BRAND TOOLKIT FOR SPORT ENGLAND PARTNERS

Updated 16/11/2015

p. 2Updated 16/11/2015

CONTENTSINTRODUCTION

3 THIS GIRL CAN tone of voice

Copy guidelines for THIS GIRL CAN

4 In Social Media

5 In press releases, partner comms and more formal media channels

6 FREE, READY TO PRINT POSTERS

7 THIS GIRL CAN PARTNER LOGO

14 CREATING YOUR OWN POSTERS

15 Free poster template

16 Poster inspiration

17 National Lottery funded Guidelines

18 Using our photography OR creating your own

THIS GIRL CAN is a celebration of the active women who are doing their thing no matter how they do it, how they look, or even how sweaty they get.

We want anyone who shares our aspirations and values to use the THIS GIRL CAN logo and assets. Together we can inspire more women and girls to wiggle, jiggle, move and prove that judgement is a barrier that can be overcome.

These guidelines will tell you how to use the logo correctly and give you advice on how to make the most out of the available assets.

There some simple steps that you MUST follow.

1. You will have already agreed to the TERMS OF USE and PRIVACY STATEMENT when registering as a partner on the website. Please make sure all terms are followed. The terms of use document can also be found in the partner section of the website.

2. If you share assets with suppliers, please ensure they adhere to the guidelines and terms of use.

3. Anything featuring THIS GIRL CAN assets including posters, press releases, web content and events MUST be submitted to Sport England for approval.

Please email thisgirlcan@sportengland.org – and allow five days for approval.

All queries should be directed to: thisgirlcan@sportengland.org

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THIS GIRL CAN exists to empathise with our audience of all women and inspire them to exercise regularly.

We’re not here to tell women that how they feel about exercise is wrong, the way they’re doing it is incorrect, or to guilt-trip them into taking up a sport. We understand that the fear of judgement is stopping many women from exercising, and exist to remove this.

We are on a level with our audience, not a brand pedestal. We’re here to support, encourage and enthuse women, rather than enlighten them.

And we’re doing it in a fun, accessible and sassy way.

So, whether we’re talking to them through social media, press, partner communications or wherever, there are ways in which ‘This Girl’ can and can’t say things.

This girl does…

Speak to the girls as one of the girls

Encourage and support

Debate on relevant subjects

Add value to the conversations she joins

Write informally

Use correct language and grammar

Feel inclusive and inviting to our audience and their support network

Exude sassiness, confidence and energy

Empathise with our audience

This girl does not…

Tell anyone that what they’re doing or thinking is wrong

Scaremonger, force or cajole

Argue with interactions

Speak for the sake of speaking

Overuse exclamation marks or kisses! xxx

Feel too chummy, clichéd or over the top

Act arrogantly or dwell on the negatives

Judge anyone, for anything!

No “You go girl!”

No smiley faces/text speak/slang

THIS GIRL CAN TONE OF VOICE: Copy guidelines for THIS GIRL CAN

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THIS GIRL CAN TONE OF VOICE: in social media

Key advice for posting on social

While every blog and organisation will speak differently on social media, it’s good to bear in mind certain things – especially when representing #ThisGirlCan:

• Make sure you’re adding value to the conversation. Is what you’re posting useful, interesting or inspiring?

• Avoid ‘txt spk’, slang and excessive exclamation marks. It can make your posts harder to read

• Avoid judgemental language; instead focus on being welcoming and encouraging

• Avoid lots of technical words or terms that only experienced athletes will know

Hashtags

Put simply, a hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the hash sign (#). When we use them in a social media post, it means that people searching for that topic will see that particular post.

