BRAND STANDARDS & ADVERTISING GUIDELINES
To maintain our high quality of leadership and tradition, it is important that we have a sense of consistency in all our advertising. The uniform appearance of our image must be maintained to be publicly recognized. This consistency applies to everything you produce including advertising, newsletters, feature sheets, mailings, social media posts, e-mail signatures etc. These guidelines are meant to enhance and protect the brand of our agents, and of Semonin REALTORS® - and must be adhered to precisely.
BRAND STANDARDS
THE LOGO
We strongly recommend using this full color logo for all your advertising needs. There is a version to be used on both dark or light backgrounds as shown above. Recoloring the logo icon or text anything other than the colors outlined on page 4 is not permitted.
The logo was stragetically designed so it can be reformatted in several variations to compliment the allotted space of any given piece (see pages 2-3).
The Semonin logo must accompany all forms of advertising. It should be presented in an uncluttered environment. It should never compete with other elements on the page. The logo should have a safe area of white space surrounding the logo equal to 1/4 the height of the box of the logo. In the event you are using the script of the logo without the black box, the same safe space must be present as if the box were present. The text of the Semonin logo must APPEAR LARGER than the agent’s name or team name and/or logo.
Example Variations
To be used on a white or light-based background.
Example Variations
To be used on a black or dark-based background.
Logo Color
No other color combination is permitted when using the Semonin logo.
Digital Art:
Digital logo art is available and provided for your convenience. To download the digital files, please log on to hub.semonin.com. If you need additional logos or advice on usage, please e-mail marketing@semonin.com.
The Icon
The Semonin S icon is designed to elevate brand recognition in today’s modern world. Using the icon by itself is permitted as long as all other advertising guidelines are followed.
The Legacy Signature
The Legacy Signature may be used as an additional design element in partnership with the official Semonin logo & Icon. It may not replace the Icon or Text of the official logo. Incorporating the signature on various marketing pieces is designed to uphold the tradition and history of the Semonin brand. Usage of the Legacy Signature must be approved by the Marketing Team.
Proportions
The logo must be sized proportionally. The width is twice the height.
Size Relationship
Logo must APPEAR LARGER than the font and font size of the agent’s name or personal/ team logo, and it should not compete with other elements on the page. Agent Name Agent-1 Name & Agent-2 Name
Size Relationship
Logo must APPEAR LARGER than the font and font size of the agent’s name or personal/ team logo, and it should not compete with other elements on the page.
AGENT NAME AGENT NAME
AGENT NAME
ADVERTISING GUIDELINES
Required Display of Content
All advertisements must include the full Semonin REALTORS® name in the form of the approved logo. In the event the logo cannot be used on an advertisement, the full Semonin REALTORS® name may appear in written text, and must meet the size relationship requirements outlined in the Brand Standards. The Semonin REALTORS® name must be clear and visible to a typical observer of the advertisement, and the advertisement may not be false, misleading, or deceptive.
An advertisement may include in written text an affiliated licensee’s first and last name, or a team name, as registered with the commission. The use of one nickname is permitted in place of, or along with, the licensee’s first name as long as the licensee informs the commission of the nickname being used.
The Semonin REALTORS® name must appear larger than the agent’s name or personal/ team logo.
Always include the fair housing logo and/or the “Equal Housing Opportunity” slogan in your advertising.
Print Advertising
The Semonin REALTORS® logo must be present on all print advertisements for the marketing of properties or brokerage services. It must APPEAR LARGER than the font and font size of the agent’s name or personal/team logo, and it should not compete with other elements on the page.
A digital proof of all print advertising must be submitted and approved by an acting member of the Semonin REALTORS® Advertising Approval Committee prior to publication and distribution (see page 13). Decisions will be emailed to the agent and stored. In the event an advertisement does not pass approval, the agent is responsible in seeing that the required changes are made, and the revised art is resubmitted and approved.
