Annex Training Center Brand Manual
Welcome to the Brand Manual for Annex Training Center. It introduces our new identity and explains the guiding principles for using the elements of our brand. The way we look, sound, and behave is a reflection of who we are. The Annex Training Center brand identity is more than a logo or a font, it is a rich system that works to let our business shine with personality and approachability.
Created by Metcon Creative for Annex Training Center.
Copyright Metcon Creative 2020.
01 –
Our Brand
Create an experience that's designed for something bigger. We want to cultivate an atmosphere where people move with intention, learn and educate, and grow with people they enjoy hanging out with.
Our Mission
02 –
Our Values
Put the team before the individual.
We are a team and we aspire to be great together. Be humble and encourage human-connection, collaboration, and take collective ownership to cultivate a safe environment of trust, respect, and family where no one is left behind.
Have good character.
Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done. Do things properly, so no one else has to. Truly listen while others are talking. Constantly seek opportunities to encourage and compliment others. Be proud. Be responsible. Be confident. Never make excuses. Never lose patience. We are all responsible for the way we affect those around us.
Be good to yourself and others.
No matter race, gender, sexual orientation, fitness level, status, or any other determining factor - everyone at Annex is treated with respect and genuine friendliness. We all go out of our way to welcome new members and openly invite them onto the team. We respect all people - our coaches, training partners and fellow gym members - the gym itself, the equipment within, the positive vibe, and above all else - ourselves.
Embrace change.
Just as in our training, so too in life. Without introducing new stressors and adapting to these stressors, our bodies become stagnant. We must be willing and open to continually adjust and adapt.
Learn and grow.
This space is one where we focus on continually learning and teaching others what you learn. We are all students striving for excellence via accumulative learning and incremental improvement. Push beyond your comfort zones. Train and learn with intensity to accelerate personal growth in all areas.
Keep it real.
Be genuine and honest and stay true to yourself and your convictions. Create ownership, accountability, and trust within all aspects of your life. Our gym is an environment that encourages safe conflict, honesty, and integrity in which people genuinely know and care for one another. Spread love and positivity, always.
Focus on the details.
We do not simply go through the motions. We learn and perfect the fundamentals and build through these details. We do extra. It’s the extra effort to do something great, instead of good, that lifts the ordinary to be extraordinary.
Give back.
“Plant trees you’ll never see.” We should strive to contribute to a cause bigger than ourselves connecting the past, present, and future as one.
03 –
Our Beliefs
About Fitness
There must never be a finish line.
You have to make a conscious decision to prioritise fitness at all stages of your life, understanding that fitness is a series of decisions that happens throughout the day. Physical strength leads to mental strength, and strength is valuable in all areas of life. So do the difficult thing, not the easy thing to get stronger daily.
Humans need struggle and striving in their life, so lean in. Struggle, competition and the process of incremental improvement in all areas will keep you fit for the bigger things in life.
About Nutrition
Nutrition should be based on curiosity and self-exploration.
Nutrition is the most overlooked and underrated aspect of the industry. We believe that nutrition has to be a conscious decision every second of every day. Because nutrition fuels results, nutrition is the most important. We want to empower people to empower themselves, so our nutrition education is based on curiosity and self-exploration, rather than results, intensity and discipline.
About Coaching
Be a badass coach who cares fanatically about people
We believe in Coaches who truly care to make improvements. A high degree of care for people comes first, while technicality comes second. The coaching has to be intuitive, and other people's interests have to be taken into account to keep them engaged and motivated. As a Coach, as soon as you learn something new, you have the responsibility to teach someone else to the whole team gets better.
About Life
Nothing is better than being strong and kind.
Being strong is the best thing you can be. We believe that kindness comes from adversity, so don't fear the pain that gives you no other choice but to follow the process. Struggle equals strength, strength yields the ability to have empathy and kindness.
Once you are strong and kind, you can effectively make other people's lives better, which we should constantly think about and actively seek out opportunities for.
04 –
Our Ideal Client persona
Personas help us design our work for a specific somebody, rather than a generic everybody.
Max
When you meet someone who trains at Annex Training Center, these are the kind of people you’ll meet.
Goals
A combination of aesthetics and strength.
They want to feel confident that they are training the right way, and the want to learn about strength, not just gain it.
Attention
Work, Friends, Social Media
Qualities
Curious, caring, motivated
The Annex Training persona in short:
Max likes to enjoy life and wants the best of himself. He spends a lot of time learning through podcasts, reading books to help him unlock his potential and works hard to improve in work and life.
With his passion for his work comes a blurry line between work life and personal life, but he believes a healthy dose of stress can be managed and doesn't stand in the way of happiness.
He knows that improving his fitness will make him better in other areas of life too, and he'd like to look like he works out, not just feel like it. His natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge mean that he'll be asking questions and really learning how to train while he trains.
Overall, he's a great member for Annex because he genuinely cares about people, the community and the planet, which makes him the perfect fit for Annex's mission of fitness for something bigger.
What do they do?
Web Designer
Loves learning and perfecting his craft
Enjoy reading books, mostly non-fiction in the self-help/development genre
Sticks to a routine
Listens to podcasts and audiobooks, including Joe Rogan, and others on topics like self-help, stress management, financial literacy and business
Ask a lot of questions and isn't afraid to say "I don't know"
Commutes to work one hour each way
Treats himself to eating out on weekends
Enjoys drinking craft beers and going to breweries with friends
Enjoys camping and outdoors
Generally makes healthy choices, especially Mon-Fri
Is actively an environmentalist, doing things like beach cleanups
Takes a lot of pride about living in Long Beach and loves the community
Spends four or five days in the gym
Has a morning routine and is suited to the AM classes
Is generally a morning person prepared to make sacrifices for the things they want out of life
What do they think?
