Tango Card Style Guide by Cindy Mielke

STYLE GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT MAKES A BRAND?

Sub-Brands

The Tango Card Brand Extended

About Png & Jpeg File Formats

File Formats Compared

combined attributes are the

Visual Identity — Color Palette & Usage

essence of its brand. They

Color Variations for Accessibility

reflect the organization’s

Visual Elements — Chevron Visual Element

character and direction.

Typefaces

Primary Fonts

Alternate Fonts

Product Assets — Reward Link® Assets & Usage

Email Elements — Email Headers & Usage

General Writing Guidelines

References & Third-Party Guides

Alphabetical Style Guide

Boilerplate Language

Copyrights And Trademarks

A brand makes one company or organization unique from all others. The organization’s

As a core identity, a brand is supported throughout the organization and all of its communication. An organization’s brand is its promise to their clients—a contract of trust.

THE TANGO CARD BRAND EXTENDED Designated Brand Colors

SUB-BRANDS Brand Extensions Having distinctive personalities and missions, sub-brands are prominently linked to the core brand while requiring differentiation because they provide significantly distinctive services. These sub-brands have unique logos and have their designated color pallete to differentatate and better identify them.

Spacing & Usage Following the same spacing parameters for proper placement as the Tango Card logo, in relation to other text or image elements, or when placing the logo onto a printed page or material:

1.5x

x 2x

2x 1.5x

1.5x

Small-Sized Artwork Following are parameters for the smallest recommended representation of the Tango Card sub-brands, which preserve the best legibility in both wording and artwork. The Tango Card sub-brands should never be represented smaller than 1.3”.

1.3” Wide

Brands

Web#

Tango Card

109

52616D

Rewards as a Service

333D46

RaaS API

5B5A5B

Reward Link

242

101

F16521

Rewards Genius

171

196

2BABC4

Promo Link

156

198

9CC659

Blast Rewards

333D46

Rewards Central

5B5A5B

Early web browsers did not support PNG images; JPEG and GIF were the main

ABOUT PNG & JPEG FILE FORMATS Choosing the Right File Type

image formats. JPEG was commonly used when exporting images containing gradients for web pages, because of GIF's limited color depth. However, JPEG compression causes a gradient to blur slightly. A PNG file will reproduce a gradient as accurately as possible for a given bit depth, while keeping the file

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format can produce a smaller file

size small. PNG became the optimal choice for small gradient images as web

than PNG for photographic (and photo-like) images, since JPEG uses a lossy

browser support for the format improved. No images at all are needed to

encoding method specifically designed for photographic image data, which

display gradients in modern browsers, as gradients can be created using CSS.

is typically dominated by soft, low-contrast transitions, and an amount of noise or similar irregular structures. Using PNG (Portable Network Graphics) instead of a high-quality JPEG for such images would result in a large increase in filesize with negligible gain in quality. In contrast, when storing images that contain text, line art, or graphics – images with sharp transitions and large areas of solid color – the PNG format can compress image data more than JPEG can. Additionally, PNG is lossless, while JPEG produces noticeable visual artifacts around high-contrast areas. Where an image contains both sharp transitions and photographic parts, a choice must be made between the two effects. JPEG does not support transparency. Because JPEG uses lossy compression, it also suffers from generation loss,

FILE FORMATS COMPARED PNG File (Web) –Uses Lossless Compression

JPEG File (Web) –Uses Lossy Compression

Best quality for compressing lined graphics

Specifically designed for photographic image data

Does NOT support non-RGB color spaces such as CMYK.

Does support RGB & CMYK color spaces

Does support a transparent background

Does NOT support a transparent background

EPS File (Print) –Vector Based File Format

Conclusion

Mainly used for print graphics

Can be converted to pixel based file formats, such as PNG, JPEG, & TIFF, etc...

Use the PNG as your first choice for any pixel based file needs. Use EPS for print or use it as a master file to create your own digital or vector(print) based file (you will need Adobe Photoshop or equivalent). JPEGs are a last resort if needed. These are recomendations for the Tango Card sub-brands.

PPI -Pixels Per Inch

CMYK & RBG FILES

300ppi -High resolution file 135ppi -Medium resolution file 72ppi -Low resolution file for web

CMYK=Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black -Print RGB=Red, Green, Blue -Web

where repeatedly encoding and decoding an image progressively loses information and degrades the image. Because PNG is lossless, it is suitable for storing images to be edited. While PNG is reasonably efficient when compressing photographic images, there are lossless compression formats designed specifically for photographic images, lossless JPEG 2000 and Adobe DNG (digital negative) for example. However these formats are either not widely supported, or are proprietary. An image can be stored losslessly and converted to JPEG format only for distribution, so that there is no generation loss. The PNG specification does not include a standard for embedding Exif image data from sources such as digital cameras. Instead, PNG has various dedicated ancillary chunks for storing the metadata that other file formats (such as JPEG) would typically store in Exif format.