For example, someone searching the hashtag #ThisGirlCan on Twitter could see posts like this:

Using hashtags is important because there’s a potential of reaching a much wider audience who are interested in that particular topic. Here are guidelines on how to use them:

• Hashtags can be used on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. But they’re not very effective on Facebook, so it’s not as important that you use them there. Stick to using them on Twitter and Instagram, where they are more effective

• Keep hashtags relevant to your post. It’s considered spamming to put unrelated hashtags in your posts so that more people see it e.g. #OneDirection in a tweet about a cricket training session

• In order to communicate with the THIS GIRL CAN community please ensure you use #thisgirlcan - if you want to talk about a specific activity please keep the hashtags separate ie. #thisgirlcan #golf instead of #thisgirlcangolf

• On Twitter, keep hashtags to a minimum. Never use more than three per tweet – not only will it eat into your character allowance, it looks messy and makes the message harder to read

• Don’t use spaces or punctuation marks in a hashtag. Otherwise the hashtag won’t work

Content advice

• Images can boost engagement (the number of people interacting with your post) on Twitter and Facebook, so it’s important to include them where you can

• Bear in mind the optimum dimensions for images on each platform. On Facebook and Instagram, square images work better (e.g. 800x800 pixels). On Twitter, rectangle images with a 2:1 image ratio work best (e.g. 1260x630). If you don’t have access to Photoshop, use a free cropping tool like Pic Monkey

• If you’re too busy to tweet every day, use a free scheduling tool like Hootsuite to schedule tweets in advance

• If you do schedule tweets in advance, set them to go live during weekdays 8-9pm – this is when most people are online and checking social media, so your content will naturally reach more people

• Try to post at least once per day on Twitter and 3-4 times per week on Facebook in order to keep your audience interested

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We use more formal communication channels as an opportunity to be more informative about physical activities, where they can be done, etc.

However, we should still feel inclusive and empathetic to our audience, therefore, still talk in the first person.

For example:

THIS GIRL CAN TONE OF VOICE: in press releases, partner comms and

more formal media channels

Badminton

What equipment do I need?

The better you get, the better your equipment can be, but if you’re only starting:

• It’s a court, not a catwalk! Normal sportswear or comfortable leisure clothing with a bit of stretch is usually fine

• Some sports centres may require you to wear non-marking soled footwear, and some clubs may prefer to see you wearing ‘whites’ on court

• Most sports centres will hire you racquets and charge you a small fee or deposit for shuttles

p. 6Updated 16/11/2015

Choose from a wide selection of inspiring posters featured in the outdoor advertising campaign.

Just log on to your THIS GIRL CAN account and download your favourites.

All posters are available in A5, A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0 sizes. All formats will have white borders when printed.

FREE, READY TO PRINT POSTERS

p. 7Updated 16/11/2015

Choose from a wide selection of inspiring posters featured in the outdoor advertising campaign.

Just log on to your THIS GIRL CAN account and download your favourites.

All posters are sized A4 and will have white borders when printed.

FREE, READY TO PRINT POSTERS

p. 8Updated 16/11/2015

NEW THIS GIRL CAN/PARTNER LOGO LOCK-UP p1 of 2

We’ve designed the new lock-up so that it is simpler to create in conjunction with your logo.

The lock-up is available in EPS, AI and PNG formats.

It is also available in purple, black and white.

All versions can be downloaded here

(your partner logo here)

p. 9Updated 16/11/2015

NEW THIS GIRL CAN/PARTNER LOGO LOCK-UP p2 of 2

Here are some examples on how you can use it:

When sizing your logo please make sure the height is no greater than the height of the THIS GIRL CAN logo.

When positioning your logo please make sure the distance between the vertical rule is equal.

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THIS GIRL CAN LOGO: Main colour variations

1. Purple

C:40 M:100 Y:0 K:0

Match to PMS 248 Solid Coated

RGB: R:163 - G:35 - B: 142

HEX: 911F89

Best used against a white background in colour publications/advertising

2. Black

C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:100

R:0 G:0 :B:0

Match to PMS Process black

Best used where colour isn’t an option

3. White-out

C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:0

R: 255 G: 255 B:255

Ideal for use against coloured, dark or photographic backgrounds or where colour isn’t an option.

The THIS GIRL CAN logo can be downloaded from the partner section on the THIS GIRL CAN website. You should always use this logo from this source - please do not copy and paste from elsewhere.

