Land Rover UK TOV Guidelines

LAND ROVER UK COPY GUIDELINES 

1 

UK COPY 

GUIDELINES 

REQUESTED COMMUNICATIONS 

05/03/2020


2 

CONTENTS 

What’s the purpose of this document? 4 

What’s the difference between requested 

and unrequested communications? 5 

Who’s our audience and what’s our personality? 7 

Our tone of voice 11 

Putting it into practice 14 

Quick checklist 44 

Style guide 45 

Any questions? 52


3 

INTRODUCTION

Jaguar Land Rover Limited. Registered address: Abbey Road, Whitley, Coventry, CV3 4LF, UK. Registered in England No. 1672070 


4 

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE 

OF THIS DOCUMENT? 

Letters. Brochures. Emails. Web pages. Terms and conditions. 

These are the things that our customers come into contact with all the time. 

And if those things aren’t consistent, well written, fail to build trust or 

don’t support what we stand for, they could undermine our brand. 

So we’ve created these practical writing guidelines to help make sure 

that everything we write helps strengthen our relationship with our 

customers. At this time, we’ll be focusing on how to create a consistent 

voice for requested communications only. We’ll get on to why that is 

and how to do it shortly. 

WHO ARE THESE 

GUIDELINES FOR? 

Primarily the marketing team at Jaguar Land Rover, and copywriters, 

account managers and planners at Spark44, who work on digital 

and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) communications. 

Dear 

The new Range Rover Velar is our most refined, capable and advanced medium SUV to date. And although 

you weren’t able to meet it at our preview event, we thought you’d appreciate a closer look. 

Poised, confident and packed with advanced technology, Velar offers a new dimension in glamour, modernity 

and elegance. It’s beautifully depicted in the enclosed book, which includes compelling insights into this 

remarkable new Range Rover. It’s yours, with the compliments of Land Rover. 

As you’ll see, Velar certainly rewards close inspection. Land Rover’s chief design officer Gerry McGovern 

chose renowned photographer Gary Bryan to bring out the beautiful detailing and attention to detail 

throughout Velar, the fourth member of the Land Rover family. Gary’s abstract, super high definition shots 

were the centrepiece of a Design Museum exhibition at the launch event, and are reproduced in all their 

glory in your complimentary Velar book. 

Meanwhile, thank you once again for your interest in Velar. 

Yours sincerely, 

Scott Dicken 

Marketing Director 

JAGUAR LAND ROVER 

Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. Official Fuel 

Consumption Figures for the Range Rover Velar range in mpg (I/100km): Urban 22.2-45.6 (12.7-6.2); 

Extra Urban 37.7-57.7 (7.5-4.9); Combined 30.1-52.5 (9.4-5.4). CO2 Emissions 214-142 g/km. 

Land Rover 

Abbey Road, Whitley, Coventry, CV3 4LF, UK 

landrover.com


5 

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE 

BETWEEN REQUESTED AND 

UNREQUESTED COMMUNICATIONS? 

An unrequested communication covers things like press ads, 

radio spots, online banners and TV commercials. It’s all about 

grabbing attention. It’s the cold call. 

A requested communication applies to things like emails, letters, 

direct mail and websites. It’s all about keeping customers engaged. 

It’s the follow-up call. 

WHY USE A DIFFERENT TONE 

OF VOICE FOR REQUESTED AND 

UNREQUESTED COMMUNICATIONS? 

While it’s important that our identity remains consistent across 

multiple platforms, our tone of voice needs to vary. 

Think of it like real life: You don’t speak to your boss the same way 

you speak to a friend. And you don’t speak to a friend the same 

way you speak to your mum. You adjust your tone according to who 

you’re talking to, and what you’re talking about. But your personality 

remains the same. 

The same principle applies to unrequested and requested 

communications, and the different methods of communication 

within each. 

Here we’ll give you some pointers on how to best get your message 

across to your audience in requested communications.


6 

BUT FIRST…


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WHO’S OUR AUDIENCE? 

To strike the right note with our audience, you need to know 

who they are. So we’ve described our target audience for you 

on the next page. 

WHAT’S OUR PERSONALITY? 

Our tone of voice conveys our brand essence and personality. 

So first of all, let us define what we stand for and what our 

personality is, for the brand overall and our three vehicle 

families (Range Rover, Discovery and Defender). 

DO YOUR RESEARCH 

To read more about our audience, personality and other 

background information, please contact a member of your 

Spark44 UK Strategic Planning team, and they’ll provide you 

with the right documents.


8 

OUR AUDIENCE 

People who have both style and substance. 

Those who are educated and intelligent with 

inner strength and the desire to make more 

of their world. 

BRAND PLATFORM 

We are the brand that enables and inspires 

you to make more of your world.