Can be converted to CMYK or RGB color space

VISUAL IDENTITY

The preceding list shows the primary and secondary color palettes for Tango

Color Palette & Usage

Card in Pantone or PMS, RGB, CMYK and HTML. Pantone colors should be

The Tango Card color palette consists of three primary colors and six

the equivalent color as seen on the web or on a computer screen (for a

secondary colors. Use at least one primary color when displaying the Tango

website, HTML email, etc.). CMYK colors are for four-color process printing

Card logo or when designing new content. You can also combine at least one

(digital output printing), and HTML color formats are for alternate web work

primary color with up to two secondary colors. Secondary colors are used to

(i.e. the color information that would need to be provided to a web builder).

utilized for printed materials, such as business cards or letterhead. RGB is

add flexibility and creativity to brand content, and help anchor the primary colors to bring continuity to the brands identity.

Please note that outside factors may cause slight variation in color, such as the use of different paper textures/colors when printing, and varying printer

Color

Pantone

Web#

Orange

Brt. Ora. U

100

242

101

F16521

Blue-Gray

P 174-16 U

110

52616D

Blue

3125 U

255

FFFFFF

White

171

196

2BABC4

Light Warm Gray

7527 U

220

216

206

DCD7CD

Warm Gray

433 U

5B5A5B

Dark Blue-Gray

P 174-16 U

333D46

Blue

3125 U

171

196

2BABC4

Green

367 U

156

198

9CC659

110

47436d

Dark Purple-Gray

monitor settings when viewing on screen.

{ PRIMARY COLORS

Palette

Secondary Colors

}

Light Warm Gray

Color Variations for Accessibility These color palettes showcase different ways to use primary and secondary colors for better readability. The lighter and darker options help separate

300

F16521

900

1C19111F

400

B8B3A9

800

3D3931

300

DCD7CD

700

5C574F

200

ECE7DD

600

6F6B62

100

F6F1E7

500

98938A

050

FDF8EE

surfaces and include colors that meet accessibility standards. Warm Gray

Orange

800

700

5B5A5B

900

1C1B1C

400

B7B6B7

800

3C3B3C

300

DBD9DB

F16521

700

5B5A5B

200

EAE9EA

900

E64C1F

400

FFA137

600

6F6E6F

100

F3F2F3

800

F16521

300

FFB256

500

979697

050

FAF9FA

700

F87622

200

FFC985

600

FF8623

100

FFDEB4

500

FF9224

050

FFF2E1

Blue-Gray

700

52616D

900

313940

400

8697A5

800

434E57

300

9CAAB6

700

52616D

200

B9C2CA

600

627584

100

D5DADF

500

708496

050

EFF0F1

Dark Blue-Gray

600

22292F

400

758593

800

333D46

300

8D9AA6

700

42505B

200

AEB7BF

600

516371

100

CED4D8

500

5D7182

050

ECEDEE

400

9CC659

900

31640F

400

9CC659

800

548520

300

AED077

700

689929

200

C5DD9E

600

7CAD33

100

DCEBC4

500

8BBC3B

050

F1F7E7

29ABC4

900

175F66

400

3AC4DE

800

1F8191

300

56CEE5

700

2395AA

200

84DDEE

600

29ABC4

100

B4EAF5

500

2DBAD7

050

E1F7FB

Dark Purple-Gray

333D46

900

Green

Blue

800

3F3A60

900

312B47

400

6D6D92

800

3F3A60

300

8587A4

700

47436D

200

A6A8BF

600

504D78

100

C9CAD9

500

575481

050

E9EAEF

Blue-Gray

Elements

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Blue

Chevron Element & Usage The chevron element adds depth and connects our visual elements with our brand. When designing brand content use the chevron as an overlay on a solid color or image. You can use the chevron at a 60% transparency over a solid color or a 60% transparency plus a 40% solid-color transparency over an image. The chevron element can be used in any of our three primary colors and two secondary colors as a way to add flexibility and creativity to our brand identity.

Light Warm Gray

Orange

Warm Gray 100% Transparency

60% Transparency Chevron over Solid Color

60% Transparency Chevron plus 40% Solid-Color Transparency over Image

GOTHAM Brief Overview Gotham celebrates the attractive and unassuming lettering of the city. Public

Fontastic

spaces are teeming with handmade sans serifs that share the same underlying structure, an engineer's idea of "basic lettering" that transcends both the characteristics of their materials and the mannerisms of their craftsmen.

