SES Home Services - Brand Guidelines

Brand Guidelines

Version 2 Summer 2022

Brand Introduction

Our brand identity

Brand principles

Brand values

Our corporate and social responsibilities

Our brand identity

The SES Home Services brand identity has been inspired by collaboration, integrity, and compassion.

These core principles will create a simple, elegant consistency across our identity, and provide a solid basis for brand development.

These brand guidelines explain how the SES brand is expressed visually across all touchpoints, from web presence, print, signage and uniform.

It will create consistency in our messaging and visual language, ensuring our vision for SES Home Services is delivered clearly.

These guidelines should be followed at all times to ensure a uniform look and feel is applied across our marketing collateral.

Our brand principles

The SES Home Services brand principles are at the core of our brand. They are the foundation behind how we look, communicate, and our future direction.

Our principles are our brand personality. Generally, people connect better with people rather than brands. Therefore, by having a personable brand, the connection process becomes easier.

Brand principles help people understand exactly who we are, where we fit in the marketplace, what makes us different from other companies, and paves the way for the uniqueness that will win new customers.

Who are we?

SES Home Services are “Your trusted local experts.”

Our values:

The SES Home Services values are: Collaboration, Compassion, Integrity, Service, Commitment and Innovation.

Our language: The SES Home Services language is: Confident, Transparent, Simple, Approachable and Knowledgeable.

Our brand values

The SES Home Services brand values are at the core of our brand. They are the foundation behind how we look, communicate, and our future direction.

Our values are our brand personality. Generally, people connect better with people rather than brands. Therefore, by having a personable brand, the connection process becomes easier.

Brand values help people understand exactly who we are, where we fit in the marketplace, what makes us different from other companies, and paves the way for the uniqueness that will win new customers.

Service

We put our customers first and take pride in our service delivery.

Commitment

We are passionate about our work, act responsibly and care about quality.

Innovation

We seek to improve our business, to be forward-thinking and to embrace change.

Collaboration

We are respectful, welcome diversity and are supportive of each other to achieve our goals.

Integrity

We are accountable, ethical and trustworthy.

Compassion

We care about the effects of our actions and seek to make a positive impact on the community.

Our corporate and social responsibilities

The SES Home Services brand principles are at the core of our brand. They are the foundation behind how we look, communicate, and our future direction.

Our principles are our brand personality. Generally, people connect better with people rather than brands. Therefore, by having a personable brand, the connection process becomes easier.

Brand principles help people understand exactly who we are, where we fit in the marketplace, what makes us different from other companies, and paves the way for the uniqueness that will win new customers.

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Brand Voice

Wordcloud

Do’s Don’ts

Voice and tone

Brand voice is the distinct personality SES Home Services uses in our communications.

• It tells our customers who we are and what we stand for

• It can differentiate us from competitors

• It builds trust and consistency

• It helps us influence and persuade

• It helps us be consistent in our communication style across our team and with external parties

Our brand voice remains consistent, but we use different tones depending on the circumstances, using situational empathy to understand the customer’s need in the moment and responding appropriately. Here are some guidelines to bear in mind.

We’ve walked in our customers’ shoes

We know how important our homes are, how much we want to protect them and how unsettling it can be to have a home emergency or costly repair.

When we talk to our customers we speak like trusted and reassuring experts, the ones we’d want to have by our side when problems emerge.

We treat every customer seriously

We want to help protect and care for our customers’ homes by taking their pain away without patronising or confusing them.

Regardless of whether people know what they need from us or don’t know the first thing about our communications, we must ensure that every word we say informs and encourages. We impart our expertise with clarity, empathy, and compassion.

Wordcloud

Emergencies and insurance are serious, but by remembering these key points when communicating with the customer, we can make it a positive experience.

Aim to be clear, specific, and positive, avoiding jargon and confusing terms.

We all have homes and experience the worries associated with that, so apply this empathy when speaking with customers. Here are some things to remember.

Do’s

Emergencies and insurance are serious, but by remembering these key points when communicating with the customer, we can make it a positive experience.

Aim to be clear, specific, and positive, avoiding jargon and confusing terms.

We all have homes and experience the worries associated with that, so apply this empathy when speaking with customers. Here are some tips.

Be concise

Use short words and sentences.

Be specific

Avoid vague language or slang and don’t ramble. Write in plain English. If you need to use a technical term, briefly define it so everyone can understand.

Be plainspoken

We understand the world our customers are living in: one muddled by hyperbole, upsells, and over-promises. We strip all that away and value clarity above all.

Because customers come to SES Home Services to protect their home, we avoid distractions. We get straight to the point and don’t use metaphors and because we take our customers seriously, we don’t use cheap plays on emotion.

Be consistent

This will help the person you are communicating with understand us, and help us build a strong relationship with them.

Be genuine

We can relate to our customers because we have a home too. That means we relate to our customers’ challenges, concerns and needs and speak to them in a familiar, warm, and accessible way.

Be a translator

As the experts, we are mindful not to cloud what we do using complex jargon. It’s our job to demystify technical-speak, for example complicated insurance terms. When our customers understand what is happening, they are more confident in the service we will provide for them. Our translation is their reassurance.

Be positive

Home emergencies are not funny and insurance is a serious business but that doesn’t mean we have to be boring and staid. We are friendly and warm, we have energy, we are positivewe enjoy our jobs. We work in the world of customer service and can lift a customer’s mood when the chips are down. We do this through reassuring and positive language so our customers know that we will make sure everything is ok.

Don’ts

Even the greatest companies can lose customers just by using the wrong tone of voice in customer service. On the other side, the worst complaint, if solved properly, can generate happier customers who become advocates for us.

The ability to talk to customers properly by using the right tone of voice while giving them the information they need is the foundation of good customer service.

Remember, you are SES Home Services, you represent every member of the team to them.

The most important skill is to recognise the tone and mood of your customer. Your tone must evolve to the needs of the individual customers you are talking to. Since there are no facial expressions in customer service, tone of voice is the only voice.

Be

Externalise

Exploring The Logo

Logo breakdown

Logo submark

Exclusion zone

Logo application

Submark application

Logo rules

Exploring the Logo

Logo breakdown

The SES Home Services logo is clean, simple and immediately recognisable. The sans serif font gives a contemporary look and allows longevity, whilst the strong complementary colours provide instant impact.

The core brand asset, your master logo should be used for all your marketing, advertising and communication material. It should never be altered or modified in any way.

Exploring the Logo

Logo submark

The submark is a simplified graphic from the Master logo. It is a flexible element that can be used as a graphic device on its own.

The mark would be used where the brand name is already mentioned, when design space is limited, or the artwork reduced in size, and is often used online and in social media.

For example, the submark should be used as a favicon and other logos required for digital media.

Exploring the Logo

Exclusion zone

The preferred width of the logo for print is 42 mm. When using the logo, make sure it is surrounded with clear space to ensure visibility and impact. This ensures that the brand is easily identifiable and prominent within any format, with no other elements distracting focus.

