Canadian Edition

CAPITAL ONE
EDITORIAL
STYLE GUIDE
Canadian Edition
Last Updated: December 2012
®
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2The Capital One Definition
of Style
21
Email
22
Font
23
Footnotes
24
Hyperlinks
3Brand Voice
4-5
Abbreviations
5
Address
6
ALM
(Account Level Message)
27
Numbers
7
Ampersands
28
Percentages
8
Apostrophes
28Phone Numbers
and P.O. Boxes
9
Bulleted Lists
10
Capital One
11
Capitalization
12
Card Names
13
Colons
25-26 Hyphens
29-30 Punctuation
31-32 Spelling
32
Superscript
33
Trademarks
34
URLs
14-15 Commas
35-37 Print Examples
16
Compound Words
16
Contractions
38-41 Web Examples
17-18 Copyright Line
19
Currency
19
Dashes
20
Dates
21
Ellipses
THE CAPITAL ONE DEFINITION OF STYLE
Having style guidelines helps us to be consistent in how we deliver our messages, no
matter who we’re communicating with or what channel we’re using. (And yes, we
know it’s not proper English to say “who” instead of “whom,” but we’re also staying in
line with our brand personality standards – of course, that’s a whole other guidebook.)
For the most part, we base our brand standards on The Canadian Press Stylebook, a
guide created for Canadian journalists. If we’re not sure how to spell a certain word,
we check The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling or the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. (For
everything else, we rely on good old-fashioned common sense.)
It’s important to keep in mind that this is just a guide and can’t possibly account for
every language situation. This guide helps us to stay consistent, but it’s also meant to
be flexible to accommodate the varying needs of our communications. Our Editorial
team is here to help you address any of the language scenarios not covered in this guide.
We hope you’ll find it helpful, and be sure to keep it handy.
If you have any questions or comments, email our Web Editor, Tash Colquhoun, at
Tashania.Colquhoun@capitalone.com. She’ll gladly answer your questions about this
guide or point you in the direction of the right Editorial team member to meet your needs.
2
BRAND VOICE
It’s not what you say. It’s how you say it. After all, our brand voice affects how well our
customers respond to our messages.
Here are our seven brand voice guidelines:
1.Give your audience credit. Ask yourself how you’d like to be spoken
to in a similar situation. Use plain English.
2. B
e passionate – but keep it real. Genuine enthusiasm is catchy. Use a vibrant,
engaging voice that’s authentic and down-to-earth.
3.Tell it like it is. Be open, honest, direct – don’t say it if you don’t mean
it or can’t do it.
4. G
o for the unexpected. Keep your audience tuned in and eager to find out
what comes next.
5. K
eep it light. Think smile – not guffaw. It’s OK to share a laugh with
your audience.
6.Clear things up and keep them moving. Short, punchy and to the point.
7.Don’t fall into a rut. Keep things fresh. Real Mavericks don’t cut and paste or
rely on clichés.
3
ABBREVIATIONS
Don’t use the full name for familiar abbreviations.
Examples: U.S., e.g., Ltd., Stn.
Unfamiliar abbreviations.
When using uncommon abbreviations (e.g., JFL for Just For Laughs), write the full name
at the first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. You don’t need to
write the full name after the first mention.
Province and territory abbreviations.
Names of provinces and territories should be spelled out when standing alone. Also,
spell them out when they follow the name of a city or some geographical term.
Avoid using abbreviations for province and territory names in copy. Exceptions
are in tables, mailing addresses, disclosures and footnote copy, or when space is
limited. We use all capital letters for province and territory abbreviations, with no
punctuation. See below.
AB Alberta
BC British Columbia
MBManitoba
NB New Brunswick
NL Newfoundland and Labrador
NS Nova Scotia
NT Northwest Territories
NU Nunavut
ONOntario
PEI Prince Edward Island
QC Quebec
SK Saskatchewan
YT Yukon
Time abbreviations.
Do not use military time. Use a.m. and p.m., but shorten the time to just the hour
information when there are no minutes (leave out the “:00”).
Example: We’re available from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET.
Time zones are lowercase when written out, except for proper nouns.
