BOCC Cross-Platform Brand Consistency Guide

Reference document for anyone creating content on behalf of Buffalo Open Coffee Club

1. Unified Brand Voice Guidelines

Who BOCC sounds like

BOCC is the friend who moved back to Buffalo and genuinely wants to introduce you to everyone they know. The voice is warm but not saccharine, confident but not boastful, community-oriented but not preachy. Think “excited neighbor at a block party” – not “conference emcee” and definitely not “LinkedIn thought leader.”

Five voice principles

Principle	What it means	Example
Welcoming first	Every piece of content should make someone feel like they belong before they even show up	“First time? Just say so – the room will welcome you.”
Anti-corporate	No jargon, no buzzwords, no “synergy.” We talk like real people at a coffee shop.	Say “meet people” not “expand your professional network.” Say “help each other” not “facilitate mutually beneficial connections.”
Specific to Buffalo	Root content in real places, real people, real Buffalo references. We are not a generic networking event.	“Grab a coffee in the Seneca One lobby” not “join our premier networking experience.”
Action over aspiration	Favor concrete invitations over vague inspiration. Tell people what to do, where to go, what will happen.	“Tuesdays at 7:30. Seneca One lobby. Coffee is free.”
Give before ask	Mirror the Gives and Asks format in content. Lead with value, community stories, and generosity before any call to action.	Share a member story or useful connection before promoting the event.

Words and phrases that are on-brand

“Come drink coffee with us”
“Buffalo’s builders”
“Gives and Asks” (always capitalize – it is the name of our format)
“The community”
“Grab a name tag”
“No hard out”
“Come ready to meet people, not to sell”
“Every Tuesday morning”
“Free” (always mention – it is a differentiator)
“Entrepreneurs, small business owners, founders”
“Chill” / “low-key” / “no-frills”

Words and phrases to avoid

Avoid	Why	Use instead
“Exclusive”	BOCC is explicitly open to all	“Open to everyone”
“Networking event” (alone)	Too generic and corporate	“Free weekly networking” or “Tuesday morning meetup”
“Disrupt” / “innovate” / “scale”	Tech-bro jargon that alienates the small business majority	Describe what people actually do
“Members” (as a formal term)	BOCC has no membership structure	“Attendees,” “community,” “regulars,” “people”
“Our team”	It is mostly Zack and volunteers	“We” or name individuals
“Register now!” (with urgency)	Scarcity tactics conflict with the open, free ethos	“Join us” / “Grab a free ticket”
“Hustle” / “grind”	Burnout culture language	“Building” / “working on”
“Content” (as a noun for what BOCC creates)	Too marketing-speak	“Posts,” “updates,” “photos”

Grammar and style

Sentence case for headlines and captions, not Title Case (except “Gives and Asks,” “Afternoon Edition,” “Buffalo Open Coffee Club”)
Use contractions – “we’re” not “we are,” “don’t” not “do not.” Formal language feels wrong for BOCC.
Time format: “7:30 AM” (with space, caps AM/PM) or “7:30-9 AM” for ranges
Abbreviation: “BOCC” is acceptable after first use of “Buffalo Open Coffee Club” in any piece of content. On Instagram captions, leading with “BOCC” alone is fine since the account name provides context.
Emoji use: Sparingly. Coffee cup, sunrise/sun, and buffalo are on-brand. Avoid excessive emoji strings. One or two per caption maximum on Instagram. Zero to one on LinkedIn. Facebook can match Instagram.
Hashtags: See Section 6 below.

2. Visual Consistency Standards

Logo system

BOCC has two logo assets that serve different purposes:

Logo	File	Use for
Full badge logo	Sunrise arch with buffalo silhouette, “716” above, “Buffalo Open Coffee Club” text below, coffee bean background	Hero images, cover photos, headers, event graphics, print materials
Mug icon	Black buffalo-face-in-coffee-mug silhouette	Profile pictures, favicons, small-format uses, watermarks

Logo rules:

Never stretch, rotate, or apply filters to either logo
The mug icon works at small sizes; the full badge needs space – do not shrink it below where “716” is legible
On light backgrounds, use the logos as-is. On dark backgrounds, the full badge already has a dark background built in. The mug icon can be used in white/reversed if needed for dark contexts
Minimum clear space around either logo: the width of the mug handle on all sides

Color palette

Derived from the website’s sunrise skin and custom CSS:

Role	Color	Hex	Where it shows up
Deep brown (primary dark)	Dark roast coffee brown	`#361b01`	Text, buttons, primary UI elements
Medium brown (hover/secondary dark)	Warm espresso	`#5a3010`	Button hover states, secondary text
Amber/gold (accent)	Sunrise gold	`#f2a63a`	Focus rings, blockquote borders, highlight accents
Warm cream (background)	Latte foam	`#fdf8f3`	Card backgrounds, CTA sections, callout boxes
Tan border	Cafe au lait	`#e0d5c7`	Borders, dividers, subtle separators
Soft tan (secondary background)	Light parchment	`#f5f0eb`	Secondary button backgrounds
Warm red (links/CTA)	Buffalo brick red	`#b22030`	Links, strong CTAs, accent pops
Black	True black	`#000000`	Logo mug icon only
White	True white	`#ffffff`	Text on dark backgrounds, form inputs

For social media graphics, the working palette should be:

Primary pair: Deep brown (#361b01) + amber gold (#f2a63a) – this is the core BOCC look
Background: Warm cream (#fdf8f3) or white
Accent pop: Buffalo brick red (#b22030) for calls to action
Avoid: Cool blues, neon greens, purples, or any color that reads “corporate tech.” If in doubt, ask: “Does this look like it belongs in a coffee shop?” If not, pull it back.

Photography style

Do	Do not
Real photos from actual BOCC events	Stock photos of people networking
Candid moments – people laughing, talking, holding coffee	Posed corporate headshot-style group photos
Show the Seneca One lobby space	Use photos from other events or venues without context
Capture diverse attendees naturally	Stage diversity for appearances
Warm, natural lighting (morning light is ideal)	Heavy filters, especially cool/blue tones
Show coffee, name tags, the crowd during Gives and Asks	Show laptops, presentation screens, or anything that makes it look like a conference
Include Afternoon Edition location shots	Only show Seneca One – the brand is expanding

Photo editing guidance:

Slight warmth boost is fine and on-brand
Avoid heavy filters or presets that change the color temperature dramatically
Crop to focus on people and interactions, not empty space
Vertical crops for Instagram Stories and Reels, square or 4:5 for feed posts, landscape for Facebook and LinkedIn

Typography direction

The website uses system/theme fonts from Minimal Mistakes (sans-serif stack). For social media graphics:

Headlines: A bold, clean sans-serif. Nothing script, nothing overly decorative. The brand is approachable, not fancy.
Body text: A readable sans-serif at a comfortable size.
Avoid: Script fonts, all-caps body text, overly thin weights that are hard to read on mobile.
If creating branded templates: Choose one sans-serif family and use weight variations (bold for headlines, regular for body, semi-bold for emphasis). Consistency in font choice across all graphics is more important than which specific font is chosen.

3. Core Messaging Framework

The one sentence

Buffalo Open Coffee Club is free weekly networking for Buffalo’s small business and entrepreneurial community, every Tuesday morning at Seneca One.

Every piece of content should be traceable back to this sentence. It contains the five non-negotiable message elements:

Free – always communicate that there is no cost
Weekly / every Tuesday – consistency is a brand pillar
Networking – the core activity, but keep it human
Buffalo’s small business and entrepreneurial community – the audience definition
Seneca One – the anchor location (with Afternoon Edition as the expanding format)

Key messages by audience

Audience	Core message	Supporting proof
First-timers / curious	“Show up, grab a coffee, meet people. It is free and you do not need to know anyone.”	No signup required beyond a free Eventbrite ticket. Name tags provided. Format explained at the event.
Regular attendees	“This is your community. Bring someone new.”	Gives and Asks creates real connections. People launch projects together. Lasting relationships form here.
Potential sponsors	“Reach 100-120 entrepreneurs per month in an authentic, high-trust environment.”	Tax-deductible via BootSector 501(c)(3). Multiple touchpoints (live mention, check-in app, social media).
Buffalo media / ecosystem	“BOCC is where Buffalo’s entrepreneurial community gathers. Every week, for free.”	Origin story back to 2010. 32+ average weekly attendance. University engagement. Diverse 50/50 gender split.

Proof points to weave into content regularly

These should appear across platforms over time, not crammed into every post:

Free every week, no exceptions
Running since 2010 in various forms (origin story credibility)
32+ average weekly attendees in 2024
Seneca One Tower lobby – a real, recognizable Buffalo landmark
501(c)(3) nonprofit backing through BootSector
50/50 gender split (organically, not by design)
University student engagement (Buffalo State, Canisius, UB)
Gives and Asks format is unique – people help each other, not pitch each other
The Afternoon Edition is expanding the format to new times and locations

4. Platform-Specific Tone Adaptations

The brand voice stays consistent. The register shifts.