The diagram opposite illustrates the minimum exclusion zone (indicated by an ‘x’). This is defined by half the height of the ‘s’ in the SES Home Services master logo.

Exploring the Logo

Master logo application

When using your logo on a light or white background colour, use the master logo. This should be in most instances.

Secondary logo application

If you need to place a logo on a darker background colour, a “reversed out” version of the logo is available. Do not re-colour the logos in any way.

Exploring the Logo

Text about Rastu font, must only be used as a graphic as we don’t have license for live font. do not mess with capitalisation or wording.

Desktop License

The licensed font can appear in unlimited commercial and personal projects including, but not limited to, physical end products, social media, packaging, and paid ads.

Can be used for

Web app and website usage Only in rasterized form

Games Only in rasterized form

Design or Print-on-Demand applications Only the Licensee may use the font to create a completed end product

Cannot be used for

Embedding fonts files Must always be used in rasterized form

Exploring the Logo

Submark application

The submark can also be used on SES Home Services branded materials, and can also be cropped depending on the composition of the design. In some cases, a single drop from the logo can be used.

For both the cropped or single drop versions, the graphic can be tinted back in either the two logo colours or the mono version; no other colours should be used. The full colour drop set with highlight is never tinted.

Exploring the Logo

Logo rules

The master logo should appear on a white or pale background, with all elements clearly visible. Please do not alter the logo in any way.

The SES should never be used independently without Home Services.

Always use your Master logo where possible.

SES HOME SERVICES

Do not change the font.

Do not outline.

Do not place against a dark background.

Do not add or remove any of the logo elements.

Do not move elements.

Do not add any effects.

Do not tilt or stretch.

Do not change the colours.

The Brand Colours

CMYK breakdown

RBG breakdown

CMYK brand colours

This is the colour mode to use when a design is to be physically printed.

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is the colour space for printed images. It is subtractive which means cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks are combined to reproduce colours. When all the colours are mixed together, they create black.

On these pages are the colour breakdowns for the SES Home Services colours in CMYK.

1. SES Light Blue

CMYK: 100,76,0,25

2. SES Dark Blue

CMYK: 100,94,35,50

3. SES Blue (Tint)

CMYK: 28,10,0,0

4. SES Light Blue Gradient

SES Light Blue

SES Blue (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Blue Gradient

SES Light Blue

SES Dark Blue

45° Angle

1. SES Light Red

CMYK: 0,100,100,0

2. SES Dark Red

CMYK: 30,100,100,40

3. SES Red (Tint)

CMYK: 0,22,22,0

4. SES Light Red Gradient

SES Light Red

SES Red (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Red Gradient

SES Light Red

SES Dark Red

45° Angle

1. SES Light Orange

CMYK: 0,67,98,0

2. SES Dark Orange

CMYK: 33,77,100,37

3. SES Orange (Tint)

CMYK: 0,25,38,0

4. SES Light Orange Gradient

SES Light Orange

SES Orange (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Orange Gradient

SES Light Orange

SES Dark Orange

45° Angle

1. SES Light Green

CMYK: 18,0,95,0

2. SES Dark Green

CMYK: 55,40,100,22

4. SES Green (Tint)

CMYK: 3,0,30,0

3. SES Light Green Gradient

SES Light Green

SES Green (Tint)

45° Angle

4. SES Dark Green Gradient

SES Light Green

SES Dark Green

45° Angle

CMYK brand colours

Please be aware that RGB contains a wide spectrum of colours and can produce very vibrant colours. CMYK has a smaller colour spectrum and is unable to reproduce these colours. This will result in printed matter appearing duller than artwork viewed on screen.

Because the RGB contains a full spectrum of colours, documents shown in CMYK mode will always show up accurately on-screen.

RGB colours will not necessarily appear in print as they do on-screen, as printers print using the CMYK colour space.

1. SESW Pink

CMYK: 0,100,0,0

2. SESW Dark Pink

CMYK: 2,100,5,45

3. SESW Pink (Tint)

CMYK: 1,28,4,0

4. SESW Light Pink Gradient

SESW Pink

SESW Pink (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SESW Dark Pink Gradient

SESW Pink

SESW Dark Pink

45° Angle

1. SES Light Purple

CMYK: 57,81,0,0

2. SES Dark Purple

CMYK: 75,96,22,12

3. SES Purple (Tint)

CMYK: 22,42,0,0

4. SES Light Purple Gradient

SES Light Purple

SES Purple (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Purple Gradient

SES Light Purple

SES Dark Purple 45° Angle

1. SES Light Eco Green

CMYK: 56,1,100,0

2. SES Dark Eco Green

CMYK: 73,40,100,34

3. SES Eco Green (Tint)

CMYK: 25,0,38,0

4. SES Light Eco Green Gradient

SES Light Eco Green

SES Eco Green (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Eco Green Gradient

SES Light Eco Green

SES Dark Eco Green

45° Angle

1. SES Grey

CMYK: 0,0,0,75

2. SES Dark Grey

CMYK: 64,53,52,52

4. SES Grey (Tint)

CMYK: 3,0,30,0

3. SES Light Grey Gradient

SES Grey

SES Grey (Tint)

45° Angle

4. SES Dark Grey Gradient

SES Grey

SES Dark Grey 45° Angle

RGB brand colours

This is the colour mode to use for when a design is to appear electronically.

RGB (Red, Green and Blue), is the colour space for digital images. It is additive which means red, green, and blue light are combined to reproduce a broad spectrum of colours. When red, green and blue light is mixed together at equal intensity, they create white.

1. SES Light Blue

RGB: 0,63,132

HEX: #003584

2. SES Dark Blue

RGB: 29,30,66

HEX: #1D1E42

3. SES Blue (Tint)

RGB: 193,215,241

HEX: #C1D7F1

4. SES Light Blue Gradient

SES Light Blue

SES Blue (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Blue Gradient

SES Light Blue

SES Dark Blue

45° Angle

1. SES Light Red

RGB: 237,28,36

HEX: #ED1C24

2. SES Dark Red

RGB: 127,24,16

HEX: #7F1810

3. SES Red (Tint)

RGB: 251,213,197

HEX: #FBD5C5

4. SES Light Red Gradient

SES Light Red

SES Red (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Red Gradient

SES Light Red

SES Dark Red

45° Angle

1. SES Light Orange

RGB: 237,109,15

HEX: #ED6D0F

2. SES Dark Orange

RGB: 130,61,20

HEX: #823D14

3. SES Orange (Tint)

RGB: 251,205,165

HEX: #FBCDA5

4. SES Light Orange Gradient

SES Light Orange

SES Orange (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Orange Gradient

SES Light Orange

SES Dark Orange

45° Angle

1. SES Light Green

RGB: 226,222,0

HEX: #E2DE00

2. SES Dark Green

RGB: 118,116,36

HEX: #767424

4. SES Green (Tint)

RGB: 252,247,199

HEX: #FCF7C7

3. SES Light Green Gradient

SES Light Green

SES Green (Tint)

45° Angle

4. SES Dark Green Gradient

SES Light Green

SES Dark Green

45° Angle

Hex brand colours

RGB colours can also be represented using Hexadecimal codes. Hex codes are used to represent colours on web pages and imageediting programs, using the format #RRGGBB (RR = reds, GG = greens, BB = blues). The # symbol indicates Hex format.