Abbreviations are capitalized, without punctuation.
Example: eastern time (ET), Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
4
ABBREVIATIONS CONTINUED
Common abbreviations.
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Regarding:
Re:
United States of America
U.S.
Automated banking machine
ABM
Attention:
Attn:
ADDRESS
Our address on our current cards is:
Capital One, P.O. Box 503, Scarborough Stn. D, Toronto, ON M1R 5L1
On all other pieces, our address is:
Capital One, P.O. Box 503, Scarborough Stn. D, Scarborough, ON M1R 5L1
Note: In print, always ensure that there are two spaces between the province and
postal code.
On the web, separate the province and postal code with a comma and a single space:
Capital One, P.O. Box 503, Scarborough Stn. D, Scarborough, ON, M1R 5L1
5
ALM (ACCOUNT LEVEL MESSAGE)
An Account Level Message is a brief message that appears on a customer’s statement.
Here are some style guidelines to keep in mind for ALMs:
• With the exception of Account Summary ALMs – which are always completely in bold – italic, bold and underlined fonts can be applied to ALMs (but remember, the codes for these fonts take up character count)
• Leave a single space between sentences
• Text will be left justified (we can’t centre messages)
• Line breaks are not indicated correctly in SIMS
•You can use all capital letters to draw attention
•We can’t use en dashes in ALMs – use “space hyphen space” instead (e.g.,
“if you want to know more – call” will be entered as “if you want to know
more - call”)
•URLs can be broken after a dot, slash or whole word, but don’t add a hyphen
• Don’t exceed 450 characters in English (in French, don’t exceed 550 characters)
•Don’t use the numeral “9” on its own (but including “9” as part of a rate would
be OK, e.g., 19.9%)
• You can use a registered symbol in an ALM (it can’t be superscript), but you can’t use a dagger
6
AMPERSANDS
Use “and” instead of ampersands except when the ampersand connects initials or is
part of a branded name.
Example: Tap & GoTM
7
APOSTROPHES
Make sure to use a true apostrophe (’) and not a foot mark (' ).
Don’t use apostrophes when making plurals of numbers, letters or acronyms.
Examples: 1990s, CEOs, 50s
A singular possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s. This is true even if
the word ends in an s.
Examples:
• The customer’s card
• MediaCompass’s loading time
For plural words ending in an s, add an apostrophe to form a possessive.
Examples:
• Our customers’ cards
• Several cardholders’ accounts
For plurals not ending in an s, add an apostrophe and an s.
Examples:
• The women’s curling team
• Our Rocks & Rings children’s program
When an amount is idiomatically “owned by” a unit of time or value, use
the possessive.
Examples:
•
•
•
•
Five years’ experience (or five years of experience)
Thirty dollars’ worth
Two weeks’ vacation (or a two-week vacation)
Seven nights’ accommodation (or seven nights of accommodation)
8
BULLETED LISTS
How many bullets to use in a list. Use two bullets at a minimum – one item doesn’t make a list. The limit for print tends
to be eight. On the web, try to avoid more than six items.
How to use bulleted lists:
•
Be consistent
•
Capitalize the first letter of the first word
•
Usually a colon introduces a list, but exceptions can be made
•
In print, add a half paragraph return space between the introductory line and bullet points
•
Don’t use periods at the end of bullets unless one or more bullets has more than one sentence
•
Avoid connecting list items with commas and coordinating conjunctions, although some exceptions may apply for clarity and legal reasons
•
Be concise – bullets are meant to be talking points or concise items
•
Avoid mixing complete and incomplete sentences
•
Indent bullets when possible, but exceptions can be made for the sake of the overall visual appeal of a piece
•
When bullet points contain two or more lines, it’s OK to include a paragraph
break between each bullet point to make the piece easier to read
When not to use bulleted lists. When priority or sequence matters, such as the steps in a process (i.e., step 1, step 2),
use numbers instead of bullets. Use periods at the end of each item in a numbered list.
9
CAPITAL ONE
Our name’s pretty important – all the more reason to be consistent with it in all our
communications.