AB CD EFG HIJ K LM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefgh i j kl m n opqrstu vwxyz 1234567890!@# $ %^&* ()- _=+[]{ } |;:’ ” , . < > /? TYPEFACES Font Selections & Usage Tango Card’s brand identity, is an extension of our brand personality. Like

EXO 2.0 PRO

color and shape, type forms convey mood and meaning, and we have specified

Brief Overview

a suite of typefaces with great intention. Sans-Serifs like Gotham and Exo 2.0 Pro each play a unique role in communicating the Tango Card message. Both

Exo is a geometric sans serif font with a technological feel. This redesign

are also equipped with a number of differing weights and styles to suit our

made it much more balanced and a bit more organic, this makes Exo perform

needs for the future.

much better on small to medium size strings of text as well as on small font sizes, either on print or screen. Exo 2.0 can be used under the SIL Open Font

These fonts have been chosen for their compatibility with the logotype, as well

License 1.1.

as their visual relationship to our brand attributes. Consistent use of these fonts promotes typography as a recognizable brand component. All weights and styles of the primary and alternative font families may be used as best suits the product, and with professional judgment.

A B CDEFGHIJKL MN OPQRST UVWXYZ abcde fg h ijklmnop qrstuvwxyz 123 45 67890 !@# $%^&* ()-_=+[]{}| ;: ’ ”,.< > /?

PRIMARY FONTS

ALTERNATE FONTS

Gotham - Medium

Gotham - Light (Stylistic Alternates)

Headline

Text for Bulleted List

ABC D E FG H I JKL M N O PQ RSTU VWXYZ a b cd e fg h i j k l mn opqr stu vwxyz 1 2 34 5 6789 0 ! @ #$ %^& *()-_ = + [ ] { } | ; : ’ ”, . < >/?

AB CD EFG HIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ a b cd efg hijklm nop q rstuvwxyz 1234567890!@# $% ^&* ( ) - _=+[ ] { } | ; : ’ ” , . < > / ?

Exo 2.0 Pro - Regular

Gotham - Light

Subhead

Alternate Body Text

A BC D EFG H I J K L MNOP QRS T UVWX Y Z a b cd e fg h i j k l m n o pq r s t u v wx y z 1 2 3456 78 9 0 !@ #$ %^&*()-_ =+[ ] { } | ; : ’ ”, .< > / ?

AB CD EFG HIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ a b cd efg hijklm nop q rstuvwxyz 1234567890!@# $% ^&* ( ) - _=+[ ] { } | ; : ’ ” , . < > / ?

Gotham - Book

Gotham - Bold

Body Text

Alternate Headline

ABC D E FG H I J K L MN O PQ RSTU VWXYZ ab cd e fghijk lmnop q r st uvwxyz 1 2 3 4 5 6789 0! @ #$%^& *( ) -_ =+[]{}|; : ’ ” , . <>/?

AB CD EFG HIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklm nopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890! @# $%^&* ()- _=+[] { } |;:’ ” , . <>/ ?

Assets

PRODUCT ASSETS

Reward Link Coffee

Reward Link Content & Media

Reward Link Experiences

Reward Link Fitness

Reward Link Food & Grocery

Reward Link Wellness

Reward Link Use From Home

Promo Link

Reward Link® Assets & Usage The Reward Link is one of our most popular products, and its assets are used to represent a diverse set of brand catalogs. To support focused catalogs—such as home delivery, food and grocery, or coffee—we’ve created a library of Reward Link assets. We’ve also created a Promo Link card asset intended to support promotional programs with specific end dates.

Tango Card customer communications

Headers

Tango Card

EMAIL ELEMENTS

corporate communications

Email Headers & Usage To support email initiatives, we’ve created a flexible email banner design system that supports our branding components while allowing for flexibility of use. Here, you’ll find email header banners, built to 650px by 150px, that focus on customer and corporate communications for both Tango Card and Rewards Genius.

Rewards Genius customer communications

Rewards Genius corporate communications 19

So how do we express ourselves in a way that’s engaging and professional? Sometimes the little things can make a big difference. Here are some helpful guidelines:

Write

• Use the active voice as much as possible. (Passive: “These rewards can be used to engage employees.” Active: “Businesses use these rewards to engage employees.”) • Bullet points are great, but try not to reduce a piece of marketing collateral to a laundry list of services that don’t explain why they’re valuable to prospects and customers. That said! Whenever you can break out a list into bullets, please do. It makes it easier for everyone to read. • Contractions are a good thing! They help achieve a more conversational style and can be used to avoid an overly formal voice. Where it makes sense to do so, use we’re, you’ve, they’re, and more.

Welcome to the Tango Card style guide! At Tango Card, our mission is to make rewards easy to send and awesome to receive—and we want to make sure our voice reflects that.

• If you can replace two words with one, do it. English has loads of great verbs, so use them. Watch especially for phrasal verbs that include a preposition or two. Put up with is a great example. Consider a synonym like endure or tolerate.

