3% PMI Digital Lab RRP Brand Voice Guidelines Welcome Hi there! If you're reading this, were happy to have you aboard the social media team. Over? the next 51 pages, we'll help you become fluent in the language of Everything you need to know?about the product, about what we can and can't say, about how to talk to customers?is right here in front of you. Let's get CONFIDENTIAL 2016 BRAND VOICE GUIDELINES 1 BACKGROUND 5 International? 6 7 8 9 2 VOICE AND TONE 11 12 14 What our voice should be What our voice shouldn't be TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 CUSTOMER CARE 33?34 35 talking to 36?37 What is should use Benefits of 38?39 Drawbacks of 40 use What is Philip Morris Our name Pause Voice vs. Tone 42 "Voice? definition media 43?46 47?49 50?52 Twitter Facebook ?Tone" definition Instagram Positive tones Neutral tones 53 Negative tones Who we're talking to Who we aren't Language we Language we shouldn't use Language we can?t 4 SOCIAL EDIA SPECIFICATIONS Intro to social Conclusion CONFIDENTIAL 2016 BACKGROUND What is Philip Morris International? is the world's leading international tobacco company? more importantly, they?re the parent company of This, however, is where PMI gets off the train. PMI has corporate branding, style and language all its own, and what we?re doing for is completely independent of that. So, unless you're told otherwise, don't worry about PMI. BACKG R0 Ourname Fil?St letter lower~oase All other [atter-S upper. case (J) is the lone stylization of our name that should be used. Accept no substitutes. (X) IQOS (X) iqos (X) Iqos (X) iQos (X) qus (X) iqoS (X) and so on. is what we eat} a Reduced-Risk Prcduct (RRPL By that? we mean it has the pctentiai tc reduce individdai risk and harm tc the population at iarge compared to cigarettes. Users ccnsume individuai sticks known as which get inserted intc a device that heats the inside rather than burning it. Each HEET stick is good for athit a dczen putts and the device gets recharged when a pack ct 20 is ?nished. tOur main task is tc so for new, HEET sticks can never be mentioned en their own. Any menticn of them mast be within the context cf is going to change the way iegai?ege smokers (LAS) smoke for the better, To give you a hit of context, here are some of the upsides to using our product: it gives you an experience cioser to smoking a cigarette than vaping; it heats reai tobacco, so you get even more of that reai ?avour than a cigarette; it produces iess of a smeii and no ash, so it?s Hess invasive; it iasts as tong as a reguiar cigarette, so you don?t have to change your break habits; HEET sticks can he purchased in packs, just iike cigarettes. 0t we aisc reccgnize that EQOS has scme potential drawbacks. Here?s a quick iistg just sc yca?re aware ct what might come up: it invcwes extra stecs, Eiite charging each stick and recharging the device; There?s a Eearning curve: sc it isn?t as easy as taking out a cigarette and lighting it an; tnitiaity? the taste aha satisfacticn ieveis aren't what they?d he with cigarettes; Research has that, after 2t days, neccic switch tc use it exciusiveiy, meaning it takes time and have tc he tc commit. Before we get into the finer details. let's address the elephant in the room. We're venturing out onto social media for the first time in our parent company?s history. but here?s the thing about being a tobacco company on social media: We're trying to reach LAS, despite having a bunch of limitations on what we can and can't do and say. We have to know our exact role, know that we?re in a box and know how to navigate within that box. Since the law is set up to prevent tobacco companies from promoting their products on social media, and is a product that uses tobacco, you?ll always be walking through a minefield of sorts. Please keep this in mind every time you write for VOICE AND TONE Voice vs. Tone Whenever you hear someone talk about and it might be easy to assume those terms are interchangeable because of their close relation to each other. Well, they aren?t. In this section, we'll define and give examples of each, so you?ll be able to easily tell the difference when we refer to both. :23 25% .33 3 3 3? {35? 32/. 2133293 2 52.323352?All K3 . - :4 5" 2'32/32 . <2 4 $3 $0 331/.? 2293? v.3 :35 >202 23,33 3 9% ?3,332 23 22 3 2, 33,4 5? 3; A 2:532?3?2 23 2} <9 2.33; 33232233 2 S. 52$ 333333 333 {gs/V: ?-32 3 23333332332 33 3. 2333:2333 233,232 3333,; $232 2 2 3223333333 K353 333 52 :2 3 . 3332 VOICE AND TONE ?Voice" definition Our is our verbal personality. It?s who we are, written out into words. Whether we're part of a conversation, addressing a group of LAS or helping someone out, our voice never changes no matter what. V0 10 AN 9 TON What our voice should be Imagine a spectrum of voices. On one end, you've got ?ultra corporate." It's painfully dry (sorry, corporate types) and full of complex language that's spoken down to us mere mortals. For customers, it's a recipe for alienation. On the other, you?ve got ?tween-speak.? The loose, carefree, emoji-saturated BFF of a voice that lives for the moment and always has your back, man. It smacks of trying too hard and can be just as condescending. Now imagine you?re the customer. Chances are, you don?t want to deal with either of these types. You want someone who?s knowledgeable and professional, but