•
Capital One isn’t stylized in written format
•
Don’t use the possessive form
•The name is never split between lines (“Capital” appearing on one line and
“One” on the other)
Adding a registered mark (®) to Capital One.
Include a superscript registered mark (®) next to the first prominent mention of Capital One,
with the following exceptions:
•
If the first mention is in a header, the superscript registered mark can be placed
next to the first mention in the body copy.
•
If the first mention is in the signature line or Capital One copyright line, do not include the registered symbol.
•
If the only mention is in the signature line, include the registered symbol (do not do this if the only mention of Capital One is in the copyright line).
•
In emails, the registered symbol is always included in the first line of the disclosures: Important Information from Capital One®. You must still include the registered symbol next to the first mention within the body of the email.
Incorrect: Capital One’s
Correct: Capital One®
10
CAPITALIZATION
Proper nouns.
Capitalize every proper noun. A proper noun is the name of a particular person, place
or thing. Below are some common words, but this list is not comprehensive:
• Board of Directors
• World Wide Web
• Internet
• No Hassle Rewards
•Capital One Online Banking and Online Banking (when we refer to our own
banking site)
• Secure Message
Titles, headings and subheads.
Titles and headings are in all caps. The following are not capitalized in subheads unless
they’re the first word:
Articles
• a
• an
• the
Coordinating conjunctions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
and
or
so
but
nor
yet
if
for
with
11
CARD NAMES
First mention.
For all MasterCard products, we must state the full product name at the first prominent
mention in the copy, and include the appropriate regulatory trademarks and symbols.
On the web, this rule applies to each web page.
Subsequent mentions.
In subsequent mentions of a product, we may use abbreviated forms without
trademark symbols, like “Fusion card” or “Gold card,” as long as the short form of the
product name does not cause confusion or mislead the reader. For example, if we list
multiple Aspire products on a single marketing piece, we need to specify which product
goes with the appropriate detail.
Incorrect: With Aspire, you get double the miles.
Correct: With the Aspire Travel World MasterCard, you get double the miles.
World MasterCard rules.
We cannot separate “World” from “MasterCard”. Even after the first mention, the two
terms must always appear together if “World” is mentioned:
Incorrect: Aspire Travel World card, World Benefits
Correct: Aspire Travel World MasterCard, World MasterCard Benefits
If we say “World”, then “MasterCard” must follow.
Aspire Travel World MasterCard in radio/television.
Any verbal mentions of Aspire Travel World MasterCard in radio or television must be
delivered with a pause between “Aspire Travel” and “World MasterCard”.
Incorrect: Aspire Travel World MasterCard (read aloud)
Correct: Aspire Travel [pause] World MasterCard (read aloud)
12
COLONS
While exceptions can be made, lists in sentences should be preceded by colons only
when they’re introduced with ”the following,” “as follows” or something similar. Don’t
use a colon after “these include” or ”these are.”
Incorrect: The three interest rate buckets for our credit cards are: purchases,
balance transfers and cash advances.
Correct: The three interest rate buckets for our credit cards are purchases, balance
transfers and cash advances.
Incorrect: Your World MasterCard travel benefits include: Travel Emergency
Medical, Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption.
Correct: Your World MasterCard travel benefits include the following: Travel
Emergency Medical, Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption.
13
COMMAS
How do I know when to use a comma? The general rule is when you’re joining two independent clauses, you can join those
two clauses with a comma if you’re using a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor,
so, for, yet).
Incorrect: The customer applied for a product with a 9.9% interest rate, but got
an AD letter for a product with a 9.99% interest rate. [One independent clause and
one dependent clause joined by a coordinating conjunction.]
Correct: The customer applied for a product with a 9.9% interest rate, but she got
an AD letter for a product with a 9.99% interest rate. [Two independent clauses
joined by a coordinating conjunction.]
Serial comma.
A serial comma is the comma before the “and” in a series. It separates the last and
next-to-last items in a list. Capital One Canada doesn’t use the serial comma.
Incorrect: With your Aspire Travel card, you’ll get great insurance benefits, rewards
on every dollar you spend, and 24/7 customer service.