This style guide is meant to serve as a resource for anyone at Tango Card who’s writing external-facing copy. It contains helpful tips for voice as well as grammar and language specifics likely to be encountered during this type of

• Write simply and to the point. We’re not waxing poetic at Tango Card. Short, simple sentences are great, and we always value clarity over complication.

work. We hope you find it useful. If there’s anything you’d like to see added or changed, please email Meagan Sarratt at meagan.sarratt@tangocard.com.

REFERENCES & THIRD-PARTY GUIDES To develop this guide, we looked at the following references on writing, style, and grammar, then adapted those standards to suit Tango Card and what we do:

GENERAL WRITING GUIDELINES What Tango Card Sounds Like The purpose of our recipient and customer-facing materials isn’t to help our products fit in with the rest of the marketplace—it’s to make them stand out. To start, focus your copy as much as possible on our customers and prospects. We want to have a conversation with them, one in which we show them we can meet their rewards needs. Avoid talking at them—instead, consider how they might hear our message and use it to evaluate whether we understand

• Associated Press Stylebook, 2020 (AP) • Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (M-W) Most of the info you’ll need from these sources has been incorporated into this guide, but you might still want to refer to them for answers to questions that arise in your own writing. Note, however, that we’ve made deliberate choices to deviate from these resources on certain issues. As a result, this style guide serves as the final word on Tango Card–branded material.

their business challenges. In general, think less we and more you.

ALPHABETICAL STYLE GUIDE 24/7

Abbreviate cardinal directions that precede the road name. If it’s a two-letter

Although M-W uses an en dash, we’ve chosen to use a slash, given common

abbreviation, it stays abbreviated always. Single-letter compass points are

usage.

followed by a period; two-letter compass points aren’t: {1100 N. Commerce Place} {1100 Greenbelt Freeway NE}

abbreviations In general, write out abbreviated terms on first usage followed by the abbrevi-

Use an octothorpe, or pound sign, instead of No. when indicating apartment

ation in parentheses.

numbers, post office boxes, and the like: {123 Smith Lane, #34}

acronyms, initialisms

Note that this address formatting applies only to editorial pieces and

In general, spell out on first reference and give the acronym or initialisms in

marketing collateral, not to postal abbreviations used in the CRM database.

parentheses, with no quotation marks.

ampersand Note that if the acronym or initialism isn’t mentioned again elsewhere in the

Though the ampersand (&) should be avoided in running text, it’s acceptable

written piece, there’s no need to use it at all. If it’s deemed necessary to write

in headings and subheadings on marketing collateral. However, if you choose

the acronym so that readers will recognize it, something like this can be used:

to use an ampersand, use it consistently: One heading should not use & while

{The Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as the ACA, can…}

another uses and unless the ampersand is part of an abbreviation.

Exceptions: CEO, CFO, IRS, IT, R&D, CPA, SEC, HIPAA, and HITRUST CSF

If using an ampersand in place of and in a list of three or more items, omit the final list comma. {Implementation, Effective Dates & Considerations} {Implementation,

Regarding the use of periods in acronyms and initialisms, see abbreviations

Effective Dates, and Considerations} See comma for the general rule.

and follow the general rule: Use periods when the abbreviation ends in a

and/or

lowercase letter; omit them when the abbreviation ends in an uppercase

See slash. Avoid using and/or any time you can get around it. Often either and

letter, even if it contains lowercase letters, such as PhD.

or or can be used independently without changing the meaning at all. If it would change the meaning, however, then use it—but only as a last option.

Don’t capitalize the first letter of each word afterward given as an acronym or

anti-

initialism unless it is a proper noun.

Compounds formed with the prefix anti- are typically closed up. Use a hyphen See names of organizations for the use of the with organizations’ names and

only if the root word is a proper noun or begins with an i, as in anti-French or

other considerations. See United States for specific rules pertaining to

anti-inflammatory.

United States versus U.S. See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.

addresses Abbreviate state names and cardinal directions (see below), but spell out all other elements, including road, street, suite, etc.: {4700 42nd Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98114}

assure, insure, ensure

Additionally, don’t capitalize the type of institution when referring back to

To steal from the Chicago Manual of Style, “Ensure is the general term meaning

the customer. {ABC University has been a customer for more than five years.

to make sure something will (or won’t) happen. In best usage, insure is reserved

In that time, we’ve set up rewards programs within multiple department at

for underwriting financial risk. So we ensure we can get time off for a vacation

the university.}

and insure our car against an accident on the trip. We ensure events and insure things. But we assure people that their concerns are being addressed.”

coCompounds formed with the prefix co- are typically closed up. Use a

capitalization

hyphen only if the root word begins with an o, as in co-owner and co-opt.

Our general rule: Words are presumed lowercase until proven uppercase.