also approachable and likeable. That's where we want to be. What our voice should be (cont.) Our voice should be: Picking up switching to it from cigarettes or even recommending it to a friend or family member who smokes is supposed to be a positive experience. Let?s inspire people by being upbeat and forward-thinking. is easy to use once you get the hang of it, but there's a learning period. It's also a tech product. Inevitably, some will have questions, frustration or both. Guide them towards the answers they seek. TONE What our voice should be (cont.) Our voice should be: Nobody likes getting the runaround. Be direct without being abrasive; be easily understandable without talking to people like they're dumb. Our top priority is making sure our customers have great experiences. You might occasionally have the chance, however, to say something funny or witty. Seize the opportunity when appropriate. Definitely don't force it. VG EC AH TOP-1E What our voice shouldn't be Our voice shouldn?t be: As mentioned earlier, we're operating inside a metaphorical box. We can create an enjoyable atmosphere, but leave anything carefree, random or cutesy at the door. We?re not storytellers writing the Great American Novel. Don't get too literary or wax poetic over If you can think of a simpler way to say anything, run with it. Help people, but don't lecture. Don?t get too intellectual. We aren?t Ivy League professors. Sarcasm, condescension, indirect hostility?these kinds of things never lead anywhere good. VOICE AND TONE What our voice shouldn't be (cont.) Our voice shouldn't be: Pay attention and show customers that you care. Don?t talk like a robot, human. We're experts in what we do, and we want to come across as friendly, but we're not trying to be anyone?s friend. Don?t get personal with people. Don?t be ajerk. Don't be racist, sexist, homophobic,_transphobic, religiously intolerant, etc. Don't pick fights. Don't get into flame wars. Don't provoke. Basically, don?t do or encourage anything that will get us into trouble. \?my? mm masons, 30 can?t mm to everyone eke reek any give fie me? ave. cerem?w, VOICE AND TONE Positive tones Sometimes. our customers will compliments: gratitude for a quick response, appreciation for helping out, a quick word to say that is really awesome, etc. Things that put smiles on our faces. We like praise (who doesn?t?), but be humble about it. Take the compliment and move on. Don?t stand around high?fiving. If people say nice things to us, shoot them a quick reply. (At the very least, a ?thanks" or a ?you're welcome" will suffice.) VOIC AN TON Positive tone examples What about this works? - The question gets a quick, friendly acknowledgement without using too many words. - An exclamation point was used on ?thanks," but only to put a bit of extra emphasis on this particular instance of the word. There are only a handful of words that should ever use exclamation points and only at certain times (more on pg. 38). VOICE AND TONE Positive tone examples What about this works? It gets right to the point. You could add something like ?We?re glad we could help out", but it doesn't really add any value since it's more or less implicit in "You're welcome!". As far as friendly responses go, it?s a classic. There's really no grey area here on whether or not we seem approachable. VOICE AND TONE Neutral tones Other times. our customers will simply be curious about and need more info. or will need help with a particular feature. Be straightforward and approachable. Be friendly, again, without seeming like you're trying to be the customer's friend. Use words that are easy to understand and use the fewest amount possible. VOICE AND TONE Neutral tone examples What about this works? The answer to this question requires a bit more meat than in the positive examples. That said, it's still answered in as straightforward a tone as possible without being abrupt; The answer is given in a friendly way, without a trace of trying to be the customer's friend; - The approachable tone used will encourage any follow-up questions the customer might have; - Short sentences and simple, informal words are used. The message is clear. VOICE AND TONE Neutral tone examples What about this works? Straightforward question gets a straightforward answer; - Casual language (without being too casual) keeps the tone light; - The message is, again, olear. VOICE AND TONE Nega?vetones Finally. there will be customers who have complaints, or are critical of our social media team or even PMI. Some will be nice about it; some won't. Never mind the separate issues of trolling, baiting, bots, inappropriateness, If a customer's gripe is legitimate, help diffuse the situation by being sympathetic to his or her issue (without overdoing it) and using simple language to offer a solution. Dealing with trolls. bots and otherwise inappropriate people falls more into community management territory, but as a rough guide: don't engage verbally. At most, respond to these individuals notifying them that they've violated the page?s Terms of Service. DICE AND TOP-4E Negative tone examples What about this works? - The tone checks the right boxes: a few sympathetic words to show you care, followed by a bit of sober context and, finally, a bit more sympathy as we attempt to help out; - The language