Correct: With your Aspire Travel card, you’ll get great insurance benefits, rewards
on every dollar you spend and 24/7 customer service.
Introductory phrases.
An introductory phrase takes a comma.
Examples:
•Please remember, all expense reports are due by Friday.
[But: Please remember that all expense reports are due by Friday.]
• In the next few weeks, we’ll send you a confirmation letter.
Months and years.
Use a comma between the day and year but not between the month and year.
Examples:
• March 30, 2009
• March 2009
14
COMMAS CONTINUED
When the date is part of an introductory phrase, include a comma after the year.
Examples:
•On March 30, 2015, your fixed rate will change to a variable rate.
• Call 1-800-481-3239 by December 15, 2012 to accept your credit
limit increase.
Quotation marks and commas.
A comma is placed inside closing quotation marks, except when quoting the name of a
section, button or tab.
Examples:
• “It’s one of the best travel rewards cards,” said the CEO of
Rewards Canada.
• Click “Apply Now”, scroll down to the …
15
COMPOUND WORDS
Capital One uses hyphens for compound words, e.g., postage-paid envelope, low-rate loans.
You should hyphenate compound modifiers when they precede the noun they modify.
Don’t hyphenate them when they follow the noun or act as adverbs.
Incorrect:
Periods of high-interest
Interest free periods
Correct:
Periods of high interest
Interest-free periods
If a compound word contains three or more words, consider omitting the hyphens if
doing so does not impact the reader’s understanding. Bolding and quotation marks are
also great tools to make compound modifiers clearer when we leave out the hyphens.
Examples:
•With this no annual fee card, you’ll save with a lower interest rate.
• Think of this extra credit as room for those “just in case” situations.
CONTRACTIONS
Use contractions when appropriate. Contractions improve readability and make us
seem friendly and colloquial rather than impersonal and formal.
Example: You don’t have to pay now – we’ll bill you after the trial period.
Sometimes, we even break a few grammatical rules in favour of contractions that make
us sound more down-to-earth. It’s part of keeping with our brand style.
Examples:
•There’s plenty of reasons to get a Capital One card.
• Here’s a few examples of good credit habits.
16
COPYRIGHT LINE
Standard Capital One copyright line.
In print and on web pages, when the only trademarked terms used are our own:
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
In all pieces that contain additional trademarked terms:
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. All trademarks used herein
are owned by the respective entities. All rights reserved.
In emails:
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. All trademarks used herein
are owned by the respective entities. All rights reserved. To contact us by mail, please
use the following address: Capital One Customer Service, P.O. Box 503, Scarborough
Stn. D, Scarborough, Ontario, M1R 5L1.
There’s a space between the copyright symbol and year, and there’s no need to use
both the copyright symbol and the word copyright.
Incorrect:
©2012
Correct:
© 2012
copyright ©2012
Additions to the copyright line in print.
Capital One, MasterCard.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. MasterCard and the
MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International
Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Capital One, MasterCard and other companies.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. MasterCard and the
MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International
Incorporated. All trademarks used herein are owned by the respective entities.
All rights reserved.
Capital One, MasterCard, PayPass or Tap & Go.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. MasterCard and the
MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International
Incorporated. PayPass and Tap & Go are trademarks of MasterCard International
Incorporated. All rights reserved.
17
COPYRIGHT LINE CONTINUED
Capital One, MasterCard, PayPass or Tap & Go, and other companies.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. MasterCard and the
MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International
Incorporated. PayPass and Tap & Go are trademarks of MasterCard International
Incorporated. All trademarks used herein are owned by the respective entities.
All rights reserved.
Additions to the copyright line on the web.
On the web, if the piece contains trademarked terms in addition to our own, we use
the standard copyright line and include any additional information as a separate line or
paragraph above the copyright line.
Capital One, MasterCard.
MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard
International Incorporated.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
Capital One, MasterCard and other companies.
MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard
International Incorporated.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. All trademarks used herein
are owned by the respective entities. All rights reserved.
Capital One, MasterCard, PayPass or Tap & Go.
MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard
International Incorporated. PayPass and Tap & Go are trademarks of MasterCard
International Incorporated.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
Capital One, MasterCard, PayPass or Tap & Go, and other companies.
MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard
International Incorporated. PayPass and Tap & Go are trademarks of MasterCard
International Incorporated.
© 20XX Capital One. Capital One is a registered trademark. All trademarks used herein
are owned by the respective entities. All rights reserved.
18
CURRENCY
Spell out the names of currencies and use them with figures (except for dollars, cents,
pounds and pence).
Examples:
• 9 francs, 50 pesos, 3,000 lire
• $12 million (not $12 million dollars)
Use money instead of funds whenever possible. (There are a few exceptions,
particularly with terms and conditions or disclosures.) Also avoid monies.
When constrained by space (e.g., PowerPoint slides), use the following abbreviations:
Number
Abbreviation
Thousand
K
Million
M
Billion
B
DASHES
En dash.
Capital One Canada uses the en dash. The en dash is shorter than an em dash and
longer than a hyphen. It’s called an en dash because it’s as wide as a capital N. Always
use a space before and after the en dash. Adjust line breaks so that an en dash never
appears at the beginning (and preferably not at the end) of a line.
Example: Get your Capital One MasterCard today – your approval is guaranteed.
19
DATES
Avoid using all numerals for dates, except in legal information.
Incorrect: 12/31/04
Correct: December 31, 2004
Month and year.
If a day is not given, don’t use a comma.
Incorrect: November, 1999
Correct: November 1999
Ordinal numbers.
Never use the ordinal form of a date.
Incorrect: March 5th
Correct: March 5
Abbreviated months.
We try to spell out the months as much as we can, especially when they stand
alone or appear with only the year. Always spell out March, April, May, June
and July. The following abbreviations are acceptable for the other months:
Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
Centuries and decades.
Centuries and decades may be either spelled out or expressed as numerals
without apostrophes.
Examples:
•
•
•
•
The twentieth century
During the eighties or nineties
The 80s or 90s
The 1990s
20
ELLIPSES
Ellipses are used to indicate the omission of words and sometimes to create a
trailing-off effect in the middle or at the end of a sentence. Always include a space
before and after an ellipsis.
Examples:
•Many low-rate offers only last six months. Ours lasts for three
years … guaranteed.
•But before you go away thinking we’re just being negative,
let us explain ...
• Yes ... No ... Maybe ...
How do I create the ellipsis symbol?
Word: Go to Insert, select Symbol, select Special Characters and use the
ellipsis symbol. Or just type three periods – the Auto Correct function in Word will
convert this to an ellipsis automatically.
Keyboard shortcut: Alt + 0133
EMAIL OR E-MAIL?
Use email (lowercase e) unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence (Email).
21
FONT
All headings and subheads are in Trade Gothic Bold (and in all caps).
TRADE GOTHIC BOLD
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Secondary typeface is Trade Gothic Medium.
TRADE GOTHIC MEDIUM
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
All body copy is in Humanist 777.
Humanist 777
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
On the web, we use the house fonts in the same manner as print when the text is not live (HTML).
Need a quick and surefire way to see if the body copy is in the right font?
The “g” is the key.
Humanist = g
Trade gothic = g
22
FOOTNOTES
Symbols in text that correspond to a footnote should appear directly after the
associated word. For live text on the web (website, Capital One Online Banking, email),
they should appear before any punctuation, but in graphics and external banners,
they can be kerned in after punctuation. In print, the symbol should appear after any
punctuation so long as it can be kerned in after the punctuation used. For example, a
dagger can be kerned in after a period but can’t be kerned in after a colon.
If only one footnote, use a single superscript dagger (†).
If more than one footnote, use superscript numbers.
Example:You’re guaranteed† a Capital One MasterCard.
† To qualify for guaranteed status, you must …
Hang daggers and numbers in legal copy.
In print, daggers and numbers extend past the text margin. The indented legal copy
should line up with the text margins of the overall piece.
23
HYPERLINKS
The most effective way to hyperlink on the web is to focus on the key actions.
Links should be clear and direct – they should tell our readers what we want them
to do by clicking on the link. Avoid simply linking URLs, website names or
objects – we must always include an action in our hyperlinks. As much as
possible, we try to keep links to five or fewer words. Remember, don’t hyperlink
punctuation at the end of a sentence.