Note, however, that the hyphen is omitted in permanent and well-accepted

Naturally, proper nouns designating people, places, and businesses, are

compounds, such as coordinate and cooperate. When writing shorthand about

uppercased, but other items are not.

cooperatives, the entity type, use the hyphenated form co-op to distinguish the word from coop. (See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.)

Examples of terms that might appear to need capitalization but in fact don’t: supervisory committee, audit committee, oversight committee, council, technical committee, tribe, bank, university, and board member.

colon In running text, if a colon separates two independent clauses, capitalize the first letter following the colon. {She had one goal: She wanted to climb Mount

See colon for the rule about whether to capitalize the first letter after a colon.

Rainier.} If what follows the colon is a dependent clause, don’t capitalize the

See abbreviations for more on the first letters of words used in a term later

first letter following the colon. {She had one goal: to climb Mount Rainier.}

given as an acronym or initialism. See headlines for an explanation of which words should be capitalized in a headline. See personal titles for an

In headline case, what follows the colon is always capitalized. {Rewards &

explanation of when to capitalize someone’s title.

Incentives: We’re Built to Love Them}

CEO

comma

This term is okay to use as an acronym on first reference in most contexts,

I. Between Dependent and Independent Clauses

as is CFO. Other officers of a company are less widely recognized and should be written out (such as chief practice officer, chief risk officer, and chief

Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction. {I

investment officer.)

went to the store, and I bought a dozen eggs.} {I went to the store, but I had no money.}

customer name On first use of a customer name that requires a variation be used throughout

Don’t use a comma after an independent clause when it’s followed by a

the rest of the document, write “ABC Company, also known as ABC” instead of

dependent clause. {I went to the store and bought a dozen eggs.} {I went to

putting ABC in parentheses. Parentheses are often too formal when specifying

the store but had no money.}

a variation of a client name. When the dependent clause follows an independent clause, separate the two with a comma. {If you want to, we can split an omelet.}

complementary, complimentary

II. Separating Items in Lists Use a comma to separate three or more items in a series, including before a

Complementary refers to something that goes well with something else;

final conjunction. This is known as the serial or Oxford comma, and its use

complimentary means free or expressing praise or admiration. {Many of our

varies between style guides—so you may have been told to omit it in other

different products are complementary.} {We offer complimentary dev support

writing. For consistency across the firm, use it. {I purchased eggs, cereal, and

for API integrations.} {We’ve received many complimentary remarks about

toast.}

our work.}

Exception: Don’t use the serial comma when it would immediately precede an

contractions

ampersand. {Rewards, Incentives & Gift Cards} See ampersand.

Use them. They’re a good thing—and they’re standard practice among forward-thinking brands. They help achieve a conversational (yet still

For list items with internal commas, see semicolon.

professional) style, and they can help avoid a stilted, aloof, and overly formal voice. Where it makes sense to do so, use don’t, can’t, we’re, you’ve, and

III. Use in Introductory Phrases

others. Take care not use them carte blanche, however. If it sounds awkward,

Omit the comma after a short, introductory clause (four words or fewer)

it probably is—for example, there’ve or would’ve.

unless the result would be confusing or cause possible misreading: {In the early 90s he was the best basketball player the world had ever seen.} {In

The only exception is legal disclaimers. In those cases, contractions aren’t to

September 2014, 402 different species of rodents lived on the island.}

be used.

currency

IV. Other Commas are also used in pairs to set off years, states, appositives, and

Unlike the general rule for numbers (see numbers), always use a numeral

nonrestrictive clauses. {June 5, 1928, lives on in the memories of only a

when combined with a dollar sign or other currency symbol. {I gave him $6.}

handful of us.} {Sledding in Duluth, Minnesota, is made more fun by the city’s

For US dollars, use the symbol for dollars ($) rather than writing the word. For

frigid winters.} {My sister, Janice, is an excellent musician.}

foreign currency, write the word instead. For foreign currency using non-US

Regarding the third example above, note there’s a distinction in meaning

dollars, such as the New Zealand dollar, write out 15 New Zealand dollars on

depending on whether commas are used. Using commas indicates an

first reference, then use NZ$15 on second.

appositive—a substitute for the preceding term that is given purely as

cyber-

supplemental information. {My accountant, Eli, is a CPA.} If those commas are

Compounds formed with the prefix cyber- are typically closed up.

omitted, it indicates that the second term provides new information critical to

{cybercrime, cybersecurity, cybercriminal} We take exception to M-W when

the meaning of the sentence, for example, by indicating one item of a set.

the prefix is followed by a word that starts with r, however, and hyphenate.

