B R A N D
S T Y L E
G U I D E
ABOUT THIS BOOK Our goal is to create an identity that our customers can instantly recognize and relate to. To do this we must present a cohesive look and feel that reflects who we are as a company and demonstrates our authentic passion for snowboarding. This Brand Style Guide gives us a common path moving forward, a way to communicate to the international snowboarding community how Flow is the best brand to help them capture the “Zen� of carving down a mountain or sliding on frozen water. The graphic identity program is administered by the Department of Marketing and Design, but all Flow employees and affiliates play a role in projecting that identity. Use this book as your guide, and direct any questions you have to our Marketing Director, Dale Rehberg (dale@flow.com) or our Creative Director, Dan Watts (dwatts@flow.com).
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CONTENTS THE BRAND FOUNDATION OUR STORY ON A MISSION MISSION STATEMENT OUR BRAND VALUES OUR TARGET AUDIENCE TARGET ARCHETYPES FLOW TARGET POSITIONING OUR CONSUMERS: THEIR STORY CUSTOMER ARCHETYPES
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
THE BRAND POSITIONING OUR BRAND MANTRA LOGO STANDARDS BRAND COLORS FONT STANDARDS FUSION SIGNATURE LIFESTYLE IMAGERY ACTION IMAGERY PRODUCT IMAGERY CO-BRANDING ENDORSEMENT
18 19 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
MARKETING COLLATERAL PACKAGING 33 PRODUCT PACKAGING 34 ACCESSORIES PACKAGING 35 ADVERTISING 36 WINDOW DISPLAYS 37 CONTACTS 38
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1/THE BRAND FOUNDATION
Understanding our brand vision, spirit, positioning, and goals.
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OUR STORY From the traditions of the Alps to the innovative jib spirit of Southern California, from freeride to freestyle, snowboarding is an individual’s sport. At Flow we’ve always carved our own path, starting with the first Flow bindings, which smashed the existing view that a binding was two straps and a fixed heel. We created boots with a barefoot feel and introduced Flow boards to create a unified riding system to maximize both performance and fun on the hill. Today we call it “Flow Fusion”. We continue to offer snowboarders the chance to find their own line. Whether you ride backcountry, side country, or park, whether you hunger for big drops or silky smooth groomers, our products let you get out in the snow and into the zone.
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On A Mission Nature provides the mountains and coats them with glistening white powder. Our customers seek out fun and adventure which leads them outside, wanting to live the moment and embrace the good times life in the mountains offers. Flow provides riders with the tools they need to seize those moments. We’ll gear them up for nature’s greatest playgrounds.
We’ve realigned our message, brand image, product lines and marketing efforts to best fit the needs of an evolving customer base and concept of what snowboarding is today.
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MISSION STATEMENT FLOW IS AN ORIGINAL SNOWBOARDING BRAND, FOCUSED ON DESIGNING INNOvATIvE, SImpLISTIC, FUN AND pERFORmANCE DRIvEN pRODUCTS. (CIRCA 1996)
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OUR BRAND VALUES These are what snowboarding is and what snowboarding gear should be. They are what Flow stands for, believes in, and are the pillars our company is built on. These ideals are behind everything we create.
INNOVATION
FUN
LIFE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES!
THE ESSENCE OF SNOWBOARDING!
CONTEMPORARY - THOUGHTFUL - DIFFERENT
ADVENTURE - EXHILARATION - FREEDOM
SIMPLICITY
PERFORMANCE
ENJOY THE mOmENT!
OpTImAL pROGRESSION!
AUTHENTIC - RELIABLE - ELEGANT
COMFORT - DEVELOPMENT - KNOW-HOW
OUR TARGET AUDIENCE OUR TARGET AUDIENCE ARE THOSE WHO LOvE TO RIDE
WHERE ARE THEY?
GENDER
AGE
INCOME
*stats are based on Flow Snowboarding web traffic. Demographicis are therefore a general profile of what we believe to be the global Flow customer profile.
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TARGET ARCHETYPE THE ACTIvE AND URBAN YOUNG AND YOUNG-AT-HEART Independent/individualist Antiauthority Addicted to social media Impatient Loyal Detail-oriented Hard-working
Environmentally/socially aware Self-promoting Trend conscious multi-taskers make snap decisions Less creative Respectful
Adaptable Grew up with screens Crave change Resilient Global perspective Sense of humor Friends and family-focused
Driven Service orientated prosporous Community involvement NOT budget minded Adaptive Goal orientated
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FLOW TARGET POSITIONING Flow blazed into the field of winter sports In the 90’s and stamped it’s claim. Since then, we’ve had a LOYAL following of snowboarders who saw and respected the innovations that Flow brought to the sport. Now, it’s time for Flow to focus on the up-and-coming generations. To connect with snowboarders across demographics, we must evolve our brand to reflect the Flow lifestyle and communicate our passion, attitude, and quality.