used shows respect for the gravity of the complaint in the customer?s eyes, but also seeks to diffuse the situation and make the customer feel reassured about it; The customer is speaking to us a bit irrationally, but our tone stays calm, collected and unphased by any potential baiting; - Short sentences and simple, informal words are used. Five-for?five on messages so far. VOICE AND TONE Negative tone examples What about this works? - There?s no tone that can successfully answer people who have no interest in civil discussions. If someone is compelled to post something like this, a sympathetic tone ?We're sorry you feel that way.") or a flippant one ?Thanks for that") may lead to more inappropriate comments, while being aggressive ?Screw you, tool") totally sends the wrong message. The best tone here is a silent one. VOICE AND TONE Negative tone examples What about this works? - TBD CARE Who we?re talking to In the grand scheme of things, we?re talking to all legal-age smokers However, lifestyle is an important factor among that group. Not all LAS will want to try so for those who do, we need to integrate it into their lives in ways that make sense. Those who might be interested in an alternative to cigarettes; Those who are frustrated with cigarettes (over smell, taste, inconvenience, etc.); Those who love to smoke and aren?t interested in quitting; Those who want to reduce risks to their young families; (Continued next page) STD ER CAR Who were talking to (cont.) 0 Those who are physically active or into clean eating, but still smoke; 0 Those who aren't intimidated by the idea of technology or change; 0 Those who are simply curious about Oatsioe ot there are groans ot that we shouldn?t or can?t taik to. Either they aren*t our target or? Eegat?y, we just oan?t. Th?s ?st inciades: ?rst and foremost, anyone not ot Eegat age (chiidrem teenagers, etc?); Anyone who doesn?t smoket?; heoo?e who are showing signs of wanting to quit; stohhornty averse to Change someone who?s been smoking for 40+ years she has no interest En new technology). tThe one exception: if a non-smoker is asking about say, as a g?tt for a friend or famity member. Otherwise, we can?t so?iett noo? smokers. CUSTOMER CARE Language we should use Steer away from any words that make us sound like total downers. (For example, we never ?deal with" issues, we ?help? or ?assist" people with them.) Leave the fancy formal words to the corporate types. Slang is fine, as long as it?s slang everyone knows. has ?cool" features, but definitely isn't If you have to stop and ask yourself if people will understand a certain word. use a different one. Use ?don't? instead of ?do not," ?you're" instead of ?you are" and so on. It keeps things informal. (Continued next page) CUSTOMER CARE Language we should use (cont.) When you?re out there being the social media voice of you?re speaking on behalf of a team that's proud to have you as a member. Refer to yourself?and us?in the first-person plural More often nowadays, especially on social media, you?ll see writers put periods at the end of single words or sentence fragments to create stylized sentences. Just like this. Really. It can make an impactful statement, create emphasis or establish a certain tone. Plus, it's a real space saver. But again, as with anything that counts for style points, don't overdo it. but only on Twitter and Instagram. Hashtags are gateways to being part of online conversations. The only time you should use them on Facebook is if the name of one of our campaigns takes the form of a hashtag. Don't insert popular ones just for the sake of it and don't overuse them either. CU STO ER CAR Language we shouldn't use You know the ones. Curse words, racial slurs, sexist terms. etc. We're not that kind of brand. Whether it's the amount of words in a caption, the length of a sentence or the same word being used repetitively in a short space (unless it's a word like ?and,? ?the," etc.), don't go overboard. (Continued next page) STD ER CAR Language we shouldn't use (cont.) Even if you?re really, really, really excited about something, your words should do the trick. The only times exclamation marks really add any extra value are on "thanks!?, ?you?re welcome!", and other one?word expressions (when appropriate). Those, like, awkward expressions people to use, um, fill gaps when they can't think of, y?know, the next thing they want to say, and stuff like that? There's no need to use them in writing. Ever. CUSTOMER CARE Language we can?t use Kids are never part of the conversation for us. Period. If, for some reason, you?re presented with a context in which children are implied (Le. a young parent using use implicit words like ?parent" or ?family,? but never explicitly refer to children, kids, minors, etc. Though has been shown to have health benefits, due to the fact that the tobacco in our HEET sticks is heated rather than burned, we're still awaiting FDA approval and, thus, can't make any claims about it. Avoid health?related terms altogether ?healthy," ?less harmful," ?better for you," etc.). As mentioned back at the very beginning, and e-cigarettes aren't one and the same. Our tobacco- heating technology allows our product to function differently, so it's not a true statement. Intro to social media For many markets, iQOS will have social media