yes! brand book 2011

The Brand BOOK. As yes! continues to grow, it is important that we deliver a consistent and clear message of who we are, what we do, and what sets us apart. Please review these messages and use them as a guide as you bring the yes! brand to life across all communications.

yes!Powerful Ideas,

Practical Actions

December 2010

yes! Naming When referring to the organization and any aspect of our work, using YES! is always

advisable and correct. Use all caps for YES! In body text, do not italicize. When needed

for clarity, use YES! Magazine, YesMagazine.org, or yesmagazine.org.

Use the Yes! name often in describing

our products:

YES! e-mail newslettersYES! storeYES! for educatorsYES! videosYES! online communityYES! blogsYES! Dedicated Friends program

Avoid diluting the brand by spinning

off too many YES!-named products,

such as:

YES! This WeekYES! But How?

YesMagazine.orgThe primary source of new audiences for YES! is on-

line, where we publish articles from YES! Magazine as

well as original, online-only content in a broad range

of formats, including web, e-newsletters, and feeds

from Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. Our online presence

offers vast resources, interaction, and a sense of com-

munity, and is key to our future in publishing.

YES! MagazineThe print magazine is the flagship of this indepen-

dent media organization. It is the primary sales

revenue source, as well as the source on which we

built our reputation and journalistic credibility.

The print magazine gives us a tangible product and

makes us unique in the crowded world of nonprof-

its and online journalism.

YES!, an independent media organization ...

AUTHENTIC PRACTICAL INSIGHTFUL SOULFUL ACTIVE INSPIRING


yes! Background and Strategic Approach [ Internal ]

“Authentic,” “practical,” and “insightful” are our primary traits.

YeS! eSSenCe [ wHAT wE STANd FOR . wHAT wE dO EVERY dAY. ]

“Inspiring Action For a Better World”

A Better world IS pOSSIblE.

TOgEThER, people hAve the power TO DRIvE pROFOUnD chAngE.

A SuStAINABle ecoNomy SUppORTS pEOplE AnD ThE plAnET.

ArtS ROUSE, cOnnEcT, AnD bUIlD cOMMUnITY.

WE cAn cREATE An EnDURIng peAce bY EnSURIng juStIce for All.

commuNIty gROUnDS US AnD hOlDS ThE pOTEnTIAl OF cOllAbORATIvE AcTIOn.

StorIeS ANd SolutIoNS InFORM AnD InSpIRE.

A heAlthy plANet WIll SEcURE ThE FUTURE OF All lIvIng ThIngS.

YeS! BeLIeVeS ...

TarGeT aUdIenCe [ wHO ARE wE SPEAKING TO? ]

Engaged citizensProgressive activists

Issue experts and thought leadersMainstream and independent mediaPolicymakers and foundationsEducators

PRIMARILY

SECONdARILY

PerSOnaLITY

POSITIOnInG STaTeMenT [ wHY NOw? wHY US? ]

At a time of grave challenges facing our nation and planet, we are a nonprofit, independent media organization that inspires people to create a better world. We publish an ad-free print magazine and cultivate a vast and vibrant online presence. By uncovering stories that fuse powerful ideas with practical actions, we drive profound change through a growing community nationwide: from engaged citizens to activists to thought leaders.


yes! primary messaging [ external ]When everyone in an organization comes together and speaks as one, we’re able to communi-

cate our message with impact. In speaking about our work and our organization in the same

way with a consistent voice, we are more likely to be heard.

SOUnd BITe [ wHO ARE wE? 7 SECONdS ANd INFORMAL ]

YES! is an indepedent media organization that inspires people to create a just and sustainable world.

In our magazine and online, we uncover stories and solutions that show people how to make positive change in their own lives and in their communities.

[ IF YOU’ VE GOT 7 MORE SECONdS ]

“Powerful Ideas, Practical Actions”

TaGLIneThs is a marketing phrase that is used to attract our target audience.

never use it alone. Always use it near the YES! name or logo.

“Nonprofit. Independent. Subscriber-supported.”

hOLY TrInITYUse these words, some or all, whenever you are making an appeal for support, whether consideration

of a writer stipend, a donation of services or funding, or looking for subscriptions. This is an especially

crucial reminder for our online audience.


yes!BOILerPLaTe

[ wHO ARE wE? THE wRITTEN PARAGRAPH ]

Nonprofit and subscriber-supported, YES! is an independent media organization that inspires people to create a just and sustainable world. Founded in 1996, we publish an ad-free print magazine and cultivate a vast and vibrant online presence. YES! Magazine reaches more than 150,000 readers with each issue, and YesMagazine.org gets more than 100,000 unique visitors per month. By uncovering stories that fuse powerful ideas with practical actions, we drive profound change through a growing community nationwide, from engaged citizens to thought leaders. To learn more, visit YesMagazine.org.

