

# Barclays Brand Voice toolkit
Who we are and how we communicate

## Our brand Voice

Every word we write matters. It's one of the most important ways we build connections with people and show them who we are. And it's a common thread through everything we do - our marketing, app journeys, operational letters and how we talk to each other as colleagues.

So, we need to think carefully about how we write, who we're writing for and what we want to communicate. We want to reward people for giving us their time.

Our Voice stays consistent. Our tone and the specifics of what we talk about can vary depending on the audience and the context.

Consistency helps develop authenticity and trust. Flexibility helps us focus on the audience and how we express ourselves.

Our four personality traits:

* We are Pioneering
* We are Connected
* We are Optimistic
* We are Professional

## Writing in our Voice

Our Voice helps us create clear messages that authentically reflect our brand personality traits.

Expressing our Voice clearly helps us stand out from the crowd of brands that customers deal with in their everyday lives.

The following pages provide tips and reminders that guide your writing. Using them differentiates us from the way our competitors speak. The writing techniques that follow are pointers, reminders, and ideas - you'll need to decide which traits are appropriate for the message, your audience, and your format.

The key thing to remember is these guidelines help us write with a unified Voice, no matter who is writing.

## Pioneering

### What is pioneering?

We are and have always been pioneers, who use creativity boldly and bravely to inspire, imagine and champion innovations for a brighter future. We aim to leave things better than we found them.

### Because we're Pioneering

* We create bold, fresh, original copy that captures the eye and imagination
* We inspire our colleagues, clients, customers and communities to build brighter futures with compelling calls to action
* We tell impactful stories about how we're changing things for the better
* We aim to stand out, avoiding tired puns and clichés wherever we can

### How we want people to feel

* Barclays has a refreshing perspective
* Their outlook is bold and progressive
* They are creative, innovative, blue-sky thinkers, who act responsibly
* They see a new way forward

### Pioneering tone

Write boldly and with passion, but make sure you've got the balance right.

### Use imperative verbs

Add energy to your writing by using short, snappy sentences. Cut out unnecessary words, but be conscious of sounding bossy.

Example:

Don't write: Browse our website for more information about how much you could afford to borrow.

Do Write: Check our site to see how much you could borrow.

### Lead the way

Provide clear direction on how to proceed and direct calls to action. Link results and benefits to actions.

Example:

Do write: Follow our five-step process and you'll be set in no time.

### Tell impactful stories

Use real-life stories to show people how we're doing pioneering work for our different customers.

Tell real, compelling stories that show our purpose in action.

Example:

Do write: Our mortgage guarantee scheme has helped 100s of first-time buyers buy their dream house.

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## Keep in mind
Don't use clichéd banking related puns. For example, do not write: You can bank on us.

# Connected

## What is connected?
At Barclays we pull together as one supportive, inclusive team, connecting our customers, clients and colleagues seamlessly across our global network, making the most of the power of One Barclays.

## Because we're connected
* We address people in a warm, personal and direct way (speaking to 'you')
* We base our narratives on
* real-world insights and relatable, human outcomes
* We flex our tone according to subject matter and audience needs
* We use financial language where we need to but avoid jargon where we can

## How we want people to feel
* Barclays is invested in my success
* I am being spoken to directly, on my level
* They demonstrate understanding and humility
* I am part of the team, not just a number

## Connected tone
By writing in a more connected way, we openly show who we are and how we can help.

## We use personal language
* Use 'we', 'us' and 'you'. Avoid sounding distant or bureaucratic.
* Don't use language such as: 'Barclays is...', 'Clients that...' or 'Customers are advised to...'. Use conversational language and write like you speak.
* Use contractions such as "we're" and "it's". For example: It's a good idea to consider...

Depending on the context of your communication, contractions aren't always appropriate, so use judgement when applying this style.

## Introduce stories and make emotional connections by linking to the particulars of real life
Often, with financial products, there isn't anything tangible to describe. That can make us sound detached from the lives of our audience.

To avoid this, refer to specific moments they can relate to

Example:

Rather than writing: Imagine owning your own home.

Write: Imagine opening the door to your own home.

## Avoid jargon
Use plain, simple language where possible. Write as you speak and avoid jargon that's only understood internally at Barclays or by a specific business division.

Sometimes we'll need to use technical language, such as when talking about Corporate and Investment Banking products, but don't let terms specific to a particular market or product make your writing complex or inaccessible. And remember that even experts prefer writing that is clear and easy to understand.

# Optimistic

## What is optimistic?
We are positive, energised and confident we can make an enduring difference. Supporting people to progress beyond the challenging times and to prosper in the good times.