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EVERY FAMILY CONTRIBUTES TO THE PLATFORM 

MAKE MORE OF YOUR WORLD 

RANGE ROVER 

DISCOVERY 

DEFENDER 

VENTURES 

ADVENTURES 

EXPLORATIONS 

Business or leisure ventures 

to make more of your world, 

mentally and physically. 

Adventures – big and small – 

to physically make more of 

your world. 

Great explorations, off the beaten 

track, to make more of your world 

by pushing yourself to the limit.


10 

OUR BRAND CHARACTER 

Our brand character is the voice and personality of our brand. 

It defines the way we should express the brand at all times. 

All communications, experiences, encounters and touchpoints 

should be executed through the lense of this character. 

Land Rover is an Unruffled Hero. 

APPLYING OUR BRAND CHARACTER 

TO REQUESTED COMMUNICATIONS 

The personality traits on the right apply to the brand as a whole and 

all our communications need to be true to Land Rover. But some 

elements of our personality are more suited to certain channels and 

types of communications. 

As our most informative and targeted point of communication with our 

customers, our standard tone of voice for requested communications 

should mostly reflect the approachable nature of the Unruffled Hero. 

But of course, when appropriate we can dial up any of the others. 

WHAT HE/SHE 

IS: 

Determined 

Genuine 

Courageous 

Understated 

Confident 

Worldly 

Poised 

Composed 

Charming 

Passionate 

Driven 

Approachable 

Hands-on 

Hardworking 

Grounded 

WHAT HE/SHE 

ISN’T: 

Ruthless 

Insincere 

Forceful 

Passive 

Arrogant 

Aloof 

Reticent 

Cold 

Cheesy 

Obsessive 

Selfish 

Overfamiliar 

Controlling 

Single-minded 

Everyday


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TONE OF VOICE


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SO WHAT’S OUR TONE OF VOICE? 

Our brand character of the Unruffled Hero informs how we speak, 

which in a nutshell is…


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SIMPLY HUMAN 

If you remember anything, remember this. 

It sums up our tone of voice in two words. 

SAY IT SIMPLY 

Let’s face it, life can be complicated enough. 

So to make our customers’ lives a little simpler, 

we avoid unnecessary fuss and faff and keep things straightforward. 

SOUND LIKE A HUMAN 

People trust people. Not faceless corporations. So the more it sounds like 

a real person behind our words, the easier it is to connect with our customers.


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PUTTING IT 

INTO PRACTICE 

Some tips to help make your writing simple and human.


15 

RESPECT YOUR READERS’ TIME 

Our customers are real people, with busy lives. 

By making our writing concise and easy to follow, 

we’re making their lives easier.


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KEEP IT SHORT 

SAY YOUR MAIN POINT FIRST 

While it’s great to include a sentence of scene-setting, your piece 

is more likely to be read if you make your main point early on. 

So decide what’s the one thing you want your reader to take away from 

your piece of writing, and say that up front. In the first line if you can. 

DON’T USE THREE WORDS 

WHERE ONE WILL DO 

As well as cutting information, you can take out excess 

words too. Read back over your writing and see if you 

can say things more concisely. 

ONLY TELL YOUR READER WHAT 

THEY REALLY NEED TO KNOW 

Once you’ve got your main point down, think about what other 

details you need to give them. Do they need to know all the ins 

and outs? Or do they just need to know what to do next? 

Look over the brief (or your writing if you’ve already started) 

and see what information you can cut out.


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MAKE IT EASY TO GLANCE THROUGH 

USE HELPFUL HEADLINES 

AND SUBHEADS 

Headlines and subheads are a great way to help your reader navigate 

their way through your writing. But make them helpful. Headings 

like ‘Your Evoque’ don’t tell the reader much. Helpful headings tell 

the reader what’s coming, for example ‘What you need to do next’. 

Sometimes headlines and subheads alone can effectively communicate 

your message. If your audience can get the gist of your message 

without needing to read more then don’t write body copy just for 

the sake of it. 

Sometimes just a headline, image and call to action will do the job. 

USE BULLET POINTS 

Let’s face it, most customers will probably skim your copy, rather 

than read every sentence word for word. Bullet points work well 

because they make it easy for readers to consume your content 

quickly. They’re also a fantastic way to highlight key features 

and benefits. 

But as with any visual design technique, too much of a good 

thing can do more harm than good. So be careful not to overuse 

bulleted lists, or they’ll lose their effectiveness and make your 

communication feel more like a PowerPoint presentation. 

ARE WORDS THE WAY TO GO? 

Blocks of text can look daunting. And they’re not always the best 

way to get across your ideas. So it’s worth considering whether 

you could use something different, like an image, video, diagram 

or infographic.


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ESPECIALLY ONLINE 

WHY DO WE READ 

DIFFERENTLY ONLINE? 

People don’t read copy the same online as they do in traditional 

media like letters and brochures. We very rarely read copy on 

websites and in electronic direct mail (eDMs) word for word, 

instead we scan the page. But why? 