{My sister Janice plays guitar. My sister Jo plays banjo.}

{cyber-regulator} (See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.)

compared with, compared to Use compared to when the purpose is to liken dissimilar things. {He compared the stock market to a hockey game.} Use compared with to express similarities or differences. {GM had sizable earnings, compared with a loss a year ago.}

dates

en dash

Don’t use ordinals—for example, the -st in 21st—in dates. If and only if the

The least understood of the dashes, en dashes—which are the length of the

sentence includes a full date (month, day, and year), be sure to insert a

character n—are used to indicate range.

comma both before and after the year. {The sunset date for our legacy platform is October 31.} {The October 31 sunset date falls on a Tuesday.}

Use en dashes between dates and other numerical figures. No spaces should

{The sunset date for our legacy platform is October 31, 2018, unless you

appear on either side of the en dash. {Join us July 4–7 in Las Vegas.} {We

request an extension.}

estimate total program spend to be $15,000–$20,000.} In running text, don’t use the dash; write it out instead. To or through is more appropriate and

decision-making

better able to indicate inclusivity or exclusivity.

This is always hyphenated. The en dash is also used in place of a hyphen when open compounds are

dollars

concerned. Note the slight difference in length between the hyphen in

See currency.

Seattle-based and the en dash in New York–based: {We’re working with a Seattle-based law firm and a New York–based private equity firm.}

e-gift card This shouldn’t be capitalized in running copy unless it’s part of a formal

every day, everyday

reward name.

Everyday does not mean occurring daily. It’s an adjective that means ordinary or routine. {I shop at Walmart every day.} {I enjoy Walmart’s everyday low prices.}

email The term is email with no hyphen. When an email address is included in collat-

first person

eral, make sure to hyperlink the email address so that it appears in blue text.

Using I is OK in informal contexts and third-party publications that allow it, but it shouldn’t appear in bios, collateral, or articles for our website. We, on

em dash

the other hand, should be used in marketing collateral—and advertising—any

These long dashes—the length of the character m—are grammatically flexible

time we speak on behalf of our brand.

and can be used singly or in a pair. They generally offset a phrase intended as an aside. No spaces should be used on either side of the em dash. {Businesses

fragments

in any industry—insurance, healthcare, and education, for example—can bene-

When a sentence lacks a subject or a verb, it’s a fragment. Generally, you

fit from a thoughtful rewards program.}

should avoid them in running text, but they do serve a purpose in headlines and introductory paragraphs. Used well, a fragment can be engaging and direct: {Entering international markets. Engaging employees. Retaining cus-

An em dash can also be used add drama or replace a comma. Although you

tomers. These are just a few of the areas where we provide value-added ser-

should feel free to use em dashes in written material, don’t overdo it: They can

vices to grow and improve your business.}

be distracting when they occur too frequently and become a crutch for poorly

gift card

constructed writing.

This shouldn’t be capitalized in running copy unless it’s part of a formal Note that em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens have different uses. See en dash

reward name.

and hyphen for more. 29

headers

Avoid duplicated vowels and triple consonants, such as anti-intellectual,

See titles, headers, and subheds.

pre-empt, and shell-like.

healthcare

initialisms

Use the closed compound for all forms.

See acronym.

he/she/they

inter-

These should be used for third-person singular. When the speaker is unknown,

Compounds formed with the prefix inter- are closed up. This includes cases

they should be used. {Are they coming to the party tonight?}

where the compound’s root word r, as in interregional. (See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.)

his/hers/theirs These should be used for third-person singular possessive. When the speaker

intra-

is unknown, their should be used. {What’s their cat’s name?}

Compounds formed with the prefix intra- are typically closed up. Use a hyphen only if the root word is a proper noun or begins with an a, as in

hyperlinks

intra-Seattle or intra-arterial. (See hyphen for our general rule and other

Avoid using phrases, such as click here, in web or email copy. Instead, lead the

fringe cases.)

reader to here with copy that explains what they’ll find when they click through. {A how-to guide for funding your account can be found here.}

job titles See personal titles.

hyphens Although the rules for hyphenation aren’t always steadfast, they’re always

meant to decrease ambiguity.

When used in its verb form, log in is an open compound. In its noun and adjective forms, it should be the closed compound: login.

Part of speech is key when determining whether to hyphenate a phrase. Often the same words are left open when used as a noun but hyphenated when they

not-for-profit

precede and modify a noun. {Bob Smith is a beer drinker.} {Jan Lee is a beer-drinking executive.} However, if the phrasal adjective is a form of “to

numbers

be,” retain the hyphen—for example, compare a well-versed athlete with an

Spell out numbers zero through nine. Numbers 10 and higher should be repre-

athlete who is well-versed.”

sented as numerals except at the beginning of a sentence, bullet, or headline. (If the inconsistency of doing so draws attention, consider recasting the sen-

Phrases containing an adverb that ends in –ly, such as closely or publicly,

tence so that it doesn’t open with the number.)

aren’t hyphenated. {We work with 300 publicly held companies.} In such instances, it’s actually grammatically incorrect to hyphenate.