## Because we're Optimistic
* We use positive, active, uplifting language wherever we can
* Even when the news is negative, we aim to end on an optimistic note
* We emphasise what can be done, rather than what can't
* We share our confidence through affirmative words of encouragement

## How we want people to feel
* Barclays is future-facing and positive
* They are pragmatic problem-solvers
* They are strong, even when facing challenges
* I feel supported and understood

## Optimistic tone
Energising what you write helps your audience to clearly grasp what we can do and what it means for them.

## Use active sentences
Active sentences sound more confident because it's clear who's doing what and help you get to the point quickly.

Example:

Rather than writing: A review of the options was undertaken.

Write: We reviewed the options.

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# Emphasise the benefits of features.
Always talk about the key things our products and services do - their features - in ways that communicate meaningful benefits to your audience.

Example: With the Barclays App, your money is always at your fingertips.

# Professional
At Barclays we are big-picture and detail-oriented experts who care deeply about understanding the needs of our customers and clients, in order to deliver an impeccable experience.

## What is professional?
*Because we're Professional:*
* We speak in clear, simple, down-to-earth terms, wherever possible
* We keep our copy concise, never waffling or deviating from our message
* We show the honesty and transparency expected from a bank
* We are grammatically perfect and consistently follow our style guide

*How we want people to feel*
* Barclays is consistently clear and respectful
* Their approach is structured and organised
* They care about getting the detail right
* I feel like I can trust them

## Professional tone
Demonstrate our Purpose and Values, write clearly and honestly, but ensure consistency is always followed, even when being concise.

*Simplify sentences. Avoid having more than one qualifying clause or phrase*
Using simple sentences shows that we understand the needs of our audience and can get to the point quickly and clearly.

Rather than write: You can find out more about the option to switch to the BPSP in Savings and Retirement/Your Pension Option, including a comparison of the two pension plans, a pension calculator to see how much pension you could receive from each plan, and a decision guide to help you understand which plan might suit you best.

Write: Our website explains everything you need to know about our retirement plans. Head to Savings and Retirement/Your Pension Option for more. You can also work out how much pension you'll receive.

*Cut unnecessary words*
Rather than write: Having quality conversations with your manager will help to set clear expectations from the outset.

Write: Speak to your manager to find out what's expected of you.

*Avoid dense blocks of text*
This page introduces some considerations that help you write more accessible and inclusive copy for people who have reading or cognitive difficulties.

Write visually. A new paragraph should start when you begin a new thought. Keep paragraphs short and well structured.

For long copy or complex lists of features, consider breaking things up with subheadings and bullet points. You might also want to consider replacing long, technical copy with information graphics or charts.

*Be clear*
Avoid tentative language and clearly state our intentions.

Here is a good example of clearly stating our intentions: We are making our charges simpler.

*Always check your grammar*
Ensure that everything is punctuated and spelled correctly.

*Be candid*
Reveal the motivation behind what we're communicating. This is the essence of openness; divulging true thoughts rather than keeping them concealed. Naturally, it isn't always appropriate, or possible, but being as candid as you can, will build trust.

Here is a good example of being candid so that we can build trust: I know how personally important it is to many of you that Barclays makes a real contribution to tackling climate change.

We recognise, however, that the issue is complex and that some groups may want us to do things differently. You may sometimes see mainstream and social media coverage that is critical of the balanced approach we have taken. We respect those alternative perspectives, and will continue to engage constructively in the debate.

# First impressions
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

The first things we say and the thoughts we leave people with have a big impact on the way we're judged. Here are a couple of principles for building our brand Voice and personality traits into these key moments.

Open by revealing the audience's need and show how we're answering this.

Whenever we communicate, we're responding to an audience need. This can be specific and rational, such as:

'I'd like to know how much I can afford to borrow to buy a new car.'

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Or it could be more emotional, such as:

I'd like to be financially secure.

We're human. Emotional needs engage audiences more effectively than rational ones, although they may have to be supported by simple navigational subheadings to make sure our offer is clear.

By clearly showing the audience need and our response - before going into too many details - we'll leave even the most casual reader with a clear sense of our Purpose.

For example:

Confused about mortgages?

We'll show you how to get a mortgage from start to finish, including what you need to tell us and the steps you'll need to take.

## Focus on the future

Everything we do leads our customers, clients, colleagues and stakeholders to a future state. So, somewhere towards the end of the piece you're writing, include this vision of the future.

"Vision" sounds quite grand, and sometimes it will be. We often write about important life goals such as buying a home or financing a major investment. But at other times, the vision might be more modest. An internal email announcing a social event could simply finish with: I hope to see you there.

Remember, the "focus on the future" won't always be the final thing you write. That will usually be a call to action; the tactical message inviting the audience to do whatever it is you want them to do. But the "focus on the future" is the thought we'd like to leave in the audience's mind.

Example: "Spend a little time with us to make sure you've got the right mortgage."

