Brand Guidelines
Everything the team needs to write, design, and speak for Get on the Bus consistently — colour, type, logo usage, graphic elements, and tone of voice, all on one page.
Who we are, in one breath.
The essentials to repeat, verbatim, in any deck, pitch, or funder conversation.
"Inspired by Kingston and driven by Small Change Fund, GotB connects communities across Canada to make youth transit free, accessible, and empowering."
A Canada where every young person has the freedom, confidence, and skills to access community life through public transit.
If communities across Canada are supported to introduce fare-free youth transit access, embed training and engagement, and share knowledge nationally — youth gain autonomy, equity grows, and Canada advances toward a low-carbon, inclusive future.
| Priority | Text |
|---|---|
| Primary | Inspiring a Youth Transit Revolution |
| Alternate | Youth Transit in Motion |
| Alternate | Empowering a Youth Transit Movement |
Click a swatch to copy its hex.
Five core colours drive every GotB touchpoint. One colour leads per composition — avoid balancing yellow and blue equally.
Used specifically for Next Stop: Change content (nextstopchange.ca) — not the general GotB palette.
Poppins, every weight.
Bold ExtraBold headlines are the brand's visual signature — blue leads per the current hierarchy (blue primary, yellow secondary, sky blue tertiary). Poppins is already loaded site-wide; no need to re-import it in new widgets.
Full colour & reversed.
Always use the full wordmark — never recreate the type, and never separate the bus icon from it.
- Always use the full wordmark — never recreate the type
- Maintain clear space equal to the height of the "G" on all sides
- Do not stretch, distort, or rotate
- Do not recolour outside the approved palette
- Do not separate the bus icon from the wordmark
- Co-brand with the SCF lockup in all formal / funded communications
Building blocks for layouts.
Geometric shapes in Transit Yellow and Freedom Blue used to build headers, card frames, and momentum. All available in the Canva brand kit.
A civic advocate, not a marketer.
Moves between professional credibility (LinkedIn, policy) and accessible urgency (Instagram, youth) — with the same underlying warmth in both. Reads like the competent colleague who actually cares, not a brand.
Full paragraphs with context-setting. Stats with sources cited. Tags individuals by full name. Shares data reports and reshares partners. Ends with 3–5 relevant hashtags.
Shorter, punchier compression of LinkedIn copy. Links replaced with "link in bio" / "Linktree in bio." Heavier emoji use. 3–4 hashtags maximum.
The single most useful test: does this copy make a reader want to do something, or just feel something? GotB copy does both — but the action always comes first.
Who we're talking to, and where.
Stack posts around moments: OASBO report releases, municipal pilot launches, webinars, funding announcements, school board milestones.
| Channel | Function | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Resource and policy hub | Informational, credible |
| Blog | Deep-dive storytelling | Reflective and personal |
| Thought leadership & partner recognition | Professional gratitude posts | |
| Youth stories and visuals | Energetic, inclusive, reels | |
| YouTube / Webinars | Training and community showcases | Educational, transparent |
| Newsletter | Partner updates and calls to action | Action-oriented, consistent |
| Podcast | Movement updates, interviews | Conversational, inspiring |
| Earned Media | National amplification | Press, podcasts, op-eds |
| Audience | Motivations | Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal Leaders | Proven models, peer examples, funding leverage | LinkedIn, webinars, briefings |
| Transit Authorities | Ridership growth, minimal disruption | LinkedIn, webinars, meetings |
| Educators | Attendance, safety, equity | Resource Library, newsletter |
| School Boards | Access, attendance, quality of education | Peer Frameworks, Field Trips |
| Youth (13–25) | Visibility, empowerment, belonging | Instagram, Ambassador Program |
| Parents & Guardians | Safety, time savings, convenience | Webinars, training programs |
| Funders | Scalable, data-driven outcomes | Reports, infographics, gratitude |
| Policymakers | Value, recognition, platform benefit | LinkedIn, municipal meetings |
| General Public | Optimism, local pride, community stories | Media, blog, youth spotlights |
A connector, not a campaign org.
GotB exists to connect and amplify communities — never to claim credit for their work.
- Supportive, solutions-oriented, and evidence-driven
- Focused on youth mobility, climate benefits, and community access
- Celebrating community leadership and amplifying others' successes
- Building trust with funders through gratitude and shared purpose
- Centred on positive storytelling and system-level progress
- Non-partisan and welcoming of all youth transit access efforts
- Confrontational or critical of governments, transit agencies, or schools
- Commenting broadly on unrelated politics or policy debates
- Taking ownership of local achievements
- Using negative framing, blame, or divisive messaging
- Comparing communities against each other
- A protest organization — GotB advocates through example
- All mentions of Kingston must read "inspired by Kingston" — never owned by or representative of Kingston
- Always credit Small Change Fund as the program driver and charitable backbone
- Stay non-partisan and evidence-based — root all messaging in verified data and real outcomes
- Model recognition and partnership, never ownership
- Avoid comparisons between communities — focus on collaboration and shared learning
- Always follow funders' requests regarding recognition
Internal reference only — not for external distribution. Compiled from the GotB Brand Kit Reference and Tone of Voice Reference. Update this page whenever those source documents change. Questions? Ask Rielly.