Hex colors use sixteen values to represent a single shade. This is powerful because it gives a broad range of shades for each color –specifically sixteen. Each color is broken down into a number or character, ranging from 0-9 and A-F, where 0 is the minimum value and F is the maximum. Next, the color format is separated into #RRGGBB, where RR is red, GG is green, and BB is blue.

Programmers often prefer Hex color codes because they are predictable, always using six digits, regardless of color. RGB values vary from three digits to nine.

1. SESW Pink

RGB: 236,0,140

HEX: #EC008C

2. SESW Dark Pink

RGB: 149,0,79

HEX: #95004F

3. SESW Pink (Tint)

RGB: 247,204,220

HEX: #F7CCDC

4. SESW Light Pink Gradient

SESW Pink

SESW Pink (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SESW Dark Pink Gradient

SESW Pink

SESW Dark Pink

45° Angle

1. SES Light Purple

RGB: 135,72,150

HEX: #874896

2. SES Dark Purple

RGB: 93,42,107

HEX: #5D2A6B

3. SES Purple (Tint)

RGB: 204,164,205

HEX: #CCA4CD

4. SES Light Purple Gradient

SES Light Purple

SES Purple (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Purple Gradient

SES Light Purple

SES Dark Purple

45° Angle

1. SES Light Eco Green

RGB: 131,186,38

HEX: #83BA26

2. SES Dark Eco Green

RGB: 70,96,38

HEX: #466026

3. SES Eco Green (Tint)

RGB: 206,226,180

HEX: #CEE2B4

4. SES Light Eco Green Gradient

SES Light Eco Green

SES Eco Green (Tint)

45° Angle

5. SES Dark Eco Green Gradient

SES Light Eco Green

SES Dark Eco Green

45° Angle

1. SES Grey

RGB: 0,63,132

HEX: #003584

2. SES Dark Grey

RGB: 71,72,71

HEX: #474847

4. SES Grey (Tint)

RGB: 236,236,236

HEX: #ECECEC

3. SES Light Grey Gradient

SES Grey

SES Grey (Tint)

45° Angle

4. SES Dark Grey Gradient

SES Grey

SES Dark Grey

45° Angle

Brand

Typography

Typography

The typeface

Heading styles

Body text

Paragraph styles

Listing styles

The online typeface

Online application

Typography application

Defined as “the art

Typography

Typography is an integral part of the SES Home Services brand.

Our brand personality is communicated through the fonts representing its name and tagline in our logo.

A core element of our visual identity, it helps give a cohesive feel throughout our branding, creating consistency and memorability.

or process of setting and arranging types” – the typography in your logo can be as impactful as a graphic.

Brand Typography

The typeface

A contemporary sans serif, Arial’s treatment of curves is softer and fuller than in most industrial style sans serif faces. Terminal strokes are cut on the diagonal which helps to give the face a less mechanical appearance. An extremely versatile family of typefaces, Arial translates successfully from text setting in reports, presentations, and magazines to display use in newspapers, advertising and promotions.

*Arial is recommended by RNIB and other organisations concerned with accessibility. Guidelines recommend using Arial at a minimum size of 14pt.

Arial Black

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

0123456789 (&?!@%.,:;-)

Arial Bold

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

0123456789 (&?!@%.,:;-)

Arial Regular

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

0123456789 (&?!@%.,:;-)

*www.rnib.org.uk/sites/default/files/Top_Tips_ Creating_accessible_print_documents.pdf

Heading styles

Headings should appear in Title Case, using capitalisation at the start of each word.

Use SES Light Red at the end of headings or to highlight key phrases for emphasis.

All Subheadings should appear in Sentence case, using capitalisation only at the start of the sentence.

General Heading rules are: Increase or decrease in multiples of ten (20pts, 30pts, 40pts). Leading should be three points higher than the point size.

Subheaders should be approximately 5 point sizes smaller than the heading it follows.

Do not over- or under-track. Apply -25 or +25 at most. Any more will result in obvious distortion. These styles are a guide to how the fonts should be used and can be flexible. Use your creative judgement when applying these styles to literature to ensure we stay on brand.

Primary: Arial Black | 40pt | 43pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Protect Your Home

Secondary: Arial Black | 30pt | 33pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Policy solutions to help you

Tertiary: Arial Black | 20pt | 23pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Reliable and affordable local experts

Subheading - Arial Bold | 15pt | 18pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Policy solutions to help you

Listing styles

A list of information can be neatly organised using bullet points. How a list is punctuated depends on the information that is being presented.

If bulleted items are words or phrases (but not complete sentences), begin each item with a lowercase letter (except words such as proper nouns).

If bulleted items are complete sentences, begin each item with a capital letter and finish it with a period or other appropriate punctuation.

The SES Home Services branding uses three main listing styles - the first using plain bullets, the second using SES brand icons, and the third using numbers.

Bulleted text should appear in the SES Light Blue brand colour.

1. Bulleted List

It is your responsibility to:

• Keep to the terms and conditions of this policy

• Maintain your home in a reasonable condition

• Try to prevent anything happening that may cause a claim

2. Bulleted List using Icons

What is not insured?

Any breakdown or damage to items that are within the manufacturer’s warranty or guarantee periods.

Any part of the appliance that the manufacturer recognises regular replacement of including, but not limited to; light bulbs, door seals, knobs, dials, fuses and batteries.

3. Numbered List

What is insured?

1. Repairs for 3 named kitchen appliances

2. 100% replacement allowance for irreparable appliances under 5 years old

3. 50% replacement allowance for irreparable appliances 5-8 years old

4. Maximum annual claim limit £1,000 (inc. VAT)

Brand Typography

Typography application

On this page are examples of how to format paragraphs, showing the heading, subheading, introductory text, body text and sub text. These sizes compliment one another and should be used as a guide when styling brand text.

Body text should use Arial Regular in SES Grey.

Minimum body text size should be 10 points and maximum 14 points. Leading should be three points higher than the point size of the text.

Paragraph headers should be approximately 1 point size larger than the body text. Do not over- or under-track. Apply -25 or +25 at most. Any more will result in obvious distortion.

Size relation between Headings, Subheadings and Body text should remain proportional. (Overall size may vary dependent on hierarchy and format).

Heading

Arial Black | 32pt

35pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Sub-heading

Arial Bold | 15pt

18pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Body

Arial Regular | 11pt

14pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Small print

Arial Regular | 9pt

12pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Protect Your Home

365 Assured meets the demands and needs of those who wish to ensure that their home is covered in the event of an emergency affecting the essential services serving their home and for routine maintenance for the items shown in the policy.

