Communications.

Get started.Your step-by-step guide to

poverty-busting communications.

The best communicators are passionate. And that’s good news. Because we know how much you care about the state of the world. The trick is to show your audience how much you care, so that they care too. So bring your passion through in everything that you do. Show people how fired up you are about poverty and injustice, and how firmly you believe that we can all make a difference.

And, whenever you try to get other people involved in your world-changing activities, start by asking yourself the three questions below. They’ll help you to focus your communications. Whatever you’re working on – whether it’s a website, poster, flyer or magazine – you’ll really hit your poverty-bashing message home.

Step 1. Get your

message across.

Q1Who are you talking to?

A Know your ‘target audience’ (the people you want to communicate with). What might be right for a student who’s into TV may not be right for a Mum who loves the cinema. Imagine someone in your target audience – a friend, or someone in your family. Think about what they like doing, and what images or phrases they are likely to respond to. Keep them in mind when you put together your communication.

Q2What do you want them to do?

A Always include a ‘call to action’. That means something for people to do after seeing your piece of communication – whether that’s going to an event, giving some money, or sending an email to their MP. Only ask them to do one action per piece of communication, or you’ll risk overwhelming them. And then make it easy for them to respond with a phone number, email or web address.

Q3Why should they do it?

A Give your audience a reason to take your action. Charities often follow the same, tired formula: showing a horrible situation, and then asking for money. Try to do something unexpected, and make people feel what you feel. If the situation you’re talking about is unfair, show it. If humour can help people warm to what you’re saying – and it’s appropriate – use it.

Three communications Qs

ProvocativeOptimism

When you’re writing your flyers, posters or emails you need to think about the tone of what you’re saying (for example, whether it’s funny or angry).

At Oxfam, we don’t want people to feel guilty about the way the world is. We want them to feel fired up about poverty. Angry about injustice. Moved by the state of the world. But we also want them to feel that change is possible. That this isn’t a hopeless situation. We call this provocative optimism.

ProvocativeWe want to provoke a reaction, to inspire people to get involved.

We question why things are the way they are.

OptimismWe believe everyone can play their part (and they’ll feel great when they do).

We’re passionate that poverty can be ended.

Top three writing tips1. Write as if you were speaking It’s often the easiest way to be simple and direct. Use your natural language to express optimistic ideas. Talk directly to your audience – use ‘you’, ‘we’ and ‘I’.

2. Get to the pointPeople scan information quickly. Make sure they know what you’re trying to say by putting the most important stuff first.

3. Be conciseIf you’ve got a lot to explain, break the information up with bullet points and shorter paragraphs, and show people where they can find out more.

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Making a posterHere are some ideas for designing a poster a bit like the ones above:

Headline• Grab their attention with a

strong headline• Use Cooper Black for the

headline font• Set the headline and text

at 5º angle.

The message• Be descriptive: what do you want

people to do? The poster above is raising money, but you could be asking them to get involved in other ways

• Show them where to take action by giving a web address, phone number or email

• Keep the text short – more words than this just won’t get read

• Put all text and illustrations in darker over lighter colour (pairing)

• Use Arial font for the smaller text.

Headline and text are set at 5º angle.

5º

With your ideas and our experience, we’re going places. The Oxfam brand will give your activities a boost, just as what you do will boost the fight against poverty.

BrandBrand isn’t just logos and fonts. It’s how people feel about an organisation. So, with Oxfam, what springs to mind? Charity shops? People in Africa? They’re part of the picture. But think bigger. Big enough for 99 per cent of the British public to have heard of us.

They also know what we stand for, and trust what we say. And that means they’ll listen to you when you mention Oxfam. They’ll know that we’re passionate about the same things. That poverty can be ended. Change is possible. The world can be a better place.

Be HumankindYou may have seen the phrase ‘Be Humankind’ on our posters, website, and this guide. It’s our slogan. More and more people want to make the world a better place. End poverty. Save lives. And Oxfam is the same. Together, we are ‘for humanity’. And Be Humankind is our rally cry.

Colours, fonts and logosWe use pairings of bright, contrasting colours to create an energetic, positive look. We always put the darker colour on a lighter background.

The fonts we use on all our communications are called: Cooper Black and Arial.