I really value your experiences
I want to enjoy life and be my best
I like hanging out with cool people, he also believes he's cool too
I'm ready and able to take on struggle
Thinks about others and cares about supporting them
Has an open mindset and is comfortable learning from others
Politically progressive
Understands that he can't fill from an empty cup, so he serves himself in order to serve others
There's always a way to find other than an excuse
What do they say?
"I like competition but I don't like comparing myself to others"
"It's hard to separate work from my personal life"
"Just because I'm stressed doesn't mean I can't enjoy life"
"Good workouts, good people, the beach and I'm happy."
Has a good sense of humour and tells great stories and jokes
"I just don't feel 100% to be honest"
Speaks openly about their downfalls like lack of sleep etc.
"I want to train at a place where I feel very comfortable"
Doesn't gossip
"No is a full sentence"
Pain Points
Staying committed
Has tried to work out on their own but can't keep it up and gets bored with it
Doesn't understand the importance of nutrition
Has a competitive side and no healthy place to express it
Sedentary lifestyle is getting dangerous
Dealing with injuries
Opportunities
Educate them via email newsletters, program information and social media about how to eat, sleep, and design your lifestyle for consistent energy levels throughout the day.
Educate them on the fact that if they prioritize their health, they are going to get better at taking care of family/friends and excelling in their profession.
Cultivate a community of encouragement, not comparison and invite them into it.
Teach them how to train by going deeper on WHY you program certain movements.
Regularly host seminars to educate them on a variety of topics like relationship psychology, nutrition, mindset, growth, and other topics that they are interested in outside of fitness.
Make educational social media posts that are mini versions of these seminars
Host ‘office hours’ where clients can ask questions. The best questions that apply to most of your clients then become videos for your members-only Facebook group.
“This isn't a gym. This is home. If I think of how I've grown in the last 2 years, Annex was central to that growth. I love everything about it.”
What we want Max to say about us after 2 years at Annex.
05 –
Our Logo
Our logo is a valuable element of our visual identity. The following examples are intended to demonstrate how to use the logo across a variety of situations to ensure it is always presented in the best light.
A homage to Long Beach culture
Our logo is a combination of the 'A-wave' icon and a minimalist, diamond-shaped wordmark.
The icon and wordmark typically appear together, but can also be used separately, creating a flexible identifier for the Annex identity.
The Annex Training logo may also be used in place of Annex Training Center, especially in situations where communication across multiple gyms is required.
The logo can be used only in the approved colors listed below.
Clearspace
Great logos need room to breathe. To make sure that the Annex Training Center logo maintains its sophistication, leave it uncrowded.
The blue box indicates the minimum space required around the logo at all sizes. To measure the minimum, take the height of the 'X' in Annex and apply it to all sides.
Not observing this guide will result in a crowded logo and a missed opportunity to show professionalism and brand power.
Don't do this
To protect the logo, you have to keep it the same almost all of the time. These are some examples of what not to do.
1. Don't use mixed or non-brand colors
2. Don't use drop shadows
3. Don't skew the logo out of proportion
4. Don't put anything inside the clearspace
06 –
Our Colors
Our colors have been carefully selected to match our space and our personality.
How to use our colors
The nature that defines Long Beach is simple: The ocean and the sunshine. These two elements form the foundation of the Annex color palette.
For copy, black is also acceptable.
Navy, Sun and Bright Sky are the main colors to be used for Annex.
The secondary colors are to be used for sub-brands (see later section).
Ocean Navy
Print
98 86 45 59
Screen
#031838
Bright Sky (web color, print with care)
Print
52 0 10 0
Screen
#0af4ff
Bright Sky
Print
5 0 81 0
Screen
#ffff4a
Black
Print
60 40 40 100
Screen
#000000
Golden Sun
Print
1 18 100 0
Screen
#fdce07
Warm Sunset
Print
0 60 40 0
Screen
#f48580
Palm Mint (web color, print with care)
Print
45 0 50 0
Screen
#73ffad
White
Print
0 0 0 0
Screen
#ffffff
07 –
Our Fonts
Fonts add personality to Annex Training Center and allow us to communicate with clarity and impact.
Helvetica
Enter Helvetica. A modern sans serif that is shaped for clarity. Its Swiss geometry and precision ensure legibility, while its beautifully simple letters communicate trust and a solid foundation.
For Headings use Helvetica Bold in either Sentence case or Uppercase.
For Sub Headings use Helvetica Medium in Sentence case.
For Body Copy, use Helvetica Regular/Roman in Sentence case.
To add character and personality to the brand, a set of Culture Kit fonts have been chosen. These fonts may be used on merchandise, online, and in print to enhance the brand's culture.
08 –
Culture Kit
We're here to serve people. These are the pieces of our culture our people love.
This kit includes badges and icons unique to Annex Training Center, designed to resonate and connect with our ideal client.
Use these files when creating merchandise like shirts, and put them into social media posts or emails to add a touch of Annex brand personality.
09 –
Stationery
It's important that every piece of communication is on brand and consistent. While most communication is online, it's an opportunity to create a human touch in a digital world.
Whether we're welcoming someone to their new program, or sending a note of congratulations, these files are ready to print and send.
For welcome letters, templates have been set up in Canva for custom names each time.
10 –
Sub Brands
Annex is more than just one thing. Rather than just a gym, the Annex team offer more services to give people everything they need to live for something bigger.
The Sub Brands are comfortable on their own, but are also obviously part of the Annex family. The small icon on each Sub Brand is a nod to the umbrella brand, and should be placed on any future Sub Brands that are created.
The same usage guidelines apply to these Sub Brand logos as to the main logo.
The Sub Brands utilize the secondary colors of the brand. Please do not mix and match these, but use the right color for the right Sub Brand at all times to retain continuity.
