conor
McGovern, on Wednesday 29 April 2015 at 13:00 GMT to hear how
leading organizations are harnessing the power of analytics and
marketing economics thinking to drive high performance.
Save your spot now!
—— New
Hi Sandra,
Put yourself back in your consumer shoes. What is it you expect
from brands?
Like most consumers today, you probably expect brands to deliver
relevant experiences and fulfil your needs at every touch point. So
as a marketer, it’s important that you do exactly that.
Using the data you collect effectively to deliver smarter marketing
campaigns is essential.
To succeed, marketers must adopt a data-driven culture
by breaking down organisational silos and learning to work
seamlessly with IT and analytics teams to drive innovation.
Join our Views from the Top webinar, ‘Want to boost business?
Conquer the data!’ with Accenture Digital’s Managing Director,
Conor McGovern, to hear how leading organisations are harnessing
the power of analytics to drive high performance.
Save your spot now!
Examples
14
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16. Tone of voice guidelines
Assessment results email
—— Old
Dear
Thank you for your query regarding your unsuccessful
assessment result.
As the Awarding Body, we would like to reassure you that our
stringent procedures have been created to ensure that all
students are treated fairly and given every opportunity to gain
the most marks available on their assessment papers. To ensure
that you have been given every chance to gain the highest marks,
all results from 43% to 51% are double checked by our Senior
Examiners before the results are released to students.
Are you making full use of all the free study resources available to
you on the CIM website? The Senior Examiners Reports may help
you to identify areas where you may have been able to pick up
more marks and achieve a higher grade. There is also the hints &
tips section on the CIM student area for further guidance.
The reports provide examples of answers than can be reasonably
written within the allocated time. The answers demonstrate
what is required to achieve a good pass mark, unless otherwise
indicated in the comments. Remember when revising from these
examples that there are no right or wrong answers. The examiners
are looking for you to apply your own marketing knowledge and
skills to the question set. These answers should be indicative of
the contact and format that the examiners expect to see.
Go to CIM Learning Zone to access the senior examiners reports
Tutor support
Talk to your tutor first for guidance. Your study centre may also be
offering revision sessions or you may be able to join another class
just before the next assessments.
Knowledge Hub Now called Marketing Resources
Access the most comprehensive marketing portal, containing
thousands of market and company reports, top business journals
and other reference materials to help you supplement your
answers. Available online: http://www.cim.co.uk/Resources/
ResourcesHome.aspx
Your one-stop Bookshop
The list of recommended and core books for each module can be
downloaded from the Learning Zone website. The books can be
viewed and ordered online at CIM shop.
Information and library services
As a CIM member, you have access to free advice, discounted reference
material and a library service that could help with your studies. For
more information please go to Information and Library Services.
Feedback Service – this service opens up on Friday 28 November
2014.
In response to student requests for more detailed, contextualised
feedback based on their scripts/assignments, we have two new
options to ensure peace of mind and to increase the student’s
chance of future success. Please note that the service is only
available to students who failed their September 2014 module
and students have until Friday 2 January 2015 to apply.
Feedback Service – please click on this link to apply: http://www.
cimlearningzone.co.uk/assessment/feedback-service
Rebooking your assessments
Please note that CIM can only book one assessment session at
a time, so you should only book and pay for the modules you’re
doing in this particular session, as fees cannot be transferred. If
you need further clarification on what modules to book for this
session, please contact your tutor before you book anything.
You need to login to ‘My CIM’ with your username and pass
word, and then click ‘Book Assessments’ and you will see all the
modules listed, so you can book and pay for the module you’re
taking this session.
The March/April 2015 session will open up to students on Monday
1 December 2014 and the deadline to book online will be Friday 6
February 2015.
The June/July 2015 session will open up to students on Monday
16 March 2015 and the deadline to book online will be Friday 1
May 2015.
The December 2015 session will open up to students on Monday
17 August 2015 and the deadline to book online will be Friday 2
October 2015.
I take this opportunity to wish you every success with your
forthcoming studies.
Examples
15
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17. Tone of voice guidelines
Assessment results email
—— New
Dear
Thank you for your query.