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FLOW CONSUMERS: their story Our consumers are a diverse group. They feel connected to nature and are drawn to the slopes by the SPIRIT of adventure. They love to get outside and CREATE THE PERFECT MOMENT OF SOLITUDE AND THEN HEAD BACK HOME AND SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD. Our consumers DESIRE THE BEST gear to help them chase freedom and embrace fun.
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CUSTOMER ARCHETYPE GENERATION Z (approx. birth dates: 2005 - Present) Most members of Generation Z are highly connected, having a lifelong use of communication and media technology like the internet, instant messaging, text messaging, computers, tablets, and smart phones, earning them the nickname “digital natives�. Generation Z has more purchacing power than any previous generation at the same age. They make rapid decisions and use very little time to contemplate the consequences.
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CUSTOMER ARCHETYPE MILLENNIALS (approx. birth dates: 1985 - 2004) The Millennials consist of teens and twenty-somethings who made the passage into adulthood at the start of the new millennium. This generation is confident, selfexpressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change, and are more ethnically and racially diverse than previous generations. They’re less religious, less likely to have served in the military, and are on track to become the most educated generation in history.
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CUSTOMER ARCHETYPE GENERATION X (approx. birth dates: 1965 - 1984) They’re adventure seekers with one eye on trends, media, politics and economics and the other focused on their carriers. They still have some problems with authority, but mostly they want to go out and have fun. Gen X’ers are more inclined to work toward long-term institutional and systematic change through economic, media and consumer actions.
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CUSTOMER ARCHETYPE BABY BOOMERS (approx. birth dates: 1945 - 1964) The most important aspect of this generation to be considered by a snowboard brand is the fact that Baby Boomers are the wealthiest generation. Baby Boomers control over 80% of personal financial assets and more than half of all consumer spending. Baby Boomers are often associated with counterculture, the civil rights movement and the feminist cause of the 1970s.
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2/THE BRAND POSITIONING Establishing our brand identity through consistent logo, font, color and imagery use
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OUR BRAND MANTRA Flow is movement… continuity… Zen. It’s that blissful place where body, mind, and spirit come together as one. We embody that moment and inspire our customers to embrace the freedom and joy of outdoor sports and an active lifestyle.
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BRAND / LOGO STANDARDS CORPORATE LOGOTYPE
The Flow logo is a proprietary piece of artwork and should be treated accordingly. The proportion and arrangement of the F icon and wordmark have been specifically determined. any deviations will dilute the impact of the brand. The F icon and Flow wordmark should never be typeset, recreated, or altered beyond the exact horizontal and vertical options
FLOW The “Shield� Logo is intended for stickers only!
delineated here unless pre-approved by the Marketing Director or Creative Director. Similarly, do not use transparencies or outlines without prior approval. The current Flow F icon is set at 10 degrees of rotation and does not feature the original four corners.
There is an option to use vertical or horizontal lockups which will be determined by the layout. Always use approved reproducible artwork which is available for download from www.flowsports. exavault.com with log in user: flow / password: flow
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BRAND / LOGO STANDARDS MANTRA LOGOTYPE
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BRAND / LOGO STANDARDS COLOR GUIDELINES
note the guidelines below for proper Flow corporate logotype or mantra logotype color based on the background on which it will be placed.
Use the appropriate black or white version based on the background color.
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
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BRAND / LOGO STANDARDS USAGE GUIDELINES
The Flow icon can be used alone for specified corporate communications, packaging, and product applications. See color guidelines detailed below.
Use only the black or white version of the F icon for communications and packaging
The color of F-Icon may vary depending on the application to achieve the best visual impact
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BRAND COLORS This color palette is intended to balance the Flow brand aesthetic. The color Green symbolizes growth and energy, the Flow usage of green is meant to represent the growth of the brand. The primary colors include Green, Black and White. These colors are equivalent to the panTOne (pMS) color values and CMYK values for in line printables.
RICH BLACK C 40 / m 30 / Y 30 / K 100
pANTONE 362 C C 70 / m 00 / Y 100 / K 09
WHITE C 00 / m 00 / Y 00 / K 00
pANTONE COOL GRAY 9 C C 00 / m 00 / Y 00 / K 50
pANTONE COOL GRAY 4 C C 00 / m 00 / Y 00 / K 25
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FONT STANDARDS Typeface is a key element to our brand and should be used consistently across all applications to reinforce our brand look and feel. Franchise is our primary typeface. Rules for how to properly use typography have been established below.
always use approved reproducible fonts which are available for download from www.flowsports.exavault.com with login user: flow / password: flow
PRIMARY FONT FACE
SUB-HEADER / TEXT FONT FACE
HEADER FONT - FRANCHISE REGULAR
SUB-HEADER / TEXT FONT -TRADE GOTHIC LIGHT, OBLIC, BOLD & BOLD OBLIC
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890,.-:{}[]<>?/ SUPPORTING FONT FACE SUPPORT FONT - TRADE GOTHIC CONDENSED & BOLD CONDENSED
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890,.-{}[]<>?/ ABCDEFGHIJKLmNOpqRSTUvWXYz 1234567890,.-{}[]<>?/
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNabcdefghijklmnop 1234567890,.-{}[]<>?/ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNabcdefghijklmnop 1234567890,.-{}[]<>?/
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNabcdefghijklmnop 1234567890,.-{}[]<>?/
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FUSION SIGNATURE We want customers to see, hear, understand, and believe that the best way to optimize their performance on the slopes is to use our boards, bindings, and boots together as one integrated system. Using our ‘fusion signature’ in advertising and on product packaging will bring our value proposition to the forefront. Options for various approved styles are outlined below.
