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Overview

Voice and Tone

Our voice and tone should reflect M&T Bank's brand and business philosophy, captured in the brand promise "Understanding what's important." This phrase should be kept in mind when creating content, but only used directly in marketing contexts. We should strive to communicate that we’re focused on what’s important to our customers, which means we know them, understand their needs and work to provide a banking experience that supports them. Our content should work to support our overall brand characteristics, reinforcing friendlier, colloquial, branded language and move away from institutional, heavy, overwritten language. Copy should be easy to read, which means blocks of text should be made “scannable” by the use of subheads, bullets and short paragraphs whenever possible.

Brand Characteristics

Where appropriate, content should explicitly or implicitly reinforce the characteristics that define M&T Bank:

  • Hardworking - diligent, devoted, thorough
  • Reliable - trustworthy, consistent, dependable, steadfast
  • Straighforward - sincere, honest, open, genuine
  • Accessible - approachable, amicable, engaging, inviting
  • Insightful - perceptive, understanding, astute
  • Caring - community-minded, helpful, supportive
  • Forward-looking - optimistic, active, energetic

Voice

Our brand voice reflects our distinct personality, style and point of view, incorporating all of our brand characteristics. M&T Bank has a strong, established brand that values hard work, community and getting it right. The M&T brand is embodied in content that simply and conversationally tells it like it is, rather than dressing up a product or service with dry, overly formal or unnecessary corporate jargon. Our brand voice speaks plainly, but not so casually as to cross over into sounding unprofessional or using slang. It’s a comfortable and confident style that is also approachable.

Tone

Our tone of voice (how we say it) is:

  • Friendly
  • Conversational
  • Informative
  • Progressive
  • Reflective of the empathetic quality inherent in our "understanding" brand promise

Tone influences the way customers feel when interacting with our brand. M&T's credo is that of "pervasive customer service," and our content should manifest that. Conten should have the "How can we help?" attitude that ultimately achieves the goal of empowering users.


How it Sounds

Friendly, Colloquial

Total Balance

This is the balance you had at the end of yesterday, plus or minus any transactions that process in real time. Any pending checks or other transactions are not included here. Refer to your Available Balance to see the amount you can access right now for withdrawals, transfers and payments.

Institutional, Overly Formal

Total Balance

The previous business day’s ending balance, plus or minus certain limited transactions that are processed real-time. Balances from pending transactions that have not posted to your account may not be reflected. Your total balance also does not include checks or other transactions you may have initiated that have not yet been presented to the bank for payment. For the amount currently available for withdrawals, transfers, and payments, please refer to the Available Balance.