BMJ Group brand guidelines

For use on our corporate website and marketing materials and communications at Group-level.

Brand guidelines

For use on our corporate website and marketing materials and communications at Group-level.

V1.0

About BMJ Group

Our values

Our mission BMJ Group is a global healthcare

Our impact BMJ Group serves a truly international community, with five offices worldwide – in the UK, the Americas, India and China. Health professionals, authors, researchers, and students everywhere benefit from our clinical decision support tools, learning resources, events, and scientific and allied health titles. Real world, tangible results on our actions can be found in our annual impact reports.

knowledge provider. We share knowledge and expertise to improve health outcomes.

Evidence-based The best decisions depend on the best evidence.

Our mission with vision BMJ Group is a global healthcare knowledge provider with a vision for a healthier world. We share knowledge and expertise to improve health outcomes.

Independent, courageous and unbiased Improving healthcare requires independent and unbiased information, even if this means challenging perceived wisdom.

Our vision A healthier world

Proud of our people Our people are motivated to achieve our vision. We develop talent and celebrate success.

Our corporate website Visit us online at bmjgroup.com

Patient-centred and customer-focused Patients, customers and users are at the heart of everything we do.

Transparent and open We create trust by being transparent and open.

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Our logos

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

When using our logotypes please use our official files only, and adhere to these guidelines at all times. Do not recreate anything – if you have a specific need and want advice, please contact the brand team.

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

We have two versions, the primary BMJ Group logo (horizontal) and secondary BMJ Group logo (stacked) version. If you have room to use the primary logo, you must use it. The secondary logo was created only for where space doesn’t allow for the primary logo, for example social media or app icons. Digital and print file formats are available.

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

10 11 11 15 17

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

AI imagery 17 Guidance on all photography 17 Location 17 Lighting and colour 18 Image format 18 Reportage photography rules 19 Portrait photography rules 20 The fulcrum & photography 20 Writing style and tone of voice 21

Secondary

BMJ Group Blue

BMJ Group Logo Grey

The logo is composed of the ‘BMJ’ prefix in our customised Neo typeface, with ‘Group’ in Interface Light. The colours are blue #15375e and grey #575756 (NB. the grey is exclusive to our logo, and not included in the corporate colour palette). Group

#15375e R21/G55/B95 C100/M80/Y36/K28

#575756 R87/G87/B87 C0/M0/Y0/K80

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Logo usage

Negative/positive application Our logo is available in full colour, white and black versions to cover all applications and allow design flexibility. Where possible, we use the positive primary logo and the white primary logo against dark backgrounds.

Group

Positive logo

White logo over solid colour

White logo used over imagery this logo can be used over imagery when the positive primary logo does not have enough contrast.

Positive logo used over imagery retaining clear legibility. This is the preferred logo to be applied over imagery.

Black primary logo To be used when print reproduction is limited.

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Logo usage

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

Clear space To ensure our logos have breathing space, we added an exclusion area. This area is ¼ of the height of the logo and is shown below, marked with a green ‘x’ in this diagram. Our logos also have a minimum size to remain clearly visible on all applications. There is no maximum size, but please consider proportions when applying our logo to artwork.

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

10 11 11 15 17

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

Group

The minimum size of our primary logo is 115px wide or 30mm.

The minimum size of our secondary logo is 60px wide or 15mm.

Group

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Positioning All BMJ Group communications, websites, and materials should use the logo in the top left position, which makes it the most visible. When leading with a product brand, please place the Group logo bottom right. The logo should be applied with consideration. We avoid using multiple logos across a single document for example on every page of a brochure or presentation. As a general rule, we lead or sign off with our logo. To ensure the logo is used at an appropriate size for the page, please make sure it’s no bigger than ¡ Primary logo 1/3 of the page ¡ Secondary logo 1/4 of the page width Mobile/responsive web use will be determined by screen size and is excluded from this rule to ensure legibility.

product brand

Desktop or laptop

A5/A4 portrait

product brand

A5/A4 landscape and PowerPoint

Phone

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Logo usage

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

Things to avoid Never recreate, copy or alter any of our logos. This applies to materials for internal use.

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

Never create your own logos

Never outline the logo

Never add a strapline to any of our logos without consulting the brand team first

10 11 11 15 17

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

Never stretch or alter the logo

Never change the colour of the logo

Never encroach on the logo clear space

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Never add effects to the logo

Never box the logo

Always ensure the logo is clearly visible

Typefaces and typography

Our fonts Interface and Roboto have been selected for their balance between classic and contemporary sans serif letterforms. They should be used as an important part of our brand and, when applied consistently, help to identify our communications. Interface is primarily used for headers across our websites and needs to be purchased individually via the brand team. Roboto is always used for body copy across print and digital. It is a free Google font and can be downloaded from fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto. Roboto can be used where Interface is not available. Headings must be written in sentence case or CAPS; never Title Case. Do not include full stops after headings, subheadings, or bullet points.