One argument is that it’s more difficult to read lots of text on 

a screen. Especially on a smaller mobile screen. It strains the eyes 

and therefore makes it far less pleasant than reading something 

on paper. Another simple reason for people scanning copy online 

is that they’re looking for something specific. Think about your own 

internet use. You’re usually looking for answers and you skim until 

you find it.


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HOW DO WE READ ONLINE? 

The way people read on a desktop and on a mobile is different. 

EYE TRACKING ON 

DESKTOP SCREENS 

Desktop eye-tracking studies show that most people scan web 

pages and eDMs in the shape of an F. We read the headline 

and the introduction sentence. Then we start moving down the 

page looking for keywords. And we almost always stop at the 

first answer we find.


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EYE TRACKING ON 

MOBILE SCREENS 

Whereas mobile eye-tracking studies show that the gaze is somewhat 

distributed. Viewers look primarily at the centre of the screen.


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HOW TO WRITE FOR SCANNERS 

To make your copy extra easy to scan on desktop and mobile, 

keep it short and make it easy to glance through using the 

techniques mentioned previously, together with the following: 

HOW TO WRITE SCANNABLE COPY 

FOR DESKTOP READERS 

1. We read in an F pattern. 

So try and position and emphasise the most important 

copy on the left-hand side and the top of the page. 

2. We read the headline and the introduction sentence first. 

So make sure they’re compelling. 

3. We start moving down the page looking for key information. 

So try to include one idea per paragraph. 

4. We almost always stop at the first answer we find. 

So put your most important copy right at the top. 

HOW TO WRITE SCANNABLE COPY 

FOR MOBILE READERS 

1. We focus on the centre of the screen. 

So use a single column layout. 

2. Scrolling comes naturally, poor readability doesn’t. 

So make your copy as tight as possible, then increase 

the font size by at least 20%. 

3. Hyperlinks are more difficult to click on. 

So use buttons instead. 

4. Email subject lines get cut off if they’re too long. 

So keep your subject lines under 50 characters, and use the 

preheader text to elaborate (we’ll talk about this more in 

the next section).


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ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO 

SUBJECT LINES AND PREHEADERS 

WHAT ARE SUBJECT LINES 

AND PREHEADERS? 

A subject line is the single line of text recipients see when your email 

lands in their inbox. A preheader is the summary text that follows the 

subject line. 

WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT? 

As your first touch point with your recipients, the subject line and 

preheader usually determine whether your email is opened or 

ignored. Therefore, it’s essential we try and get it right. To help 

you do so, we’ve outlined some best practices on the next page.


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KEEP IT SHORT 

Given that most smartphones typically show fewer subject line and 

preheader characters – and more and more emails are opened on 

mobile devices – brevity is critical. However, there’s really no such 

thing as a one-size-fits-all word count, since the ideal length of your 

subject line and preheader depends on a variety of factors, like 

what devices, browsers and email platforms your emails are read on. 

So, as a general rule of thumb we recommend you try and keep 

subject lines to 50 characters or less and preheaders to 75 characters 

or less. Or even better, find out the top email clients and devices for 

your audience, and optimise accordingly. 

BE CLEAR 

Make it very clear what your email contains and leave no doubt 

what readers will find inside when they open it. 

DON’T REPEAT THE SUBJECT 

LINE IN THE PREHEADER 

Don’t waste valuable space and time by repeating or rehashing your 

subject line in the preheader. Your preheader should complement 

the subject line and build on it by adding some new information. 

DON’T WRITE A PREHEADER THAT 

CLASHES WITH THE SUBJECT LINE 

At the same time, you do need some consistency here. If the email 

preheader goes off in a completely different direction to your subject 

line, people will be confused or even suspicious, and far less likely to 

open the email. 

More on subject lines and preheaders coming up.


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CONNECT WITH YOUR READERS 

WRITE LIKE YOU SPEAK 

It’s hard for people to connect with a robotic, awkward or salesy voice. 

People instinctively trust those who speak like they do. 

So to build lasting relationships with our customers, 

it’s vital we master a warm and authentic conversational tone. 

BUT NOT EXACTLY 

LIKE YOU SPEAK 

That being said, don’t get overfamiliar or chatty. 

As a premium British brand it’s not our style. Keep it sophisticated. 

When we say “write like you speak”, it’s largely advice about not putting 

on a ‘telephone voice’ when you write. Because unless you’re writing 

scholarly essays – which we are not – the way we’ve been taught to write 

in school is way too formal and outdated. 

Here are some tips for making your writing more conversational…


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DON’T USE STUFFY WORDS 

AND PHRASES 

You wouldn’t say in a meeting, “Schedules shall be agreed upon 

prior to commencement of the project”. You’d say: “We’ll agree 

the schedules before we start the project”. 