Incorrect: Join our Customer Opinion Panel today and tell us what you think.
Correct: Join our Customer Opinion Panel today and tell us what you think.
Sometimes, hyperlinking five or fewer words isn’t possible. It’s OK to hyperlink
more than five words, as long as we’re adding clarity to the link without reducing
the overall readability of the piece.
Incorrect: Log in to Capital One Online Banking and change your
password and security settings.
Correct: Log in to Capital One Online Banking and change your
password and security settings.
“Click here.”
Never use “click here” on its own as a link – use only as part of progressive steps
or as a call-to-action.
Incorrect: A balance transfer could save you money in interest payments.
Make a transfer today to your Capital One card! Click here.
Correct: A balance transfer could save you money in interest payments.
Click here to make a transfer today to your Capital One card!
24
HYPHENS
Compound modifiers are connected by hyphens. A two-word modifier gets one hyphen,
a three-word modifier gets two hyphens, a four-word modifier gets three hyphens …
Don’t hyphenate if the first element of the compound modifier is an adverb ending in “ly”.
Example: specially trained consultants.
Most common usage of hyphens.
Use a hyphen to connect two or more words functioning together as an adjective before
a noun. Refer to Compound Words on page 16 for more information.
Example: We offer a 30-second response.
Use a hyphen to avoid ambiguity.
Example: re-sign and resign
Use a hyphen to separate awkward double or triple letters.
Example: pre-existing, cross-sell
Hyphens with numbers.
Use a hyphen (not an en dash) to separate a range of numbers, dates, etc.
Examples:
• 1-9
• January-March
• Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2012
• 2011-2012 (not 2011-12)
Hyphenate the combination of a number and a unit of measure used as an adjective.
Examples:
• 1,500-metre run
• Four-minute mile
• 18-year-old daughter
25
HYPHENS CONTINUED
Don’t hyphenate terms used with percentages or dollar signs.
Examples:
•15% tip
•$100 million shortfall
26
NUMBERS
Spell out numbers at the start of the sentence (except for years, percentages and
street numbers). An exception is in marketing copy – we sometimes choose to use the
numeral (3) instead of spelling the word (three) to hype a product feature.
We follow these general rules with numerals:
• In the body copy, if a number is not part of a main product feature or a benefit we’re trying to hype, then spell out the numbers one to nine.
This includes subheads.
•In headlines, it’s OK to use the numeral if you’re hyping a product feature.
•In sidebars and callout boxes it’s OK to use numerals when referring
to product details.
• Phone numbers should be written on one line.
Examples:
Headline
3 MINUTES OR LESS TO START SAVING.
Body Copy
You could save by transferring a balance at an annual interest rate of 7% – it’s
easy and takes less than three minutes.
Numbers 10 and above are always displayed as numerals. One exception may be
in legal copy.
Incorrect: ten, eleven, twelve
Correct: 10, 11, 12, etc.
Below are examples of specific formatting with numbers.
Correct
Incorrect
1-800-952-5252
1-(800)-
$2,000
$2000
$500
$500.00
4.9%
4.90%
April 1
April 1st
27
PERCENTAGES
With exception to press releases, don’t spell the word “per cent” or “percentages” in
copy. Use numerals and the percentage symbol.
Example: Last week, Capital One reported its third-quarter earnings rose 29%.
PHONE NUMBERS AND P.O. BOXES
Here are some commonly used addresses, phone numbers and hours of operation.
Always confirm with a marketing manager about which numbers should be used in
your particular marketing piece.
Customer Service
Phone: 1-800-481-3239 (Toll-free within Canada and the U.S.)
Phone: 1-804-934-2010 (Collect, outside of Canada or the U.S.)
Hours: Available 24/7
Address: Capital One Customer Service, P.O. Box 503, Scarborough Stn. D, Scarborough,
Ontario, M1R 5L1
Remember, in print, we separate the province and postal code with a double space,
instead of a comma: Ontario M1R 5L1.
