Brand Handbook
So, What is this Thing? This handbook is designed to provide a solid, well-documented foundation for the Patxi’s brand, including its conceptual, verbal, and visual elements. It should be used to help those involved with the brand—both internally and externally— understand and work with our company effectively. All future design, marketing, advertising, and web initiatives for the brand should use this handbook as a foundation and guide. This handbook is a living document meant to reflect the brand in its current and near-future state. It is meant to be reviewed and revised should any major changes happen within Patxi’s.
DEsigned September 2012 web: www.fortyagency.com email: hello@fortyagency.com twitter: fortyagency phone: (480) 788-2940
Forty
Table of contents
Conceptual
Key differentiators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Brand concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Patxi’s Experience
Key experience elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The kids’ experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 VOICE OVERVIEW
Voice and tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Style guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Voice samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 VISUAL OVERVIEW
Design values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Logos and typefaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Color palettes and textures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Visual recommendation samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
What makes Patxi’s...Patxi’s?
Primary differentiators Hospitality
Our staff goes beyond “service” to provide a true hospitality experience. We strive to be proactive, remain present, assume the best in our customers and each other, go the extra mile, and treat everyone like family.
Freshness
We renounce stovetops, deep fryers, and freezers. Instead, we focus on preparing all of our dishes using fresh ingredients.
Authenticity
Patxi’s doesn’t need a faux-Chicago, Little Italy, or New York theme as a crutch. We’re Patxi’s. When you have the best pizza and experience around, you can just be yourself.
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Purpose Your purpose is a clear description of why you’re in business. It summarizes the difference you’re trying to make in the world and what drives you every day.
Patxi’s purpose is to spread happiness by providing the ultimate hospitality experience.
Values Your values are the attitudes and beliefs at the core of your company. They embody what’s truly important to your business, and they should be reflected in all of your decisions and actions.
Hospitality
Shared success
We provide “enlightened hospitality” by being present mentally and physically, assuming the best in our customers and each other, going the extra mile, being proactive, and treating everyone like family.
Our company’s success hinges on our team, so we go out of our way to recognize and reward our staff to make them feel valued and appreciated.
Positive impact We make a difference with our customers and in our community by working hard, sharing our passion, creating a family of employees and patrons, reducing our environmental footprint, and always striving to be better tomorrow than we are today.
Accountability We use good judgement at all times and take responsibility for our actions. Each of us takes our commitments seriously and trusts others to do the same.
Freshness We forsake stovetops, deep fryers, and freezers. Instead, we focus on preparing all of our dishes using fresh ingredients.
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Style keywords These traits represent your core characteristics and style of doing business. They’ll be used as a source of inspiration and guidance for future branding, site design, marketing, and more.
Earthy modern Rustic and contemporary, not theme-y or old fashioned
Warm Welcoming and cozy, not cold or sterile
Familiar Homey and local, not generic or foreign
Indulgent Decadent and rich, not airy or light
Timeless Classy and simple, not trendy or vintage
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Brand concept nurturer warm • familiar • hospitality • timeless • positive impact • shared success
sensualist freshness • earthy modern • indulgent
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The Patxi’s experience
Visiting Patxi’s When someone enters our restaurant, they should feel warmth and familiarity surround them. While other restaurants focus on themes or marketing gimmicks, we put all of our energy into providing the highest quality pizza and a nurturing environment unlike any other place they’ve been. Aside from amazing food and service, we aim to make a positive impact on our customers and communities by giving back, always striving for improvement, and creating a family environment for everyone who walks through our doors. They should be greeted by people they’ve come to know and like over the years. They should look forward to the food and rituals they’ve been craving all week. And most of all, they should feel taken care of every step of the way.
Key experience elements The traditions we have at Patxi’s help to reinforce our brand experience, build a loyal tribe of customers, and give guests something to look forward to next time they visit. These are signature traditions and rituals that everyone at Patxi’s can implement (or continue doing) to create a more memorable and hospitable experience.