Choose everyday alternatives, like these: 

• Help instead of assist 

• Start instead of commence 

• Follow instead of ensue 

• Ask instead of enquire 

• Before instead of prior to 

• Go instead of proceed


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AVOID STOCK PHRASES 

“From a new set of alloy wheels to a precision timepiece…” 

Mercedes-Benz 

“From estate cars that are ideal for both business and family, 

to hatchbacks…” Volkswagen 

“From petrol and diesel, to plug-in hybrid electric…” Land Rover 

“…customise your BMW to suit your needs and lifestyle.” BMW 

“…a range of hybrid vehicles to suit your lifestyle.” Toyota 

“…find the perfect Land Rover vehicle to fit you and your lifestyle.” 

Land Rover 

Sound familiar? It’s not that there’s anything wrong with these 

phrases and formulas per se. But they’ve become overused in our 

industry. And leaning on stock phrases and formulas too much can 

make our copy sound like it’s been written by a well-versed robot. 

Making us sound insincere and therefore our customers are less 

likely to trust us. 

So let’s try to avoid using expressions that feel tired and clichéd, 

and instead consider alternatives which feel more fresh and 

interesting. For instance, instead of using the ‘from this to that’ 

method as a straightforward way of alluding to a range of features, 

you could say something like, “The Range Rover Sport comes with 

an extensive list of standard specifications, such as this and that.” 

Or you could choose to focus on the human benefits instead and write 

something like, “Whether you’re looking for city thrills or everyday 

adventures, Discovery is every vehicle you’ll ever need.” 

But of course, writing something that feels original will take more 

time than just slamming down some overworked formulas – even for 

copywriters with decades of experience. So make sure your team 

keep this in mind.


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AVOID CLICHÉS. 

OR USE THEM CLEVERLY. 

Similar to the previous point, but this time we’re not just talking about 

automotive and advertising clichés. We’re talking about clichés from 

society as a whole. Like “you only live once”, “rise and shine” and 

“nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Avoid them. Unless you use them 

cleverly enough to make them original again. 

AVOID JARGON 

The automotive world uses a lot of jargon and acronyms. Like 

residual value. And total cost of ownership. AWD. And PHEV. 

Avoid it if you can. But sometimes you might have to keep some 

jargon in. In that case, just make sure you explain the meaning the 

first time you mention it. Or hyperlink to a definition elsewhere 

rather than including it. If you’re not sure how to explain some jargon, 

imagine you’re talking to someone who’s intelligent but isn’t in the 

automotive world. Like a friend or family member. Then write down 

the way you’d explain it to them. 

When it comes to acronyms, write it in full the first time you use 

it, followed by the acronym in a bracket. Then use the acronym 

only from there. For example, ‘All-Wheel Drive (AWD)’ first. 

Then just ‘AWD’. 

However, if it’s an acronym that most people know, such as FAQ 

or USB, then there’s no need to write it out in full.


28 


USE CONTRACTIONS 

Use contractions where they sound right. Like ‘don’t’ instead of 

‘do not’ or ‘we’ll’ instead of ‘we will’. They make your writing sound 

less formal. 

BEWARE OF HYPERBOLE 

We never blow our own trumpet, so don’t overstate your point 

or dress it up too much with strings of fancy adjectives or superlatives. 

In an industry where any other car manufacturer can say their vehicles 

are “the best”, “groundbreaking”, “most efficient” or “revolutionary”, 

these superlatives don’t mean anything by themselves. So if you 

write such a claim, back it up with proof, like numbers, awards, 

statistics or reviews, like this: 

“With a towing capability of up to 2,500kg, Discovery Sport can 

handle the most demanding of tasks.” 

“Close to perfection. The best car in its class.” Top Gear 

Your copy will sound more genuine and persuasive if it’s specific, 

credible, and has an air of authority. The most difficult part in 

backing up superlatives with proof, is to do it without it sounding 

boring or convoluted.


29 


IT’S OK TO START SENTENCES 

WITH ‘AND’, ‘BUT’ OR ‘SO’. 

Forget what your English teacher taught you. The Economist. 

The Financial Times. The Bible. All three of these start sentences 

with ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘so’. It’s a technique all the great writers use, 

so feel free to do the same. Just don’t overdo it, else your writing 

might become choppy and sound too casual. 

“[That you can’t start a sentence with a conjunction] is a faintly 

lingering superstition. The Oxford English Dictionary gives 

examples ranging from the 10–19th c; the Bible is full of them”. 

Fowler’s Modern English Usage 

“Its distinctive silhouette and beautifully sculpted surfaces all 

combine to create a vehicle with a dramatic stance. And Discovery 

Sport’s desirability doesn’t diminish once you step inside either, 

with beautifully crafted finishes and optimum premium leathers 

that ensure you can take on every adventure in comfort and style.” 

“Typically, you may not have come to associate the words ‘practical’, 

‘capable’ and ‘versatile’ with the words ‘sleek’ and ‘refined’. But the 

Discovery Sport is far from typical.” 

