Betty Crocker by Darshita Mistry

betty crocker brand standards guide

why is it important to build a new, strong, appropriate and consistent betty crocker brand?

To gain greater recognition and respect for the 21st century women and to ensure that they receive credibility for the role they play in the society. To attract new members. To retain the members she has.

welcoming

a new era 01. back in the day 04–15 the company’s history and background

02. who is she 16–29

the brand look and the audience

03. for a brand new generation 30–53 the new identity and brand standards

04. beyond the kitchen 54–79 the modern experience

Back in the day, when your grandma needed help in the kitchen, who did she look up to for help?

Betty Crocker. Bettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personalized approach to answering cooking questions was a saving grace to many women.

Betty Crocker not only saved women from spending all day in the kitchen, but she also helped women to have a cake ready on time and eat it too.

in the day back

• she’s come a long way • her history at a glance

she’s come

a long way The Washburn Crosby Company of Minneapolis, one of the

Later it became a national broadcast: The Betty Crocker

six big milling companies that merged into General Mills

School of the Air, which ran for twenty-four years.

in 1928, received thousands of requests each year in the late 1910s and early 1920s for answers to baking questions. In 1921, our managers decided that it would be more intimate to sign the responses personally; and so they combined the last name of a retired company executive, William Crocker, with the first name “Betty,” which was thought of as “warm and friendly.” Our signature came from a secretary, who won a contest among female employees. (The same signature still appears on our products.) In 1924, she acquired a voice with the radio debut of the nation’s first cooking show, which featured thirteen different actresses working from radio stations across the country.

Finally, in 1936 she got a face. Artist Neysa McMein brought together all the women in the company’s Home Service Department and “blended their features into an official likeness.” The widely circulated portrait reinforced the popular belief that Betty Crocker was a real woman. One public opinion poll rated her as the second most famous woman in America after Eleanor Roosevelt. Over the next seventy-five years, her face changed seven times: she became younger in 1955, she became a “professional” woman in 1980, and in 1996 she became multicultural; acquiring a slightly darker and more “ethnic” look.

In 2005, her 10th edition cookbook was published, as well as a Spanish/English bilingual book that collects some of the more common recipes for Spanish-speaking readers who wanted to cook American-style food. She also had a number of Betty Crocker branded products, such as hand mixers, which support the General Mills product line of foodstuffs. In 2006, it was announced that the Betty Crocker Catalog was going out of business, with all of its inventory on sale. Points were redeemable until December 15, 2006. We launched a new online store in April 2007; BettyCrockerStore.com which became a part of our BettyCrocker.com web site in conjunction with Cooking.com.

her history

at a glance Fortune magazine declared her the most popular woman in america, second only to Eleanor Roosevelt. A new portrait of a more mature Betty Crocker was commissioned.

This year saw the introduction of “Betty Crocker.”

1921

1933 Betty Crocker acquired a voice with the radio debut of the nation’s first cooking show. promoted as “smart, simple, sure.” It’s popularity shows that most people agreed with that assessment.

A black and white booklet

Betty Crocker’s first

with tips on saving food

comprehensive cookbook

money. with the Betty

was available in both

Crocker signature on the

hardback and ring bound

front.

editions.

1941

1954

1968 Magazine inserts with two coupons ‘n recipes. Contains ads for seven shows sponsored by General Mills.

Betty Crocker catalog was going out of business, with all of its inventory on sale. To bring her back in business, they started

She became multicultural,

selling pans and other

acquiring a slightly darker

cookwares with coupons.

and more “ethnic” look.

1972

1979 Betty Crocker’s Cookbook may be found with or without insert from Sears. Betty Crocker’s Kitchen Gardens includes sections on planting

1986 Betty Crocker became a “professional” woman. Betty Crocker’s Hostess is a huge success with the working mothers.

and harvesting herbs

Betty Crocker’s Merry

and vegetables. Quite a

Makings’ Cover has a blue-

few recipes for cakes in

violet background and a

interesting shapes and

multicolored drawing.

decorations.

