ForvisMazars — Brand Overview: Comprehensive Study Notes Summary & Study Notes

🔷 Introduction

Welcome to the ForvisMazars brand study notes. These summarize the April 2025 Brand Overview Guidelines and capture the essentials needed to present the brand consistently across geographies and channels. These notes are for internal use and should be shared externally only under NDA or access agreements.

🧭 Brand platform & story

The brand platform consists of the brand story, brand promise, and brand pillars. The brand story explains why the two organizations joined to form a lean, aligned network that is both consistent and agile. The platform guides external marketing, client communications, internal culture, and recruitment.

💬 Brand promise — Builtfor forward

The network promise, Builtfor forward, communicates intentionality, action, and long-term orientation. It emphasizes solidity, entrepreneurial spirit, continuous foresight, client-centric tailored solutions, and a commitment to stakeholders and future generations.

🧱 Brand pillars — Our difference

• Empowered professionals: People-first, technical excellence, entrepreneurial mindset, accountability, and diversity of perspectives.
• Agility at scale: A two-member network enabling lean leadership, integrated consistent service, rapid decision-making, and collaborative investment in innovation.
• Deeper understanding: Active listening, industry immersion, tailored advice, and a personal client experience.
• Bold foresight: Anticipation, willingness to act responsibly, long-term decisions, and stewardship of professional integrity.

🏛 Structure & entity naming

• Global usage: go to market as ForvisMazars. Use full legal names only where required.
• Rest of world legal name: ForvisMazars Group SC; internal reference ForvisMazars Group / Group.
• USA legal name: ForvisMazars LLP; internal reference ForvisMazars US / US.
• Use entity / country qualifiers in international contexts when necessary (e.g., ForvisMazars in Germany, ForvisMazars in the US).

🏷 Brand architecture — Masterbrand approach

ForvisMazars uses a masterbrand approach: the masterbrand is always written in full and remains the signatory. Offerings, tools, programmes, and initiatives are typically unbranded and sit under the masterbrand. Select, strategic tools may carry identifiers but remain under the masterbrand signatory.

🎨 Identity fundamentals — Logo

The ForvisMazars logo is the single most valuable visual asset. Always use official artwork files and never recreate, alter, or add to the logo. Respect proportions, colours, and clearspace.

📏 Clear space & minimum size

• Clear space: Minimum protection zone equals the height of the letter 'z' around the logo (top space measured from top of 'f'). Nothing should intrude into this zone.
• Minimum width: 25 mm (1 inch). Reproduce larger whenever possible; below 25 mm use alternative branding options and consult Brand & Communications.

🚫 Logo misuse — Common mistakes

Do not: edit colours, stretch or distort, add elements, place on busy patterns or similar colours, recreate with non-logo glyphs (e.g., forward slash or italic cap “I”), add drop shadows, pair the logo with service-line logos, or create new horizontal versions.

🔁 Colour and reverse logo

• Use the colour logo on white or very light backgrounds only. Do not place it on dark backgrounds or images.
• Use the reverse (white) logo on dark solid backgrounds or bright images where contrast is required. Do not use the reverse logo on light backgrounds, patterns, or recolour it.

🖼 File formats & colour settings

• Common file types: .jpg (digital, no transparency), .png (supports transparency), .eps (master vector for designers).
• Colour systems: Pantone / RAL for matching, CMYK for print, RGB / Hex for screens.

🔤 Typography & font colour

• Primary typeface: Halyard (licensed). Use Halyard Text Book for body and Halyard Text Medium for titles/subtitles.
• Fallback: Arial for non-design computer-resident uses.
• Font colour: default Outer Space grey (HEX #464B4B). Use grey rather than black for text to maintain brand tone.

🎨 Colour palette

• Primary colours: IndigoDye and TrueBlue (from the logo). Use these with white where no imagery is present.
• Secondary palettes: Vision colours (e.g., Aurora, Nova, Starlight) for framing imagery and data visualization; Bold colours (e.g., Horizon, Quasar, Andromeda) for data visualization only.
• Do not mix Vision and Bold palettes within the same data visualization. Use primary blues when supplemental colour is needed.

🔍 Icons

Iconography is mono-linear, designed to aid navigation and quick comprehension. Icons appear in Dark Grey or white (on dark backgrounds) and should be universally recognizable and clear in intent.

🖼 Imagery

Imagery styles align with brand promise and palette: realistic scapes, cityscapes, technology/digital, people (real world), collaborative scenes, individual focus shots, conferences, and symbolic photography. Imagery is curated to harmonize with corporate blues; use vision colours for framing only when complementary.

🔺 Supergraphic

The supergraphic is derived from the logo and is a foundational visual element for hero imagery. Use it to feature, highlight, and focus, but do not flip, alter angle, recolour, use as an icon/bullet, or use it standalone outside intended treatments.

🏷 Design treatments

Lead with the full colour logo and white frame when possible. Primary and Vision colours can be used to frame imagery when they harmonize with the image; otherwise default to white framing.

🪧 Application — Signage & events

• Exterior signage: use full colour logo, illuminated from within each letterform, each letter must be a distinct form, and use a white key line on dark façades to ensure legibility at night.
• Event signage: roll-up banners and pop-up stands should follow signature logo placement, clear space, and colour/frame rules for maximum visibility.

✉️ Stationery, merchandise & publications

• Stationery (business cards, letterhead, envelopes) follows precise layout specifications; template assets are available.
• Branded merchandise must reflect brand quality and sustainability principles: prefer durable, multi-use items, and consider repurposing or donating old merchandise.
• Publications and proposals should use white or primary colours to showcase the colour logo; Vision colours are an option when appropriate.

📊 Data visualisation

• Use Vision colours for most charts and stats, or Bold colours exclusively for data-only visualisations. Do not mix Vision and Bold palettes in one chart.
• Primary blues can supplement the chosen secondary palette as needed.

📣 Advertising & digital channels

Advertising (print and digital), social posts, site design, and video must follow masterbrand guidelines: consistent logo use, framing, colour palettes, and imagery style. Templates for display ads and social are available via Brand & Communications.

🧾 Microsoft Office templates

PowerPoint and Word templates standardize cover, chapter slides, and logo placement (preferred right alignment). Use primary or Vision colours for cover banners only; templates are subject to final approvals.

🌐 Website, social media & video

Digital channels require specific guidance: maintain consistent visual language across website, social platforms, and video — all aligned to tone, imagery, and logo rules.

📞 Contacts & resources

For guidance, assets, or questions contact the Group Brand & Communications team (e.g., Lorraine Hackett) or Global Head of Digital Communications & Creative design. Official channels and templates are available via internal Brand & Communications resources and the ForvisMazars website.

End of notes.