Roboto for general use

Interface for headers

Bold

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmn opqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ

abcdefghijklmn opqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

Regular

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmn opqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

abcdefghijklmn opqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

Regular italic

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmn opqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Colour palette

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

Primary colours Our primary colour is BMJ Group Blue. It is an important element of our brand and helps our audiences identify BMJ Group communications. BMJ Group Blue can also be used in three tints of 100% #15375c, 60% #6c7391, 40% #a1afbe and 20% #d0d7de.

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

We use a 20% tint as a background colour to separate web page/document sections. It can also be used for headers on a white background. BMJ Group Dark Grey (#333333) is predominantly used for text across both print and digital applications. However, BMJ Group Grey can also be used as a background on PowerPoint slides, set at a 20% tint (#e3e4e4).

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

10 11 11 15 17

BMJ Group Blue #15375e

White #ffffff

BMJ Group Blue 60% #72879e

BMJ Group Blue 40% #a1afbe

BMJ Group Blue 20% #d0d7de

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

R21/G55/B92 C100/M80/Y36/K28

R114/G135/ B158

R161/G175 /B190

R208/G215/B222

R255/G255/B255

BMJ Group Grey #747678

BMJ Group Grey 60% #abacae

BMJ Group Grey 40% #c7c8c9

BMJ Group Grey 20% #e3e4e4

BMJ Group Dark Grey #333333

R51/G51/B51 C69/M60/Y56/K65

R171/G172/B174

R199/G200/B201

R227/G227/B227

R116/G118/B120 C30/M23/Y17/K58

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Blue 60% #7fa8d6 R127/G168/B214

Yellow 60% #f6cc66 R246/G205/B102

Orange 60% #eeaa7a R238/G170/B122

Secondary colours Our secondary colour palette has been designed to contrast with BMJ Group Blue and to add warmth and flexibility to our communications. We use the secondary colour palette within illustration to add consistency and help to create a unique illustration style, but at Group-level we lean mainly on the BMJ Group Blue #15375e, using Orange as an accent from the palettes. We use our secondary colour palette sparingly. Usually one secondary

Blue 40% #aac5e4 R170/G197/B228 Blue 20% #d4e2f1 R212/G226/B241

Yellow 40% #f9dd99 R249/G221/B153 Yellow 20% #fceecc R252/G238/B204

Orange 40% #f4c7a7 R244/G199/B167 Orange 20% #f9e3d3 R249/G227/B211

Blue #2a6ebb

Yellow #f0ab00

Orange #e37222

R42/G110/B187 C91/M53/Y0/K0

R240/G171/B0 C0/M35/Y100/K0

R227/G114/B34 C0/M65/Y95/K0

Red 60% #e17980 R225/G121/B128

Pink 60% #dd6fa2 R221/G111/B162

Purple 60% #a39ac7 R163/G154/B199

Red 40% #eba6ab R245/G166/B161 Red 20% #f9d2d3 R245/G210/B213

Pink 40% #e89fc1 R232/G159/B193 Pink 20% #f3cfe0 R243/G207/B224

Purple 40% #c2bcd9 R194/G188/B217 Purple 20% #e0ddec R224/G221/B236

Red #cd202c

Pink #c71065

Purple #6758a2

R205/G32/B44 C0/M96/Y90/K2

R199/G16/B101 C20/M100/Y30/K0

R103/G88/B162 C70/M70/Y0/K0

Aqua 60% #6dd0cb R102/G203/B205

Green 60% #a5d87e R165/G216/B126

Silver 60% #b7bcc2 R183/G188/B194

colour is enough to highlight important information.

Aqua 40% #99e0dd R153/G224/B221 Aqua 20% #ccefed R204/G239/B237

Green 40% #c3e5a9 R195/G229/B169 Green 20% #e1f2d4 R225/G242/B212

Silver 40% #cfd2d6 R207/G210/B214 Silver 20% #e7e8ea R231/G232/B234

Aqua #00b2a9

Green #69be28

Silver #87909a

R0/G178/B169 C84/M0/Y38/K0

R105/G190/B40 C70/M0/Y100/K0

R135/G144/B154 C12/M6/Y0/K40

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Colour palette

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

Colour accessibility We adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) AA requirements for all new work at BMJ Group. A high level of colour contrast between text and background is easier to read. This is important for users with impaired vision and those who are temporarily impaired (eg. when viewing a screen in bright sunlight). Under the guidelines, all critical content must meet at least the AA standard for colour contrast*. This requires a minimum contrast ratio between text ¡ 3 – large text (at least 24px regular/19px bold) ¡ 3 – critical elements (icons, graphs, maps) Some examples of text/background combinations that pass and fail the requirements are shown on the following pages. As the requirements for bold/large text are less stringent than those for normal text, you can use heavier font weights to make smaller text on a coloured background more legible. and background of ¡ 4.5 – normal text

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

While decorative design elements such as illustrations do not have to meet the AA standard, you should still consider accessibility (eg. how it might appear to people with colorblindness) in your design. Accessible colour combinations Our palette has many available colour combinations, but not all are accessible to AA standard. The following chart shows the most accessible combinations – please adhere to these to ensure compliance.