Sutton & East Surrey Water Services Ltd t/a SES Home Services (hereafter referred to as SES Home Services) is an Appointed Representative of Jelf Insurance Brokers Ltd trading as Marsh Commercial, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 302751). Not all products and services offered are regulated by the FCA (for details see www.marshcommercial.co.uk/info/ terms). Registered in England and Wales number 2446416. Registered Office: London Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1LJ. All prices include Insurance Premium Tax at 12%. These policies are underwritten by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited. DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority and entered on the register under number 202106. All prices include VAT.

From leaky roofs to lost house keys, we have a policy solution for you.

Brand Typography

The online typeface

Open Sans is a clean and modern sans-serif typeface designed by Steve Matteson and commissioned by Google. It is especially designed for legibility across print, web, and mobile interfaces.

Open Sans is a universally effective font. Easily legible in smaller sizes, it also works well when printed in large format. It features wide apertures on many letters and a large x-height (tall lower-case letters). Because it belongs to the humanist genre of sans-serif typefaces, it has a true italic.

Designed with an upright stress, open forms and a neutral, yet friendly appearance, it was optimised for print, web, and mobile interfaces, and has excellent legibility characteristics in its letterforms.

Open Sans

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

0123456789 (&?!@%.,:;-)

Open Sans SemiBold

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

0123456789 (&?!@%.,:;-)

Open Sans Regular

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

0123456789 (&?!@%.,:;-)

Online application

While there is no official minimum font size for the web, it is generally agreed that 16px for body text is advisable. This is important if you’re designing a website that can be viewed on mobile devices.

On this page are examples of how to format paragraphs, showing the heading, subheading, introductory text, body text and sub text. These sizes compliment one another and should be used as a guide when styling brand text.

Body text should use Open Sans Regular in SES Grey.

Minimum body text size should be 16 points. Leading should be three points higher than the point size of the text.

Size relation between Headings, Subheadings and Body text should remain proportional. (Overall size may vary dependent on hierarchy and format).

H1

Open Sans Extrabold | 40pt

43pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

H2

Open Sans Extrabold | 25pt

28pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Body

Open Sans Regular | 16pt

19pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

Small print

Open Sans Regular | 12pt

15pt Leading | 0pt Tracking

About Us

We’re There When You Need Us.

Whether you’ve got no hot water or a leak and too much water, our expert team of accredited plumbers engineers are on hand to help.

Get protected today with our comprehensive range of home insurance cover. Let us look after your home, so you can look after your family, giving you the peace of mind that we’re there when you need us.

Brand Assets

Introduction

Header and footer swooshes

QR code

Iconography

Associated logos

Accreditation logos

Sister company logos

Logo

Introduction

Brand assets are elements, such as a logo, colour palette, typeface, or graphic that help identify a specific brand. These elements become brand assets only when customers associate them with a brand.

The SES Home Services brand identity consists of all the visual elements associated with the brand, communicating the values and the product in an instantly recognisable way, creating a unique identity that makes people instantly this brand when they see the physical brand elements, both in and out of context.

By ensuring consistency, we create a solid image in customers’ minds, which significantly strengthens connection.

The SES Home Services logo is our core asset, and should appear on all of our corporate literature and social media. Ensure that the logo is clearly visible with the correct exclusion zone applied.

The white version of the logo should be used where appropriate, placed against a dark background. Where space is limited, or for design effect, use the submark.

Squircle containers

The SES squircle is a flexible asset which can be used as a container for text, images, QR codes, and icons. The curved edges should appear at the top left and bottom right - do not flip the element. Do not adjust the corner curves, they should remain proportional when the squircle is scaled up or down. The border should always have a consistent thickness. When placing text inside, please ensure there is even spacing to the sides and top of the element.

Header and footer swooshes

The SES Home Services header and footer swooshes are a key element in the branding. Instantly recognisable, they reinforce the identity at a glance.

On a single page document, the header and footer should both appear. If a document runs to several pages, the header and footer should both appear on the first page, however on subsequent pages the footer alone may be used. This helps avoid the document looking too crowded.

Do not alter the scale or placement of the swooshes in any way.

For all Corporate documents, use the red swoosh. For all policy documents, use the orange swoosh, and for all boiler-related documents, use the green swoosh. For anything eco-related, use the Eco Green swoosh.

1. SES Home Services

4. Policy documents

5. Boiler-related

2. SES Business Water

3. SES and SESW

6. Eco

Brand Assets

QR code

The SES Home Services QR (Quick Response) code is a scannable image which instantly connects the customer to our website. Effectively a much more advanced version of a barcode, it is capable of storing far more information.

There is no standardized QR code size, and QR codes can actually be smaller than 2 x 2 cms, but this is the minimum scannable size for most smartphones. The rule seems to be:

Size of your QR code = Distance between the QR code and the scanner ÷ 10

Example: 33cm square to read it at 3m away. On this (and the following page), are examples of recommended sizes for QR codes.

Minimum size

The minimum recommended scannable size of a QR code is 20x20mm.

A5 print size

For an A5 page, the recommended print size is 20x20mm.

A4 print size

For an A4 page, the recommended print size is 20x20mm.

Surface Scan distance QR code size

*www.qrcode-tiger.com/printing-qr-codes

QR code trivia

A QR code is a type of barcode that can be read easily by a digital device and which stores information as a series of pixels in a squareshaped grid. QR codes are frequently used to track information about products in a supply chain and – because many smartphones have built-in QR readers – they are often used in marketing and advertising campaigns. More recently, they have played a key role in helping to trace coronavirus exposure and slow the spread of the virus.

The data stored in a QR code can include website URLs, phone numbers, or up to 4,000 characters of text. QR codes can also be used to: Link directly to download an app on the Apple App Store or Google Play, authenticate online accounts and verify login details, access Wi-Fi by storing encryption details such as SSID, password, and encryption type, and send and receive payment information.

A3 print size

For an A3 page, the recommended print size is 100x100mm.

Iconography

Another element of the SES Home Services Brand assets is the Iconography.

Icons are simple and eye-catching graphic symbols designed to communicate quickly and effectively across all touchpoints, guiding the eye and helping navigation. They are completely language-independent.

To further enhance the SES brand, a series of customised icons were developed incorporating the curved edges, brand colours, consistent weight and proportions, and a gently fun element.

SES Home Services now has a library of icons for use across digital and printed media.

Brand Assets

Associated logos

Under the SES umbrella is a range of associated brands. Here are some of the most commonly-used ones.

Accreditation logos

SES Home Services is proud to be accredited by a number of leading industry organisations. These logos should be used on documentation in the footer to demonstrate the professional standards we uphold and demonstrate our compliance.