Instagram (@buffaloopencoffeeclub)

Register: Most casual. Visual-first. Energetic.

Element	Guidance
Captions	Short and punchy for feed posts (2-4 sentences + CTA). Can go longer for carousel storytelling. Always front-load the hook – Instagram truncates after two lines.
Stories	Casual, in-the-moment. Polls, questions, countdown stickers for Tuesdays. Behind-the-scenes of setup, coffee being poured, the lobby filling up. This is where spontaneity lives.
Reels	Quick energy. Morning vibes, crowd shots, time-lapses of the lobby filling up, short attendee sound bites. Keep text overlays minimal and readable.
Tone	Like texting a friend about a cool thing happening. “Tuesdays hit different at Seneca One.”
CTAs	“Link in bio” / “Grab a free ticket – link in bio” / “Tag someone who needs to be here Tuesday”
Avoid	Long paragraphs, corporate language, posting without a photo or video (Instagram is a visual platform – every post needs strong imagery)

Facebook (@buffaloopencoffeeclub)

Register: Slightly warmer, more community-oriented. Conversational but a touch more informational.

Element	Guidance
Posts	Medium length (3-6 sentences). Facebook tolerates more text than Instagram. Include the practical details (date, time, location) more prominently since Facebook surfaces posts to less-engaged followers who may not know the basics.
Events	Create Facebook Events for both Tuesday mornings and Afternoon Editions. This is a primary discovery channel for Facebook users.
Photos/Albums	Post event recaps with multiple photos. Tag attendees when appropriate (with their permission). Facebook’s algorithm favors photos with tags and comments.
Tone	Like a community bulletin board – warm, inclusive, informational. “Great morning at BOCC today! We had 35 people show up and heard some incredible Gives and Asks. If you have not been in a while, next Tuesday is a perfect time to come back.”
Sharing	Encourage attendees to share posts. Cross-post Afternoon Edition details to relevant Buffalo community groups (with moderator permission).
Avoid	Overly polished graphics without context. Facebook users engage more with real photos and genuine captions than with designed tiles.

LinkedIn (Buffalo Open Coffee Club showcase page)

Register: Professional but still warm. Substance-forward. This is where the community’s credibility is built.

Element	Guidance
Posts	Longer, more substantive. LinkedIn rewards content that tells a story or shares a lesson. 4-8 sentences, or short-form article style.
Content themes	Attendee spotlight stories (“Meet [Name], who started coming to BOCC six months ago and just landed their first client through a connection made here”). Community impact. Entrepreneur lessons. Behind-the-scenes of what it takes to run a free weekly event.
Tone	Like a respected community leader speaking at a panel – knowledgeable, generous, real. Not stiff, but aware of the audience. “One of the things I love about BOCC is watching first-timers come in nervous and leave with three new contacts and a plan.”
Tagging	Tag attendees, sponsors, partner organizations. LinkedIn reach expands significantly through network effects.
Sharing	Reshare and comment on attendees’ own BOCC posts (many already post about it – amplify those).
Avoid	Motivational poster language (“Rise and grind!”). Salesy sponsor pitches. Anything that sounds like it was written by a marketing team.

Summary: same brand, different dial positions

Dimension	Instagram	Facebook	LinkedIn
Formality	3/10	5/10	6/10
Detail level	Low (visuals carry the message)	Medium (practical info included)	High (stories and substance)
Emoji use	1-2 per post	0-1 per post	0 (occasional exception)
Post length	Short	Medium	Medium-long
Primary content type	Photos, Reels, Stories	Photos, Events, community posts	Articles, spotlights, reshares
CTA style	“Link in bio”	“RSVP on Eventbrite” (direct link)	“Join us Tuesday” or tag to start conversation

5. Content Dos and Don’ts

Do

Show real people, real moments. The best BOCC content is a photo from that morning with a genuine caption about what happened.
Credit and tag community members. BOCC exists because of its people. Spotlight them by name (with permission).
Mention that it is free. Every. Single. Time. This is the most common thing new people want to know, and it is the strongest differentiator from paid networking events.
Include the basics for new people. At least once a week across platforms, spell out: every Tuesday, 7:30-9 AM, Seneca One lobby, free.
Share the origin story periodically. The 2010 roots give BOCC credibility and depth. New followers need to hear this.
Celebrate Afternoon Edition as part of the family. Same energy, different time and place.
Amplify attendee-generated content. When someone posts about BOCC on their own account, reshare it. This is the highest-value content – it is authentic and extends reach through their network.
Acknowledge sponsors naturally. Mention them in the context of what they make possible, not as ad reads.
Post consistently. A minimum baseline of one post per platform per week. Tuesday morning recaps are the anchor content.