We’d like to reassure you that we’ve created numerous processes
to ensure you’re treated fairly and given every chance to gain
the highest marks. We have all results from 43% to 51% double
checked by our Senior Examiners before we release them.
There’s no need to worry if you haven’t achieved the results you
were hoping for.
You can still make full use of all the free study resources available
on our website. We’ve provided a range of Senior Examiners
Reports to help you identify areas where you may be able to pick
up more marks and achieve a higher grade. There is also our hints
& tips section on the CIM student area for further guidance.
If you take a look at our example answers, you’ll be able to get
a clear idea of what’s expected of you in the allocated time.
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. Our examiners
are looking for you to apply your own marketing knowledge and
skills to the question set.
As soon as you feel confident and ready, login to ‘My CIM’ with
your username and password, and then click ‘Book Assessments’
to rebook your assessment.
Don’t hesitate to let us know if you need any further support.
Wishing you the best of luck with your forthcoming studies,
<<NAME>>
<<JOB TITLE>>
Examples
16
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18. Tone of voice guidelines
Cutting Edge to Marketing Pulse
—— Old —— New
View this e-mail in your browser
Cutting Edge:
Our weekly analysis of marketing news
Employee participation in social media
The author investigates the risks and benefits of employee social media use for a company’s
reputation. Employees can act as powerful brand ambassadors and have an impact on an
organisation’s reputation through their activities online. An eight-step strategic management
approach to employees’ participation in social conversations is proposed comprising:
research; internet access at the workplace; strong commitment from the C-suite;
establishment of social media teams; implementation of guidelines and policies; training and
education; integration; and goal setting and measurement.
Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol 19(4) 2014, pp344-356 (Dreher)
Sainsbury’s ad - complaints but good metrics
Sainsbury’s Christmas ad has resulted in 240 complaints to the Advertising Standards
Authority. The ad, which recounts the story of the 1914 Christmas Day truce
between British and German soldiers, has been described as “offensive” because it
uses war to promote a company. Yet the ad has scored well on metrics such as
engagement, originality, differential and engagement according to Waggener
Edstrom’s Brand Agility Index. Sainsbury’s argues that it has worked closely with the
Royal British Legion to get the ad right.
Marketing Week, 20 November 2014, p4
Britain’s most popular food and drink
The best-selling food and drink products in Britain are alcohol, soft drinks and crisps
according to research commissioned by The Grocer. The list is headed up by
Smirnoff Red Label vodka with Walkers crisps in second place. Although white bread
has been in decline, white loaves from three major brands appeared in the top ten
products. The results may set alarm bells ringing among health campaigners. The
figures were based on top-branded products in the grocery market excluding the
discounters.
The Grocer, 22 November 2014, p34
Culture and relationship marketing
International relationships are becoming more important to business performance
but it is unclear how relationship marketing (RM) should be adapted for different
cultures. The authors undertake an analysis of 47,864 relationships in 36 countries
and propose four ideas that encapsulate the effect of culture on RM. The first study
emphasises the importance of using a fine-grained approach to understanding the
role of culture in RM because of the high level of diversity across different cultural
and RM dimensions. The second study reveals that RM is more effective outside the
US: relationships are 55% more effective in improving business performance in the
BRIC countries.
Journal of Marketing, Vol 78(5) 2014, pp78-98 (Samaha et al)
Digitisation
The digital transformation is leading both established businesses in traditional
industries and start-up businesses to compete in new ways as they respond to the
opportunities and threats deriving from digitisation. To achieve this, companies will
have to revisit their business models and identify new opportunities to create and
capture value. General Electric, which faced the threat of losing customers to non-
traditional competitors, has invested heavily in the “Industrial Internet” and is
evolving its business model. This has resulted in an additional $1.5 billion of
incremental income after just three years.
Harvard Business Review, November 2014, pp91-99 (Iansiti and Lakhani)
Business model transformation
Business model innovation helps businesses to reinvent themselves and compete
better. Many businesses, such as Microsoft, GE, Google, Cisco and Apple are
transforming themselves from a product-based to a solution-based model. The
“Internet of Things” or the “Industrial Internet” is disrupting traditional business
models, which means that businesses have to adapt in order to survive. The
repercussions for strategic account management of business-model transformations
are far-reaching. The author examines this in the context of the value-management
process (value creation, value quantification and value capture) and the implications
for strategic account managers.