SES Home Services holds the current accreditations:

• Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors

• British Safety Council

• Gas Safe Registered

• Lloyd’s Register EMEA

• National Association of Drainage Contractors

• SafeContractor

• Water Safe

Sister company logos

SES Home Services is a part of a wider organisation called East Surrey Holdings Limited, which includes five other sister companies. As a brand it is important for customers to know that we are a part of a large reputable organisation so they can feel reassured that they are in safe hands with a long standing professional organisation. Our sister companies are:

• Advanced Materials

• Allmat

• SES Business Water

• SES Water

• Surrey Downs Property Investments Limited

Printed Material

Written voice

Creating bespoke

communications

Proofing

Business cards

Letterheads

Compliment slip

A5 Flyer

A4 Flyer

Document folder

A3 Poster

Document covers

Brochure cover

Exhibition banner

Advertising

Written voice

We refer to ourselves always as ‘SES Home Services’ in full. ‘Home Services’ is two words and always prefixed with SES.

We’re never ‘SES’ or ‘SES HS’ or any other abbreviation. We always capitalise the H in ‘Home’ and the S in ‘Services’.

When writing, use an active voice. This is when the subject of the sentence does the action. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence has the action done to it. For example:

Mrs Carey logged a claim

A claim was logged by Mrs Carey Words like “was” and “by” may indicate that you’re writing in passive voice.

One exception is when you want to specifically emphasise the action over the subject. In some cases, this is fine.

For example “Your account was flagged by our renewals team.”

Focus your message

Think like a newspaper editor - you need to get the most important message across first and foremost. You can achieve this by creating a hierarchy of information.

Lead with the main point or the most important content, in sentences, paragraphs, sections, and pages.

Capitalisation

We use different forms of capitalisation. Title case capitalises the first letter of every word except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Sentence case capitalises the first letter of the first word. When writing an email address or URL, use lowercase.

bob.the.builder@seshomeservices.co.uk

Don’t capitalise random words in the middle of sentences.

Abbreviations and acronyms

If there’s a chance your reader won’t recognise an abbreviation or acronym, spell it out the first time you mention it, then use the short version for all other references. If the abbreviation isn’t clearly related to the full version, specify in parentheses.

Write for all readers

Some people read every word you write, others just skim. By grouping related ideas together and using descriptive headers and sub-headers, you can ensure everyone understands what you are telling them.

Consistency

When writing, it is good to keep consistency with how we write dates, numerals, and punctuation. Here are some tips to remember: Contractions - they’re great! They give your writing an approachable and friendly tone. Percentages - use the % symbol instead of spelling out “percent”.

Dates - generally, spell out the day of the week and the month. Abbreviate only if space is an issue.

& - please use ‘and’ instead of ‘&’.

Exclamation marks

Use exclamation marks sparingly and never more than one at a time. They’re like highfives: A well-timed one is great but too many can be annoying. If you are using them to make your writing sound exciting, go back and change the language to be more exciting not the punctuation.

Never use exclamation marks in failure messages or alerts. When in doubt, avoid.

Numbers

Spell out a number when it begins a sentence. Otherwise, use the numeral. “Ten new employees started on Monday and 12 start next week.”

If it’s an expression that typically uses spelled-out numbers, leave them that way.

Ranges and spans

Use a hyphen (-) to indicate a range or span of numbers. It takes 20-30 days.

Time

Use numerals and am or pm, with a space in between. Don’t use minutes for on-the hour time. Use a hyphen between times to indicate a time period.

Plain English

The Plain English Campaign was set up in 1979 and believes that everyone should have access to clear and concise information. At every moment you should take the opportunity to write for everyone, simply and to the point. This is how we will build trust with our customers.

We follow the principles of the Plain English Campaign, outlined on the right.

Grammar

We value good grammar but don’t get caught up in the myths. You can start a sentence with:

and, but, because, so or however.

You can split infinitives. So you can say “to boldly go.” You can end a sentence with a preposition. In fact, it is something we should stand up for. And you can use the same word twice in a sentence if you can’t find a better word.

Remember:

Use short sentences. Use active verbs. Clear use of ‘you’ and ‘we’. Use the simplest words that are fit for purpose.

Give instructions when needed.

Legal content

The way we write, review, and publish legal and contractual content is different to other written comms at SES Home Services. The most important difference is that all legal content either starts with or passes through our underwriter for checking.

This doesn’t mean legal content has to be difficult to read. Compliance doesn’t have to mean complicated. Try to remember not to use the need to be compliant as an excuse to use jargon.

Accuracy

Our first and foremost concern is that we present the correct information in a truthful way.

Clarity

We try to avoid legal jargon and overly formal wording. Our customers need to understand the agreement they’re making with us.

Time

Use numerals and am or pm, with a space in between. Don’t use minutes for on-the hour time. Use a hyphen between times to indicate a time period.

Succinctness

We want our customers to read and understand our legal documents whilst also respecting their time.

Technical content

Someone reading technical content is usually looking to answer a specific question. That question might be broad or narrowly focused but either way our goal is to provide answers without distraction.

We don’t want to overload our customers with unnecessary information, choices or complex ideas or phrases when we don’t have to. This is particularly critical when a customer may be new and/or frustrated.

Simple rules to follow when talking technical

Stay relevant to the title of the content.

Emphasise that we have the right tools for the job. Keep headlines and paragraphs short and scannable.

Use second person and describe actions to a customer. Strive for simplicity and clarity. Provide context through images, videos, and graphics.

Creating bespoke communications

Here are some guidelines to remember when creating bespoke communications:

1. Use the branded template (or print on headed paper).

2. A title that includes any reference customer the customer may need

3. A simple summary about why we’re contacting the customer

4. Keep sentences short and straightforward

5. Ensure the customer knows what they need to do or, that they don’t

6. Be sure to end positively

7. Give your name and title. Do not use different fonts or colours or digital signatures.

Remember to follow brand style guidelines when creating your document. We will cover this in the following pages.

2

3 4

Recipient name

Recipient address

Date as: (in full e.g., 19th April 2022)

Dear (insert Title and Surname or Sir/Madam if name is not known).

Title in bold, type, 1 point size larger than body text. Start with a capital and do not use a full stop at the end. This should include a reference number to an account, invoice or complaint if the customer will need it to respond

Your opening sentence should clearly state why you are writing the letter - get to the point straight away.

Your letter, like the opening sentence, needs to be precise and to the point. Tone, or the way your letter sounds, is very important and finding the right tone can sometimes be difficult. You may need to be firm, but polite. In a formal letter, the aim is to sound ‘business-like’. Be friendly, but avoid any language that seems casual or chatty.

Think about the purpose of your letter and include all the relevant details to help the reader to respond. All new paragraphs should start with a clear, single break between them.

5

1 6 7

Before you sign off and end your letter, make sure that you provide a clear call to action for the reader. If you don’t require any action, make sure you tell the reader, so they are not left wondering and call us unnecessarily.

Remember, the letter may arrive late, and action may have already been taken. If this is likely, you should let the reader know.

End your letter on a positive note. Leave a double break before signing off.

Yours sincerely (if you knew the name) or Yours faithfully (if you used sir/madam).

(Insert electronic signature)

Full name

Job title

Proofing Checklist

Proofing

When new artwork is required, a request will be submitted via the Design Request form. It will outline the specifications, dimensions, and whether it is intended for print, online, or both. Once the artwork has been created, it will be checked against the Proofing Checklist, to ensure all imagery, content and setup is correct.