Credit Limit Increase Automated System
Phone: 1-877-782-2365
Hours: Available 24/7
Apply for a Credit Card
Phone: 1-877-277-5901
Hours: Available 24/7
Rewards
Phone: 1-877-680-4423
Hours: Weekdays 8 a.m.-midnight and weekends 9 a.m.-10 p.m. ET
28
PUNCTUATION
Use of punctuation marks.
Ellipsis
...
Period
.
Comma
,
There should be a space before and after the ellipsis symbol. We don’t use the
ellipsis with four dots. Where possible, use the ellipsis symbol, Alt + 0133.
Example: Get a low rate for three years ... guaranteed!
Use single spacing at the end of each sentence. Some callouts and subheads do
not use periods. This is a style call, as long as we’re consistent within the piece.
Typically, we do not use periods in subheads that are in title case (i.e., Mail Your
Completed Application Form), but exceptions can be made. With the exception of
callouts, always use punctuation when using sentence case.
apital One doesn’t use the serial comma, e.g., we don’t need the comma after
C
“unemployment” in the phrase “disability, unemployment and death.” Other
conventions are the same – it’s used to break up things, inside quotations,
between two complete sentences joined by and, or, nor, but or yet.
Quotation
Marks
““
ommas and periods are placed inside closing quotation marks, except when
C
quoting a tab, button or section. Check to be sure we use “smart quotes,” which
differentiate between opening and closing quotation marks.
Underline
se underlining sparingly. Don’t underline punctuation that occurs at the end of
U
a sentence.
Example: A great rate for you, guaranteed!
En Dash
–
he en dash is used very often in our communications. It’s a substitute for the
T
colon, semicolon or comma, but it indicates a more definite or abrupt break in the
sentence. It’s also used for emphasis, always with a space before and after, and
never at the beginning of lines. (Preferably, the en dash won’t be used at the end
of a line, either.) We don’t use em dashes in Canada.
Hyphen
-
yphens are used mainly with compound words (when used as adjectives, adverbs
H
or nouns). See page 25 for more information.
Example: High-interest rate, around-the-clock
Apostrophe
’
We use proper apostrophes (not foot marks).
Example: It’s (not It's)
Registered symbol punctuation in print.
We kern the ® to sit almost above periods and commas, but since we can’t kern in the symbol to
sit almost above colons, semicolons, exclamation marks and question marks, the ® should directly
follow the trademarked word:
® ® ®
®
®
®
, . : ; ! ?
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PUNCTUATION CONTINUED
Registered symbol punctuation on the web and in Word
operational letters.
Since it is not possible to kern characters in HTML and Word, registered trademarks on
anything web-based should directly follow the trademarked word. This applies to HTML
® ® ® ® ®
®
text but not graphic elements. , . : ! ? ;
30
SPELLING
Canadian versus American spelling.
Canadian English is usually the same as American, with some notable exceptions.
Canada
U.S.
automated banking machine (ABM)
automated teller machine (ATM)
annual interest rate (AIR)
annual percentage rate (APR)
cheque/chequing
check/checking
enrol, enrolled, enrolment, enrolling
enroll, enrollment
offence
offense
defence
defense
dishonoured
dishonored
traveller, travelling
traveler, traveling
colour
color
favour
favor
instalment
installment
TIP: Set your MS Office settings to Canadian English.
To do this, click on the Start menu from your Desktop, All Programs > Microsoft
Office > Microsoft Office Tools.
31
SPELLING CONTINUED
Consistency is an important part of our communications to our customers. Here are
some common spellings that we use.