Do not

Do not hard-sell anything. BOCC’s entire identity is built on being anti-pitch. Content should never feel like a sales funnel.
Do not post stock photography. Ever. If there are no photos from a specific week, use a previous week’s photo with honest context, or post text-only.
Do not use other organizations’ branding without permission. This includes sponsor logos in contexts they have not approved.
Do not post political content or take political positions. BOCC is a nonpartisan community space.
Do not overpromise. “You WILL find your next business partner” is not BOCC’s style. “You might meet someone who changes your trajectory” is closer to the truth.
Do not ignore negative feedback. If someone has a bad experience or raises a concern publicly, respond promptly, empathetically, and in alignment with the Code of Conduct.
Do not create FOMO-driven content. “Only 5 spots left!” contradicts the open, free, everyone-welcome ethos. If Eventbrite tickets genuinely run out, say so matter-of-factly and explain how to still attend.
Do not post without proofreading. Typos in the brand name, wrong times, or broken links undermine trust. Double-check every post.
Do not forget the Afternoon Edition. It should appear in content at least twice a month leading up to each event.

6. Hashtag Consistency Strategy

Primary hashtags (use on every post)

Hashtag	Purpose
`#BuffaloOpenCoffeeClub`	Brand hashtag – the canonical tag for all BOCC content
`#BOCC`	Shorthand brand hashtag for quick reference
`#716coffee`	Ties to the domain (716coffee.club) and the 716 area code identity

Secondary hashtags (rotate based on content)

Hashtag	When to use
`#BuffaloNetworking`	General posts about the event
`#BuffaloEntrepreneurs`	Posts featuring founders or startup stories
`#BuffaloSmallBusiness`	Posts featuring small business owners
`#BuffaloStartups`	Posts about the startup community specifically
`#SenecaOne`	Posts showing or mentioning the venue
`#TuesdayMorning`	Weekly event posts
`#GivesAndAsks`	Posts about or during the Gives and Asks segment
`#BOCCAfternoonEdition`	All Afternoon Edition content

Community/location hashtags (use selectively on Instagram)

#Buffalo or #BuffaloNY
#716
#WNY
#DowntownBuffalo
#BuffaloCommunity
#SupportLocal

Hashtag rules

Instagram: Use 5-10 hashtags total. Place the three primary hashtags in the caption, additional hashtags in a comment or after a line break.
Facebook: Use 1-3 hashtags maximum. More than that looks spammy on Facebook. Stick to primary tags.
LinkedIn: Use 3-5 hashtags. Place at the end of the post. Include #BuffaloOpenCoffeeClub and 2-3 relevant secondary/industry tags.
Never invent one-off hashtags for individual posts. Consistency builds discoverability.
Encourage attendees to use #BuffaloOpenCoffeeClub and #BOCC on their own posts.

7. Bio/About Section Messaging Alignment

Every platform bio should communicate the same five elements, adapted to character limits.

Required elements in every bio

What it is (free weekly networking)
Who it is for (entrepreneurs, small business owners, Buffalo community)
When (every Tuesday, 7:30-9 AM)
Where (Seneca One Tower, Buffalo NY)
How to join (link to Eventbrite or website)

Platform-specific bio templates

Instagram bio (150 character limit forces brevity):

Free weekly networking for Buffalo entrepreneurs
Every Tue 7:30-9 AM | Seneca One Tower
Organized by @zackglick via BootSector 501(c)(3)

Link in bio: 716coffee.club (or Linktree/similar if multiple links needed)

Facebook About section:

Buffalo Open Coffee Club (BOCC) is free weekly networking for Buffalo's small
business and entrepreneurial community. Join us every Tuesday, 7:30-9 AM in the
Seneca One Tower lobby at 1 Seneca St, Buffalo, NY 14203. Grab a coffee, pick up
a name tag, and meet the community. No cost, no membership, no pitch -- just
conversation and connection.

Organized by Zack Glick under BootSector 501(c)(3).