T O ACHIEVE THE STATE OF OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE USE FLOW BOARDS, BI NDI NGS & BOOTS
Advertising signature
T O ACHI E V E TH E S TATE O F O P TI M U M P E R F O R M A N C E U S E F LO W B O A R D S , B I N D I N G S & B O O T S
Packaging signature
T O AC H IE V E TH E S TATE O F O P TIM UM PERFORM ANCE USE FLOW BOARDS, BINDINGS & BOOTS
TO AC H IEVE TH E STATE O F O P TIMU M P ER FO R MAN C E D S,D S, B IN DBIN T O A CH I EVE THE STATE OF OPTI MU M P ER FO R MAN C E U SEU SE FLFLO O WW BB OOARAR ING SD &INBGO OSTS& B O O TS
T O ACHI EVE T HE STAT E OF OPT I MUM PERF O R M A N C E USE FL OW BOARDS, BI NDI NGS & B O O T S
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LIFESTYLE IMAGERY lifestyle imagery is an opportunity for each picture to tell a story that resonates with our consumer base. each image should visually represent our brand values - innovation, simplicity, fun, and performance. Ultimately, we want consumers to imagine themselves enjoying the joy and freedom of the snowboarding lifestyle both on and off the mountain - and associate all of this to the Flow brand.
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ACTION IMAGERY a key element to the Flow brand is performance - and how better to showcase performance than seeing our products in pulse-spiking action.
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PRODUCT IMAGERY product photography should reflect a simple, modern, and clean aesthetic, primarily taken straight on, and mixing full product and product detail shots. products should be photographed alone or in realistic lifestyle situations that showcase the products as innovative with a laser focus on quality and performance.
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CO-BRANDING ENDORSEMENT Co-marketing to promote Flow sponsorship or participation in industry events builds brand awareness and supports our marketplace. When co-marketing to recognize an event or partner endorsement, logo treatments must follow the usage guidelines outlined below.
ABCDE
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CO-BRANDING Co-branding is a very effective way to build brand recognition and strengthen industry relationships with market partners. Strategic exposure and associations with other powerful brands and events will help elevate the Flow brand. There are important guidelines to follow in terms of third party logo usage with the Flow logo. any third party logo for co-branding purposes must be placed according to the usage guidelines outlined below.
FLOW FLOW
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3/MARKETING COLLATERAL
Strengthening brand identity through marketing collateral.
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PACKAGING product packaging should uniformly look and feel sophisticated yet be easy and pleasing to interact with. Consistency in usage of approved colors, fonts, imagery, iconography, illustrations, terminology and logos in packaging is key to elevating our brand as well as fostering brand recognition and loyalty. product packaging should always prominently feature the product name followed by the product use guide and an image of the product per the construction rules outlined in this book.
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PACKAGING BOOTS / BINDINGS / BOARDS packaging should
always prominently feature the Flow icon, both the Flow corporate and mantra logotypes, the fusion signature, the product name and an image of the product per the construction rules outlined here. The packaging must also include the boot size, corresponding binding size, and a boot size conversion chart as well as any legal information required.
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PACKAGING STICKERS & BLISTERS In the absence of product
packaging, stickers and blisters are important for furthering brand and product recognition and telling the consumer, at a glance, what the product does. per the construction rules outlined the sticker should prominently display the Flow icon and Flow logo and the product name followed by a brief product use description. The sticker or blister should also feature an image of any corresponding products plus product size information, product barcode, and legal and address information if applicable.
Use only the F icon on sticker that comes on boxes.
Accessories blister
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ADVERTISING Simple, direct, and compelling messaging coupled with emotional visuals will help people connect with who we are as a company, the quality and effectiveness of our products, and ultimately, help them find their flow. ads can focus on brand recognition by equating the Flow brand with the snowboarding lifestyle via an inspiring image and “Find Your Flow” tagline or focus on the products themselves, depicting the products in action.
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WINDOW DISPLAYS Our last chance to make an impression on the consumer before buying snowboarding product is the shop window display. Window displays can focus on brand recognition by equating the Flow brand with the snowboarding lifestyle via an inspiring image and “Find Your Flow” tagline or focus on the products themselves, depicting the products in action.
C O N T A C T F l ow S p orts I n c . 1 0 2 1 C a l l e R e codo - S a n C l e m e n t e - C A 9 2 6 7 3 - U S A 1-800-866-7611 - 949-361-5260 f l ow . com