FOCUS [ wHAT TOPICS dO wE OwN? ]

The Planet Happiness New Economy Peace & Justice People Power

KeY PhraSInGEvery form of communication offers an opportunity to reinforce the YES! brand. beyond

following the visual and messaging guidelines, you can incorporate these short phrases into

almost any form of communication.

... uncovers stories and solutions

... fuses powerful ideas with practical actions

... is an independent media organization

... inspires people to create a just and sustainable world

... inspires action in a growing community: engaged citizens to activists to thought leaders

... cultivates a vast and vibrant online presence

... publishes an ad-free print magazine

... is nonprofit and subscriber-supported

primary messaging [ external ]

wE CONNECT ISSUES TO THEIR SOLUTIONS.

In 2009, YES! distributed more than 32,000 free copies of YES! Magazine to activist groups to support their work.

Email newsletters—including a Spanish-language edition—reach more than 46,000 readers.

Our online articles include exclusive multimedia coverage: photo essays, audio, and video. And resources listed with each article show readers how to take action.

The searchable, online archive contains more than 6,000 timeless articles.

All content is offered free for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license.

In 2006 and 2008, the Checklist to Safeguard Your Vote email reached over half a million people through reposting.

According to a 2008 survey, after reading the Climate Change issue, 90% of readers felt more hopeful, and 80% felt ready to take action.

Poster reprints significantly increase the magazine’s reach. Hundreds of the poster Our Own Agenda were handed out at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

yes! Brand Attributes

Four times a year, YES! Magazine publishes courageous insight and fresh solutions to critical issues. In 2010: Climate Action, Race Relations, Water, and Resilient Communities.

YES! Magazine is ad-free and subscriber-supported. Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman says: “YES! is a vital voice among independent media.”

YES! Magazine is a leading myth buster. In its Summer 2006 issue, it showed that biofuels are not a sustainable replacement for oil. In the New Economy issue, it showed how banks—not government—create money.

YES! Magazine finds positive change in unexpected places. In the Summer 2008 issue, former Cold War Secretary of State George Shultz shared his vision for a nuclear-free world.

Project Censored editors call YES! Magazine “the standard for solutions journalism.”

YES! Magazine shows the way forward by illuminating stories of successes both big and small: Folksinger Pete Seeger has subscribed since 1997 because “it’s these millions of small stories that will save the world.”

YES! offers tools for taking action for both engaged citizens and

activist leaders.

In marketing ourselves, we should emphasize these three key attributes and their proof-points.

Our journalism goes beyond the day’s problems to spotlight

solutions for a better world.

wE TELL A dIFFERENT STORY.

1 2


YES! forecasts major trends and spotlights emerging leaders

years before they appear in conventional media.

YES! Magazine featured Muhammad Yunus and his work with microfinance 10 years before he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Van Jones has credited YES! for vaulting him and his vision for green collar jobs to the national stage.

YES! features powerful ideas from the most compelling thought leaders of the day. Wendell Berry, Bill McKibben, Frances Moore Lappé, David Korten, Annie Leonard, John Taylor Gatto, Winona La Duke, Raj Patel, Greg Palast, David Sirota ...

Our signature interviews have included Robert Kennedy Jr., Vandana Shiva, Van Jones, Pete Seeger, Parker Palmer, George Shultz, Nobel winner Elinor Ostrom ...

Executive editor Sarah van Gelder’s commentary is regularly featured on the Huffington Post, Alternet, and Common Dreams.

Policymakers regularly use YES! Magazine to inform the national conversation. NASA lead scientist James Hansen ordered 50 copies of the powerful Winter 2010 Climate Action issue. Congressman Jim McDermott distributed our interview with Maj. Doug Rokke to all members of Congress to raise awareness of the dangers of depleted uranium.

We are one of the only magazines printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

wE LIVE ON THE LEAdING EdGE.

In marketing ourselves, we should emphasize these three key attributes and their proof-points.


YES! forecasts major trends and spotlights emerging leaders

years before they appear in conventional media.

YES! Magazine featured Muhammad Yunus and his work with microfinance 10 years before he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Van Jones has credited YES! for vaulting him and his vision for green collar jobs to the national stage.

YES! features powerful ideas from the most compelling thought leaders of the day. Wendell Berry, Bill McKibben, Frances Moore Lappé, David Korten, Annie Leonard, John Taylor Gatto, Winona La Duke, Raj Patel, Greg Palast, David Sirota ...