## Language and lexicon

The following pages outline the specific technical and language conventions we apply in our writing. Please follow them. A consistent approach will strengthen the distinctiveness of our Voice.

Use British English for all cross-border or global communications affecting customers, clients, colleagues and other stakeholders. For spelling and grammatical advice, refer to the *Oxford English Dictionary*.

Within each English-speaking country, we use the local variation of English. For example, when writing for an American audience, use American English.

All spelling and grammatical conventions of the local variation should be used - for example "The Barclays Center" in New York and not "The Barclays Centre."

### Talking about Barclays

In most cases, simply talking about "us" and "we" works best when there's already context for who "we" are, especially when writing on branded materials like barclays.co.uk or the Barclays app.

Otherwise, use "Barclays" sparingly for clarity.

This applies both when writing in the Barclays voice and when representing a group of Barclays senior leaders - although it's just "I" when writing in the voice of one person.

Remember that Barclays serves both "customers" and "clients". So that's how we should always refer to them.

### How to refer to people who work at Barclays

The people we work with aren't staff or personnel, they're colleagues. So use "colleagues" in all internal communications.

For an external audience, Barclays has "employees" - not staff, personnel or colleagues. But it's rare we'd need to be so formal. When inviting an interaction, it's more natural to write something like "call us" or "visit a branch and speak to a member of our team".

And whichever you use, people employed by Barclays work "at" Barclays, not "for" Barclays.

Always introduce senior leaders with their titles. Use short titles before names and long titles after names with a comma separating both. For example: "Manager, Jane Bloggs" or "Frances Finlay, Chief Operating Officer."

When referring to Barclays as a possessive, it's "Barclays'", not "Barclays's" or "Barclay's".

### Addressing/talking to different audiences

We need to consider how we speak to different audiences and adapt our language and style for different regions.

*Addressing different audiences*

When writing, always make sure you pick the appropriate personal pronoun

[ ] First-person singular or "I" for messages from individual senior leaders
[ ] First-person plural or "we" for messages from a group of senior leaders and messages from Barclays as an organisation
[ ] Second-person or "you" when the audience is discrete and previously identified
[ ] Third-person or "he/she/they" for news written in the third person, particularly where a formal tone is necessary
[ ] Calls to action in news items can be written in the second-person

*Talking about different regions*

To make sure we're consistent, refer to regions in the following ways:

[ ] Americas (includes North America and Latin America)

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[ ] Asia Pacific (never hyphenate or abbreviate)
[ ] Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA" can also be used)
[ ] UK, US, UAE (never use full stops)
[ ] Spell out US states where possible. Abbreviations can be used to fit typographic requirements, for example: CA, NY and VA

## Flexing our tone

Make sure you're using a tone that's appropriate for your audience - think about who they are, their needs and when they'll engage with your writing. Put yourself in their position, and decide whether your tone is appropriate.

**We may greet an everyday retail customer with a more friendly tone.**

Here is an example of greeting an everyday retail customer with a more friendly tone: "Hi, thanks for getting in touch. Do you still need help from a Barclays team member?"

However, if we were addressing an institution and an investor we may use a more formal tone, for example: "Hello. We have received and processed your inquiry. Has the issue been resolved, or do you still require assistance from a Barclays team member?"

When addressing employees, our tone may be more informal too, for example: "Hi Suzie, I'm just reaching out to see if Mr. X's issue has been sorted out yet? Let me know if not. Thank you."

**It's not just about the audience, it's about the situation too.**

If you're delivering bad news/talking about a serious subject, you'd do it in a clear and concise style - functional and unambiguous. For example: "Your scheduled payment could not be made. This means you do not have enough money in your account to pay all of your pre-planned payments."

## Writing style hints and tips

They might seem a little "picky", but the following subtle rules all add up. Keep them in mind to create consistent and accurate communications.

[ ] When Barclays is possessive, the apostrophe goes at the end of the word Barclays. For example, Barclays' not Barclays's or Barclay's
[ ] The term "One Barclays" is only for internal use. When speaking to external audiences, choose a phrase like "working collaboratively" instead
[ ] Use sentence case for all communications including the beginning of bullet points and headings. (Sentence case is where the first letter of the sentence is capitalised but not the remaining letters unless they're proper nouns; names of people, places, days of the week, months of the year and religious festivals)
[ ] Capitalise trademarked Barclays product names and services, like Money Mentors. Use sentence case for services and documents that are common in the financial services market.
[ ] We use sentence case for all bullet points, starting with a capital for the beginning of each bullet point. We use full stops at the end of bullet points that are sentences. When bullet points are part of a list, we use a full stop at the end of the last bullet in that list.'
[ ] Use full stops correctly. Don't use after titles or headlines. Use after every letter in Latin abbreviations, at the end of the last bullet point in a list and after the
[ ] abbreviation of etcetera. For example, etc.
[ ] Use commas correctly - and use them in pairs where appropriate. For example, Jane Smith, one of the world's leading tax practitioners, has joined Barclays.
[ ] Semi-colons - while we can use a semi-colon to link two related thoughts in a sentence, it's usually better to rewrite the sentence in a more natural and conversational way. Don't follow a semi-colon with a capital letter unless the word should be capitalised anyway
[ ] Avoid the use of exclamation marks (they suggest shouting and a lack of confidence that we'll be listened to)

Tip: As part of our professional trait, we use simple, down-to-earth terms, like many of our customers. Most people in the UK think about time using the 12-hour clock, so we should too.