Any designs or templates created by a member of the marketing team are considered to be pre-approved advertisements, and are not required to be submitted through the approval process unless alterations have been made to the company or agent branded areas.
Any print advertisement created by an outside person, organization, or agency, such as a graphic designer, newspaper, magazine, or other publication, is required to follow the approval process and must be submitted to the Semonin REALTORS® Advertising Approval Committee prior to publication.
Promotional Items
When promotional materials such as those listed below advertise an agent’s name/ logo, or team name/logo, the full Semonin REALTORS® name in the form of the official logo or as written text should also be present somewhere on the item, unless waived by management. Due to the unique setup and sizing restrictions of some promotional items, the Semonin name is not required to be in the same area or in a certain size, as long as it is clearly visible.
- Apparel
- Notecards
- Hats - Pens
- Drinkware
- Name tags
Audio & Video Advertising
The full Semonin REALTORS® name must be announced audibly and/or presented visually at the beginning of any audio and/or video advertisement.
Digital Advertising & Social Media
For any advertisement on the Internet, social media, or other digital or online forms, every individual viewable page or post constitute a separate advertisement.
Each advertisement must contain the full Semonin REALTORS® name in the page or post header, or be visible on the page or post. The observer should not have to scroll or navigate away from the page or post to view the Semonin REALTORS® name. In the event, this requirement cannot be met on an online platform, the required content must be one click away, by including a clickable direct link, that is clear, visible, and identifiable as a link, to a page, post, or user account profile that contains the content required.
The Semonin REALTORS® logo or written text must APPEAR LARGER than agent’s name or personal/team logo.
For social media posts advertising a property, a direct link to the property detail page on your agent website should be included so the observer can access all property information in a single click.
Recommended: On social media business pages and accounts, include the full Semonin REALTORS® name in the page name. This will ensure the required content is visible on any post made. Example: Agent Name - Semonin REALTORS®
Every digital advertisement, including social media posts, must follow the approval policies outlined on page 13. Any designs or templates created by a member of Marketology are considered to be pre-approved advertisements, and are not required to be submitted through the approval process unless substantial alterations have been made to the company or agent branded areas.
Approval Policies
To protect the integrity of our profession and the rights of consumers, our brokerage is required by Kentucky law to adhere to certain advertising regulations, including having written review and approval policies for advertising activity of Semonin REALTORS® and all its affiliated members.
All advertisement requests must be sent as an e-mail attachment to approval@semonin.com and approved by an acting member of the Semonin REALTORS® Advertising Approval Committee prior to publication and distribution.
An emailed response will be sent within 1 business day to notify the agent if the advertisement is approved or if any modifications are required.
In the event an advertisement does not pass the initial approval, the agent is responsible in seeing that the required changes are made, and the revised art is resubmitted and approved prior to publishing.
When approved, the agent has full permission to distribute the advertisement to their liking. If the agent wants to reuse the same advertisement in future publications or on different platforms, it does not need to be resubmitted for approval unless the company guidelines have changed since the initial approval.
Any marketing or advertisements created by a member of Marketology, or templates found on a company supported platform, such as Reliance Network, Canva, Agent Icon, the Semonin Online Store, or The HUB, are considered to be pre-approved and do not need to follow these approval policies unless unauthorized modifications have been applied.
Approval Policies
(continued)
All advertisements submitted to the Semonin REALTORS® Advertising Approval Committee, and any corresponding communication will be stored as required by state law.
Failing to meet these advertising guidelines is a license law violation and could result in a monetary fine or license revokement. Any perceived violation will be reported to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission and could result in the termination of the agent’s affiliation with Semonin REALTORS® .
The Semonin REALTORS® Brand Standards & Advertising Guidelines will be reviewed annually and modified as seen neccessary. The most upto-date and accurate version can be found on the HUB. For questions, guidance, or further clarification of these brand standards and advertising guidelines, please contact a member of Marketing or Rhonda Richardson, Corporate Counsel.