Correct
Incorrect
online
on-line
email
e-mail
cardholder (MasterCard cardholder)
card holder
toll-free
toll free
website
Web site
Internet
internet
Social Insurance Number
Social Security Number
deactivate
de-activate
semifinal
semi-final
OK
okay
SUPERSCRIPT
When using ordinals (remember, the ordinal form of a date shouldn’t be used),
“st”, “nd”, “rd” and “th” should be superscript:
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
32
TRADEMARKS
Common trademarks we use:
Capital One®
SmartSwitchTM
No Hassle RewardsTM
MasterCard®
MasterCard® PayPassTM
Tap & GoTM
Delta SkyMiles® Gold/World MasterCard®
SmartLineTM Platinum MasterCard®
Aspire CashTM Platinum/World MasterCard®
Aspire TravelTM Platinum/World MasterCard®
Priority Club® Platinum/World MasterCard®
All trademark symbols are used at the first prominent mention (on the web, this applies
to the first prominent mention on each web page). After the first mention, you don’t
need to keep using the trademark. Don’t use the symbol in the possessive or the plural –
place the symbol at the next mention instead. Since we can’t kern in a TM or ® symbol
to sit almost above colons, semicolons, exclamation marks and question marks, the ®
should directly follow the trademarked word. See pages 29-30 for more information on
registered symbols and punctuation.
MasterCard.
• Don’t split or hyphenate MasterCard (also, it’s never Mastercard!)
•The MasterCard brand name (in copy) must be accompanied by its registered
trademark ( ®) at the first mention of each separate component
• Don’t say “MasterCard card”
•Tap & Go can’t be paired directly with our name; it’s only for use on MasterCard
PayPass exclusive communications
•Can be written in all caps (MASTERCARD) if included in a headline or subhead
that’s in all caps (but it’s a good idea to confirm this with the Legal team on a
case-by-case basis)
PayPass.
The MasterCard PayPass identifier consists of the MasterCard Brand Mark, the customdrawn PayPass logotype and the TM trademark designation (TM).
Web.
Trademarks and footnotes on anything that is web-based (capitalone.ca, Online
Banking, banners, affiliate ads, etc.) should use the following format:
1. All trademarks and footnotes should follow the corresponding text directly.
2.Any punctuation that follows the trademarked name or footnoted word should
follow the trademark or footnote.
3. All trademarks and footnotes should be superscript.
4.As best as we can, we should avoid using trademarks and footnotes at the end
of sentences when the trademarked or footnoted word is followed by a colon,
semicolon, exclamation mark or question mark.
33
URLs
Upper versus lowercase usage.
We use all lowercase letters in our URLs, with the exception of some short web ads, like
Facebook and Google ads, where the URL is sometimes the only thing that contains our
name. In these short ads, it’s OK if the URL is written as “CapitalOne.ca”.
Examples: www.capitalone.ca, www.capitalone.ca/nohasslerewards
Length.
Aim for simple one- to three-word URLs that are easy to remember. Exceptions are
possible if the URL is very long (never a good thing) and/or doesn’t include our
company name.
Use in body copy.
In print, we make every effort to avoid ending sentences with URLs (so that we don’t
need periods after them).
Incorrect: For more details, visit www.capitalone.ca/noskyrocket.
Correct: You can visit www.capitalone.ca/noskyrocket for details.
Callouts and calls-to-action.
Callouts are text, display charts, tables or graphics set apart from the main body of a
piece. They’re used to highlight key points or call special attention to content. Callouts
can be placed beside, above or below the main body copy.
A primary call-to-action is a banner, button, graphic or section of text set apart from
the main body copy that invites the reader to perform an action. A secondary call-toaction also asks the reader to perform an action, but it’s located in the main body copy,
like a hyperlink or phrase.
For callouts and primary calls-to-action, there’s:
• No punctuation after the URL
• No www
Example: Visit capitalone.ca/noskyrocket
34
PRINT EXAMPLES
The following print pieces are great examples of our brand voice and editorial
standards, including:
•
Bulleted lists
•
Callouts
•
Capitalization
•
Card names
•
Contractions
•
Footnotes
•
Punctuation
•
Trademarks
35
PRINT EXAMPLES CONTINUED
36
PRINT EXAMPLES CONTINUED
37
WEB EXAMPLES
The following emails and web page are great examples of our Editorial Style Guide in
action. They speak to our brand voice and editorial guidelines, including:
•
Addresses
•
Bulleted lists
•
Capitalization
•
Copyright lines
•
Footnotes
•
Hyperlinks
•
Numbers
•
Punctuation
38
WEB EXAMPLES CONTINUED
39
WEB EXAMPLES CONTINUED
40
WEB EXAMPLES CONTINUED
41