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

10 11 11 15 17

Accessibility colour key

combinations

Do not use this colour text on a white background Do not use white text on this colour Do not use grey text on this colour

Accessible with grey text Accessible with white text Accessible as text colour on a white background

T T T

The fulcrum Photography

Not accessible

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Check your colour combinations here webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker

BMJ Group Blue

BMJ Group Grey

Blue

Orange

#e7ebee

#f2f2f2

#eaf1f8

#fcf1e9

#d0d7de

#e5e6e6

#d4e2f1

#f9e3d3

#b8c3ce

#d9d9da

#bfd4eb

#f7d5bd

#8a9bae

#cccdcd

#a4c5ea

#f4c7a7

#bfc0c1

#82afe3

#efae81

#5b738e

#435e7e

#a6a7a9

#5995d9

#eb9c64

#2c4b6e

#8d8e90

#367dce

#e68038

#15375e

#747678

#2a6ebb

#e37222

#123154

#5f6163

#2663a8

#cc671f

#0e2641

#4a4c4d

#1f5189

#b65b1b

#0a1b2f

#333333

#15375e

#884414

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Contents

Yellow

Red

Pink

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

#faf5ea

#fae9ea

#f9e7ef

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

#fceecc

#f5d2d5

#f3cfe0

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

#e89fc1

#fbe6b3

#f0bcc0

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

#e387b2

#f9dd99

#eba6ab

5 6 7

#dd6fa2

#e48b91

#f6cc66

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

#d23f83

#dc636b

#f5c44d

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

#cc2774

#f2b31a

#d23641

10 11 11 15 17

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

#c71065

#f0ab00

#cd202c

#d89a00

#b91d28

#9f0c50

#c08600

#90161f

#8b0b46

#865d04

#671016

#630832

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Purple

Aqua

Green

#e8f7f6

#f0f9ea

#f0eef6

#ccf0ee

#e1f2d4

#e1deec

#b3e8e5

#d2ecbf

#d1cde3

#b3acd1

#99e0dd

#c3e5a9

#a49bc7

#6ed3ce

#aada86

#8579b5

#4dc9c3

#96d269

#7668ab

#1abab2

#78c53e

#6758a2

#00b2a9

#69be28

#00a098

#5fab24

#5c4f91

#007d76

#4d8d1c

#524681

#006b65

#3a6f11

#3d3461

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

The fulcrum

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

As part of our brand we have a visual element called the fulcrum. We encourage its use wherever possible because the fulcrum has become a distinctive part of our brand. The fulcrum is used to provide a distinctive backdrop to many of our communications. It can be represented in three different ways 1. BMJ Group Blue combined with BMJ Blue, 2. As a single line, or, 3. When using the blend option to combine two blends, ensure that the darker area is always closest to the fulcrum and consistently set at 54.65º

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

10 11 11 15 17

54.65%

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

Gradient

Type: Linear Location:

Angle: 54.65

BMJ Group blue and white Single line

Two blends

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Online we use the fulcrum as a design element over imagery or as a background to call out information, ensuring legibility of any copy (see page 11 for colour accessibility information).

The fulcrum can also move left or right across any format to create more dynamic and varied communications. However, as a general rule, the blue area should never take up more than 50% of the format. This ensures there is always adequate white space (this rule does not apply to the blend or transparency options). The fulcrum should always appear only once on a page. Either the single line or blue combined with white or two blends.

The fulcrum can move left or right

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Photography

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

AI imagery In Group communications, we don’t use AI-generated or augmented imagery, consistent with our values as a trusted and transparent organisation. When searching image banks, please ensure your search excludes generative AI, and if unsure of the source, always check supplied images before use to ensure they meet this criteria.

Guidance on all photography It’s crucial that all photographs

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

¡ Use natural poses, capturing a moment in time rather than appearing posed – especially for reportage photography ¡ Are considered from a global perspective ¡ Where relevant, showcase teamwork ¡ Reflect our diverse community

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

Location A blurred background is preferable to focus on the subject.