When dealing with large numbers, use numerals for the significant figures and words—millions, billions, and larger—for the units. {The organization was

Pay special attention to the part of speech listed in the dictionary entry. For

awarded $1 million.}

example, M-W gives the noun setup as a closed compound, but it gives only the noun. The verb form, therefore—to set up—would remain an open compound. 31

Unless circumstances are such that a greater number of significant figures must

Professional titles—including firm titles—are not capitalized in running text

be used, round millions to one decimal place and billions to two: {The company

even when they immediately precede a name. These are treated as descriptors

earned $1.2 million this year.} {The company is now worth $3.81 billion.}

only: {Director of finance Albert Moss joined McIntosh’s firm in 1919.} {Albert Moss, director of finance, joined McIntosh’s firm in 1919.}

Don’t use ordinals—such as 2nd, 4th, or 21st—in dates (see dates), but use them following the general rule in other contexts: {The firm’s first office is

However, when providing someone’s title in promotional materials, such as in

located in Seattle.} {The firm’s 23rd and 24th offices are located in Texas.}

a list of engagement team bios or a list of presenters, capitalize it following

{The fifth and 20th presidents of the United States had little in common.}

their name and set it off with commas: {Albert Moss, Director of Finance, has

Always use numerals when dealing with percentages, except if the number is

been with McIntosh since 1919.}

zero. See more under percent. {The company was able to grow its business by 8% because of the new rewards program.}

plurals Generally, form a plural by adding s or es to the end of a noun (there’s no

For phone numbers, use parentheses and a hyphen, not periods. {(206) 302-6800}

apostrophe). Exceptions to this rule will be given in the dictionary, so check if you’re not sure. As with our general spelling rule, use the dictionary’s first

passive voice

given plural form if more than one is given. {There are raccoons in the

Avoid when practical.

shed.}The same rule applies to words that already end in s. {We bought a new Mercedes; now we have three Mercedeses.} Follow the same approach for

percent

acronyms and initialisms. (There’s still no apostrophe.) {Banks are offering

Always use numerals when expressing a percentage unless the number is zero.

great rates right now on CDs.}

When giving a range, include the % symbol after both numbers. Use the % symbol in running text as well as tables and other number-heavy contexts.

Exception: There is one and exactly one instance where you use an apostro-

{The company experienced 3% growth in 2015.} {We expected the company

phe to form a possessive, and it’s when you’re talking about lowercased

to grow at a rate of 3% to 5% annually.} {Approximately 3%–5% growth is

letters of the alphabet. {Mind your p’s and q’s.}

expected next year.}

possessives personal titles

Form a possessive by adding an apostrophe and s to the end of a singular

When choosing whether to capitalize a person’s title, context matters. When a

noun, even if it already ends in s: {I rode Michael’s bike to work today.} {I took

civil, military, religious title, or professional title immediately precedes a name

Cass’s car to the shop.} If the word following the possessive begins with an s,

such that it becomes a part of the name (usually replacing a first name),

add only an apostrophe.

capitalize it. However, don’t capitalize the title when it stands in for the person: {President Washington was born in Virginia.} {The governor has yet

If the noun is plural and ends in an s, add only an apostrophe: {The doughnuts’

to announce his congressional campaign.} {Doctor Johnson studied internal

frosting is made of butter and sugar.} {We took the Joneses’ dog for a walk.}

medicine at Washington University.} {John Johnson is a doctor.} This is also true for nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning: {His Upon first reference to a civil, military, or religious leader, use his or her first

politics’ primary focus was on economic issues.} {One of the United States’

name and last name and title.

primary differences is its size.} If the noun is plural and doesn’t end in s, follow the rule for singular nouns. {The children’s play date was postponed.} {The 33

women’s shoes were on the second floor.} 34

post-

re-

Compounds formed with the prefix post- are typically closed up, except if it’s

Compounds formed with re- are typically closed up. Use a hyphen when the

followed by a proper noun {post-Vietnam}, or a word that starts with t

word could be confused for another word with a distinct meaning, as in

{post-transaction}. (See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.)

re-cover, which isn’t the same as recover, or when the root word starts with e, as in re-establish. Note we deviate from M-W on repeated e’s.

prefixes Follow entries in M-W. Commonly used prefixes and their hyphenation rules

See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.

are included alphabetically in this guide.

Reward Link® In most cases, a hyphen is eliminated except in the case of a double vowel or

Reward Link should be kept singular whenever possible. Include the registered

triple consonant.

symbol on first usage.

post-

Rewards as a Service, RaaS®

Compounds formed with post- are typically closed up. Use a hyphen only if

Spell out Rewards as a Service on first usage. Following that, refer to it as

the root word is a proper noun, as in post-Victorian, or when the root word

RaaS® and include the registered symbol the first time the acronym is used.

starts with t, as in post-tax and post-transaction. Note we deviate from M-W on repeated t’s.

