SOCIAL MEDIA STYLE GUIDE
Thanks for your help in building our brands by SHARING them on your social media. Here are a few tips to make sure we are all speaking with the same voice.
The top brands on social media all have something in common: consistency. This style guide will help you help us remain among those top brands. It explains how Diageo brands should appear across all social channels and includes visual and writing guidelines for how to present our brands in a way that maintains a cohesive presence. We are in this together.
Diageo Innovation encourages all Diageo NA employees to SHARE information about the exciting new creations from The Lab using images, videos, copy and hashtags from Diageo Innovation Brand Microsites to their own social media networks. Each new Diageo Innovation product will have it’s own microsite. A gateway site listing all new innovations can be visited at DiageoInnovation.com
Innovation Gateway Page
- Thumbnail cards leading to new and upcoming Innovations
- Innovations sorted by launch date
Innovation Brand Landing Pages
- Product Hero Images
- Links to Diageo Innovation social profiles for easy sharing
- Ready-to-Share Images
- Ready-to-Share Videos & GIFs
- Suggested Copy Options
- Grab-a-Hashtag
- Reviews & Third-Party Media (as available)
- QUICK SHARE posts with family and friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram from Diageo Innovation social profiles.
- DOWNLOAD READY-TO-SHARE Images and use them to create your own Social Media posts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram).
- DOWNLOAD READY-TO-SHARE Videos and GIFs and post them on your Social Media pages (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram).
- Select the content you’d like to post. In most cases, we provide video and still image content in sizes and formats designed for a variety of media types.
- Select the social media account you’d like to post to. We provide one-click content that can be posted to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We also provide Instagram content that can be posted manually.
- Always include required hashtags, including #DiageoInnovation and #IWorkforDiageo or #IWorkfor[BrandName], depending on the content.
- Select from a variety of provided optional hashtags. Please try using at least one or two each time you post.
- Use the provided copy, or modify it to better match your own style.
- Click "Post". You may be prompted to sign in to your social account if you are not already.
Diageo Innovation currently owns and maintains profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We encourage all Diageo NA employees to Like, Follow, and Share content from these accounts.
FACEBOOK @DiageoInnovation
TWITTER @DiageoInnovates
INSTAGRAM @diageoinnovation
A brand voice is one of the brand elements that is most effective in distinguishing the Diageo Innovation brands from competitors and building familiarity with customers. Just like all our other brands, consistency is important across all mediums.
Characteristics of the Diageo Innovation brand voice are:
CONFIDENT - But approachable. Try to instill a sense of trust and excitement in our brands that encourages people to try them.
REAL - Write like you speak, using everyday language. Choose words that are as authentic as our products. Avoid clichés, overused metaphors, and "corporate jargon". Be conversational and human.
CURIOUS - At Diageo Innovation, we live at the intersection of science and cocktail culture. Innovation is at the heart of what we do. Offer your friends and family on social media a "peek behind the curtain" for new products they won’t find anywhere else.
SPIRITED - Add a positive buzz to your writing; keep it pleasant and engaging. Offer a sneak peak with advance information that builds excitement and curiosity about our newest innovations.
OPTIMISTIC - Be genuinely excited about the potential of each of our new product innovations! Take every opportunity to share them in an inspiring and energetic way with an air of possibility.
APPROPRIATE - Tailor your language between social channels. Just as you might be a bit more reserved in the way you present yourself at work than among close friends, it’s similar on social. For example, your LinkedIn audience may take a more professional tone while your Facebook or Instagram social content has a more casual look and feel.
We adhere to AP Style guidelines for post content. Social, however, is a great place to loosen the necktie a bit. For instance, you may avoid the use of contractions in your corporate communication, but that doesn’t always flow like a normal conversation. We’re trying to build more human connections on social media and may have a limited character count, so do what feels natural.
- Avoid using industry or Diageo terminology or jargon.
- Avoid abbreviations unless they are widely understood outside of the TBA industry (USA, ATM, ABV, etc.).
- Avoid the use of exclamation marks to convey excitement. Let your words generate the buzz.
- Don’t use swear words or language that may offend or be considered inappropriate.
- Don’t promote drinking to excess, smoking, illicit drugs, drunk driving, or other irresponsible activities.
POSTING DIRECTLY
As the most used, diverse platform, Facebook posts can be short and sweet, or longer in-depth writing, whatever best suits your content. Include strong imagery, links to websites, and keep your type at a moderate length.
- Properly tag others.
- Insert website links at the end of the post to not distract from your writing (not always necessary).
- Use high-performing and appropriate hashtags. Hashtags should be put at the end of the post.
- Recommended hashtags: 2-3
SHARING CONTENT
When sharing another page’s content on Facebook, remember to add your own comment with the original post. That way content will not be duplicative and maintain your identity while supporting the brand.
- Properly tag others.