Velocity, Vol 17(3) 2014, pp17-18 (Liozu)
For more topics, including visual metaphors in advertising and social
selling, read the extended version of Cutting Edge.
Earn CPD hours for reading the
extended version of Cutting
Edge.
Update your details | MyCIM | Help | Contact us | Feedback
Hi Kate,
In this edition of Marketing Pulse:
It’s an exciting time to be a marketer! From an explosion of channels and fragmentation of media, to new tools,
technologies and ways of working; the marketing environment is evolving. Add in the rise of digital and social media,
and all of a sudden the old, linear ways of planning, executing and reviewing are no longer fit for purpose.
That's what we'll be exploring in this edition – how marketers can marry the rigour and discipline of campaign planning
with a more agile, iterative approach that embraces our real-time world. A world where there should be more to
integrated marketing communications than merely facts and figures. Learn how to move beyond the data and utilise
the power of storytelling with our Practical Insights webinar.
To make sure we’re prepared, we’ve reinvigorated the most important conversation in marketing today – how to adapt
our industry to meet the demands of the future, Marketing 2025.
And we’re not only looking to the future, but celebrating the now with our Marketing Excellence awards 2015. Take a
look below to see how the evening unfolded.
Upcoming features
#PracticalInsights
The Power of Storytelling,
webinar
- 19 May, 13:00 GMT, Anthony
Tasgal, 'Insightment' and
'Trendstorming' expert
Tasgal offers practical advice on how
to think, speak and present
information in stories not
catalogues.
__
Register now
Initiatives
Marketing 2025
Take a look at Simon from 02’s
thoughts on the future of Digital.
We're going to champion and reward
the most forward-thinking marketers
in the industry who help to predict
and solve the challenges of the
future.
__
Join the conversation
Events
Marketing Excellence awards
2015
The cream of the marketing crop
were out in force to celebrate
marketers at the frontline of their
business at the sixth annual CIM
Marketing Excellence Awards.
__
Read more
How we can help
Examples
17
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20. Tone of voice guidelines
Talking about CIM
—— Our company name
Generally speaking, we refer to ourselves as
‘CIM’. Without the ‘The’. But if we’re addressing
an audience who has not heard of us, we
may refer to ourselves as ‘CIM (The Chartered
Institute of Marketing)’ at first mention to
clarify our identity – using ‘CIM’ from then
on. It is not necessary to use both forms in all
circumstances. If in doubt, use CIM.
—— Our company description
“For more than 100 years, CIM has been
supporting, representing and developing
marketers, teams, leaders and the profession
as a whole. Our networks have an unrivalled
breadth, depth and diversity making this not
just the largest community of marketers, but
one with impact. We’re independent, trusted
and connected, with access to unmatched ideas,
insights and resources to help marketers navigate
from problem diagnosis to practical solutions.
Our vision is for marketing to be recognised for
playing a pivotal role in business, constantly
harnessing, integrating and acting on collective
intelligence – and our role is to be the catalyst of
that. Find out more at www.cim.co.uk.”
—— Using our corporate name
Always use the third person singular
when writing about CIM.
Incorrect:
CIM are the world’s largest
community of marketers…
Correct:
CIM is the world’s largest
community of marketers…
Incorrect:
CIM have been supporting…
Correct:
CIM has been supporting…
About us
19
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22. Tone of voice guidelines
Grammar and spelling
—— Conjunctions
Explanation:
Conjunctions are words that connect two words,
sentences, phrases or clauses.
Use:
Normally, we don’t start a sentence with a
conjunction. But we make an exception when using
‘and’ or ‘but’ to create a more dramatic effect.
Example:
The App Store and its multi-billion dollar
economy weren’t in existence. And marketing
technology implementations took months, not
the moments they do now.
—— Prepositions
Explanation:
Prepositions are usually used before nouns or
pronouns to show their relationship to another
word in the sentence.
