Brand expression

The business landscape is becoming more complex. Technology is changing at a rapid pace. Data and AI are creating altogether new opportunities for relevance and service. Fintechs are launching potentially disruptive innovations.

And the benchmarks for consumer expectations are at an all-time high. In this environment, differentiating our brand has never been more important.

But true differentiation is hard. In today’s world, consumers have much higher expectations of quality, value, and trust. Their perception of value is no longer just about cost, it emerges from the sum of interactions they have with a product, service, or brand. Each interaction informs an understanding of who they’re doing business with and what that company stands for. And this understanding plays into the decisions people make about whether to buy a product, stick with a brand, or do business with a company.

Growing and sustaining our competitive advantage depends on the quality of products and services we create as well as the impressions we leave with our customers and the end-consumers of our products. So where and how can we influence those perceptions?

Leadership brands create meaning and reinforce how they’re different by fully leveraging all aspects of Brand Expression. The product design, packaging, marketing communications and customer experiences all collaborate to deliver a total brand experience that influences customer loyalty, willingness to pay a premium, and positive impressions that lead to brand trust.

As an employee or agency partner, every choice you make can influence what a person thinks about Mastercard. In order to strengthen and differentiate our brand in the minds of people, we need to be very intentional about what we say, what we do, and how we do it. For our customers as well as consumers.

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Brand expression

The promise that unifies our identity

INCLUSION

Every digital device has the potential to drive commerce. But we’re doing more than simply digitizing the tools—we’re extending them to those outside the system. We understand, that to thrive, the “Internet of Everything” needs the “Inclusion of Everyone.” It’s human enablement on a global scale.

SAFETY IN THE WORLD

As commerce becomes less dependent on cash, it makes life safer for everyone. We’re converging the mosaic of fragmented digital payments into a seamless, secure system. These innovations are advancing social progress, improving lives, and resulting in a system that can be trusted throughout the world.

INNOVATION THAT MATTERS

We’re innovating faster than ever before. In fact, we’ve helped drive more payments innovation in the past five years than in the previous fifty. We’re thinking differently, and designing products differently, such as new humancentered innovations that go beyond the moment of payment.

ENRICHING EXPERIENCES

Above all, it’s the experiences we share that inspire and connect us to one another. By bringing to life our vision of a world beyond cash, we’re expanding the possibilities for deeper connections and amazing experiences for everyone throughout the world.

The role of design

On the surface, it’s easy to think about design as what something looks like. That’s just style. Good design starts with the problem to solve, seeks to understand the needs of people, and is intentional about creating emotional connections and real value with clarity, simplicity, and, yes, style. When you think of Apple the essence of the brand comes through its design.

That’s why we say that great branding and design are inseparable. It’s not just about following a set of guidelines for fonts and colors; it’s about creating a lasting impression that embodies who we are and what we stand for in the way we show up in the world.

Imagine yourself planning a gathering for friends at your home. You might be the kind of person who wants to make sure that the house is not a mess, that the right books are visibly on display, that you have food people are going to like which also feels a bit special. You’re going to think about the music to play, the kind of mood you want to evoke, and whether or not to keep the dog out of sight. Every choice you make is a reflection of you.

The same goes for our brand.

A design-led approach to Brand Expression is about being intentional in our decisions. It’s about having empathy for our audience and continually looking for ways to make things better understood, more enjoyable, more useful, more inspirational. If we can’t find a reason behind the design decisions we make, it’s not going to be good design.

In addition to having purposeful intentions, the Mastercard design aesthetic should reflect the following key principles, which should be used when creating or evaluating the quality of design.

SIMPLICITY

Balanced elements and layouts guide the eye through a clear hierarchy of information.
Thoughtfully arranged elements make it possible to scan a communication.
This helps readers instantly understand the purpose and focus.

BALANCE

Balanced elements and layouts guide the eye through a clear hierarchy of information.
Thoughtfully arranged elements make it possible to scan a communication.
This helps readers instantly understand the purpose and focus.

CLARITY

Clarity of purpose should imbue the entirety of a communication.
Every design choice is an opportunity to express the core idea.
Clear communications are more relatable, genuine, and human—they respect the reader’s attention.

Our ingredients

To express ourselves with one voice, we have crafted a set of ingredients that, when purposefully applied, come together to differentiate our Brand Expression.

Our strategy was to create a visual language flexible enough to work for any type of communication or audience, and still be recognized as unmistakably Mastercard. But to get there requires great design.