“Discovery Sport combines seven-seat practicality, go-anywhere 

performance and premium style. So whether you’re taking a family 

trip to the seaside, or ferrying the kids around after school, you can 

transport yourself, your tribe, and all your gear in style.”


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MAKE THE BENEFITS CLEAR 

“The 2019 model has a 220-horsepower V8 engine, anti-lock brakes, 

traction control, automatic safety restraint system and both front 

and side-impact airbags.” 

Features matter. But a list like the one above will mean next 

to nothing to the man and woman in the street, unless you’re 

a total petrolhead. 

What people really care about is how these features can bring value 

to their lives. So always try and link features to a human benefit 

like this: 

“We offer a wide range of pet pack accessories for Discovery Sport, 

designed to keep your pets comfy and safe, while protecting your 

vehicle. Because the best adventures involve the whole family – and 

that includes your pet.” 

“For in-car infotainment, choose between Touch or Touch Pro. 

These intuitive touch-screen systems are the command centre 

for a wealth of features allowing you to easily find your next meeting, 

keep an eye on the weather, control the cabin climate, and effortlessly 

keep in touch with your contacts. Not forgetting managing the 

entertainment along the way.” 

“Technology to keep you connected. Capability to help you escape.” 

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. And you might find 

that the benefits of some features are already extremely obvious 

and don’t need spelling out. But more often than not, the following 

is true: 

Features tell, benefits sell.


31 


IT’S OKAY TO MIX THIRD 

AND FIRST PERSON 

Try to use first person pronouns (we, us, our) as much as possible. 

First person sounds more natural and friendly than referring to 

ourselves in the third person (Land Rover). 

But sometimes it will feel more natural to use a mix of both. 

Forget what you were taught in school, this is acceptable. Just try 

to introduce the brand by name first, but after the first mention 

switch to personal pronouns. And stick to them. Like this, “Land Rover 

has been an iconic badge of national pride for 70 years. But where did 

it all begin? Read our article which explores how the achievements 

and innovations of Defender, Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover 

Velar in particular have taken us Above and Beyond.”


32 


ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SEO 

WHAT IS SEO AND WHY IS IT 

IMPORTANT? 

If we want to be found by our customers online, we need to 

master the search engines. And that means using Search Engine 

Optimisation (SEO). SEO is the umbrella term for all the methods 

we can use to try and improve our site’s ranking in search engine 

results, in order to try and increase the quality and quantity of 

visitors to our website. 

There are many things that help determine search results. 

These include keywords, link structure, site speed, time on site, 

header tags, title tags, meta descriptions and anchor text, to name 

a few. SEO is a huge topic, one that deserves its own guide, and the 

world of SEO is complex and ever-changing. So we won’t cover 

everything there is to know here. But we will try and give you a small 

bit of knowledge that can make a big difference. And if you’d like 

to learn about SEO in greater detail, please contact a member of your 

Spark44 DX Account Management team, and they’ll provide you with 

the right documents.


33 


ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SEO 

HOW NOT TO USE KEYWORDS 

Keywords are very important. They are how you tell the search 

engines what your page is about. At one time, copywriters would 

use the same keywords over and over in an attempt to rank higher 

in searches. This is called keyword stuffing. But Google and other 

search engines wised up to it and began penalising websites that 

did it. Why? Well search engines are in the business of connecting 

an audience with content that’ll satisfy their search intentions. 

So they use algorithms that do their very best to favour high-quality, 

informative content. When content isn’t written for a human 

audience, but instead is structured to game an algorithm, the 

result is usually a spammy, artificial read. Consequently, keyword 

stuffing is considered an unethical technique that goes against 

SEO best practices. 

HOW TO USE KEYWORDS 

The main thing to remember when it comes to writing SEO copy, 

is that the aim is to try and sound both relevant to search engines 

and yet natural to the audience. It can be difficult to strike the 

balance. But with practice comes perfection. 

Stuffing your pages with key words will only make your copy read 

badly and harm your ranking. What you want is for your content 

to include key words, and similar phrases to your keywords, 

but to sound natural, not forced. Think humans first, search 

algorithms second.


34 

“The aim is to try and sound both relevant to 

search engines and yet natural to the audience.”


35 




SOME BEST PRACTICES TO FOLLOW 

We’ve already touched on subject lines and preheaders in relation 

to respecting your readers’ time. But of course, it’s equally important 

to try and establish a connection with recipients in subject lines and 

preheaders, in order to boost open rates. 

GET PERSONAL 

Incorporating personalisation techniques into subject lines and 

preheaders is a great way to increase open rates, by showing our 

customers we understand them. And by personalisation we don’t 

mean simply including the recipient’s name – those days are long 

gone. Now we can leverage so much data (such as a subscriber’s 

geographical location, past buying behavior, preferences and so on), 

and use it in more dynamic ways than ever before.