Website field: https://716coffee.club Category: Community Organization or Networking Event

LinkedIn showcase page:

Buffalo Open Coffee Club (BOCC) is a free weekly networking event for Buffalo's
small business and entrepreneurial community. Every Tuesday morning, 7:30-9 AM,
in the lobby of Seneca One Tower. Open networking followed by community Gives and
Asks -- a format where attendees share what they need and what they can offer.

No cost. No membership. No sales pitches. Just coffee, conversation, and community.

BOCC is organized by Zack Glick under BootSector, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Website field: https://716coffee.club

Alignment checklist

Run this check quarterly. Every bio should:

Mention “free” explicitly
Say “every Tuesday” (not “weekly” alone – the day matters)
Include the time (7:30-9 AM)
Name the location (Seneca One Tower)
Link to 716coffee.club or the Eventbrite registration
Mention BootSector 501(c)(3)
Avoid outdated information (old locations, old times, discontinued events)
Match the current event format (update if Gives and Asks format changes)

8. Maintaining Authenticity While Scaling Content

The authenticity risk

As BOCC grows and content production increases, the biggest threat is not inconsistency in colors or logos. It is losing the voice. BOCC works because it feels like a real person talking about a real thing – not an organization running a content calendar. Here is how to protect that.

Principle: one voice, many hands

If multiple people contribute content, they should all sound like “BOCC” – not like themselves doing an impression of a brand. The voice guidelines in Section 1 are the reference. Before publishing, ask: “Would Zack say this at the event?” If the answer is no, rewrite it.

Scaling tactics that preserve authenticity

Batch, do not automate. It is fine to draft a week’s posts in one sitting, but do not use AI or scheduling tools to generate captions without human review and editing. Every post should feel like it was written by a person who was actually there.

Tuesday morning is the content engine. The single most important content habit is capturing photos, short videos, and one or two quotes every Tuesday morning. This raw material fuels all platforms for the rest of the week:

Day	Content source	Platform
Tuesday (morning)	Live photos, Stories, quick recap	Instagram Stories, Facebook
Tuesday (afternoon)	Polished recap post with best photo	Instagram feed, Facebook
Wednesday	Attendee spotlight or Gives and Asks highlight	LinkedIn
Thursday-Friday	Reshare attendee posts, Afternoon Edition promo (when applicable)	All platforms
Weekend	Rest. BOCC does not need to post every day.	–

Delegate capture, centralize voice. If volunteers take photos or draft posts, one person (or a very small group aligned on voice) should review and edit before publishing. Quality control on voice matters more than posting speed.

User-generated content is the scalability cheat code. Attendees already post about BOCC on LinkedIn. Resharing their posts with a brief “Love seeing this from [Name]” comment requires minimal effort and is the most authentic content possible. Actively encourage attendees to post and tag.

Keep a swipe file. Save the best captions, attendee quotes, and photos in a shared folder. When inspiration is low, pull from this library instead of forcing new content. A genuine photo from three weeks ago with a real caption beats a forced post today.

Guardrails as BOCC grows

Review this guide quarterly. As the community evolves, the voice may need to evolve too – but changes should be deliberate, not accidental drift.
Onboard any new content contributors with this document. Do not assume anyone will intuit the voice.
Audit cross-platform consistency monthly. Compare the last four posts on each platform side by side. Do they look and sound like they come from the same organization? If not, recalibrate.
Protect the anti-corporate identity actively. Growth creates pressure to formalize. Resist language like “our brand,” “our content strategy,” “audience engagement” in external-facing content. That language is for internal documents (like this one). Externally, BOCC just talks to people.
When in doubt, choose warmth over polish. A slightly imperfect photo with a genuine caption will always outperform a designed graphic with generic copy. The imperfection is part of the charm.

Quick Reference Card

For someone about to write a post right now:

Checklist before publishing:

Does this sound like a real person who was actually at BOCC? (Not a marketing team)
Did I mention it is free?
Did I include when and where? (Tuesday, 7:30-9 AM, Seneca One)
Am I using a real photo, not a stock image?
Is the tone warm and inviting, not salesy or corporate?
Did I include #BuffaloOpenCoffeeClub and #BOCC?
Would a first-timer understand what BOCC is from this post alone?
Am I asking people to come meet others – not to be sold to?

If all eight answers are yes, publish it.

This guide was created March 2026 for Buffalo Open Coffee Club. Review and update quarterly or when significant brand changes occur (new locations, new event formats, new leadership). This is a living document – the brand is the community, and the community is always evolving.