Our signature interviews have included Robert Kennedy Jr., Vandana Shiva, Van Jones, Pete Seeger, Parker Palmer, George Shultz, Nobel winner Elinor Ostrom ...

Executive editor Sarah van Gelder’s commentary is regularly featured on the Huffington Post, Alternet, and Common Dreams.

Policymakers regularly use YES! Magazine to inform the national conversation. NASA lead scientist James Hansen ordered 50 copies of the powerful Winter 2010 Climate Action issue. Congressman Jim McDermott distributed our interview with Maj. Doug Rokke to all members of Congress to raise awareness of the dangers of depleted uranium.

We are one of the only magazines printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

wE LIVE ON THE LEAdING EdGE.

3wE REACH THE NEXT GENERATION

Our education program inspires tomorrow’s leaders, connecting course concepts

with the real world.

YES! articles are used in high school and college courses, English Language Learner (ELL) classes, and prison writing workshops.

YES! education resources energize at all levels — from high school teachers to major education organizations, including the World Affairs Council and the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education.

The education email newsletter reaches more than 20,500 educators with lesson plans, curricula, and stories from the field.

In 2009, more than 2,300 teachers received free magazine subscriptions. YES! also provides subscriptions to school libraries nationwide.

Interns are an integral part of the staff, allowing us to invest in and learn from the diverse world of today’s youth. Each year 20 young people work with our teams: editorial, education, online, and marketing.

Students write essays on inspiring YES! stories through our Exemplary Essay Project, and many are published on our website.

wE BUILd COMMUNITY

YES! builds active communities—online and

on the ground.

YES! connects readers with like-minded people through a lively Twitter and Facebook presence, and an online calendar that highlights events happening near you.

YesMagazine.org readers engage in spirited discussions using the comment feature following each article.

YES! attends, co-sponsors, and distributes magazines at 50 to 100 events each year, including Green Festivals, Bioneers, and progressive faith gatherings.

YES! partners with other independent media outlets by co-developing articles and videos, and cross-posting materials. The Institute for Policy Studies collaborated on the Summer 2008 Foreign Policy issue.

Policymakers, major nonprofits, and faith networks—including the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Veterans for Peace, and the Unitarian Universalists—regularly request back issues of YES! and invite contributing editors to speak at national conventions.

These two attributes are for emphasis in fundraising:

4 5

yes!

The journalistic voice of YES! Magazine is Scala. Scala comes in Bold. Regular. Italic. And Bold Italic.

the rest of yeS! magazine is vista.vista comes in light. Light Italic. Book. Book Italic. Regular. Regular Italic. Medium. Medium Italic. Bold. Bold Italic. and, if you must, Black.

15•5•50•0 35•5•20•5 15•0•40•5 0•0•9•3

visual Identity: yeS! magazine

35•25•75•10 100•50•25•35 65-20-35-10 30•0•80•10 20-24-97-058-26-56-050-20-20-10


color use in the print magazine should always act in support of the photography. This

underscores the journalism that is our basis, and the authentic nature of our personality.

color should be used to communicate information and tone and to bring clarity; never to

merely decorate or enliven. Red, white and black comprise the Signature colors.

0•0•50•0

15•91•100•30

YES! Signature colors

18•90•100•7

Secondary colors

Accents

Support colors include a range of colors that can add a deep, rich quality to materials.

One support color may be used with as many as two Secondary colors and any or all of the Signature colors.

Think of Support colors as accents that should never overtake the design. The use of too many

support colors will dilute the power of the primary signature colors.

The secondary color palette includes a range ofneutrals that complement the primary colors

without overpowering them. In any given application, only two secondary colors should be

used with the primary colors to keep the primary colors dominant. The use of too many

secondary colors will dilute the power of the primary colors.

Support colors

9•6•19•3

PMS 3985 U10-55-100-0

you can never go wrong with vista.vista comes in light. Light Italic. Book. Book Italic. Regular. Regular Italic. Medium. Medium Italic. Bold. Bold Italic. and, if you must, Black.

yes!

The YES! ad voice is Geometric 712. It comes in Light. Light Italic. Medium. Medium Italic. This is Bold. There is no Bold Italic. And, if you must, Extra Bold.

PMS 3025 U

R 0 G 80 B 112

#005070

PMS 3145 U

R 51 G 142 B 162

#338ea2

PMS 382 U

R 171 G 196 B 86

#abc456

PMS 606 U

R 202 G 178 B 48

#cab230

visual Identity: print materials

PMS 5503 u

R 157 G 197 B 194

#9dc5c2

70%

40%

15%

PMS 615 U

R 220 G 221 B 151

#dcdd97


It is vital that marketing and development materials establish and continually

reinforce the core visual identity of YES! Magazine.

