The brand name is IM Digital. Always.
External Communications
IM Digital
Website, proposals, case studies, press, social, partner listings. Always "IM Digital." No exceptions.
Internal Communications
IMD
Slack, internal docs, meeting notes, internal presentations. "IMD" is acceptable as shorthand. "IM" on its own is discouraged because it's too generic and easy to confuse in written context.
Never pronounce it as "I Am Digital." Say each letter: "I-M Digital."
Never write "I.M. Digital." The I and M don’t stand for anything.
Never write "Im Digital." Always capitalize both letters: IM.
Never refer to the brand as "Imagination Digital" or "Imagination Media."
Don’t capitalize the first letters of "Imagination" to allude to the brand name.
Avoid "IMD" in any external context. It’s acceptable internally (Slack, meeting notes) but never client-facing.
TotalCare
One word. Capital T, capital C. Always written as "TotalCare" in all contexts.
TotalCare is the delivery model that brings all six practice areas together in a single ongoing partnership. When describing TotalCare, frame it as a partnership model, not a support contract. TotalCare is how the client gets access to every capability without managing multiple vendors.
IM Digital's voice is built on four pillars that work in concert. The voice is constant. The tone adapts to context.
Inventive
We’re excited about building things. We put our enthusiasm front-and-center and seek new ways to communicate ideas.
Sounds like
Unexpected designs or phrases (but not quirky or cute). Taking the time to communicate challenging ideas rather than glossing over them. Tackling difficult challenges with enthusiasm.
Bold
We’re confident and willing to take big swings. We don’t mince words or avoid difficult topics.
Sounds like
Avoiding weasel words like "probably" or "possibly." Making ambitious promises we can back up. Showing confidence in our abilities and our teammates’ abilities.
Refined
We hold ourselves to a high standard and we want the people we work with to see us that way.
Sounds like
Avoiding sarcasm or crude jokes. Minimizing emojis and abbreviations in external communications. Being formal and respectful without being stodgy.
Approachable
All the skill in the world won’t matter if we can’t convince people to come along for the ride. We’re friendly, open, and grateful to be here.
Sounds like
Avoiding buzzwords or complex acronyms. Writing in ways that real humans speak, conversational without being casual. Soliciting feedback and responses, and listening.
The four pillars are never isolated. They balance each other.
Refined + Approachable
Confident in our capabilities without superiority or arrogance.
Inventive + Bold
Paying attention to details without being bogged down by them. We’re tinkerers and builders, but we never miss the forest for the trees.
Bold + Refined
Direct, but tactful. We don’t mince words, but telling the truth doesn’t mean forgoing respect.
Approachable + Inventive
Taking big ideas and making them feel simple. We want to leave the audience smarter and more informed than when we met them.
Tone adapts.
Voice stays.
The voice is always the same. The tone adapts to audience, subject, and context.
Talking About AI
AI is central to how IM Digital operates and delivers. We position ourselves as AI-first, meaning AI is built into the architecture of how every service is delivered. It is not an add-on or an afterthought.
Be precise, avoid buzzwords
Don’t call something "AI-powered" unless it is. Be transparent about how AI is used in a given workflow and what outcomes it drives.
AI as infrastructure, not identity
The value we offer is human: creative, technical, and strategic thinking. AI makes that thinking faster, sharper, and more scalable. We are a consultancy that runs on AI, not an AI company that consults.
Be specific
Instead of vague claims about "leveraging AI," describe the workflows, integrations, and outcomes. Specificity is credibility. Reference Command Center, MCP integrations, AI agents, and workflow automation by name when appropriate.
AI-first vs AI-powered
AI-first means architectures and workflows built around AI from the ground up. AI-powered suggests AI was layered onto an existing process. We are AI-first.
Talking About Disruption
"Disruption" carries different connotations for different audiences. Innovation to some, recklessness to others, meaningless buzzword to still others. Consider what your audience's values are before using the word. Ask: Is this audience's goal to disrupt an industry? If so, IM Digital can help them do it.
The voice stays constant. Adjust the tone for each audience and context.
Enterprise Clients
Focus on governance and security. Emphasize human oversight at every decision point. Address enterprise compliance directly. Describe our processes using words like auditable, controlled, and rigorous.
Mid-Market Clients
Emphasize hands-on partnership. Reassure them the team they know remains focused on their success. Frame efficiency as invisible value. Explain how internal tools allow us to deliver better results without increasing their spend.
AI Discussion
Treat AI as infrastructure. Always pair the mention of automated systems with the domain expert directing them. Avoid performing intelligence. Prove it through specific examples like Claude Code integrations or data pipeline architecture.
Strategy Discussion
Sound authoritative but collaborative. Present roadmaps as shared visions rather than top-down mandates.
Data Discussion
Treat data as the prerequisite for success. Speak about data hygiene and architecture with absolute seriousness.
Creative Work
Focus on authenticity and taste. Highlight human judgment as the ultimate filter for brand integrity.
Recruitment
Tone down aggression. Attract talent by highlighting collaborative problem solving and technical excellence.
Long-Term Results
Speak with confidence. Use the TotalCare model as proof of ongoing accountability.
Example 1 of 3
"Drive ROI and boost customer LTV by optimizing your digital footprint."
Example 2 of 3
"We’re on the hunt for some real rockstar UX engineers ready to kick ass and take names."
Example 3 of 3
"We’re reinventing the future of e-commerce with unmatched technical genius."