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THIS GIRL CAN LOGO: Alternative colour variations

You can also customise the THIS GIRL CAN logo into any colour you like, as long as it is legible. This would be particularly useful if you want to match it to your own brand colours.

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THIS GIRL CAN LOGO: Exclusion zones

THIS GIRL CAN LOGO: Size guidelines

17mm

The THIS GIRL CAN logo can be as big as you like, but can be no smaller than:

Height of letter ‘N’ (upright)

Height of letter ‘N’ (upright)

Heig

ht o

f lette

r ‘N’ (sid

e)

Heig

ht o

f lette

r ‘N’ (sid

e)

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THIS GIRL CAN LOGO: - What NOT to do

1.

Distort the logo in any way.

CAN’T

2.

Change the meaning of THIS GIRL CAN within the square graphic.

EAT

3.

Change its meaning without permission from Sport England.

The logo has been created to work with our partners.

However, there are certain parameters to this flexibility that must be adhered to.

It’s also imperative that THIS GIRL CAN maintains a sense of positivity and empowerment. Therefore its meaning should NEVER be misappropriated.

4.

Reduce the logo smaller than 17mm in width.

17mm

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THIS GIRL CAN LOGO: Positioning backgrounds

Please choose wisely the version of the logo that will look best on a particular background.

Here are some examples on what works best and what doesn’t.

✓ Purple or black logos on white backgrounds ✘ Purple logo on patterned backgrounds

✓ White out logo on dark toned/coloured backgrounds

✓ Purple or black logos on light, neutral colours ✘ White out logo on light toned/coloured backgrounds

✓ White out logo on dark photographic backgrounds/textures

✘ White out logo on light photographic backgrounds/textures

✓ Good: ✘ Please do not do this:

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CREATING YOUR OWN POSTERS

TipsWe only have one simple rule for any poster that you wish to create - the new logo lock-up must always feature along the bottom of the page.

The line rule above the lock-up is optional. It is handy since you may have a lot of information to organise on the page.

1. Before deciding how you want the poster to look, it might be best to gather what you want to say in the poster.

Most of the time it’s information you want to communicate such as the name of the class, what the class is all about, times, cost, contact information etc.

2. Sometimes the hardest thing is where to start - so start big. Place on the page the most important or eye-catching element; it could be the headline or maybe the image or maybe a combination of both.

3. Now we have the beginning of a ‘heirarchy’. From here you work your way to the next important bit of information eg. a description of the class...who it’s for...the time and date...where the class is being held...who to contact etc.

4. From here it is up to you how you arrange this on the page. Consider which fonts and colours suit your poster and how you use imagery.

The only thing to keep in mind is legibility. If you find it difficult to read (no matter how nice it looks) others will find it difficult too.

5. Keep it simple eg. use one or two fonts.

The above is only a guide and by all means break the rules. Our only request is that the logo lock-up stays at the bottom.

(your logo here)

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FREE POSTER TEMPLATE MS Word version

Here is what the free poster template looks like when you open it.

There’s plenty of room for you to drop in any image.

The THIS GIRL CAN logo lock-up is at the bottom of the page ready to be joined with your own logo.

All the text boxes are editable and can be moved around the page wherever you like.

The font it’s currently set in is Calibri, but we encourage you to change this to your liking.

You’ll notice that there are grid-like guidelines on the page to help you line elements. The guidelines are on screen only and will not print.

Download the free template here

Above is a sample design using the MS Word template

The only thing that must remain constant is the position of the THIS GIRL CAN logo lock-up along the bottom of the page.

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ADVANTAGE

TENNIS CLASSES

Fun and fri

endly clas

s that w

ill improv

e your

fi rst se

rves, f

orehands, b

ackhands, b

ackspins,

drive vo

lleys, d

rop sh

ots etc

.

• Females only

• £5 per session

Every Monday and Wednesday,

6:30 to 7:30pm.

