Text and Design Guidelines

July 2021
 Whether you’re a member of our sales team, a
writer, a designer or any other contributor to our
external communications, this brand style guide
should help you to make on-brand decisions for
Nippon India Mutual Fund.
Index

Part 2 – Part 4 – What

Part 3 –
Part 1 – Brand Language and does it look Part 5 –
Design
Guidelines Text like in Assessment
Guidelines
Guidelines practice?
 Part 1
Brand Guidelines
The NIMF Outlook
Success comes from earnestly staying the course, playing by the rules, and never
losing sight of one’s goal.
Success comes to those who think like achievers; the select few who: ​
• Stay ahead of the curve
• Are agile and adaptable to change
• Consistently make prudent decisions
• Are globally aware

At NIMF, we want you to overachieve your potential.

The NIMF Agenda
We communicate to help people Never Stop Achieving.

When things get tough, we make sure you keep your chin up and try again.
When things get easy, we make sure you don’t lose focus.
We are a careful and considerate mentor who drives people to become
Global Citizens.
We are a process –driven and responsible investment manager; who
upholds the principle of sustainable investing.
We communicate to help people exceed their true potential.​
The NIMF Identity
As a mentor with a global, sustainable outlook, we wield great power over people. And with that
comes great responsibility. We take it upon ourselves to:

- Never lose perspective. We serve people’s true aspirations by never getting lost in the frenzy of
the moment. We have maturity and strong process-orientation on our side.
- Walk the talk. We go beyond theory and practice what we preach. It is our continued streak of
achievements, initiatives and responsibility that gives us the right to guide people.
- Stay in control. Our foundation is built on strong fundamentals, and that gives us the stability to
remain focused, and quickly adapt to changes and challenges.
- Be global citizens. We are conscious of the impact our actions and words can have – not just on
our ecosystem of employees, investors, and partners, but on society as a whole. This makes it
important for us to be measured and deliberate in how we conduct ourselves.
The NIMF Belief System

Strong Processes are Consistent Returns are

more important than more important than Spurts
Star Individuals of High Returns

Conscious Investing is Investment Experience is

more important than only more important than
Chasing Returns Fund Performance

Managing Risk is more Goal-based Investing is

important than Simply more beneficial than
Taking Risks Timing the Market
The NIMF Voice
We are empathetic because we know:
The struggles people go through
Like:
• Making ends meet
• Honouring responsibilities towards
loved ones
• Handling the pressure of being
there for their family
The problematic mindsets that hold
them back
Like:
• It is too early to invest
• Withdraw investments when the
market is high!
• Mutual funds are not as safe as
gold/property
• High returns are more important
than stable returns.
What it’s like to be in their situation.
We have seen it all.
Because:
• We’ve guided the most seasoned
investors through some of the
toughest times in Indian economic
history
• We understand the markets better
than anyone
The NIMF Voice
But we are NEVER:
Oversensitive Indulgent Falsely positive
We don’t: We don’t: We don’t:
• Accept excuses for • Break down everything in • Paint a positive, uplifting picture
underperformance excruciating detail because they when that’s not the truth
• Allow aspirations to be lowered haven’t done their research • Instead, we draw lessons from
just because there’s a ‘rough patch’ • Let them lose themselves in failure, and use success as a
or a ‘tough time’ making plans and avoid action stepping stone
Remember!
Take yourself (as NIMF) out of the conversation.

Our communication is about the reader and how their life will be
impacted, not how we will make it happen.

To drive this, use the word “you” in every message.

How do we want to make people feel?
We make people feel… With words like…
Challenged to stop and reflect The future is closer than we think
Change begins with you. Act today for a better
Encouraged to act
tomorrow
Impressed by a new point of view they hadn’t The pros don’t react to every up and down in the
considered market. They make better decisions

Inspired by the journeys and milestones achieved by Here we tell you what industry insiders are calling ‘The
those who are achieving the goals they too want to biggest news of the week’

