Voice and Tone

Our voice signals who we are in everything we do, from user interface copy to client communications and in-office signage. Our tone will flex depending on our audience and their situation. But no matter who we speak to and how we communicate with them, Morningstar’s voice and tone meets our audiences where they are. It brings substance to every conversation: every copy choice feels purposeful and deepens understanding.

These standards draw from our design principles for a consistent expression of our brand that coincides with visual design. Product, Marketing, and other writing guidelines each hone these guidelines for their specific use cases.

While editorial content, particularly opinions that reflect an analyst’s unique voice, will flex depending on the author, Morningstar writers and content strategists should refer to these standards to help imbue the Morningstar ethos into their work.

If we’re going to be a trusted voice in a complex industry, it’s crucial that we speak straightforwardly. Easily understood copy builds confidence in both investors and our brand. After any Morningstar interaction, clients should always feel like they know what to do or where to go next.  

Our writing should create a common language that fosters clarity and trust.

This means we:  

• Offer context or a lead-in where needed, but otherwise, cut to the chase. We shouldn't be a barrier between our users and what they want to know.

• Approach our experiences with honesty. We don't use deceptive patterns in our writing, like double negatives in buttons or promising more than we can deliver.

• Ask ourselves where we can be more concise, eliminate redundancies, and simplify our copy.

• View clarity through a global lens. Not every metaphor translates well into other languages. Clarity begets inclusivity.  

This means we don’t: 

• Try to sound smarter than anyone else or talk down to our readers. Keep your writing at a broadly understandable level.

• Rely on jargon or acronyms. Don’t assume everyone has the same familiarity with investing topics and terms; explain where needed.

• Distract readers with flowery or overly clever language. If the intended message isn’t apparent, it doesn’t matter how beautiful your copy sounds. 

Investors of all types take their goals seriously, and we show them we’re just as serious by maintaining a professional tone. As a financial services organization, we want to convey competence and dependability while staying approachable to stand out from competitors. We don’t want to be overly friendly to the point where we’re being too casual or using slang, nor should we be so buttoned up that we say “utilize” when “use” would suffice.  

Clients expect professionalism, but we deepen our connection with them through an accessible, genuine voice.  

This means we:  

• Use plain language where applicable. Choose words that your audience will most likely be familiar with.

• Are conversational but not verbose. Every word counts, so stick to what’s most important while paying attention to craft: descriptive headlines, logical hierarchies, and tight sentences.

• Lead with a positive construction (“This file is only available as a .svg”) rather than a negative construction (“This file isn’t available in .eps format”) where possible. It's an opportunity to demonstrate Morningstar’s inherent optimism in a small way. 

This means we don’t:  

• Favor outdated grammar rules over conversational norms. Depending on the audience or context, consider writing the way you'd speak: use contractions, split an infinitive, or end a sentence with a preposition.

• Use cheeky humor or overly clever copy, especially in serious or potentially frustrating situations. If our humor misfires, we risk someone misinterpreting our message, eroding their trust in us. Be judicious and err on the side of direct rather than clever.

What do investors find valuable? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Before we start writing, we ask our cross-functional partners for more information on the audience we’re trying to reach and tailor our message accordingly. Writing with a clear “why” in mind demonstrates our value to everyone we interact with.

When we’re precise and intentional, we bring something financial services organizations can’t promise to every investor: substance.

This means we:  

• Consider whether your copy offers meaning or a benefit to the person seeing it. If it doesn’t help enlighten users or inspire action, it doesn’t belong on the page.

• Ensure headlines, captions, and other copy accurately describe what's in a report, image, or data visualization.

• Continually ask ourselves throughout the creative process if our work achieves the goal of a touchpoint or experience. What does the investor stand to gain through this interaction? 

This means we don’t:  

• Emphasize ourselves when we should be focusing on investor or client needs. When researching funds for their retirement goals, investors aren’t asking how long we’ve rated funds—they want us to help solve their problem. Offer additional ways for investors to get to know Morningstar after we’ve proven we can deliver for them.

• Talk for the sake of talking. If we continually enter conversations without something meaningful to add, investors will eventually stop paying attention to what we have to say.

Using in-house style guides ensures consistency in our communications, inspiring confidence in our clients. The Morningstar Style Guide sets the standard that anyone writing content should follow. Guidelines for DBRS and Pitchbook can be found on Acquired Brands.

The Morningstar Style Guide is housed on a dedicated site and updated regularly. For access, email the copy desk.