1996

2007 A new online store is launched.

is she who

• who she was

• who she is now • women of the 21st century

she was

warm and traditional

she is now

confident and independent

women of the

21st century Unlike the old Betty Crocker, which catered to only stay at home wives and moms, this new brand will cater to all women. The American woman in the 21st century is characterized by various activities, duties, responsibility and careers, encompassing a wide range of income and status in society. The new brand will widen its audience spectrum to women outside the walls of home.

age: 52

laura jones

the busy mom • Barely manages to meet ends at home with 2 jobs during the week and knitting classes during the weekend. • Has 4 kids, all of them live with her in a tiny apartment. • Takes public transport to work. • Always checks price tage before buying things for home and is always on the hunt for sales and cheap deals. • Still paying off the debt her late husband had incurred. • Always has her calender full with work and errands and has no time to socialize with her girl friends in the neighborhood.

age: 72

jennifer stanley

the traditional grandma • Lives in a retirement community center. • Has a weak back and has been diabetic for 27 years. • Loves organizing events and gatherings at the community center. • Her son lives with his wife and kids in Florida. They visit her once every six months. • Not open to the idea that her daughter-in-law hires a baby-sitter to take care of her kids while she is away at work. • Wishes she could live out the rest of her life with her son and his family to watch her grandchildren grow up.

age: 29

joanna gill

the heartfelt dancer • Got dumped by her boyfriend who she was with for 5 years after he found out that she was pregnant. • Raising her 15 month old boy all by herself. • Studies at the State University. • No source of steady income and is receiving on finanacial aid for school. • Always thinking about quitting college and getting a job to have steady income. • Lacks confidence and is scared of failures in life.

age: 16

eve hardy

the rich kid • Lost her parents recently in a car accident and inherited all their property. • Living with her grandparents who she doesn’t respect at all. • Fallen in with bad company and has started smoking. • Quit her job at Starbucks. • Spends money heavily on buying expensive things for herself. • Has lost track of her career and academic accomplishments. • Does not help her Grandmother with any household work or errands.

age: 34

jessica grasso

the hard worker • Works as a nurse at a hospital during the week and baby sits during the weekends. • Left her college when she was an undergraduate to start having a source of income at an early age. • Has to take care of two younger brothers. • Hasn’t gone to the beauty salon for a year. • Loves spending time at the beach and wants to go to Hawaii.

age: 36

amanda phillips

the workaholic • Achieved a lot of success in the corporate field early in her career. • Faces issues of hypertension and is insomniac. • Travels in and out of the country once a month for work. • Plans out her daily schedule and sticks to what she has planned. • Hosts cocktail parties with her girlfriends every month. • Drinks a minimum of 3 cups of coffee everyday.

age: 13

brittney jones

the secret keeper • An introvert by nature and doesn’t have many friends at school. • Is constantly made fun of and bullied by other kids at school. • An adopted child. • Parents want her to become a doctor like themselves. • Her interest lies in ballet and the other performing arts. • Secretly saving money to enroll in summer ballet classes.

generation for a brand new

• the new betty crocker • her structure • her diverse forms

• one color and reversed • what she doesn’t like • colors of complexity • how she says it • what she looks like • how she expresses herself • when she connects • where she is headed

complex and confident

the new betty crocker As years pass by and more women are working outside the

With its mission to empower every women in society,

home and giving themselves the opportunity to explore

the new Betty Crocker logo will be represented by a rose.

and express themselves in society, the new Betty Crocker

The wonderfully random overlays in the petals of the rose

will serve as a message of empowerment to every woman,

represent the various complexities faced by the women in

irrespective of her stance in society. Women today are

the 21st century. The rose also represents the dual nature of

involved in various activities, circumstances, that demand

a woman, with it having two distinct features: the petals and

constant change and progress. The mission of this new

the thorns which gives it an edge. The rose has always been

brand is to be a driving force for women.

a symbol for women who are nurturing, warm, friendly and

Years down the line, this message will become evident at a more social level, and with women taking on more responsibilities in society that is commensurate with the role they play as equals to men. This new brand will strive to elevate their stature in life.

reliable, yet confident and independent.

logo anatomy

her structure Considering that the logo symbol for the brand is contained in a perfect circle, the logo type will also follow similar characteristics in its formation. The primary brand typeface, Gotham, has been adapted and modified to embrace the “wholesome” and “contained” nature of the logo symbol. To maintain the presence and strong personality of the brand, borrowing glyphs from other typefaces to match the brand’s needs has been avoided. The primary typeface needs to stand alone for the brand with a few modifications.

1.5 x

logo variations

her diverse forms The logo has been designed and structured in a way so that it can be used independently in a logo symbol and logotype form.

logo symbol Due to the strong, vivid and peculiar qualities of the logo symbol, the rose symbol can be used alone as a single identity for different branding purposes. The weight of the white stroke in the logo symbol changes its size with it being scaled proportionately.

version a: 4x

version b: 2x

version c: x

logotype The primary typeface, Gotham, has been adapted in a way to fit the circular nature of the logo symbol and thus can be used independently for branding purposes.

logo applications

one color and reversed Due to the two color nature of the logo, there needs to be a way in which it can be used on a dark color surface and light surface as well. This application will work for the entire logo and also the logo symbol.

incorrect use of the logo

what she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like what can

Never overlap the logotype and the logo symbol.

do for you?