36 




AVOID SPAM TRIGGER WORDS 

Using certain words, phrases, symbols and so on, that are considered 

to be spam triggers can result in two things: 

1. Your email lands in your readers’ inbox but sounds very salesy 

or spammy and therefore risks not being opened. 

2. Your email is automatically flagged as spam and therefore your 

customers may not see it at all. 

That’s why we have to be very mindful of spam triggers. There are 

obvious trigger words, like ‘FREE!’. And there are not-so-obvious 

triggers, like ‘luxury’ and ‘limited’. So we’ve put together a list of 

trigger words that you may find surprising, and have been likely 

to use, unknowingly. 

But remember, this is just a small sample, and spam triggers can 

change often, so we recommend you check out the latest spam 

trigger lists available online. 

Another thing to remember, is that the criteria spam filters use 

to assign your email a spam score is sophisticated and well-rounded. 

Basically, spam filters look for certain ‘spammy criteria’ in your 

messages, each criteria gets a different score, and your message’s 

total score determines whether or not you’re blocked. So rather than 

avoiding spam triggers altogether – which can be difficult at times 

or result in you sounding unnatural – we simply recommend not 

using them often or in combination with other spam triggers. 

View list


37 




COMMON EMAIL SPAM TRIGGER WORDS AND PHRASES TO AVOID 

All new 

Amazing 

Apply now 

Chance 

Collect 

Compare 

Congratulations 

Extra 

Free 

Fantastic 

For just £ 

For only £ 

Free installation 

Free membership 

Freedom 

Great 

Insurance 

Limited 

Limited time 

Limited time offer 

Limited time only 

Luxury 

Luxury car 

Now 

Offer 

Only 

Opportunity 

Order 

Order now 

Performance 

Price 

Quote 

Save money 

Save up to 

See for yourself


38 




ALWAYS WRITE A PREHEADER 

The worst mistake you can make with preheaders is not bothering 

to craft a preheader at all. If your email doesn’t have a specially 

composed preheader any of the following may appear: 

– Default phrases like “View this email in your browser”. 

– The first few words from your email. 

– An image’s alt-text. 

– Code. 

– Placeholder gibberish text like “Lorem ipsum dolor sit 

amet consectetuer”. 

Talk about blowing a great opportunity to connect with our customers 

and help increase open rates. 

*PLEASE NOTE 

The same as with SEO, how to write the perfect subject line and 

preheader is a vast topic and a moving target, so this really is just 

a brief overview. 

If you’d like to find out more and stay up to date with the latest best 

practices, you can find masses of information online.


39 


ESPECIALLY IN TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS 

WHAT ARE 

TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS? 

A transactional email is any email that’s sent when a customer 

completes an action. This includes order confirmations, shipping 

notices, password resets and so on. 

WHY ARE TRANSACTIONAL 

EMAILS SO IMPORTANT? 

HOW NOT TO WRITE 

TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS 

Despite the high open and engagement rates, transactional emails 

tend to be quite functional, stating the basic facts and leaving it at that. 

This does the job of reassuring the customer and respecting their time, 

but it misses out on the opportunities that transactional emails offer. 

View example 

Never, ever underestimate the power of a transactional email. The open 

rates and engagement rates for transactional emails far exceed any 

other type of marketing emails. Why? Because recipients know that 

the email contains valuable information.


40 


ESPECIALLY IN TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS 

HOW TO WRITE 

TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS 

PUT THE NECESSARY INFORMATION FIRST 

Then communicate other messages that aim to increase sales 

and/or improve the customer experience by adding value. 

BUILD TRUST 

Yes, it’s important that transactional emails communicate pertinent 

details quickly and clearly. But that doesn’t mean you have to 

speak like a robot. Remember, people trust people, not faceless 

corporations. So for instance, instead of saying, “Confirmation 

of order”, you could say, “Thank you for your order”. Letting our 

customers know we appreciate their custom is just one way to 

sound approachable, helping to better our image. 

TAP INTO THE EXCITEMENT 

By default, transactional emails have to include some of the more 

formal stuff. But ultimately, they’re still an extension of our brand, 

and so our personality should still come across. Remember, we are 

a brand that “enables and inspires you to make more of your world” 

and purchasing one of our vehicles is an exhilarating moment for 

our customers. So try to inject a bit of adventure into your writing 

and include high impact visuals, to harness the excitement 

surrounding our brand. 

View example


41 

HOW NOT TO WRITE 

TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS: 

AN EXAMPLE 

HOW TO WRITE 

TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS: 

AN EXAMPLE


08/02/18 

42 

CONNECT WITH 

YOUR READERS 

KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO 

Before you write, ask yourself some questions about your audience. 

For example, are they: 

– Getting this for the first time or is it the third in a chain? 

– Someone new to Land Rover or someone who’s known 

us for years? 

– Happy or angry with you? 