Combined with the upbeat colours and our tone of provocative optimism, it helps to challenge people’s perceptions of Oxfam, and of charity generally. (You can find free downloadable copies of Cooper Black on the web*).

Our logo always appears in the bottom right of our communications, together with Be Humankind.

Oxfam colour pairings

Pink (Magenta)

M100

WhiteBlackK100

Pantone 485C Pantone 1235C

Red

C0 M96 Y100 K0CMYK

Orange

C0 M36 Y98 K0CMYK

Pantone 3425C

Dark green

C94 M13 Y83 K44CMYK

Pantone 286C

Dark blue

C100 M75 Y0 K0CMYK

Pantone 2985C

Light blue

C60 M0 Y3 K0CMYK

Pantone 376C

Oxfam green

C56 M0 Y100 K0CMYK

Pantone 2746C

Purple

C100 M100 Y0 K0CMYK CMYK

This is the colour pallet, specific to the Be Humankind messaging.

The colours are set in pairings, with one darker colour to be used in combination with a lighter colour.

Oh, and of course there’s black on white background too.

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Brand resourcesDownload the logo and find more brand details here:

www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/media/assets_store

Design your own Oxfam poster with our online tool:

www.oxfamblogs.org/enabler/postermaker/index.php

More ready-made posters are available from:

www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/

activists/materials.html

Step 2. The power

of the brand.

* Cooper Black download sites: http://www.fontyukle.com/en/1,cooperhttp://www.font-zone.com/download.php?fid=4116

Oxfam colour pairings

If you’re worrying about your words, a powerful image can create an immediate connection with your audience, and inspire the action you’re after. Potential supporters will be hooked by strong images of inspirational people working their way out of poverty.

Step 3. Picture this.

Top tips for choosing images1. Be bold. Don’t shy away from showing

what it’s really like for people living in poverty. Your audience will feel a sense of injustice and will respond.

2. But don’t shock for the sake of it. Avoid reinforcing racial or cultural stereotypes, and emphasise people’s dignity. An image of a ‘needy African child’ may provoke a response, but can suggest that their situation is hopeless. Ask yourself: ‘If I were this person, would I want my story told in this way?’

3. Use images that capture atmosphere and emotion – whatever is most relevant to what you’re trying to say.

4. Avoid obviously posed shots – especially if it looks unnatural or if the people look uncomfortable.

5. A photo can really come alive if you use a quote from the person in it. If you can, include their name and location, and an explanation of how the image links to Oxfam’s work.

6. It sounds obvious, but make sure your image relates to what you’re talking about, otherwise your audience will just be confused.

7. When you search for a photo to use with your projects, remember to make sure you have permission to use it. If you’re not sure, find another image.

8. Remember to take photos of your own events and activities. You may be able to use them in future communications.

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Step 3. Picture this.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT:

Out the window. Naziah, 11, avoids the attention of her classmates at an Oxfam-supported school in Yemen.

Rags to riches. Sahera, 10, boosts her parents’ income by sorting through rubbish in Lucknow, India. Oxfam has set up a school to give working children like Sahera an education.

Twisted knickers. Singer-songwriter Laura Marling shows off a giant pair of pants at Glastonbury Festival. The pants were part of a campaign to raise awareness of poverty among festival goers.

Having a laugh. Young people in London get together to take action. This is a good example of a photo which isn’t posed.

Youth action. Young people from around the UK visit 10 Downing Street to give the Prime Minister their campaigning messages.

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Picture perfect.The images here show a range of Oxfam’s work in the UK and abroad, and may give you some ideas for the photos you want to use to help illustrate your communications.

Photo: Stuart Fowkes / Oxfam

Your Oxfam contact is:

Brand resourcesDownload the logo and find more brand details here:

www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/media/assets_store

Design your own Oxfam poster with our online tool:

www.oxfamblogs.org/enabler/postermaker/index.php

More ready-made posters are available from:

www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/

activists/materials.html

Reg charity in England and Wales No 202918 and Scotland SC039042. Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International. Inhouse No. 4499

Why not use illustrations to help get your message across?

Use the darker colour over the lighter colour, as it will stand out.

A simple line-drawing will really attract attention.