Use:
Try to avoid beginning or ending a sentence with
a preposition.
If this leads to awkwardness then feel free to
ignore it.
Prepositions:
• For • By
• On • Of
• At
• To Etc.
—— Split Infinitives
Explanation:
A split infinitive occurs where an adverb or
adverbial phrase is placed between to and the
bare infinitive of a verb – for example, to gently
push.
Use:
Always aim to avoid splitting infinitives where
possible. But where doing so limits creativity or
results in a sentence sounding clumsy, choose the
most natural/creative option.
Be careful in considering where you’d like the
emphasis to fall within your sentence.
Example:
You really have to watch him.
You have to really watch him.*
To go boldly
To boldly go*
*(split infinitive)
Note
Though the debates for and against splitting
infinitives have continued for centuries, both are
still widely used and accepted.
—— American Vs British English
We always use British English over American
English. If in doubt, consult the Oxford Dictionary
of English and use the word as it first appears.
Correct:
Colour/Flavour/Familiarise/etc.
Incorrect:
Color/Flavor/Familiarize/etc.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation
21
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23. Tone of voice guidelines
Punctuation
—— Colons
Colons point forward from premise to
conclusion. So use them to stand between an
introduction and main point or between causes
and effects. They perform the same function as
namely, that is, for example, as follows, because,
etc. They can also be used to introduce a list.
Example:
It’s available in two sizes: large and small
—— Commas
Commas perform many functions, including:
Enclosing non-restrictive clauses
(If removed, sentence maintains its meaning.)
Replacing parenthesis
Separating two clauses
Salutation
Separating nouns
Separating adjectives
Correct:
I love cooking Italian food, and I eat
pasta pretty much every day.
I try, as much as I can, to go to the gym every week.
There was, however, plenty of water for everyone.
Surprisingly, I’ve never been to Italy.
Incorrect:
I love cooking Italian food, I eat pasta
pretty much every day.
—— Exclamation Marks
Only use to show emphasis or surprise. They
shouldn’t be used in formal reports and
documents. Nor used more than once at a time.
Correct: Get involved!
Incorrect: Get involved!!!
—— Semi-colons
Use to mark a pause longer than a comma and
shorter than a full stop. Semi-colons join two
independent clauses (containing closely related
ideas) into one without using conjunctions.
Semicolons are also used to separate units of
a series or list when one or more of the units
contain commas.
Semi-colons needn’t be followed by capital
letter, unless that letter is the first letter of a
proper noun.
Correct:
We wanted a quiet night in; James wasn’t
feeling great.
We wanted to walk into town, but James wasn’t
feeling great.
I was only in my twenties, but I managed to visit
London, England; Venice, Italy; and Paris, France.
Incorrect:
We wanted to walk into town; but James
wasn’t feeling great.
—— Quotation Marks
Quotation marks (or inverted commas) are used
to open and close quotation of direct speech.
Quoted matter is usually enclosed between
double quotation marks; using single quotations
marks to denote a quotation within a quotation.
Unfamiliar or newly-coined words and phrases
can also be enclosed between single quotation
marks.
Place full stops and commas inside the quotes
for a complete quoted sentence, otherwise the
full stop should be outside.
Example:
“Doyouevenknow”,shesaid,“what‘capitalism’is?”
“I’d be more than happy to!” he exclaimed.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation
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24. Tone of voice guidelines
Punctuation (cont.)
—— Hyphens and Dashes
Hyphens
Hyphens should only be used where needed.
Ignore them in commonly used words. If in
doubt, consult the Oxford English Dictionary, and
use the word as it first appears.
In writing compound words, use hyphens where
there is an awkward collision of vowels or
consonants.
Compound modifiers that come before a noun
are also hyphenated.
Be careful not to confuse a hyphen with a dash.
Correct:
E-business
E-commerce
Well-known organisation
His name was well-known
His is a well known name
Incorrect:
His name was well known
His is a well-known name
E-mail
Dashes
Dashes can be split into two types: En (–) and
Em (—).
Use an en dash (ctrl + - on a keyboard) with a
space either side as a parenthetical dash
(in place of brackets).