These templates are available here: Link

Design Request Form

Printed material guidelines

This section features a selection of templates for printed material in a variety of formats. It will outline the document dimensions, bleed, margins, typography, and placement of the logo and other brand assets.

These templates are available here: Link

Business cards

Dimensions:

Trim size: 85mm x 55mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins: 21mm (top) 10mm (bottom), 15mm (left), 5mm (right)

Assets included:

Header and footer, Logo, Iconography, small print.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Name: Arial Black | 11pt

Job Title: Arial Bold | 9pt

Contact: Arial Regular | 8pt

Address: Arial Bold | 6pt

Header: Arial Black | 17pt

Compliment slip

Dimensions:

Trim size: 99mm x 210mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins:

42mm (top) 12.5mm (bottom), 112.5mm (left), 12.5mm (right).

Assets included: Header and footer, Logo, Iconography.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Body: Arial Black | 9pt Arial Regular | 9pt

With Compliments

Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm 020 8722 7250 membership@seshomeservices.co.uk SES Home Services, Pixham End, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1GB seshomeservices.co.uk

Details: Arial Bold | 9pt

Letterheads

Dimensions: Trim size: 210mm x 297mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins: 42mm (top) 12.5mm (bottom), 12.5mm (left), 12.5mm (right)

Assets included:

Header and footer, Logo, QR Code, CTA box, contact information, small print.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Primary Header: Arial Black | 40pt

Secondary Header: Arial Black | 30pt

Tertiary Header: Arial Black | 20pt

A5 Flyer

Dimensions:

Trim size: 148mm x 210mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins:

32mm (top) 12.5mm (bottom), 12.5mm (left), 12.5mm (right)

Assets included: Header and footer, Logo, QR Code, CTA box, contact information, small print.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

QR Body: Arial Bold | 7pt

Subheader: Arial Black | 18pt

Secondary Header: Arial Black | 30pt

CTA Header: Arial Black | 16pt

CTA Body: Arial Bold | 14pt

CTA Telephone: Arial Black | 17pt

Bullets: Arial Bold | 11pt

Header: Arial Black | 11pt

Body: Arial Regular | 10pt

Bold: Arial Black | 12pt

Bullets: Arial Bold | 11pt

Small Print: Arial Regular | 6pt

CTA Header: Arial Black | 16pt

CTA Body: Arial Bold | 14pt

CTA Telephone: Arial Black | 17pt

Primary Header: Arial Black | 72pt

GDPR Principles

Let’s treat data responsibly – together!

A3 Poster

Dimensions: Trim size: 420mm x 297mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins: 19mm (all sides)

Assets included: Footer, Logo, Iconography, CTA box, contact information.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Header: Arial Black | 25pt

Body: Arial Regular | 17pt

Purpose limitation

Only collecting data for specified legitimate purposes.

Accuracy

Keeping data up-todate and complying with individuals’ requests to update and correct data.

Integrity

Protecting personal data against unlawful processing, destruction, damage, unauthorised access and loss.

Lawfulness

Processing personal data for a specific purpose, clearly and truthfully stated.

Data minimisation

Limiting the amount of data to only what we need for the agreed purpose.

Storage limitation

Deleting personal data that is no longer in use. Ensuring that any data stored is secure.

Accountability

We must demonstrate compliance with these principles.

If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your line manager, or get in touch at: dataprotection@seshomeservices.co.uk dataprotection@sesbusinesswater.co.uk

CTA Body: Arial Bold | 13pt

CTA Email: Arial Black | 14pt

A4 Document folder

Dimensions: Trim size: 210mm x 297mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins: 19mm (all sides)

Assets included: Footer, Logo, Iconography, CTA box, contact information.

the document template.

Claims Managers Information Pack

Primary Header: Arial Black | 32pt

A4 Document cover

Dimensions: Trim size: 210mm x 297mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins: 42mm (top), 12.5mm (bottom), 12.5mm (left), 12.5mm (right)

Assets included: Header, Footer, Logo, Supplier logo, CTA box, QR code, contact information.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Electrical Emergency and Breakdown Policy Terms and Conditions Document

CTA Header: Arial Black | 13pt

CTA Body: Arial Bold | 10pt

QR Body: Arial Bold | 7pt

Small Print: Arial Regular | 6pt Information: Arial Black | 9pt

A4 Brochure cover

Dimensions:

Trim size: 210mm x 297mm

Bleed: 3mm

Margins: 60mm (top), 12.5mm (bottom), 12.5mm (left), 12.5mm (right).

Assets included: Header, footer, logo, iconography, CTA box, QR code, contact information.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Claims Managers Information Pack

Exhibition banner

Dimensions:

As specified by Printer

Margins: Proportional to banner dimensions

Assets included: Header, footer, logo, iconography, CTA box, QR code, contact information

Tips: When creating a banner, keep it simple. Remember to place information at eye-level.

The QR code must be large enough to be scanned from a distance (see QR code information, P29.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Primary Header: Arial Black Subheader: Arial Black

CTA Header: Arial Black

CTA Body: Arial Bold

QR Code: Size = Distance between the QR Code and the Scanner ÷ 10

Advertising

Dimensions:

As specified by Printer

Margins:

Proportional to advert dimensions (please see A6/A5/A4 templates for margin info.)

Assets included:

Header, footer, logo, iconography, CTA box, QR code, contact information.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Primary Header: Arial Black Subheader: Arial Black

Home Emergency?

Introducing

Whether you’re having trouble with your plumbing, drainage, or central heating, with Clik 2 Fix we’re there when you need us!

Need a Clik 2 Fix? 020 8722 7250

CTA Body: Arial Bold

CTA Header: Arial Black

Body: Arial Regular

Digital Material

Tone of voice

Digital banner

SES homepage banner

Social banner

Digital advert

Email newsletter

Email signature

Digital Material

SES website digital banner

Dimensions:

1200x630 pixels

Margins: 33 pixels

Assets included: Photo of person looking at camera, Logo, Iconography, CTA box, contact information.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Imagery: Person, approachable, looking directly at camera.

Primary Header: Open Sans Extrabold

CTA Header: Open Sans Bold

CTA Info Open Sans Extrabold

Digital Material

Imagery: Comfortable, reassuring, clean lifestyle/home imagery.

Facebook header

banner

Dimensions: 820x360 pixels

Margins: 35 pixels (top), 35 pixels (bottom), 116 pixels (left), 116 pixels (right).

Assets included:

Lifestyle image

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Digital Material

Imagery: SES Plumber image (SES Image Library) Looking stright at camera, friendly, approachable.