Rewards Genius® See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.

When not referring to Rewards Genius by name, it should be referred to as a portal. {Once you’ve signed up for your free Rewards Genius account, you can

pre-

log into your portal anytime.} Include the registered symbol on first usage.

Compounds formed with pre- are typically closed up. Use a hyphen only if the root word is a proper noun, as in pre-Columbian, or when the root word starts

set up, set-up

with e, as in pre-establish. Note we deviate from M-W on repeated e’s.

When used in its verb form, set up is an open compound. In its noun and adjective forms, it should be the hyphenated compound: set-up.

See hyphen for our general rule and other fringe cases.

spelling quotations

Often, there’s more than one correct spelling of a word. For consistency,

Place all commas and periods inside quotation marks: {“It’s not my fault,” he

always use the first spelling given in M-W. This goes for plurals too.

protested.} {“Listen here,” he said. “I won’t be a party to fraud.”} Exceptions: advisor, agrichemical, okay, web- (webpage; web-based, web-enWith question marks and exclamation points, the decision to place them inside

abled), wi-fi

or outside the quotation marks depends on whether they’re part of what’s being quoted: {“The time to act is now!” the representative shouted.} {Did the

The most common editing questions arise concerning hyphenation of words

IRS staffer tell taxpayers to “take a hike”?}

and compounds. Look up prefixes in the dictionary as a starting point, and see hyphen for the general rule as well as our firm-specific exceptions.

If the question mark or exclamation point is used inside the quotation marks, don’t add another comma before a dialogue tag. 35

start-up

In all Tango Card collateral—such as one sheeters, website, and emails—the

Always use a hyphen when using the term start-up. {We serve a variety of

following cases should be used: • Titles: title case

start-ups.} See hyphen.

• Headers: title case

sub-

• Subheds: title case

Compounds formed with the prefix sub- are typically closed up. This

• Eyebrow: sentence case with punctuation

rule stands even when the root of the compound begins with b, as in subbasement. Use a hyphen only when the prefix modifies a compound

United States

formed with yet another prefix, as in sub-subgroup. (See hyphen for our

Use United States in running text. {Businesses located in the United States

general rule and other fringe cases.)

can benefit from sending gift cards.} When modifying a noun, U.S. should be used. {That U.S. company already sends gift cards.} However, if used as a

subheds

modifier in a headline, drop the periods so that it reads as US.

See titles, headers, and subheds.

Tango Card In general, when referencing Tango Card in running text, use first person. {We

website worldwide year-end

believe in making rewards easy to send and awesome to receive.}

time Don’t use a colon when the time is on the hour. {8pm versus 3:30pm} Otherwise, we differ from the AP when providing times, so you should use am and pm without a preceding space.

Boilerplate Language Find our standard language for how we refer to Tango Card, Rewards Genius, and Reward Link here.

Tango Card®

titles, headers, and subheds We differ from AP when it comes to titles. Instead of lowercasing every word, capitalize pronouns, adjectives, nouns, and verbs, including existential ones (is, am, are, and be). Only lowercase conjunctions and prepositions except those with five or more letters. {Rewards Are Easy to Send and Awesome to Receive}. Prepositional words that are an inextricable part of a phrasal verb are uppercased. {World Lets Up on Steady Delivery of Bad News}. (We refer to this below as title case.)

Tango Card® caters to thousands of customers’ reward, incentive, and payout needs with a global catalog of e-gift cards, digital prepaid cards, and more. Access Tango Card's Rewards Genius dashboard for self-serve ordering and management of the Rewards as a Service API and integrate e-gift cards to fit your app, platform, or program experience.

Rewards Genius® Rewards Genius® is the self-serve portal that gives you the power to brand and order e-gift cards on demand.

Reward Link® Reward Link ® is the fastest and easiest way to send a choice of e-gift cards—a reward your recipients actually want.

TANGOCARD.COM 4700 42nd Ave. S.W., Suite 430a Seattle, WA 98116

Marks

COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS The following terms are trademarked: • RaaS® API • RDP® • Reward Link® • Rewards Genius® • Tango Card® • Value Conservation®

How to Use The registered symbol should always be shown in superscript format: ® When a trademarked term is used, the registered symbol should be included in these places: • Logo • Page title, when applicable • First usage (this doesn’t include the title or logo)

Where to Use It

TANGOCARD.COM 4700 42nd Ave. S.W., Suite 430a Seattle, WA 98116

The registered symbol should be used when a trademarked term is used in the following materials: • Ads • Chatbot • Collateral • Press releases • Reward and marketing emails* • Social media • Third-party articles • Webpages and blog posts *Don’t include the registered symbol in the subject line of emails. It should only be included in the preview text and body copy.

The registered symbol should NOT be used in email correspondence between employees and customers or recipients.