Serve the first slice
Make it exciting to get the check
When delivering a pizza to the table, offer to serve the first slice to each guest and slice the cheese strings off the plate in a circular motion. This creates anticipation and demonstrates how we go the extra mile.
Instead of a traditional, boring folio, we deliver the check in a nice box or a custom check presenter with bold colors or textures. This is a nice touch that shows how Patxi’s thinks about the details and creates a warm, indulgent experience from beginning to end.
Tell the Patxi’s story When guests are first seated, welcome them and ask, “Have you been here before, or is this your first time?” If they’re repeat visitors, we welcome them back and tell them they’re in for a treat. If they’re first-time visitors, we use this as an opportunity to tell the Patxi’s story, including what our restaurant is all about, what makes us different, and what they can expect from their dining experience.
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Bring honey for the bones When pizza is delivered to a table, we bring a jar or nice container of local honey (not just the honey bear), and have servers tell the “honey on the bones” story as if they were a tour guide. We use this as an opportunity to share why Patxi’s doesn’t have dessert, and turn it into a positive by explaining the reasons behind this practice (e.g., focus on freshness, encourage customers to try other local businesses for dessert, focus on what we’re good at, etc.).
Make the take-out experience consistent with the in-store experience Even if a customer orders take-out instead of dining in, they should still get the signature Patxi’s experience. We use paper bags, instead of plastic to make the experience feel more upscale. Include small packages of honey so they can still have honey on the bones at home. And finally, send reading materials home with the to-go package so customers can learn about the Patxi’s story even if they aren’t hearing it from a server.
Use the PPOS tableside When using the PPOS system, let customers use iPads to order their pizza. This is a unique feature that will build excitement for customers and differentiate Patxi’s from our competitors.
The Patxi’s kids’ experience Children have a hard time in restaurants because their brains are still developing. They’re just beginning to learn how to fully pay attention and cope with frustration, and they look to their parents and caregivers as role models for how to act. A child’s natural instinct is to move, play, explore, talk, touch, etc., which often causes their parents to feel frustrated or embarrassed about their behavior. Children can sense this frustration, but they don’t understand why everyone is mad at them, which only makes the situation worse. With all of these challenges and communication struggles, it’s no wonder kids (and parents) have such a hard time in restaurants.
Some general principles for keeping kids happy Give them something physical or interactive to do
Give them a task requiring mild concentration
Small children need to get their wiggles out, which can be difficult in a compact restaurant. Offer a series of rituals or activities that keep their hands busy and set expectations for how much longer they have to wait before their meal arrives.
Mundane tasks don’t occupy their fast-moving minds enough to keep their attention, while complex tasks cause frustration. If you strike the right balance by offering an activity requiring mild concentration, you can keep them entertained and get their spirits up in an otherwise difficult environment.
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Help them feel important Most children are the center of attention at home, but in a restaurant, they’re competing for attention. An effective server can reverse this trend through direct communication, eye contact, asking easy questions (like their favorite pizza), etc. Once the child realizes someone is actually on their side, they’ll warm up significantly.
Make their experience special Keep crayons and coloring book materials on hand. Offer them to children once they’ve been seated. If Patxi’s kids’ placemat-based menus are available, call attention to the games on the reverse side and encourage the child to play them.
Some kids will be hungry and may struggle with wait times. When a family first sits down, discreetly ask the parents (making sure the child can’t hear you) if they would like a snack for the kids. If the parents give their consent, offer them a small serving of Patxi’s kids’ snack mix. Talk to servers about how to help young guests, especially those employees who may not have much experience interacting directly with children. The instinctive reactions of non-parents to deal with frustrated children may actually make things worse, so it’s worth being proactive and talking through best practices for this particular issue.