The IM Digital voice is inspirational, innovative, and collaborative. It carries an aspirational and visionary personality that seeks to motivate and engage. It communicates with a confident and forward-thinking approach, using dynamic language and clear, structured messaging to convey a sense of progress and partnership.
Vision
Uses future-oriented language to inspire and motivate.
Clarity
Employs straightforward language and structured messaging.
Innovation
Highlights cutting-edge ideas and creative solutions.
Collaboration
Emphasizes teamwork and partnership in achieving goals.
Use strong, affirmative language to convey confidence.
Structure content with clear headings and organized sections for easy navigation.
Employ future-focused language to inspire and motivate.
Highlight partnership and collaboration through inclusive language.
Use dynamic verbs and active voice to convey action and progress.
Balance technical terminology with accessible language.
Never use em dashes. Use commas, periods, or other standard punctuation to connect ideas.
Never use semicolons.
Never use markdown formatting or asterisks.
Never use hashtags.
Never use constructions like "not just this, but also this."
Never use metaphors or cliches.
Never use generalizations.
Never use common setup language in any sentence, including "in conclusion," "in closing," or similar.
Never include output warnings or notes. Deliver only what was requested.
Cut unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.
Do not use any of the following in IM Digital communications:
Quick reference: how we talk about the people we work with.
Companies we work with
Client
"Account" or "customer" for the company itself
People at those companies
Stakeholder or partner
—
Each other
Teammate
"Coworker" or "colleague"
End users
Customer, user, or "people"
"Consumer"
These apply to social media, blog posts, case studies, and public-facing content. Prioritize clarity and simplicity.
Everyone is part of IM Digital. Use "our team" rather than "my team," even if you're leading it. In brand voice, speak collectively as one unit. Use first-person plural "we" with "IM Digital." Avoid "they" or "it."
IM Digital is a company, not a person. IM Digital does things, but it doesn't feel things. For emotional expressions, use "the IM Digital team."
Correct
"IM Digital is more than capable of building a space rocket."
For Emotional Expressions
"The IM Digital team is excited about building a space rocket."
No cute nicknames. We are not IMers, Imagineers, or anything like that.
Who we are
We are strategists, engineers, creatives, and technologists united by a belief that the hardest commerce problems require every discipline at the table.
What we do
We partner with ambitious brands, integrate with their teams, and bring the creative vision, commerce strategy, technology, and AI capability they need to reach their goals.
Service Framework
IM Digital operates across six practice areas. Use the pillar names and descriptions consistently in all communications. Do not rename, reorder, or abbreviate them.
Plan (Commerce Strategy)
Commerce roadmapping, problem framing, strategic technical advisory, platform evaluation, technical feasibility, site health audits, revenue optimization analysis, trend analysis.
Create (Experience Design)
Discovery, research, strategy, workshop ideation, navigation and IA, creative exploration, design execution.
Build (Commerce Engineering)
Platform migrations, Shopify (B2C and B2B), Adobe Commerce, headless/composable, native mobile, systems integration, cloud infrastructure, data architecture and engineering, accessibility, performance and QA.
Grow (Growth Marketing)
SEO audit and ongoing optimization, conversion rate optimization, A/B testing, marketing automation, loyalty program strategy and implementation, lifecycle strategy, omni-channel, growth consulting.
Measure (Data and Analytics)
Analytics architecture and tracking, dashboards, BI reporting, CDP strategy, CRM integration, data warehouse, data governance, personalization strategy.
Augment (Intelligence Systems)
AI readiness assessment, AI consulting, workflow automation, personalization engines, custom agents, agent operating systems, AI governance and risk management, AI adoption and change management, AI enablement.
TotalCare
TotalCare is the delivery model that brings all six practice areas together in a single ongoing partnership. It includes support retainers, platform management, continuous CRO, ongoing SEO, and evolution roadmaps. When writing about TotalCare, always frame it as a partnership, never as a support contract. TotalCare is how clients access the right expertise at the right moment without managing multiple vendors.
Commerce Solutions
IM Digital has built proprietary solutions that live alongside the six practice areas. Reference these by name when relevant: Command Center, Elevate, Prospect, Relay.
Tagline
Return on Imagination.
Not a full sentence, so avoid using it on its own. It can appear in a lock-up paired with logo or wordmark.
Use sparingly. Do not alter capitalization.
Prefer "IM Digital: Return on Imagination." over "Return on IMagination."
Where possible, italicize "Imagination" for emphasis.
Animated / Carousel Version
Return on Investment.
Return on Innovation.
Return on Imagination.
We are IM Digital.
Supporting Lines
These can be edited to suit grammar and style needs, unlike the tagline:
- Strategy first, execution accelerated.
- Defining what comes next in commerce.
When writing as IM Digital, ask:
Am I being specific rather than relying on buzzwords?
Am I confident without being arrogant?
Am I approachable? Would a real human say this?
Am I putting the client at the center, not ourselves?
Am I using the brand name correctly (IM Digital, always)?
Am I using TotalCare correctly (one word, capital T, capital C)?
Am I referencing service pillars by their correct names?
Am I avoiding weasel words (probably, possibly, might)?
Am I avoiding corporate jargon (ROI, LTV, optimize, leverage)?
Does this sound inventive, or could any agency have written it?
Is my tone appropriate for this specific audience and context?
Am I matching the right tone for the segment I'm speaking to?
Am I being transparent about AI rather than using it as a vague selling point?
Have I checked against the banned words and phrases list?