ZEISS Corporate Language does not regulate language, but rather provides guidance for the brand-appropriate use of language in writing and speech.
We formulate with the audience in mind.
We prefer active, clear, and precise words and short sentences.
Smart phrasing and metaphors are desirable.
at a
glance
The Brand Experience Principles translated into language are:
We write in a dialogue-oriented and approachable way.
We respond empathically to the needs of our target groups.
We look ahead and show the way.
We formulate powerfully and decisively.
We touch and inspire, with surprising and relevant statements or questions.
We point out and explain.
We get to the point.
We always provide the right details.
We combine value propositions with values.
We substantiate our statements and give them meaning.
At its core are the Brand Experience Principles translated into language.
We formulate with the customer or user in mind.
We prefer active, clear, and precise words and short sentences.
Smart phrasing and metaphors are desirable.
We use colons for gender-sensitive language in German.
Our Corporate Language consists of guidelines because they are intended to support the right linguistic decisions and provide access to certain formal specifications. The aim is not to establish a rigid, sanctioned set of rules. Language is too individual and dynamic for that. The bottom line: By applying the Corporate Language guidelines, you make a positive contribution to the ZEISS Brand. Please also note: Before the release, the scope and the content were aligned with ZEISS entities to ensure that the guidelines create the case for coherent language and do not ignore or hinder single entities.
Exceptions will be necessary in different ZEISS strategic business units to meet the needs of various channels, countries or target groups. The Corporate Language guidelines cannot address these exceptions. In this sense, the Corporate Language guidelines are as adaptable as language itself and should be understood, used, and lived in exactly the same way!
According to our Corporate Language guidelines, headlines should generally be short. Two sentences in one headline are therefore an exception. If this cannot be avoided, a period/full stop can be placed at the end of the second sentence.
You can find guidelines on salutations and closing formulas on the Brand Portal under Corporate Language > Spelling & punctuation.
Generally, English does not add spaces in abbreviations like e.g. This differs from German, where z. B. is written with a space.
If you mean salutations and closing formulas, you can find the guidelines in the Brand Portal under Spelling & punctuation.
Product naming was not part of the initial Corporate Language scope. We will review this use case in one of the next iterations.
You can access the GenAI Language Assistant here:
https://gptp.genai.zeiss.com/service/ssr/assistant/3d88f23e-c409-4413-a1e3-16f5f28b39ac
You can also find it on the Brand Portal under Brand Design Elements > Corporate Language > Resources.
In English, the correct punctuation depends on the context.
Use a hyphen to connect words.
Use an en dash to indicate a longer pause in a sentence. Add a space before and after the en dash.
Example: ZEISS presented the latest lenses – and impressed.
For time ranges, use “to” or an en dash. The en dash is preferred, but a hyphen is also possible. Please use one style consistently. Do not add spaces before or after the en dash or hyphen in time ranges.
You can find detailed guidance in the dedicated section of the Brand Portal. Generally, if a gender-neutral word is not available, we use a colon in German for gender-inclusive wording, for example Besucher:in.
Yes. You can find the relevant guidelines on the ZEISS Brand Portal. Please note that you need to be signed in to access these.
We use the Oxford comma to separate items in a list of three or more elements.
Example: Please inform your manager, colleagues, and any externals.
You can also find guidance on the ZEISS Brand Portal under Spelling & punctuation > Commas.
Corporate Brand, Communications & Public Affairs