What is more important than star individual? Strong

Assured by our strong process-orientation and
Processes.
commitment to long-term, sustainable investing
Be good, results will follow.
 Part 2
Language and Text Guide
The NIMF Tonality
Defining
Which means… It’s not… But…
Characteristic
Investment is an important part of
securing your financial future. Before you
To-the-point, precise, Here are five things you
invest, it is important to think carefully
Sharp no beating around the must know before you
about the decision. Here are five things
bush invest.
you should know before you choose the
right investment for you.
The market is and will always
be volatile, and the pros
Bold but not The market can be volatile and deciding
Self assured know the best thing to do is
overconfident. the way forward can be tricky.​
to stay calm and stay
invested.​
The NIMF Tonality
Defining
Which means… It’s not… But…
Characteristic
Easy-to-understand and Pre-loved books can spark love The books you once loved could spark
Simple
de-jargonised for learning. the love for reading in a child today.
It’s the dollar which gives the US an
Aware of global market The US has great influence over exorbitant privilege after all. While
Intelligent events and can the currencies of other nations, every other country in the world needs
interpret them as history has proven. to earn these dollars, the US can
simply print them.
The NIMF Tonality
Defining
Which means… It’s not… But…
Characteristic
Encourages you to act.
Start your journey to the
Inspiring To be better and Your induction guide to be successful.
top.
achieve more
This program is tailored to make you feel
Chic, modern and Welcome to the first day of
International at home and help prepare you to tap into
classy the rest of your life.
your true potential.
We never assume we
know the best or the The right product for you is
To get to where you want to be, you need
Humble most, but we are one that can help you
the best products.
confident in what we achieve your goals.
know.
The NIMF Dictionary
We use British English across all our communications.

For example:
Colour instead of color
Organise instead of organize

Use “English (United Kingdom)” [Not English (India)] on all MS Office products and
Emailing Servers to maintain consistency in vocabulary and spellings.
Determining Sentence and Title Length
Having a long, uninterrupted sentence can cause your reader to skip through vital
information.

Instead, it’s best to use short, punchy sentences that use fewer words to convey
what you need to.

For a sentence, it’s best to keep it between 7-10 words.

For a headline, it’s best to keep it between 5-7 words.
Usage of Numbers across Creatives
Write down all numbers below ten in full.
Ex: Please place no more than five books in a single cover while donating.

Else, use numbers.

Ex: Please place no more than 25 books in a single cover while donating.

If your sentence begins with a number, capitalise the word after it.
Ex: 5 Tips to start investing in a mutual fund
Tips for writing for different
stakeholders
Employees
Who is most responsive to our content?
- New joinees!

- People who've spent 3+ years in the company

Key to communicate with them:
I) Constantly remind them of the size of the organization. The largeness of the organization - beyond their own
function – and the purpose of the organization as a conscious global citizen.
II) Find a way to help them viz. what matters to them like Diwali greetings or health tips for COVID-19.
Why do they respond/participate?

- Sense of belonging, association

- Recognition (employee awards)
Retail investors
Who they are: For first-time investors, their dream is often to have a
secure financial future. Consciously or subconsciously, they want their
investments to propel them from one income class to another.

Key to communicate with them:

• Help them understand importance of having a goal-driven investment.
• Help them structure their knowledge, improve their confidence.
• Make them feel like they could become as successful as the people they are
trying to emulate.
• Introduce them to the concept of responsible investing.
Distributors
Who they are: They are the people who believe in us and the work we do and help us
be accountable to the values and vision of our brand.
Key to communicate with them: Be concise and professional. Talk to them intelligently
and understand that they probably know as much or more than us.
Retail MFD-
• Performance
• Wants to know how we can improve his business, save time
• Material to take to his investors
HNI MFD-
• Not too dependent on marketing material or fund manager's time
• Wants processes, consistent performance and reassurance
Institutional Investors
Who they are: Financial Director, CFO or Head of treasury of a company. Takes a
professional decision to invest his company's corpus. Reports to the board and has a much
higher savviness with the investment space. In family businesses it could be the youngest
son who gets made the CFO.

Key to communicate with them:

I) Requires technical and comparative information.
II) Their reputation is on the line here! They need this to make a case internally and get
credit.
III) Give them information/proof from Real Experts - someone from Wall Street or the
Hong Kong stock exchange.
IV) Showcase our sustainability efforts and ESG credentials.
HNI Investors
Key to communicate with them:
• Expect to be given a real impression of the markets and to be in touch to update
him constantly.
• If we make a mistake, we need to reach out and tell him why it happened and
what we intend to do to correct it.
• Acknowledge their existing knowledge of our products and industry (even if not
of our brand).
• Skip the small talk!
• Personalize communication to make them feel seen and understood.
• Showcase our sustainability efforts and ESG credentials.
Ultra HNI Investors
Key to communicate with them:
• Well researched, data-backed insights that talk about Finance and Economy and
Investment – but not lifestyle.
• Data-driven content that doesn't just rely on our CIO's expertise but comes from a
place of undeniable facts.
• Talk about our brand beyond the expected stuff - what social issues do we stand
for? What’s the proof of concept?
• Highlight how we stand for – and make continuing efforts to support- Social,
Environmental and Governance issues.
 Part 3
Design Guidelines
The Nippon Red in Stock Images

Every stock image that we use for any of the Nippon communication should feature a prominent red element.

