Brand Toolkit - Canadian Tourism Commission - Canada

The essentialsWe often write for different kinds of audiences, thereare certain qualities in our voice that you’ll always find.Keep the following essentials in mind.Be true to our personality.Our brand is informal, witty and authentic, so write in a way that reveals thosetraits. You’ll want to be especially personal and conversational when speakingto travellers. Even when using a less casual style for corporate and mediaaudiences, you can do so in a way that still sounds distinctly like us.Remember what makes us unique.Simpler is smarter.We like to keep things straightforward, so avoid highly figurative or idiomaticwriting (with lots of colloquial expressions and cultural references). Along thesame lines, titles and subheads should say right up front what you’re going tobe describing. This is critical if what you’re writing is going to be translated.Say it with feeling.Choose colourful nouns and active verbs that convey real emotion. Add life toyour sentences by replacing invisible verbs like “go” and “have” with dynamicones like “explore” or “embrace.” Most importantly, don’t be afraid to begenerous with personal pronouns like “you” and “we.”Our unique selling propositions (see section 1.3) are our strengths, the thingswe do differently than anywhere else. Always highlight them when talking topeople about Canada.2.5 Writing style Canadian Tourism Commission brand guidelines, Version 2.0, October 200938