- Insert links to websites at the end of the post (not always necessary).
- Use applicable hashtags at the end of the post.
- Recommended hashtags: 2-3
POSTING DIRECTLY
With a limit of 280 characters, Twitter asks for "crisp and clever" content. Use strong imagery to get users to stop scrolling through the 5 million other tweets put out daily.
- Properly tag others.
- Insert links to websites at the end of the post (not always necessary).
- Use applicable hashtags at the end of the post.
- Recommended hashtags: 2-3
SHARING CONTENT
You can retweet directly with no content and keep original imagery or retweet with a comment that allows you to add context but could possibly hide imagery. Experiment with both techniques to see what your audience tends to interact with the most.
POSTING DIRECTLY
People want to see beautiful pictures on Instagram, not read text. Keep text simple and complimentary to your imagery. Instagram does not allow you to link to websites in the post.
- Tag others within the photo.
- Use applicable hashtags at the end of the post.
- Recommended hashtags: 2-6
SHARING CONTENT
Sharing content is very simple on Instagram. Avoid regram apps and instead, screengrab photos and give credit within the post by using their tagline and tagging them in the photo.
POSTING DIRECTLY
Deemed as the largest social network for professionals and colleagues. LinkedIn manages your professional social connections and content to like-minded individuals. Overarching best practices include audience-specific content, strong imagery, and employee sharing and engagement.
- Properly tag others.
- Use high-performing and appropriate hashtags. Hashtags should be a part of the content rather than at the end of the post on LinkedIn.
- Recommended hashtags: 2-4
SHARING CONTENT
Diageo Innovation does not have a dedicated LinkedIn page, but we welcome all employees to post content directly to LinkedIn.
Hashtags are very important. They allow us to track conversations across social media channels, and measure the engagement and reach of our content.
REQUIRED HASHTAGS Required hashtags are provided for you on each Innovation page. These will include a variation of #IWorkforDiageo if posting general or multibrand content or #IWorkfor[BrandName] if posting content about a single brand. Please also include our primary branded hashtag #DiageoInnovation, to build familiarity with our audience.
OPTIONAL HASHTAGS Other recommended hashtags will vary depending on the post content and will be included with the content on each landing page within our microsite. We highly encourage everyone to include as many of the optional hashtags provided with each post as they can.
Please see our POST FORMATTING section for the optimal number of hashtags for each social media platform.
We must be transparent about our identity in marketing communications and a promoter, endorser, influencer, spokesperson or partner must fully, clearly, and conspicuously disclose any association with Diageo, so that consumers are left in no doubt as to that association.
Diageo employees, agency or partner employees, brand ambassadors, and other Diageo representatives and partners must clearly and conspicuously disclose their association with Diageo and must not pretend to be a consumer or an ordinary member of the public when creating buzz about our brands.
A transparency statement indicating that the individual works for Diageo/is a brand ambassador, e.g. "Diageo brand ambassador. Views are my own" or "Opinions are mine"
Any individual post made by a Diageo brand ambassador relating to our products should include a transparency statement indicating that the individual works for Diageo/is a brand ambassador and appropriate hashtags.
Note that a variation of #IWorkforDiageo or #IWorkfor[BrandName] should be shown on all posts as the first hashtag.
Let’s keep this simple. Play nice. Have fun, and interact respectfully and considerately with those who engage with your posts.
However, avoid being sarcastic or mocking toward customers, followers, fellow employees, or other brands - including and especially competitors.
- DO make sure that what you post is factually correct and legally permissible, and isn’t defamatory, threatening, abusive, discriminatory, offensive, an invasion of privacy, or an infringement of any third party’s copyright or other intellectual property rights.
- DO adhere to our community guidelines. You will find that our page is moderated regularly to make sure that the community guidelines are being adhered to. We may remove comments that violate our Community Guidelines.
- DO report a comment on our page that you consider inappropriate.
- DO comply with the platform or website’s Terms of Use.
- DO always remember to Drink Responsibly.
- DON’T upload pictures of people under 25 (including yourself).
- DON’T post sexually suggestive text or pictures.
- DON’T promote drinking to excess, smoking, illicit drugs, drink driving, or other irresponsible activities.
- DON’T post names, photos, or audio/video content on our page if a person or organization hasn’t given you express permission to use it.
- DON’T post any advertising, spam, or links to external sites. This includes posts used in an attempt to direct traffic to other websites, blogs, or pages.
- DON’T post personal information about yourself that should remain private.
We reserve the right to remove comments at any time for any reason without prior notice. Diageo is not responsible or liable for any content posted or uploaded to this site by its users, or any content on third-party sites.
Please note that this content is intended for adults. Please do not forward the content on this page to anyone under the legal purchase age of your country.
For questions about using these social media resources, or to report any misuse or violations in our community standards, please contact:
diageoinnovation@holmesmillet.com