Brand Guidelines - Brand Philosophy - Tone of Voice

Language

We are a global business school and speak to a global audience. Given the diversity of our readership, our language should be simple and honest. Sentences are clear and concise, with an active voice. Long, rambling sentences are not our thing. Punchy payoff lines are. Keeping sentences focused and on-topic avoids confusing the reader regardless of where they are or their primary language.

Openness

We transform people who go on to transform businesses and therefore transform the world. With this in mind, we must be open and inclusive, empowering people with an optimistic and aspirational tone. We want people to feel and share our passion. We attract the best from all over the world: we are open and accessible. We  are not intimidating or directive.

Ambitions

While we respect our heritage and celebrate past triumphs, we always look to the future. We embrace new challenges and are always looking for ways to improve. Our ambitions are reflected in our vision and goals, and our willingness to address the biggest challenges facing business  and society.

Making it personal 

We know we have to grab our audience’s attention, so we get to the point as quickly as possible. We also talk directly to our audience. We say: “when you sign up”, not “when they  sign up…”. Relevance and inclusion is key.

For guidance on writing from and for INSEAD in a clear, consistent and brand-aligned way, refer to the Editorial Guidelines.

This living document provides guidance on the voice of the institution and standardises best practices for writing. The institutional voice should not reflect any one individual but instead embody the global and inclusive nature of our mission.

The Institutional Style Guide offers a foundational set of grammatical and stylistic guidelines aligned with the INSEAD Communications Toolkit. It will continue to evolve through collaboration with our institutional and community partners. Your input may be invited at key moments to ensure it remains relevant and representative.

Access the full editorial guidelines on OneINSEAD (requires internal login 🔒)