A single en dash may also be used in place of a
colon or comma at the end of a sentence.
Example:
He tried – a little too hard – to get the teacher’s
attention.
—— Apostrophes
Use for contractions i.e. when a letter is missing.
Use to show the possessive form e.g. the boy’s
hat, the dog’s bone.
For plurals ending in s, use an apostrophe for
possession.
Note that an apostrophe should never be used
for a plural abbreviation or number.
Contractions:
Didn’t
It’s (it is)
Isn’t
Possession:
The dog’s bone (singular)
The dogs’ bone (plural)
Its beautiful fur (not to be confused with it’s)
The neighbour’s dog (singular)
The neighbours’ dog (plural)
Correct:
90s, 80, 20s
MPs (plural of MP)
The MP’s speech (possession)
Incorrect:
90’s, 80’s, 20’s
MP’s
Grammar, spelling and punctuation
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26. Tone of voice guidelines
Acronyms and things...
—— Abbreviations and Acronyms
Explanation:
Abbreviations are phrases or words in their
shortened form e.g. Dr. (doctor); whilst acronyms
are a set of initials representing the name of an
organisation or body e.g. CIM.
Use:
Well-known abbreviations and acronyms can be
used in their familiar form (e.g. The BBC, The NHS,
The FBI). Those less well known should be written
in full on first appearance with their abbreviated
form in brackets.
Under no circumstances do we use two acronyms
in direct succession. Where this instance occurs,
always write one acronym in full.
Our membership grades (MCIM, FCIM) are an
exception to the rule.
Correct:
The Marketing Excellence Awards (MEA)…
CIM’s Chief Executive Officer
Incorrect:
The MEAs…
CIM’s CEO
—— Numbers and Dates
Currency
$ and £ should be used over dollars and pounds.
No pence zeros are necessary when written in text.
Dates
Use the following styles:
• 08 July 2004
• 2003-04 for calendar years (in table headings,
if space is tight, use 91-92)
• 2003/04 for financial years
• 1990s (note that there is no apostrophe)
or 90s, not nineties
Fractions
For commonly-used fractions, always write
figures as words in full e.g. a third, a quarter,
a fifth and so on.
Lesscommonly-usedfractionsmaytakeona%sign.
1-10
Use words for numbers under ten and figures
for numerals from 11 upwards. Always start a
sentence by spelling out a number in words; we
never use a figure.
Correct:
£500
£85
08 July 2004
1990s
63%
A quarter
Incorrect:
500 pounds
£85.00
8.07.04
8th July 2004
1990’s
A ¼ of…
33.3%
Our house style
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27. Tone of voice guidelines
Acronyms and things... (cont.)
Our house style
—— Capitals
Words should not be capitalised unless they are a
name of a person, company or other entity. Other
such entities can include brands, titles, events and
sub-brands.
We don’t, however, use capitals for the name of
blog titles.
Capitals are used for job titles where they
appear on their own or before a name; not as
part of a description. They are also capitalised
on business cards, email signatures and in other
similar instances.
Correct:
Chartered Institute of Marketing
John Smith
Her Majesty’s Government
Senior Delivery Support Coordinator
Beyond the ballot box: the implications of the
UK’s ‘first Twitter election’
James Adams, managing director of Kingston
Ltd., claims…
Managing Director James Adams
Incorrect:
Beyond The Ballot Box: The Implications
Of The UK’s ‘First Twitter Election’
James Adams, Managing Director of Kingston
Ltd., claims…
Senior delivery support coordinator
—— Salutation and signature
Salutation and signature (respectively) are both
the first and last thing seen by your recipient.
Make sure you choose the most appropriate option
based on the format of your communication and
relationship with the reader.
Dear + yours sincerely/yours faithfully are fine
for formal letters and email but have no place on
social media. Hi/Hello/Morning/etc. + kind regards/
best wishes/many thanks are all acceptable when
you want to tone down formality.
Example (salutation):
Chris,
Dear Chris
Hi Nick
Hello Nick
Good morning, Nick
Example (signature):
Warm Regards
Kind regards
Best regards
Yours faithfully
Yours sincerely
Many thanks
Thanks
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