The red elements in the image can be part of the subject, foreground, or background, as long as it clearly stands
out.

To make the red element stand out, the background sometimes may have to be lightened. Let’s look at some
examples of this in action.
Types of
Images

Priority:

1. Human Images(best
for connect)
2. Dramatic (Create an impact
with compelling imagery)
3. To-The-Point (Send a clear
message, especially for
instructions and education)
4. Surreal (When nothing
else works!)
 Link – www.shutterstock.com/g/monamis

Go back to Illustrated Video

Guidelines
Go back to Illustrated Video
Guidelines
Link – www.shutterstock.com/g/tuadesk
 Part 4
What does it look like in practice?
1. Customer Information Mailer
Ex. Pustakdaan Mailer
Agenda
Why this mailer exists:

• To make an announcement/ disseminate information about something NIMF wants people to know.
• It highlights a drive organised by the company or an internal event that NIMF is hosting.

• It does not talk about a NIMF product.

Writing Guidelines
Header text

• The header text should be used to get the reader’s attention.

• Ask yourself- what can I say to shake into doing something?
How can I say something thought provoking? How can I
deliver shock value?
• Always end sentence with a punctuation.
Rather than
Pre-loved books can start learning
Say
Do you think accessible education is every child’s right?
If you do, put it on paper.
Structure Guidelines
Layout
• Divide your content into what your reader must know and
what would be good for them to know.
Good to
• Identify the major Call To Action (CTA) you want the reader to
know
take (can be one thing, or a series of steps) and use the CTA to
divide the must know and good to know sections.

• Body word count: 100 words for Must Know, 150 words for CTA
Good To Know

Must
know
Slide 55
What not to do
• Outdated, jarring illustrations that do not invoke any
thought or emotion
• Confusing copy that is not “the simplest way to
write this”
• Imbalance of focus on text vs design
2. Feature Announcement Mailer
Ex. SIP Insure Mailer
Agenda
Why this mailer exists:

• To make an announcement/ disseminate information about something NIMF wants people to know.
• It discusses the benefits of a particular NIMF product or a new feature of a NIMF product.
• It aims to encourage people to invest in the product by highlighting the benefits of the new product/feature.
Writing Guidelines
Header text

• Ask a question in the header to get the reader to realise they are not
doing enough (either to protect their family or secure their future or
grow their money).
• Always use language that challenges the reader’s actions and beliefs, so
that they are provoked to act differently.
Rather than
During these difficult times, taking necessary measures to protect your
loved ones is essential.
Say
Are you sure you’re doing the best you can to protect your loved ones in
these difficult times?
Structure Guidelines
Layout
• Start by creating a sense of urgency (ask a question or use a
shocking statistic) and then create a sense of relief by talking
about how the product can help.
• Highlight the information that the reader would find the most
useful.
• If you are using a hashtag, make sure to highlight it separately.
Sense of
• Only use 1 hashtag per creative. urgency
• Body word count: 100 words. Sense of
relief

Most useful
information
What not to do
• Frivolous wordplay that is not
sharp/smart but over smart
• Misuse of space- there is a lot of white
space, but the text still seems cramped
and tiny
• Use of colours that don’t belong to the
NIMF pallet
• Overly positive, forgettable imagery that
doesn’t make someone stop and ponder
3. Investor Education Mailer
Agenda
Why this mailer exists:

• To educate investors about How, Where, When or What to invest.

• Either to:
• Change a mindset
• Introduce a new financial concept
• Bust a myth
• It does not talk about a NIMF product.
Writing Guidelines
Header text

• The header text should be used to build confidence in the

investor.
• Sound sure and confident in your expertise, but not boastful.
Rather than
The market is and will always be volatile. But you don't have to
be intimidated by the ups and downs.
Say
If you worry about the ups and downs in the market, you don't
know enough about it.
Structure Guidelines
Layout
• Divide your content into what your reader should do
while investing and how NIMF can help them in
their journey.
• Identify the major Call To Action (CTA) you want the
reader to take (such as following a link) and place it
in a separate section.

• Body word count: 100 words.

What not to do
• No indication of the unique Nippon Red or the
Nippon colour palette in the image.
• Unnecessary white space on the side,
reducing legibility of the text
• Unaligned header that doesn’t respect ‘the
Nippon N’
• Design elements do not mesh with each other
4. Illustrated Video
Ex. Fund Birthday Video
Agenda
Why this video exists:

• To create a positive sentiment about a particular NIMF product/service/feature.