How you answer these questions will change how much you push 

or rein in the conversational tone.


43 

DOES IT FEEL LIKE 

LAND ROVER?


44 

A FINAL CHECK 

Here’s a checklist you can use to make sure your writing sounds like us. 

You can also use it as a guide if you’re checking someone else’s writing. 


Is the main point obvious, rather than being diluted 

by lots of other points? 

Is it as succinct as it can be? 

Have you used enough subheads? 

Would bullet points help? 

Are words the way to go? Or would something like 

a video or diagram work better? 

If you’re writing for online readers, have you made 

your copy extra easy to scan? 

If you’re writing an eDM is your subject line and 

preheader clear and concise? 


Does it sound normal rather than formal, when you read it out loud? 

Does it sound fresh rather than clichéd? 

If there’s jargon, is the meaning clear? 

Are there contractions, like ‘we’re’ and ‘it’s?’ 

Do any of your sentences begin with ‘and’ or ‘but’ or ‘so’? 

Have you steered clear of hyperbole? 

Have you made the benefits clear? 

Have you written in the first person, for the most part? 

Will it create trust within the reader? 

If you’re writing SEO copy, does it sound both relevant to search 

engines and yet natural to the readers? 

If you’re writing an eDM do your subject line and preheader use 

personalisation where possible and avoid spam triggers? 

If you’re writing a transactional email does it add value, warmth and 

excitement to the necessary information?


45 

STYLE 

GUIDE


46 

STYLE GUIDE 

Here’s a guide to our commonly used words, phrases and preferred conventions. 

LAND ROVER 

AND JAGUAR LAND ROVER 

When speaking to our customers, we always say ‘Land Rover’ and 

‘Jaguar Land Rover’. We never use the abbreviations ‘LR’ or ‘JLR’ in 

external facing copy. 

VEHICLES 

We refer to ‘vehicles’, not ‘cars’. 

TIMES 

BRITISH ENGLISH 

VS AMERICAN ENGLISH 

We’re a British brand, so we use British English. 

DATES 

Our date format looks like this: 5th March 2018. 

For a range of dates, we use ‘from the 2nd to the 5th March 2018’. 

Except for tables and lists when 2-5 March 2018 is acceptable. 

Days should never be abbreviated, except for tables and lists, 

when it’s fine to use Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun. 

For time we use the 24-hour clock, not am and pm.


47 

STYLE GUIDE 

NUMBERS 

We write numbers from one to ten as words, and from 11 upwards as 

figures. Same goes for first, second, third all the way up to tenth. But if 

you’re writing for example 9 to 11, don’t mix it up, go with figures. 

There are some exceptions to this rule. If the number comes with 

a unit of measurement, use figures. If you start a sentence with 

a number, don’t use figures. 

Put a comma in numbers over 1,000. And remember that every three 

zeros gets a comma. 

We don’t write out million or billion. Instead we’d write ‘1m’ or ‘2bn.’ 

PHONE NUMBERS 

Please don’t put brackets around area codes. So it’s 01243 448861, 

not (01243) 448861. 

For London numbers, it’s 020 7123 4567, as 020 is the area code. 

Notice that London numbers have two spaces, where non London 

numbers only have one. 

Mobile numbers usually have a space after the first five digits, 

so 07977 123456. 

If you’re writing an international phone number, drop the zero, 

so the number becomes +44 20 7123 4567. 

EXCLAMATION MARKS 

We generally avoid them.


48 

STYLE GUIDE 

WEB AND EMAIL ADDRESSES 

We never use http:// or www at the start of web addresses 

(so our address becomes landrover.co.uk). 

If you use a web or email address at the end of a sentence 

or paragraph, always put a full stop at the end. 

AMPERSANDS 

We don’t use them unless they’re part of a name. For example, 

Land Rover Fleet & Business is a name and therefore can include 

an ampersand. But when we talk about ‘fleet and business’ as an 

industry, we don’t use an ampersand. 

HEADINGS AND SUBHEADS 

AND HOW TO PUNCTUATE THEM 

We don’t use full stops at the end of headings and subheads, 

unless it contains punctuation. And of course, if you pose a 

question in the heading or subhead then use a question mark. 

Examples of correct punctuation: 

NEVER STOP DISCOVERING 

TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED. 

CAPABILITY TO HELP YOU ESCAPE. 

WHICH DISCOVERY SPORT IS RIGHT FOR YOU?


49 

CALL-TO-ACTION (CTA) BUTTONS 

FOR OUR WEBSITE 

When writing copy for call-to-action buttons for our site, please refer to the following 

list of options. This will help to ensure our voice remains consistent, and our CTAs are 

as compelling as they can be. 

Please note, in email there is a little more freedom to experiment with different CTA 

buttons, as these are stand alone communications. However, they must still be clear, 

concise, and on brand. 

