Brand Guidelines
Language and Tone
How we write matters as much as how we look. These guidelines ensure that every piece of NSEMM communication is clear, consistent, and true to who we are.
Tone by Audience
Adapt the register, not the values. NSEMM is always warm, honest, and evidence-led – regardless of who is reading.
Students (11 to 24)
Relatable, direct, energetic
"Your session is confirmed. See you there."
Parents and guardians
Informative, warm, respectful
"We have matched your child with a tutor. Here is what happens next."
Partners and funders
Professional, evidence-based, clear
"NSEMM delivered 429 hours of tuition in 2025, reaching 39 students across six boroughs."
Word Choice
Write words in full. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms wherever possible – especially Latin ones.
| Avoid | Use instead |
|---|---|
| etc. | and others |
| e.g. | for example |
| i.e. | meaning |
| PWYC | pay what you can |
| CEF | Community Education Fund |
| FY | financial year |
NSEMM Name and Capitalisation
The official name is "The National Society for Education, Mentoring and Media". Always capitalise the first letter of each major word.
NSEMM is pronounced "en-sem" – it begins with a vowel sound, so always write "an NSEMM", not "a NSEMM". Think of it like NHS: "The NHS is publicly funded" but "NHS England is responsible for..."
Start of sentence
Correct
The NSEMM tutoring programme is expanding.
Avoid
NSEMM tutoring programme is expanding.
Mid-sentence
Correct
We are partnering with NSEMM on a new initiative.
Avoid
We are working with The NSEMM.
Article
Correct
We are an NSEMM partner organisation.
Avoid
We are a NSEMM partner organisation.
Grammar Principles
Active voice
Use active sentences – they are clearer and more engaging. "NSEMM delivered 400 sessions" not "400 sessions were delivered by NSEMM".
Punctuation
Correct punctuation prevents ambiguity. Use commas, full stops, and question marks appropriately.
Proofread
Always review and edit before publishing. A fresh pair of eyes spots errors and improves readability.
Positive language
Focus on what can be achieved. Lead with possibility, not restriction.
No em-dashes
Do not use the em-dash character (U+2014) anywhere — in copy, emails, transactional templates, UI strings, log messages, or code comments. Use an en-dash (U+2013) with surrounding spaces, or restructure with a comma or full stop.
Why this matters
Em-dashes render inconsistently across Gmail, Outlook, in-app and mobile clients, and brand audits have flagged them as off-tone for our voice. They are also one of the most recognisable tells of AI-generated copy — leaving them in published content makes us look automated.
| Avoid | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Lesson cancelled — see details below | Lesson cancelled. See details below. |
| {tutor} — {subject} | {tutor} – {subject} |
Enforcement
The repo's ESLint config ships a no-emdash rule that fails the build on any committed em-dash in code, comments, or JSX. The only file allowed to contain U+2014 is this brand portal page itself, since it has to quote the character to ban it.