10 11 11 15 17

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

Remove unnecessary objects or visual distractions – cluttered backgrounds distract from the subject. This can be achieved by cropping in, or – preferably – choosing a clean, calm background.

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Lighting and colour ¡ Bright, clean, natural lighting is best ¡ Subject is lit well so the focus can be understood

Image format ¡ A variety of landscape and portrait options for each shot when possible ¡ The subject is placed on the left or right of the frame to leave room for accompanying text ¡ When highlighting everyday or end-user applications, images should be tightly cropped, taken from an interesting angle or be almost abstract in composition

¡ You may tint an image in our palette colours, in order to reinforce the brand and/or use it as a background. This should be done in Photoshop, by making the image into a Duotone, and applying a 100% tint of a palette colour (for Group materials we strongly suggest you use Group Blue, Grey or Orange from the palette) as the colour

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

Reportage photography rules We use reportage photography to engage our audience – to tell a story, and demonstrate that we understand the way our audiences work and their daily challenges. This photography should always feel natural, representing observations from the working life of the subject. If stock imagery is required (and it often is), ensure that the chosen image is a true reflection of BMJ Group. This means it won’t look ‘cheesy’ or superimposed. Our imagery should always be relevant to the audience and their geographical location. Always ensure that the images don’t include any identifiers such as name badges or patient and clinical data. No nail varnish or jewellery can be on show, particularly within a clinical setting.

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

10 11 11 15 17

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

Portrait photography rules We use portrait photography to reflect our varied audiences health practitioners, partners, students and our staff. We often use staff portraits as a powerful tool to reflect our brand values, and thus, encourage photos to be taken of our staff at work, in conversation, collaboration, and during moments of deep thought. Always ensure the highest level of quality and consistency across all portrait images. Use consistent lighting and clear, uncluttered backgrounds to ensure a strong suite of consistent shots. Whether for internal or external use, all portraits should capture the personality of the subject without compromising professionalism. Subjects should be supported to find a natural pose that supports the context of the photo – this may be more relaxed or more serious, but should always feel authentic to the subject. We often ask subjects to look into the camera although this is not a fixed requirement, but does connect the subject with the viewer.

The fulcrum and photography

We use our fulcrum visual element across imagery on the web and in print, as both a gradient across the image (eg. for hover state to show typography over the image, as with bmjgroup.com) or as a solid overlay (most often seen in print). More information on how to set up and use the fulcrum is on page 15.

Use clear backgrounds

Avoid cluttered backgrounds

BMJ Group brand guidelines | V1.0

Writing style and tone of voice

Contents

About BMJ Group

2 2 2

Our mission

Our mission with vision

Our vision

Our corporate website

2 2 3 4

Our impact

Our logos Logo usage

Tone of voice Anyone who writes for and on behalf of BMJ Group should follow our distinct style and apply our tone of voice Confident We believe in ourselves as pioneering experts within our profession. Evidence matters to us so we back up our claims with data and use plain English to communicate. Empowering We’re here to motivate, support and enable, so the words we choose to use are clear and accessible for everyone. Succinct We know our users and customers are busy so we speak briefly, directly and clearly. We tell them what they need to know within the first two sentences. Trustworthy We are honest, authentic and credible. We know who we are writing for and meet our audiences’ specific needs with thoughtful, relevant information that is correct in every detail.

Style guide We have a comprehensive style guide for editors, however, these are the most common rules ¡ Always use sentence case everywhere ¡ Use minimal capitalisation; only for names and proper nouns ¡ Write open access in sentence case, without hyphenation ¡ We have one rule where we use NO full stops in initials or abbreviations, nor after headings or bullet points ¡ Use minimal commas, but use Oxford commas before the ‘and’ and ‘or’ in lists ¡ Format dates – Day Month Year (4 July 1971) ¡ Time of day – 9 am (not 9 00 am), 6 35 pm, midnight, noon; 1835, 2400, 1200 (usually not 1835 hours etc). Use 7 1/2, not 7.50 (etc) for easily expressed fractions of hours. Noon and 12 are synonymous, don’t say 12 noon ¡ Numbers under 10 are spelt out, except for measurements with a unit (8 mmol/L) or age (6 weeks old), or when in a list with other numbers (14 dogs, 12 cats, 9 gerbils) ¡ Healthcare – always one word, whether adjective or noun

Negative/positive

application Clear space Positioning

5 6 7

Things to avoid

Typefaces and typography

8 8 9 9

Our fonts

Colour palette

Primary colours Secondary colours Colour accessibility Accessible colour

10 11 11 15 17

combinations

The fulcrum Photography

Help and support If you have any general questions, suggestions, or need advice on a specific project, email the brand team today at: bmjbrandteam@bmj.com

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