Never use the symbol as a reference to a service or employment.

Never replace the perfect circle in the logo type with the logo symbol. Never add a gradient tone to the logo symbol.

Never outline the logo symbol with black or any other color.

Never make a pattern of any sort with the logo symbol.

Never add other graphic elements to the logo symbol. The rose icon stands on its own without any supporting visuals.

I Never play with the placement or size of the logo symbol and logo type. Never use the rose icon to symbolize love or an other emotion.

luminous orange

vividcyan cyan vivid rgbrgb

0 75 0 75 100100

0 45 100 0

cmyk cmyk

100100 25 25 0 00 0

pantone

201 C

pantone426426 C C pantone

web

FF8C00

web web

rgb

100 55 0

cmyk

brand colors

colors of complexity The brand is indentified with bright and fresh colors which appeal to the women of the 21st century. Bright, bold and fresh colors symbolize enhrichment and that is what the new brand aims at doing in the lives of all women.

00BFFF 00BFFF

gold rgb

255 205 0

cmyk

0 15 100 0

pantone

1235 C

web

FFB300

dark grey rgb

15 15 15

cmyk

0 0 0 95

pantone

432 C

web

9CA1A7

123456 eames century modern medium italic

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

(!@#$%^&*)

eames century modern light

abcdefg hijklmnopqrst uvwxyz

gotham xlight

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

(!@#$%^&*)

brand typefaces

how she says it The voice of Betty Crocker is as important as her colors. The new brand’s voice will move away from its original traditional lettering to something that is modern and minimalism qualities, yet has a very approachable and friendly quality to it. It wil no longer use the handwriting and/or script typefaces that were earlier associated to Betty Crocker and were used for their logo and other medias. The various styles and weights in the Eames Century Modern typeface will symbolize the various roles the 21st century women plays in the society. Given the communicative and harmonious nature of the italicized style of the typeface, this new typeface will express the “wholesome” and “composed” qualities of the new branding vision.

image style

what she looks like The photography style of this new brand goes beyond the traditional and mundane images of dutiful housewives baking pies and cakes in the kitchen all day. All new imagery projects a sense of confidence, sincerity and interaction in them. They show moments and pictures that any woman can relate to. They should feel like they contain a sense of liveliness; modern, contented, outgoing, thoughtful and experienced. The images don’t translate into superficial qualities. They are portrayed in a way that evoke the “I can picture myself in the picture” or a “I want to be in that picture” feeling.

graphic style

how she expresses herself No part of the logo symbol can be zoomed in and/or cropped to use as a graphic symbol for the brand. The following is a varied palette of approved curves and patterns that may be used as and when required. These patterns exists as a complete structure but one can also use parts and portions of these patterns as a graphic style for branding purposes.

the minimum

Any part of the above may be used as a graphic element while showing simple usage of curve and pattern as a graphic element.

the complex

For more involved and detailed usage of the curves and strokes, portions (or the entire) can be used as a graphic element.

visual identity for business purposes

when she connects It is important for Betty Crocker to establish a business

mind the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consistent visual voice. All electronic and

system for communication purposes with clients and while

paper communications must primarily act in accordance

communicating with outside prospects. For this reason,

with this system.

we have developed a complete business system keeping in

lauren jones Public Relations

General Mills Inc. P.O. Box 9452 Minneapolis MN 55440 Phone: 218. 091. 2365 Email: lauren@bettycrocker.com

General Mills Inc., P.O. Box 9452, Minneapolis, MN 55440

1026 General Mills Inc., Minneapolis, MN 55440 Phone: 329. 109. 6211 E-mail: lauren@bettycrocker.com

brand analysis and projection

where she is headed confident

oprah ellen degeneres

路new betty crocker rachael ray martha stewart

julia child

domestic

independent sara lee

pillsbury doughboy

路old betty crocker aunt jemima

timid

Where did she come from and where is she going? The Old Betty

a few. She was domesticated, traditional and simple. The

Crocker once shared the screen with some other brands

new Betty Crocker is different. She is outgoing, modern,

like Sarah Lee, Julia Child, Pillsbusy Doughboy to name

complex yet reliable.