LinkedIn header

banner

Dimensions: 1128x191 pixels

Margins: 42 pixels

Assets included: SES Home Services logo, Lifestyle image

Logo dimensions: 60 x 60 pixels

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Digital Material

Digital advert

Dimensions:

As specified

Margins: TBC

Assets included: Header, logo (white), CTA, staff member image.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Subheader: Open Sans Bold

CTA Header: Open Sans Extrabold

CTA Info: Open Sans Extrabold

Primary Header: Open Sans Extrabold

Monthly internal email newsletter

Dimensions:

TBC

Margins: 10mm

Assets included:

Newsletter header and staff photo.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Newsletter Header Header and body text: Open Sans Extrabold/Open Sans Bold

Header goes here

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Ecte isimod que ipsae corporio officie nimus.

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Parit quam ea dis ellit voluptat elluptas utem exceper iorero blab ipsundi psandellut

Newsletter Header

External email newsletter

Dimensions: TBC

Margins: 10mm

Assets included:

Newsletter header and staff photo.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Header and body text: Open Sans Bold/ Open Sans Regular

We’re

Digital Material

Email signature

Dimensions: 170x200 pixels

Margins: 5mm

Assets included: Footer, logo (white), supplier logos, Awards banner, staff member image.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Body text: Open Sans Regular

Please do let us know if this is something you would be interested in going forward.

Many thanks for your ongoing custom and we look forward to working with you in the coming months.

Kind regards

Imagery: Staff photo

Imagery: Supplier logos and award banner

SES

Pixham

We’re there when y ou need us.

Squircle: Containing info text and SES Home Services logo

SES small print: Open Sans Regular

We are committed to reducing our use of natural materials. Please do not print this email unless absolutely necessary

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful; please notify the sender and destroy all copies of the message and any attached files.

Although SES Home Services takes all reasonable steps to ensure that its systems remain free of viruses, no responsibility will be accepted for any damage caused by any viruses which may be associated with this message. Addressees are advised to rely on their own virus checking procedures.

SES Home Services is a trading name of Sutton and East Surrey Water Services Limited. Registration Number 2446416

Newsletter Header

E-magazine update

Dimensions: TBC

Margins: 10mm

Assets included:

Newsletter header and staff photo.

Please note: All paragraph styles are set up in the document template.

Header and body text: Open Sans Bold/ Open Sans Regular

We’re

Social Media Style Guide

Social media channels

Tone of voice

Written voice

Emoji usage

Hashtags

LinkedIn content guide

Facebook content guide

Twitter content guide

Instagram content guide

YouTube content guide

How we engage with our customers

Imagery

LinkedIn Icon

Facebook Icon

Twitter Icon

Instagram Icon

YouTube Icon TikTok Icon

Pinterest Icon

Tone of voice

What is the purpose of social media platforms? They are used to educate, engage, and to sell. Therefore, we need to make our posts interesting, informative, and compelling.

We can do this by using snappy sentences, creating content for all user types (novice to expert) and being unique to stand out from other brands.

Caring

Home emergencies can often be frustrating, we want to give our customers peace of mind.

Engaging

We want people to be actively communicating with us, and we will create content to please all users.

Warm

Fun

Friendly

We aim to respond to all comments in a kind manner.

We aim to be approachable, kind and genuine in every interaction with our customers.

Although we provide home emergency services, we want to amuse, excite, and inspire our customers.

Written voice

Spelling: Text speak may be used on the appropriate platforms (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram but not Linkedin). Make sure your posts are readable.

Abbreviations: (OMG, IDK) This should be platform-appropriate (used onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram, TikTok but not LinkedIn). Don’t overuse these!

Try to make sure your post is within the style of the platform you are using, with LinkedIn being the most professional and TikTok being the most informal.

Have fun, but remember you are representing SES Home Services, so avoid negativity, rudeness and abruptness.

Examples of positive emojis

Emoji usage

Emoticons have become an integral part of our day to day communication! They have evolved to become a universal language of their own.

Please note that the connotations behind emojis frequently change, so be careful how you use them.

Do not allow emojis to interfere with clear communication.

Don’t over-use them!

Smiling Happiness, agreement,

Examples of negative emojis

Laughing

Enjoyment.

Winking

Friendly, playful.

Swearing

Abuse or profanity.

Angry Bad tempered, cross.

Angelic

Angelic, trustworthy.

Sunglasses Cool, it’s all good.

Vomiting

Something is making you sick.

Yawning Bored.

Blushing

Accepting a compliment.

Snorting

Derision, annoyance.

Snoring

Very bored.

Hashtags (#)

We use Hashtags to gain visibility and boost social media engagement. Hashtags should always be one word with no spaces, however we can use hashtags that are spaced-out, only if they are already trending and are relevant to the business. Try to avoid using all uppercase when Hashtagging (all-caps is generally considered to be shouting).

General Hashtags that SES HomeServices should use:

#SEShomeservices

This should always appear with SES in capitals as per the printed and online material.

#Insurancecover #Drainage

#Engineer #Heating

#Electricalappliance #Radiator

#Plumbing #Boilers #Eco-friendly

#Emergency #Surrey #Career

Rules

Don’t just hashtag everything and anything it is important to only use hashtags that are relevant to the business.

Keep hashtags simple and relevant

Don’t overuse hashtag, use a variety based on the content that is being uploaded.

Try and use a variety of different hashtags when creating posts and don’t overuse the same hashtag over and over again.

LinkedIn content guide

LinkedIn is a professional platform for businesses to showcase and promote their acheivements to other businesses and professionals.

LinkedIn has an unlimited word count, so businesses are able to upload longer content. Language should be more formal, avoiding abbreviations, emoticons and text-speak.

The types of content which can be found on LinkedIn are:

• Job adverts

• Reshare industry news

• National Awareness days

• Videos of staff

Content: Interaction between team members and the business is encouraged.

Facebook content guide

Businesses use Facebook to engage with customers, promoting products and services. Facebook allows posts of up to 60,000 characters, which is perfect for sharing longer content. Be experimental, energise your writing style using abbreviations, emoticons and text-speak, but remember you are representing SES Home Services. The types of content which can be found on Facebook are:

• Blog posts

• Top tips

• Videos - Staff

• Statistics and facts

• Infographics

• How to guides

• Did you know

• Competitions

• Product/Service awareness

• Reshare industry news

• Customer reviews

• Fill in the blanks

• Q&A thread

• National Awareness days

Content: Pinned post promoting SES Home Services.

Twitter content guide

Twitter is a social networking and news site for people to share their thoughts to a mass audience.

Twitter has a very limited word count of 280 characters. Be engaging, use abbreviations, emoticons and text-speak, but remember this will depend on the content you are tweeting.

The types of content which can be found on Twitter are:

• National Awareness days

• Videos of staff

• Blog posts

• Top tips

• Videos - Staff

• Statistics and facts

• Infographics

• How to guides

• Did you know

• Competitions

• Product/Service awareness

• Reshare industry news

• Customer reviews

• Fill in the blanks

• Q&A thread

• National Awareness days

Content: Poll used to ask the audience questions or opinions.

Instagram content guide

We use Instagram to demonstrate our products and services.

The types of content which can be found on Instagram are:

• How to guides

• Photos

Content: Photos of products and candid staff or events shots.

