BNIÆ Branding Standards · 2020. 5. 18. · Tone of Voice For the purposes of finding a marketing tone of voice, and to capitalize on BNI’s brand personality, it is important to

americas • europe • africa • asia • australasia

W W W . B N I . C O M

Cop

yrig

ht ©

198

6, 2

010,

BN

I, A

ll R

ight

s R

eser

ved.

BNI® Branding Standards

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

W W W . B N I . C O MPrincipal Elements

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

Principal Elements

The new BNI branding is made up of two separate keyelements: the BNI logo and the world map. The principalelements consist of the logo, colors and typeface, whichbuild up the BNI brand. Where possible, these are usedin all applications linked to the brand, including web,signage and on-screen applications. Due to sizeconstraints it is not always practical to use the worldmap with the BNI logo.

These elements have been designed specifically for BNIand they must always appear in the proportions shown.Always use the official version of the logo and world mapand do not attempt to recreate the elements in any way.

3BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MBrand Values

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

Why is the BNI Branding so Important?

Branding is one of the key differentiators for anybusiness. The new branding developed in 2010 liftsBNI above any other competitor in the marketplaceand reinforces the size, strength and quality of BNI.The following points explain this in greater detail.

1) MemorabilityUsed consistently, the BNI brand will remain memorablefrom a visual perspective, which will result in easierbrand recall. This increases the probability that peoplewill say “I visited a ‘BNI’ breakfast meeting” rather thansimply “I visited a ‘business’ breakfast meeting.”

2) LoyaltyBrand identity creates loyalty. This is a fact! People wantto be associated with success and brands that fit with theiraspirations. In terms of business referral organizations, BNIis the market leader and people feel proud about beingassociated with the brand. Loyalty to the BNI brand willincrease retention moving forward.

4BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MBrand Values

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

3) Reduced Long-term Marketing SpendBecause Directors have a comprehensive set of materialsthat have been designed for them, they will experience areduced design spend. Internationally there should be asignificant decrease in spending on design over thecoming years. Simultaneously, there will be a significantincrease in the quality of materials that consistentlyreinforce the benefits of membership.

4) FamiliarityPsychologists state that if non-consumers repeatedlysee a brand they begin to ‘like’ it and will even recom-mend it with no personal experience of the service.Imagine if, over the course of two years, an accountantreceives five or six invites to a local BNI meeting. Theaccountant may not attend but brand equity is still beingbuilt and, providing that the brand and messagehave been reinforced consistently, the accountantmay potentially still recommend people to BNI! It is aMAJOR benefit of brand consistency that ultimatelybuilds trust.

5BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MBrand Values

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

5) Price PerceptionThere is no doubt that the new branding ‘raises the bar’for BNI from a perception perspective. BNI, whencompared to much of the competition, now benefitsfrom branding that really reinforces the quality of theorganization and its position on the local and internationalnetworking / business referral scene. This reduces theperceived risk of buying a membership and makes thepurchase decision easier for the potential new member.

6) Protection Of The BrandHaving a uniform brand image prevents the dilution ofthe message and the professional appearance that BNIis trying to foster. Uniform use will prevent other groupsfrom trying to copy BNI while using an unauthorized versionof the BNI organization, its trademarks, or materials.

6BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MLanguage Style

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

Language Style

The BNI brand is not just about the way we look it isabout the way we communicate and speak. Whatyou say and how you say it makes all the differencein creating a positive and consistent impression.

Whatever you do for BNI, it will likely involve havingto write - from an e-mail to a fact sheet, a newsletteror poster for an event. This section is intended toprovide guidance in writing anything for BNI to ensureconsistency across communications.

7BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MTone of Voice

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

Tone of Voice

For the purposes of finding a marketing tone of voice,and to capitalize on BNI’s brand personality, it is importantto embrace a tone of voice that is lively, vibrant, positiveand businesslike!

The tone of voice should reflect the key personality traitsof BNI most relevant to your audience and the purposeof communication. Traits to remember when creating atone of voice are: aspirational, exciting, positive, driven,focused and dynamic.

8BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MTone of Voice

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

Also Remember...

Be ConfidentYou want people to think ‘now there is an organizationthat knows its stuff.’ So make sure you know whatyou are talking about, be friendly but be professional.

Say It Like It IsBe honest and upfront. Do not hide what you are sayingin jargon and only choose words you would use in normalconversation. For example, do not expect non-membersto understand what a ‘chapter’ is and when speaking toyour members never refer to a chapter as a ‘club’!

Be ConstructiveUse active, not passive, words and phrases to saywhat you want to get across in the clearest and mostconcise way.

9BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MCore Values

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

Core Values

Projecting consistent messages is key to reputationbuilding. BNI’s key messages come from the core valuesthat the organization was founded on.

BNI’s core values should appear across all communicationswherever possible - press releases, print, intranet,internet, e-newsletters, office notice boards, etc. Youdo not need to include all the core values in everycommunication but every communication shouldinclude at least one. Eventually, they should be secondnature to everyone at BNI and they should naturally beused when talking about the organization and the workit does on a daily basis.

BNI is built on the concept of Givers Gain®

Members build business through meaningful relationshipsTraining and education is at the core of the organizationTradition + innovation = successMembers should always have a positive and supportive attitude

The core values listed here are a large part of howand why BNI is able to generate billions in businessfor its members across the globe each year.

10BNI® Branding Standards

W W W . B N I . C O MCorporate Identity

Changing the Way the World Does Business®

Using the BNI Corporate Identity

The logo is BNI’s primary identifier. It is essential thelogo is used correctly in order for the organizationalmessage to remain strong. It must never be redrawnor modified. Following these guidelines will enableproper use of the logo and avoid undermining theimpact of the brand. To ensure legibility and to allowfor ease of recognition, a minimum size is set for theuse of each element.

12BNI® Branding Standards