Third-Party Branding
Attribution means giving Morningstar, as a third party, clear credit when an another organization uses our data, research, or other content. It should always be obvious what’s ours, especially when other providers’ content is in the mix, to make the value of our brand immediately clear.
Requirements
Verbal or visual attribution is required when our information is used or displayed by another organization, such as raw data in a table, an analyst quoted in an article, or a reprint of the Morningstar Rating on a fund fact sheet. Contract requirements vary by attribution use case: Redistribution and licensing always require a contract, while citation doesn’t.
Across attribution types:
- In most cases, “Morningstar” as a company should be credited.
- If the information comes from a regulated entity within Morningstar, like Morningstar DBRS, credit the entity directly.
- When a Morningstar product needs attribution for clarity or specificity, include “from Morningstar” if the product name doesn’t already contain “Morningstar” (such as “Sustainalytics ESG data from Morningstar”).
If Morningstar is one of several data providers, the attributing organization should clearly show which content is ours and which belongs to someone else. However, if our data is mixed with data from other sources and can’t be easily attributed, skip the attribution altogether.
The Morningstar logo should include the appropriate trademark or service mark. For more on the proper use of the marks, see Trademarks.
For situations where Morningstar and another organization develop promotional content together, including that about the attribution relationship, see Co-Marketing. For instances where another organization exclusively uses Morningstar data or content as the foundation of their product or service, see Powered By.
Attribution Types
Redistribution
In redistribution, an organization provides or resells Morningstar data and research to its clients or others. A contract is always involved in this relationship.
The organization must be clear about which data or content is Morningstar’s; if our data is mixed with data from other sources and can’t be easily attributed, don’t include Morningstar’s name or logo on the redistributed asset.
For visual attribution, we typically provide the Morningstar logotype and require the redistributor to follow its foundational visual guidelines. By agreement, the logo may be locked with an attribution line into an asset that Morningstar provides. Check the agreement to determine which asset should be provided.
Copy in a lockup, footnote, or in-line will vary based on the type of content shared. If desired, the Morningstar name and/or logo can be linked to Morningstar.com.
Credits in captions on outside platforms should appear as close to the cited material as possible.
If the logotype is displayed, it should be locked with text above it clarifying what Morningstar provided. The logotype is often placed at the end of a report or the bottom of a webpage.
Set clarifying text in Intrinsic Regular, in sentence case, between Neutral 50 and 100, and positioned left-aligned to the logotype with the registered mark or other mark. Text size will depend on viewing distance.
Alternatively, text may be top-aligned to the logotype when there are height restrictions.
Licensing and Reporting
Many of our products include licensing agreements so that another organization can use Morningstar proprietary assets, including Essentials and Signature Assets, in their investment product marketing or reports. A contract is always involved.
For visual attribution, we typically provide the Morningstar logotype and require the licensee to follow its foundational visual guidelines. By agreement, the logo may be locked with an attribution line into an asset that Morningstar provides. Check the agreement to determine which asset should be provided.
Morningstar proprietary assets often have specific usage guidelines. Contact the appropriate product manager or team for their guidelines.
Copy in a lockup, footnote, or in-line will vary based on the type of content shared.
Credits in captions on outside platforms should appear as close to the cited material as possible.
If the logotype is displayed, it should be locked with text above it clarifying what Morningstar provided. The logotype is often placed at the end of a report or the bottom of a webpage.
Set clarifying text in Intrinsic Regular, in sentence case, between Neutral 50 and 100, and positioned left-aligned to the logotype with the registered mark or other mark. Text size will depend on viewing distance.
Alternatively, text may be top-aligned to the logotype when there are height restrictions.
Citation
Morningstar data and research referenced in another organization’s content, programs, or events must be credited to Morningstar, usually in text. Any quoted Morningstar employees, including analysts and leaders, must also receive credit. No legal agreement is required; citations are usually one-off scenarios involving publicly available information.
In situations where an organization is using any Morningstar intellectual property, a body of data, or sharing an entire paper or access to a product, a redistribution or licensing agreement is required.
Organizations or publications should credit the Morningstar employee and their title within in-line copy.
Article citations, especially when the whole article is referenced or referenced repeatedly, may appear in a footer or at the bottom of a page.
A caption or source line should be placed under an image or chart. It should be specific to the image or chart.
Do adhere to proper clear space guidelines.
Avoid showing just the logotype without any additional context or attribution text.
Don’t use the logo without the registered trademark symbol.
Don’t refer to Morningstar as a partner unless an agreement specifies it.
Don’t add graphic elements or change the visual attribution in any way.
Don’t use the logomark in place of the logotype, as it isn’t as instantly recognizable to outside audiences.
Copyright and Disclosure
In agreement-based attribution use cases, Morningstar requires copyright or disclosure language any time our assets are used by other organizations in print or digital applications. An agreement should specify the required copyright or disclosure language.
Sample: © [Insert year] Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.