In marketing and development materials, the Signature colors can be

used much more vigorously than in the print magazine. While all of YES!

Magazine’s color palette is available to marketing materials as necessary,

these four colors support our primary Signature colors most strongly.

YES! Signature color

Support colors

These Secondary colors support the

Signature colors most strongly.

Secondary colors

R 255 G 252 B 223

#fffcdf

35•5•20•5

0•0•9•3

20-24-97-030•0•80•1070•15•20•20100•50•25•35

15•5•50•0

PMS 180

R 178 G 56 B 42

#b2382a

18•90•100•7

Red. Red. Red. Red is the dominant color, followed by black and white.

yes! visual Identity: yeS! online

The yesmagazine.org san serif is Verdana.

Verdana comes in Regular. Italic. Bold. Bold Italic.

The yesmagazine.org serif is Georgia. It comes in Regular. And Italic, which is a lovely cut and its best feature. This is, ugh, Bold. And Bold italic. AVOID ALL CAPS BOLD IN THIS FONT AND LARGE POINT SIZES.


PMS 180

R 178 G 56 B 42

#b2382a

Signature colors

Red, white and black comprise the

Signature colors of YES! These

colors should anchor website

designs.

R 0 G 80 B 112 #005070

R 202 G 178 B 48 #cab230

PLANETPEOPLE POwERPEACE & JUSTICENEw ECONOMYHAPPINESS

R51 G 142 B 162 #338ea2

R 171 G 196 B 86 #abc456

R 118 G 150 B 123 #76967b

Specialty colors

These colors are used to flag our Topic pages. They should be used sparingly

elsewhere on the site and only for subtle accent.

R 157 G 197 B 194

#9dc5c2

R 165 G 192 B 190

#a5c0be

R 220 G 221 B 151

#dcdd97

R 160 G 157 B 90

#a09d5a

R 206 G 221 B 161

#cedda1

R 203 G 219 B 203

#cbdbcb

These colors offer complementary options for navigational elements, promotional areas and

other prominent design and content elements. because we are journalistic at our core and authentic in

personality, we should give priority to photographs and use spot color only for support.

Secondary colors

R 204 G 204 B 204

#cccccc

R 102 G 102 B 102

#66666

R 225 G 225 B 225

#e1e1e1

R 197 G 189 B 157

#c5bd9d

R 229 G 225 B 208

#e5e1d0

neutral colors

On the web, neutral colors are very important to support a colorful web presence. Without the neutrals our bright

colors will appear garish. Use these colors liberally. These colors add sophistication and richness to a bright palette.

R 247 G 244 B 227

#f7f4e3

• no Shadow.

• The red and black logo should appear against a white—or nearly white—background as much as possible.

• There is no reverse version: On a dark or colored background, use a white box.

• “Yes!” is in Scala bold.

• Tagline is in vista Medium Italic: Treat it like a hedline. Upper and lower case with a comma.

• Exclamation point is always YES! Red. In b&W publications, use 50% black.

Our logo is the distillation of our brand. It connects the brand to all forms of communication. The more

consistent a logo looks and is used, the more likely it will be remembered and make an impact.

yes!

yes! Powerful Ideas,

Practical Actions

Red block style exclusively for

print magazine cover


Tagline can be used

either above or below.

The lines of the tag-

line are staggered. The

“practical Actions” line is

always centered on the

exclamation point.

On dark background

yes!


Practical Actions


Practical Actions

yes!

visual Identity: the logo

yes! m a g a z i n e

yes! m a g a z i n e

In black and white

Use the plain,

magazine, or tagline

versions as needed.

SAmple emAIl SIGNAtureS

Rod ArakakiAudience Development Director206/842-5009 [email protected]

YES! Nonprofit. Independent. Subscriber-supported.

To learn more, visit yesmagazine.org

SAmple eXterNAl tAGlINe

Sarah van Gelder is executive editor of YES! Magazine, an independent media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions for a just and sustainable world.

yes! Brand Implementation

Some samples of how we might carry forward our brand messaging and visual identity.

pick and choose from our messaging whatever works for you in your work.

Sharon BoothCirculation Design Manager

[email protected] 206/842-5009 x215

yesmagazine.orgyes! Powerful Ideas, Practical Actions

284 Madrona Way NE #116, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110


Doug PibelManaging Editor206/842-5009 [email protected]

YES! MagazinePowerful Ideas, Practical Actions

To learn more, visit yesmagazine.org

SAmple vIdeo eNder SlIde

yes! brand book 2011

Documents

independent media organization

practical actionsdecember

magazinethe print magazine

online journalism

online communityyes

community grounds us

vibrant online presence

better worlda better