DISCOVER CTAS 

1. EXPLORE THE FAMILY 

2. EXPLORE DURABILITY 

3. EXPLORE CAPABILITY 

4. EXPLORE DESIGN 

5. EXPLORE PACKS 

6. EXPLORE PACK OPTIONS 

7. EXPLORE OPTIONS 

8. EXPLORE ACCESSORIES 

9. ADVANCED SEARCH 

10. SELECT A REGION 

11. SELECT A MARKET 

12. SELECT A LANGUAGE 

13. EXPLORE FLEET AND BUSINESS 

14. EXPLORE THE RANGE 

15. EXPLORE OUR VEHICLES 

16. EXPLORE THIS VEHICLE 

17. EXPLORE SVO 

18. EXPLORE [FEATURE PAGE TITLE] 

19. EXPLORE THIS MODEL 

20. EXPLORE BRANDED GOODS 

21. EXPLORE APPROVED USED 

22. EXPLORE IN-CAR TECHNOLOGY 

23. EXPLORE GUIDES AND MANUAL 

24. EXPLORE ONLINE STORE 

25. CHOOSE YOUR MODEL 

26. WATCH THE FILM/[ICON] 

27. FIND OUT MORE 

28. SEE MORE STORIES 

29. VIEW OPTIONS AND ACCESSORIES 

30. VIEW GALLERY 

31. VIEW 360° EXTERIOR/ INTERIOR 

32. CLICK TO INTERACT/TAP TO 

INTERACT 

33. VIEW OFFER(S) 

34. CHANGE RESPONSE 

35. CONTINUE 

36. GET STARTED 

37. OPEN/CLOSE ALL 

38. OVERVIEW 

39. REGISTER 

40. SEARCH 

41. VERIFY YOUR EMAIL 

42. START AGAIN 

43. SUBMIT


50 

CALL-TO-ACTION (CTA) BUTTONS 

FOR OUR WEBSITE 

DETAIL CTAS 

DRIVE CTAS 

1. SELECT A/AN [ENGINE] 

2. SELECT YOUR MARKET 

3. RETURN TO [LAND ROVER INCONTROL] 

4. READ MORE 

5. SEARCH INVENTORY 

6. VIEW [EXTERNAL SITE NAME] 

7. VIEW TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

8. VIEW SPECIFICATIONS 

9. VIEW [THE REPORT] 

10. VIEW MORE/FULL SPECIFICATIONS 

11. COMPARE OUR VEHICLES 

12. DOWNLOAD A BROCHURE 

13. DOWNLOAD [THE REPORT] 

14. DOWNLOAD FOR IOS/ANDROID 

15. UPDATE YOUR NAVIGATION 

16. ADD A VEHICLE 

17. COMPANY CAR TAX 

18. CALCULATOR 

19. COMPETITOR COMPARISON 

20. DIRECTIONS 

21. LOGIN/SIGN IN 

1. I WANT ONE 

2. BOOK AN EXPERIENCE DRIVE 

3. BUILD YOUR OWN 

4. FIND ACCESSORIES 

5. FIND A/AN [SPECIALIST] 

6. FIND A RETAILER 

7. GET A FINANCE QUOTE 

8. KEEP ME INFORMED 

9. BOOK A SERVICE 

10. BOOK AN EXPERIENCE 

11. BOOK AN ADVENTURE 

12. BOOK A TEST DRIVE 

13. CONTACT A/AN [SPECIALIST] 

14. CONTACT US 

15. ACCESSORIES 

16. ADD TO COMPARE 

17. BACK TO LOGIN 

18. CALCULATE 

19. CHOOSE 

20. CONTINUE MY BUILD 

21. EMAIL 

22. FIND A RETAILER 

23. FINISH MY BUILD 

24. INCONTROL 

25. LOGIN 

26. NEXT STEP 

27. NO, STAY 

28. ORDER NOW 

29. PERSONALISED BROCHURE/PDF 

30. REGISTER NOW 

31. SAVE MY BUILD 

32. SELECT 

33. SEND TO A RETAILER 

34. SHARE 

35. SHOP 

36. SHOW MORE 

37. START NEW BUILD 

38. SUBMIT 

39. VIEW CURRENT BUILD 

40. YES, GOODBYE 

41. FIND LAND ROVER IN YOUR COUNTRY 

42. PERSONALISE


51 

ONE MORE THING 

Now that you’ve read through all the guidelines, here’s the most important 

one of all. In the words of George Orwell: 

“Break any of these rules sooner 

than do anything outright barbarous.” 

That means if there’s a good reason to break one of our rules, you should 

go ahead and do it. But it needs to be a really good reason.


52 

GOT A QUESTION THAT 

ISN’T COVERED HERE? 

If you work for Jaguar Land Rover, please contact a member of your 

Spark44 UK Account Management team. 

If you’re working for Spark44, please contact a UK Creative Director.

Land Rover UK TOV Guidelines

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