Limited

space

s only

Anyname T

ennis Court

123 Anystree

t

Anytowninenglan

d

D3U C3

For more inform

ation contact:

Josephine Smith on 01234 5678910

or email: josephinesm

ith@fem

aile.com

(your logo here)

Fun and friendly class that will improve your fi rst serves, forehands, backhands, backspins, drive volleys, drop shots etc.

ADVANTAGE TENNISCLASSES

Females only/£5 per session

Every Monday and Wednesday,6:30 to 7:30pm.Limited spaces only

Anyname Tennis Court123 AnystreetAnytowninenglandD3U C3

For more information contact:Josephine Smith on 01234 5678910

or email: josephinesmith@femaile.com(your logo

here)

ADVANTAGE TENNISCLASSES

Fun and friendly class that will improve yourfi rst serves, forehands, backhands, backspins,drive volleys, drop shots etc.• Females only• £5 per session

Every Monday and Wednesday,6:30 to 7:30pm.Limited spaces only

Anyname Tennis Court123 AnystreetAnytowninenglandD3U C3

For more information contact:Josephine Smith on 01234 5678910

or email: josephinesmith@femaile.com(your logo

here)

POSTER INSPIRATION

The posters below are examples we created to demonstrate heirarchy, legibility and organisation.

They were created in Adobe Indesign CS 5.5

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THIS GIRL CAN is funded by Sport England using National Lottery Good Causes money. It’s important we recognise this, so we’ve supplied a logo lock-up and paragraph of copy which must be used at a suitable place on your website. You do not have to include this on posters, ads or other material.

THIS GIRL CAN is a national campaign designed to encourage more women and girls to get active. The campaign is funded by Sport England and the National Lottery.

If the National Lottery funds your organisation or club, you should continue to recognise the contribution in the usual way. You should follow page 12 of the guidelines when featuring multiple logos.

NATIONAL LOTTERY FUNDED Guidelines

Website layout example:

Main Content relating to THIS GIRL CAN

Website masthead and navigation

THIS GIRL CAN is a national campaign designed to encourage more women and girls to get active. The campaign is funded by Sport England and the National Lottery.

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OR CREATING YOUR OWNUSING OUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Do a bit of digging and you’ll soon discover that there really aren’t many pictures out there of real women taking part in physical activity.

THIS GIRL CAN’s bank of imagery aims to change that.

The women are of all shapes, sizes and skill levels. Some love exercise, some look as though they don’t, but the important thing is they’re all getting out there and doing it, no matter what.

Our image bank is there to be used by organisations and clubs across England, but THIS GIRL CAN encourages our partners to create their own ‘THIS GIRL CAN’ images – the world needs them!

We would like to see the image bank grow. If you would like to submit your images for consideration, please email them to thisgirlcan@sportengland.org.uk. You must confirm you own the copyright and usage rights for those featured. The images should be at least 300dpi.

If you do decide to get behind a camera, please:

• Use women of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities

• Capture women doing what they love AND hate – we understand that exercise isn’t always fun

• Think outside the box/pitch/court/gym – women getting ready, having a half-time breather or chatting afterwards make for some brilliant images

• Don’t hide our women - character and personality comes from their faces more often than not

• Give context to what they are doing otherwise it might not be clear what you’re showing- e.g. if they’re boxing, show a glove, if they’re playing tennis, show a racket

• Never retouch or airbrush any women – they are who they are and proud of it!

Image bank usage:

Images from Sport England can be used when using the THIS GIRL CAN logo in communications in 2015, across all media excluding TV. If you wish to use these for a longer period then please let Sport England know by no later than October 2015, so that additional usage can be negotiated.

Some inspiration courtesy of Sport England partners:

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By downloading THIS GIRL CAN brand assets and materials, including but not restricted to the logo, you are agreeing to abide by the TERMS OF USE.

Anything featuring the THIS GIRL CAN branding and /or assets must be submitted to Sport England for approval via the email address below. Please allow five working days for approval.

Email: thisgirlcan@sportengland.org

Thank you.