YouTube content guide

SES Home Services use YouTube to educate and inform our users. Uploads to YouTube with be video based with the opportunity to livestream events to the public.

The types of content which can be found on YouTube are:

• Top tips

• Videos

• How to guides

Content: Video prompting audience.

How We Engage With Our Customers

Imagery

SES Home Services uses a range of photographic images for both printed and online communications. Here are some fundamentals to bear in mind when choosing your image:

If an image of a home is required, it should be:

• Indoors, cosy, relaxing

If an image of an appliance is required, it should be:

• Professional, up-to-date

If an image of a person is required, it should be:

• Inclusive, friendly, trustworthy

• Looking directly into the camera or

• A member of the SES staff (if applicable).

If an image of tools/pipes is required, it should be:

• Professional, use interesting angles, and close depth of field.

List of suggested websites (both stock and supplier): https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/professional/support/image-library https://www.viessmann.family/en/newsroom/multimedia

www.shutterstock.com (login details available if applicable).

General voice

Values and tone

Delivery

Channel considerations

Written voice

Consistency

Plain English

Internal imagery

General voice

Our internal tone of voice shapes who we are with our colleagues and teams. It is how we speak to each other, from within teams to how the business communicates with all employees. The internal tone of voice differs from how we speak to customers. It can be more informal and familiar depending on context.

It is important as it builds consistency, trust and camaraderie between all levels of the company, and supports us and our teams to deliver important messages in the most appropriate way.

Conveying tone

This can be with spoken words, writing, and even internal imagery and branding.

Adapting tone

We can adapt tone depending on the message and the audience e.g. the difference between small news pieces to your team as opposed to a formal briefing from the leadership.

Values and tone

It is important to remain consistent in our communication style across our teams, and that our company values inform how we talk to each other, so we live and breathe these as we also convey them outwards. There are certain principles that we should embody when communicating with each other.

Respect

As colleagues, we must always talk to each other in a respectful manner.

Compassion

We are all one team, so must talk to each other in an understanding way.

Honest

We owe it to each other to be open and honest. This does not mean being rude though!

Inclusive:

We must always consider all colleagues and needs. This also applies to location, whether in the office or in the field.

Challenge

We should feel comfortable to provide suitable challenge to each other, provided it is in a respectful and empathetic way.

Delivery

Within the working environment (across both field and office), we should consider the delivery of a message, depending on the content being communicated, by whom and the optimum channel.

Speaking to your team in a small meeting requires a less formal tone than a member of the leadership team addressing the company. Make sure to adopt a level of formality appropriate to each situation, audience and the nature of the communication.

Choose your channel

Consider that the personal approach is often better than the written one. Why send an email when you can have a chat?

Examples of channels

Conversation, colleague briefing, meeting, email, presentation, written content/intranet post.

Channel considerations

Is a message most effectively delivered by email, instant message or presentation? Can it be delivered by a simple conversation instead? People naturally skim digital writing, so keep content brief and razor-sharp. Use short paragraphs. If there’s a lot to impart, break your message up by using subheadings, lists, bullets etc.

Briefings and presentations are a great way to convey important messages to a group of people and allows for necessary interaction. Use our branded template for a presentation and try to keep slides as clean as possible. Less is more!

Key phrases

Drive these home by highlighting them in bold. Think, if this message was to boil down to one or two takeaway sentences, what would they be?

Referring to colleagues: Give their full name and title in the first instance, and highlight in bold. Use their first name for all additional references.

Written voice

Our full name is SES Home Services. It is acceptable to abbreviate this to Home Services, SES HS or just HS for internal communications. It is important to remember tone, delivery and channel with our written voice, as described in the previous sections.

Focus your message

Think like a newspaper editor - you need to get the most important message across first and foremost. You can achieve this by creating a hierarchy of information.

Lead with the main point or the most important content, in sentences, paragraphs, sections, and pages.

Abbreviations and acronyms

Spell it out the first time you mention it, then use the short version for all other references. If the abbreviation isn’t clearly related to the full version, specify in parentheses.

Capitalisation

We use different forms of capitalisation. Title case capitalises the first letter of every word except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Sentence case capitalises the first letter of the first word. When writing an email address or URL, use lowercase.

bob.the.builder@seshomeservices.co.uk

Don’t capitalise random words in the middle of sentences.

Write for all readers

Some people read every word you write, others just skim. By grouping related ideas together and using descriptive headers and sub-headers, you can ensure everyone understands what you are telling them.

Consistency

When writing, it is good to keep consistency with how we write dates, numerals, and punctuation. Here are some tips to remember: Contractions - they’re great! They give your writing an approachable and friendly tone. Percentages - use the % symbol instead of spelling out “percent”.

Dates - use the format ‘Day Date Year’. There is no need to use superscript after the date e.g. Wednesday 08 June, not Weds 8th June.

& - please use ‘and’ instead of ‘&’.

Exclamation marks

Use exclamation marks sparingly and never more than one at a time. They’re like highfives: A well-timed one is great but too many can be annoying. If you are using them to make your writing sound exciting, go back and change the language to be more exciting not the punctuation.

Never use exclamation marks in failure messages or alerts. When in doubt, avoid.

Numbers

Spell out a number when it begins a sentence. Otherwise, use the numeral. “Ten new employees started on Monday and 12 start next week.”

If it’s an expression that typically uses spelled-out numbers, leave them that way.

Ranges and spans

Use a hyphen (-) to indicate a range or span of numbers. It takes 20-30 days.

Time

Use numerals and am or pm, with a space in between. Don’t use minutes for on-the hour time. Use a hyphen between times to indicate a time period.

Plain English

The Plain English Campaign was set up in 1979 and believes that everyone should have access to clear and concise information.

At every moment you should take the opportunity to write for everyone, simply and to the point. This is how we will build trust with our customers.

We follow the principles of the Plain English Campaign, outlined on the right.

Americanisms: All our spelling should be in UK English, not American English. Some word processing software can default to the incorrect proofing language.

‘organise’ not ‘organize’

‘colour’ not ‘color’

‘centre’ not ‘center’

Be aware! We use both ‘metre’ (as a measurement of distance) and ‘meter’ (a measuring instrument, as in ‘water meter’).

Grammar

We value good grammar but don’t get caught up in the myths. You can start a sentence with:

and, but, because, so or however. You can split infinitives. So you can say “to boldly go.” You can end a sentence with a preposition. In fact, it is something we should stand up for.

And you can use the same word twice in a sentence if you can’t find a better word.

Remember: Use short sentences. Use active verbs. Clear use of ‘you’ and ‘we’. Use the simplest words that are fit for purpose. Give instructions when needed.

Keep it concise

Get to the heart of your message as efficiently as possible. For if you use too many words and unnecessarily extended words in a long sentence then there is absolutely every chance you’ll confuse your audience and the essence of you well-laboured message will be forever lost.

Internal imagery

The imagery used in our social media communications incorporates a flat illustration style, depicting engineers and office staff. These are to use our brand colour swatches, and can be adapted to reflect the context.