accounts on three platforms: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Each one serves a different purpose, which we'll tell you about shortly. Up to now, you may have noticed that we've talked a lot about the need to keep your words short and sweet. The biggest reason is that social media is all about being concise. The need to keep it snappy isn't just because people don't want to trudge through a wall of text to get to the point-it's because you'll often have to write within a character limit. Let's explore the ins and outs of each platform. SOCIAL SPECEFICATEUNS Twitter is where we'll mostly field customer service needs and do as much promotion as we're permitted to do. It's also where you'll face. arguably, your biggest challenge. Everything you write will be contained to, at most. 140 characters, so you'll be forced to keep your messages concise. Always keep our guidelines regarding voice and tone in mind when you write for Twitter, but save space wherever you can to get the most complete message across. If that means writing a two-part tweet, using shorthand or using symbols. so be it. SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIFICATIONS Twitter: Spec sheet Keep these numbers in mind*, as you?ll mostly encounter these Twitter formats: Character limit: 140W ?iirir lli??liji Character limit: 1/ Jinx. 116** photo Tweet copy: 1167'?? cl?iaracters Character limit: Chara-Ciel? limit: Title: 70 characters (trunc. ted) Gil: 116** video Description: 200 char. (truncated) and Twitter liaiizll-as include-:1 *As of September 2018. Twitter announced earlier in the year. though. that all posts may soon contain 140 characters regardless. We?ll keep you posted. SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIFICATIONS Twitter: Types of interaction People will reach out to on Twitter in the following 0 Mentions RepHes 0 Direct messages 0 Likes Follows Retweets SOCIAL SPECIFICATEONS Twitter: Examples Let?s use some of our earlier examples to see how responses might look as a best-case-scenario. 140- character Twitter post: (39 char.) e. . (135 Cher.) . (128 char.) -. (59 char.) SOCIAL SPECIFICATIONS Facebook is where we'll showcase product-driven content with an informative and educational tilt. aimed at current users and those looking to switch from cigarettes. However, as per Facebook?s Community Standards, we're unable to create any promoted posts. Only users who visit the page themselves will be able to view our content. Character limits aren?t as restrictive as Twitter. but copy is halted at 150 characters by a ?See More" link. Your goal is still to keep copy as concise as possible. Just because you have more room doesn't mean you need to use it. SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIFICATIONS Facebook: Types of interaction People will reach out to on Facebook in the following 0 Comments/mentions on original posts Visitor? posts 0 Direct messages 0 Likes 0 Shares 0 Follows SOCIAL l?l'lEDiix SPECIFICATIONS Facebook: Examples Using our voice and tone. here are some examples of what captions for Facebook original content might look and sound like if, we're periodically reaching out to people who might be new to without being asked: we're playing up a new bit of technology associated with we post a GIF that shows different images of legal-age smokers using For examples of how to respond to comments, questions, etc. on Facebook, check back to our earlier sections on tone (pg. 22?31). SOCIAL SPECIFICATEONS Instagram 0' is where we'll produce original lifestyle content involving to show how the product can become a vital part of a user's everyday life. There are no character limits here. but even more so than Facebook, use as few words/hashtags as possible. Users generally scroll through Instagram the quickest of the three platforms. so they really don't have time to stop and read an essay. At this point in time. we're still getting a handle on the most effective ways to use Instagram for our brand, so our emphasis is more on Twitter and Facebook. That doesn't mean it shouldn't still receive the best quality of work possible, however. SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: Types of interaction People will reach out to on Instagram in the following 0 Replies 0 Direct messages 0 Mentions 0 Likes 0 Follows *Beoause our Instagr?am account?s main focus is on lifestyle photos, the likelihood of people reaching out to us on here and us needing to reply is low. SOCIAL MEDEA SPECIFICATIONS Instagram: Examples Instagram captions should have all the urgent shortness of a Twitter post, but with the no-shortcut grammatical correctness of Facebook. Also. if ever there was a good time to say something clever on one of our platforms. this is probably it. Here are some Our photo shows twenty-something friends hitting the town with the city lights at their backs: Our photo shows a group of coworkers out for a smoke break: Our photo. posted on a Saturday. shows a couple of smokers having brunch on a backyard patio: Let?s see You've got the language down. You know all about what we say and how we say it. BeSt Of luck You have a better idea of what our social media landscape looks like. ut th I That can only mean one thing: You?re ready to represent the team on social media. ?205 BRAND VOICE GUIDELINES 3% Thanks for reading.