Our reinvigorated MoveOn brand is a beacon for people-powered progress in America. This brand was inspired by our members, co-created by our staff, and designed to resonate with a new group of supporters—in a manner that is both timely and timeless. Our brand is about standing for our shared values, achieving progress through both incremental and major wins, and coming together to build a radically inclusive, equitable movement.
Our brand is more than a great name, beautiful logo, powerful tagline or engaging campaign. It is a guide for how we think, act, and communicate. It’s a platform that will help us build lasting relationships with our audiences in the moments that matter.
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
This guide will serve as your north star for the MoveOn brand, providing information about how to (or how not to) use the brand. Every person who touches the MoveOn brand impacts its overall effectiveness in the world. To ensure that this asset remains distinctive and consistent across teams and platforms, please take the time to read the guidance in the pages that follow, and keep this guidebook on-hand to use as a resource.
The more we work together to reinforce a strong MoveOn brand, the better we will be at inspiring others to join and support our movement.
STRATEGY
Behind our new brand is one simple idea:
PEOPLE-POWERED PROGRESS
“We are a movement of ordinary Americans who want to build a country where people can live with dignity and fairness and thrive.”
— Executive Staff
POSITIONING STATEMENT
MoveOn is the catalyst for impact in America, where millions mobilize to fight for and realize a fair, equitable, and just society where everyone can thrive.
What is a positioning statement?
A positioning statement explains how MoveOn is distinctive and why key audiences and stakeholders should engage with us. It’s the brand platform that unifies our efforts and communications across platforms, and becomes the foundation for the MoveOn public identity.
How do I use it?
A positioning statement is used internally, helping to guide and unify communications. Language from the positioning statement can also be used as a starting point for external communications.
BRAND NARRATIVE
MoveOn is a powerful force for change, where millions mobilize to fight for and realize a just society where everyone can thrive.
We seek a more democratic and equitable America—where everyone has an equal voice and is treated with dignity, respect and care.
Our community is a catalyst for social and political progress. We are a rapid response force—at once large and nimble. We target our resources purposefully and effectively. Our campaigns and organizing empower members to transform anger into action, fear into hope, and outrage into outcomes.
MoveOn is more than our name. It is our challenge to America: to move forward boldly and fearlessly, upholding and enacting the values that will make our country work for all of us.
We are the many, and together, we are powerful. Every day, together, we fight to win—it’s what we’ve always done, and it’s what we’re built to do.
What is a brand narrative?
A brand narrative provides additional language that supports and fleshes out the positioning statement, and brings more shape and color to the brand platform.
How do I use it?
Like the positioning statement, language from the brand narrative can also be used as a starting-point for external communications.
BRAND VALUES
JUSTICE
More than any other value the core expression of what we’re fighting for—philosophers have said plenty about what this word means, but essentially we believe the concept of a just society is inclusive of the following values.
EQUATIBILITY (EQUITY + EQUALITY)
One of our fundamental values is that everyone should be included, treated fairly, and given opportunity. For our country’s entire history, power has been unjustly distributed on the basis of identity, and that power yields nothing without demand. Equity means challenging and ending this unfair distribution of power and the oppression that has gone with it.
CARE
Closely tied to dignity, we are motivated by the most powerful human emotion—love. We believe we are all connected, that our futures are our bound up within one another. We feel empathy when we see others hurt or oppressed. We reject cold individualism, and seek the common good.
DEMOCRACY
We believe society works best when everyone has a voice to challenge systems and structures that privilege some over others and give some more power to shape our common destiny. We reject the status quo where giant corporations and the 1% have far more influence than the rest of us, and fundamentally believe government must a give voice to and represent the interests of the many, not the few.
DIGNITY
We recognize the inherent humanity of every person, and believe everyone should be valued, honored and treated with respect.
What are our values?
Our brand values articulate our shared beliefs—what we stand for and believe in fighting for as a brand.
How do I use them?
The nature of our work and the political environment today makes it easy to slip into a negative and reactionary communications style. Crafting messaging and campaigns that stem from our values allows us to take a positive stance, reinforcing what we are standing for as a brand—not just what we are fighting against.
BEHAVIORAL VALUES
WE ARE COMMITED
…to our shared values
…to our members
…to ongoing progress in America
…to our organizational vision
WE ARE MOBILIZED
…we come together and take collective action
…we are a force to be reckoned with
…we are a powerful, unified voice
WE ARE INCLUSIVE
…we are committed to diversity
…all are welcome
…we are a hub, a gathering place for Americans
What are behavioral values?
As the old adage says, “actions speak louder than words.” Behavioral values—a device used internally—demonstrate how we can live the brand through the actions we take every day. These behaviors come to life in the norms we set with our co-workers, members, and the general public. Our behaviors strike the tone for the brand, and are powerful when they are in alignment with our brand’s ethos.
How do I use them?
MoveOn staff and our inner circle of close partners are encouraged to keep these behavioral values top-of-mind. Print them out and hang them in your workspace, use them to ground internal meetings, incorporate them into performance reviews—get creative!
PERSONALITY
We are relentless...
We are genuine...
We are bold...
We are always ready...
What is brand personality?
Because the MoveOn brand is a living, breathing asset, it makes sense that it behaves in a human way. Distinctive personality traits help our brand strike a unique and unmistakable tone in the world.
How do I use it?
Everything MoveOn creates and releases—internal and external communications, imagery, headlines, petitions, campaigns, social media posts, videos, etc.—will ideally capture one or more of our personality traits. Like a human personality, brand personality can shine through in many ways—through tone of voice, strategic approach/stance, choice of channel/outreach method—the list goes on. Re-visit these personality traits before creating an asset, and use it as a tool to assess the tone of your final product.