complex

ellen degeneres

路new betty crocker oprah

rachael ray martha stewart julia child unreliable

reliable sara lee

路old betty crocker pillsbury doughboy

marie calender aunt jemima

simple

the kitchen beyond

• she now offers

• for her success • for her body and soul • let her indulge • betty crocker living

brand extensions

she now offers

With the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new mission to serve every woman in the

Betty Crocker will work towards the overall enhancement

society, the brand will focuss on creating experiences and

of woman no matter what stance she is defined by in society.

products women love, need, deserve and understand. The

The brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new selection of products, services and events

services and products that will be offered will be carefully

will prove to be effective for the overall development of the

thoughtout and well-designed to suit the needs and comfort

21st century woman, thus celebrating individuality and

of women. The brand new Betty Crocker will be the friendly

distinction. These experiences will strive to be memorable

voice to a woman outside her kitchen.

and influential to their lives.

internal

(body and soul)

Services:

Kids Day Care Center Website TV Show Services:

Career Counselling

Fitness Center Spa and Massage Center

Products:

Book and Movie Clubs

Lifestyle Magazine

Website

Home and Garden Crafts

Experiences:

Holidays Tours Camps and Treks Products:

Lifestyle Magazine

Pets

external (home and professional)

in the professional world

for her success

Our present generation of women have come a long way.

new brand will provide multiple career and professional

Today, they are determined to find themselves as an equal to

choices to those women and will also provide necessary

men in the professional world and to be able to execute the

support to strike a balance between their personal and

same number of tasks previously demanded of men. Our

professional lives.

professional counselling Our expert team of qualified women provide career guidance and counselling to women who need professional advice.

job opportunities from home Our new brand services will provide potential job opportunities for stay at home moms and wives. The website will feature job opportunies listed according to their interests and qualifications.

betty crocker website For easy access to our products and services, Betty Crocker launches itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new website which features all it has to offer to its audience. By making women aware of the most recent products and experiences available, she will have access to add to all the comforts of home.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/welcome

http://www.bettycrocker.com/letherindulge

http://www.bettycrocker.com/home

to keep her going

for her body and soul

In order to achieve a balance between body and mind, our

her rejuvenate with vigor and determination. We believe in

new brand will provide a variety of therapies, yoga sessions,

going back to our roots and resorting to some of the most

fitness centers, book and movie clubs. With todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s woman

natural ways for achieving a balanced life.

performing various complex roles in society, these will help

reflect and re-examine In order to strike a balance between the body and soul,

outdoor yoga sessions, healing therapy and workshops

our new range of services in yoga, therapy, wellness and

in spirituality. Being outdoors gives you access to a whole

spirituality are designed to release anxiety and track your

other world of sensations. It will help our clients to feel part

progress towards a healthier, happier life. We offer massages,

of a boundless life.

living in the now

let her indulge

With more and more women in the 21st century embracing

treat themselves well and let lose. This will also enable

complex and varied roles in society, they deserve a chance

women from different parts of society to interact, and give

to get away from their busy and hectic lives. Our new brand

them a chance to bond and exchange life stories.

will arrange exotic holiday vacations for them so they can

If your mind can conceive it, and your heart can believe it, we know you can achieve it.

exotic getaways With the ingredients of an unforgettable vacation, this package will take you through a specially-designed holiday package designed for women and their needs. Relax, let lose and enjoy.

for a complete home

betty crocker living Betty Crocker will now offer lifestyle products and services

Our ultimate objective is to create a memorable journey for

that will help a woman make the perfect home she has

women when they set out to make a house a home.

always dreamed of having. The Betty Crocker Lifestyle Store will feature products to make a home complete which

the lifestyle magazine

includes ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances and home

Our Lifestyle Magazine, published every quarterly will

accessories and crafts and gardening. Our new variety of

be a contained issue that carries all the information about

designs will appeal to women from all sections of society

the products and accessories available at the Betty Crocker

and will cater to their likes, dislikes, tastes and income.

Lifestyle Store.

betty crocker lifestyle store We help you make your home the perfect personal living environment home. Our Betty Crocker lifestyle store provides a wide variety of furniture, accessories and other supplies that will help make your home a living experience. Our designs are carefully selected to cater to numerous sections of the society.

home accessories To add that extra something into the details of your home, we prrovide a large variety of accessories.

adorn. honor. celebrate.

betty crocker brand standards Designed, Compiled and Written by Darshita Mistry Published by Darshita Mistry Printed on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Paper For the course GR. 604 Nature of Identity in Fall 2010 at the Academy of Art University. Course taught by Hunter Wimmer Image Courtesy: Self, Flickr, StockExchange Respect copyright, encourage creativity.

betty crocker brand standards guide