• It seeks to educate investors about the unique features of a specific NIMF product.
Writing Guidelines
• Include a question in the first slide as a way to pique interest rather than just a statement.
Rather than
His name is Bond. Dynamic Bond.
Say
Thought 16 is a young age? Not enough to make an impact?
Think again.
• Explain terms that night seem complicated to readers.
Ex: He also adopted the Roll Down strategy (holding securities till maturity), to get visibility of potential returns.
Illustrated Video Guidelines
Layout
• Only include 4-5 key pieces of information so that the
length of the video comes up to only 40-50 seconds.
• Keep up to a maximum of 10-12 words in each frame.
• When choosing transitions for frames, use simple ones
such as 'fade' or 'push'.
• Choose music that is international and sexy- it needs to be
pleasant to the ear, and it should not vary too much in
pitch or tempo.
• Since a story is being built, use the character style of
illustrations.
What not to do
• Avoid using music that is too upbeat and playful as it might
sound childish rather than friendly.
• Avoid using colours that are not in the Nippon colour palette.
• Avoid unrelated animations or imagery that is not in line with
our professional look and feel.
5. Product Note
Agenda
Why the product note exists:

• To equip sales people about the features and performance of a specific NIMF fund so that they can make more sales and
close deals faster.
• To suggest talking points that employees can use in conversation with prospective/current customers.
Writing Guidelines
• The cover page should only have a 6-8 word header that talks about how the specific fund can help investors.
• While asking questions to the investors, don't take it easy. Ask questions that will provoke them to question their
investment methods.
Rather than
Do you invest already? Do you have an investment strategy?
Say
Sure, you're saving- but do you actually have a strategy in mind?
Structure Guidelines
Layout
• Section 1: Overview of the fund – 150-200 words
• Section 2: Features and performance of the fund
• Section 3: Main message (how the fund is suitable for retail, HNI and institutional investors) – 100 words
• Section 4: Highlights (Maximum of 5-6 data points picked from section 2) – 100-150 words

• Section 5: Trigger questions/statements (questions/statements you ask the client) – 100 words

• Section 6: Questions to set you above the rest (questions/statements the client asks you) – 100 words

• Section 7: General FAQs – 200-250 words

What not to do
• Overloading the document with information.
• Not including any images to support the reading
experience.
• Imagery that is not inviting and does not communicate
what is unique about the fund.
6. HR Induction Handbook
Agenda
Why the handbook exists:

• To welcome people to NIMF and give them an idea of the work culture.
• This document is only for internal circulation, so it will not contain any product details.
Writing Guidelines
• Always refer to the brand as "NIMF".
• Provide support- but don't pander to your employees.
Rather than
We consider our employees as the most valuable resources. Which is why Aarambh is here
to serve as the guide to a healthy employer – employee relationship.
Say
This document is for you to understand the spirit of NIMF, so you can hit the ground
running as a motivated agent of change.
Writing Guidelines
• Instead of telling them what's in the document, tell them what they can gain from it.
Rather than
Aarambh focuses on helping you get all the desired information on our business, our product
offering, our people policies, our processes and understanding of various functions and
departments.
Say
This document also gives you a glimpse of what it's like to work at NIMF, so that you feel part
of the team before you even meet your colleagues.
What not to do
• Using archaic, unprofessional imagery.
• Long sentences and paragraphs making it hard to focus on any one piece of
information.
• Overuse of colours not in the Nippon palette.
 Part 5
Assessment
1. Which of the following don’t reflect NIMF
tonality?
• If you’re not sure how to invest, leave it to the experts.
• All you need to do is fill the form and place the books in a cover.
• Education is important for every child, regardless of their capacity to access it. We are organising
a book drive to empower those children that are less fortunate so that they can have a brighter
future.
• Do you think you’re doing enough to protect your family’s financial future?
• Read on to know everything you need for a successful sales pitch.
• Welcome to NIMF and all the best for your journey ahead.
1. Which of the following don’t reflect NIMF
tonality?
• If you’re not sure how to invest, leave it to the experts.
• All you need to do is fill the form and place the books in a cover.
• Education is important for every child, regardless of their capacity to access it. We are
organising a book drive to empower those children that are less fortunate so that they can have
a brighter future.
• Do you think you’re doing enough to protect your family’s financial future?
• Read on to know everything you need for a successful sales pitch.
• Welcome to NIMF and all the best for your journey ahead.
2. Which of these images is not appropriate for a
NIMF creative?
3. Choose the wrong one
You can withdraw money from the fund after six years OR
You can withdraw money from the fund after 6 years

The fund has been performing well for the last twelve years OR
The fund has been performing well for the last 12 years

It's important to instil financial responsibility in our children OR

It's important to instill financial responsibility in our children
Let’s give our content the unique NIMF
look and feel.