There are exceptions, such as when we're talking about international payments that cross time zones.

[ ] Use quotation marks correctly:
    - Inverted commas and quotation marks - when quoting someone, use double inverted commas or quotation marks
    - The double inverted commas always come after a comma or a full stop at the end of the quotation. Use a colon, not a comma, before a quote. For example, Venkat said: "Barclays is focused on helping people manage their money."
    - Single inverted commas should only be used when describing or identifying something like a section title in the Barclays app. For example, 'Your Accounts' or ordinal numbers such as 'first', 'ninth' and '10th'
    - Hyphens - use hyphens in compound adjectives (when combining two words to describe the following word. For example, well-dressed person or fixed-rate mortgage). The exceptions are words that end in 'ly' ('smartly dressed person' 'frequently asked questions') and terms where the meaning is clear and unambiguous ('financial services sector')
    - En-dashes - we can use en-dashes ( - ) instead of a comma to separate or emphasise a point in a sentence - like this. It's named because it's the same width as a lower-case n in most typefaces. Always put a single space at either side of an en-dash
    - Double inverted commas always come after a comma or a full stop at the end of the quotation. For example, "Thank you," or, "Thank you."
[ ] Use an ampersand (&) only when it's part of an official name. For example, Legal & General
[ ] Don't hyphenate 'e' words such as email or ecommerce.

Tip: Avoid ambiguity over 12pm and 12am by using 'midday' and 'midnight' respectively.

[ ] Don't use hyphens in date and time ranges – use '9am to 5pm', not '9am-5pm'.
[ ] When using 24-hour clock, separate hours and minutes with a colon – use '13:30', not '1330'.
[ ] Always introduce senior leaders with their titles. Use short titles before names and long titles after names with a comma separating both. For example, Manager, Jane Bloggs or Frank Finlay, Chief Operating Officer
[ ] Dates should always be written in the British style without any ordinal numbers. For example, use 'Thursday, 1 December 2022' not 'Thursday, 1st December 2022'

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[ ] Always use the 24-hour clock for clarity, with colons. For example, 13:30 not 1330 or 1pm
[ ] To avoid confusion, always write the name of the country or city the time refers to in brackets or parentheses after the indicated time. For example, John Smith's Town Hall takes place on Wednesday, 26 October 2022, from 13:00 to 14:00 (LDN time)
[ ] Write numbers 'one' to 'nine' as words. '10' and above should appear as figures. This also applies to ordinal numbers such as 'first', 'ninth' and '10th'. Make exceptions when:
    * Using a decimal point
    * Referring to a percentage
    * Referring to an address
    * Referring to sums of money, distances or speeds.
[ ] Don't use superscript (number that is smaller than the normal line of type) when writing ordinal numbers. For example, use 'Barclays is celebrating its 330th year', not 'Barclays is celebrating its 330th year'.
[ ] Use commas in figures of 1,000 and above.
[ ] Percentages should always be written with the symbol '%', not written out in words.
[ ] Currency amounts should always be used with country abbreviations. The exceptions to this are the pound sterling and the euro, where the symbols are sufficient.
[ ] For example, £2,000 or US$400
[ ] If writing currencies in full, use lower case. For example, US dollars
[ ] Abbreviate when referring to millions and billions as currency amounts but not when referring to people. For example, US$240bn or, our goal is to help change five million young futures
[ ] Always use international dialling codes unless the writing is clearly for local readers only
[ ] Web addresses should be written all lower case without 'http://' or 'www.' For example, 'home.barclays'
[ ] Always spell out acronyms and abbreviations in full the first time you use them, with the acronym following in brackets
[ ] Names of external entities should carry a descriptor at first use. For example, ACA, the Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, or Ireland. Exceptions can be made for well-known international names such as NASDAQ.
[ ] Avoid Latin abbreviations where plain English is clearer, unless you need to save space
    * 'For example' is clearer then 'e.g.'
    * 'That is', 'for instance' or 'which means that' are all clearer than 'i.e.'
    * 'And so on' is clearer then 'etc'
    * Always use full stops for abbreviations