Bring a cup of water with a straw for kids, even before being asked. It’s a simple gesture that can engage kids mentally and physically. It also helps the child feel special because someone noticed them, and they received something before anyone else. If metal puzzles are available, offer them to children who are still waiting to be seated, or are not interested in coloring once they’re at the table. Servers can come back and ask the child if he or she can figure out how to separate the two metal pieces. Disinfect the puzzle between uses. 15
The Patxi’s voice
Voice and tone Our voice and tone describes how Patxi’s writing and communication sounds. This guide can be used to convey Patxi’s personality and create a branded experience for customers in copy and conversation.
Patxi’s voice and tone are: Authentic, not theme-y or fake Patxi’s decadent deep dish pizza leaves you happily full and craving more. Like this:
Not like this: Take a stroll through the windy streets of
Chicago with our delicious Chicago deep dish.
Warm, not cold or sterile Like this: Step into one of
Expressive, not boring or indifferent Like this: Indulge in a slice of
happiness, dripping with layers of gooey cheese, homemade tomato sauce, and your favorite fresh toppings. Not like this: Order a large pizza with cheese, tomato
sauce, and the toppings of your choice.
Classy, not trendy or cool Like this: Patxi’s is the perfect place for a family get
our neighborhood restaurants, where you’ll feel like you’ve belonged all along.
together, a work lunch, or a celebration dinner with your closest friends.
Not like this: Please visit one of
Not like this: Pop in to Patxi’s for some hella good eats
our many locations in
California and Colorado.
from your favorite Frisco pizza place.
Familiar, not generic or foreign Like this: Top off
your meal with some “honey for the bones,” our signature Patxi’s tradition. Not like this: Our delicious pizza also tastes good
with honey. 17
Style guide Writing for Patxi’s requires understanding our company’s voice and tone, as well as knowing how to actually use this voice in practice. These style notes walk you through how to apply the Patxi’s style in common situations. 1. Our restaurant should be referred to as “Patxi’s,” not “Patxi’s Pizza” or “Patxi’s Chicago Pizza.” 2. Names and titles for our pizzas should be kept simple and avoid regional themes. For example, deep dish options should be referred to as “Deep dish pizza,” and thin crust options should be referred to as “Thin crust pizza.” Any references to “Chicago,” “Chicago-style,” “double zero crust,” etc. should be saved for introductory or body text, and should be used minimally to avoid confusing people or coming across as theme-y.
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3. When referring to the experience of eating Patxi’s food, use words that reinforce the positive psychological feelings of eating (such as indulge, feast, satisfy, and crave) instead of the negative or unattractive physical results (such as stuffed, belly, gorge, etc.). 4. We strive to strike the balance between being casual and creating the feeling of a high-class, five-star experience. This means coming across as approachable without using slang or sloppy language (see “Classy, not trendy or cool” above) and high-class without using big words or corporate lingo (see “ Warm, not sterile or cold” above).
Voice samples Sample headlines
Sample vocabulary
The freshest deep dish pizza you’ve ever had
Addicting
Family
Mouthwatering
Amazing
Filling
Nearby
Authentic
Flavorful
Neighborhood
Best
Fresh
Original
Casual
Friendly
Perfect
Comfortable
Fun
Recipe
Consistent
Happy
Relax
Convenient
Hearty
Satisfying
Craving
High-quality
Service
Delicious
Home
Tasty
Different
Hospitality
Tradition
Enjoyable
Indulge
Unique
Experience
Invite
Yummy
Invite pizza into your family Indulge in the Patxi’s experience Satisfy your craving Welcome home Feed your addiction Indulge in a slice of pure happiness Fresh is the only option Never leave hungry Your favorite pizza is right around the corner Make Patxi’s your new tradition Take a piece of Patxi’s home
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The Patxi’s look
Design values When making design choices, these are the things to keep in mind:
Modern over old world Warm over cool Familiar over cutting edge Dark over light Simple and geometric over complex or ornate Tactile over smooth Friendly over formal
Logo
Icon
Primary typeface: Sina Nova
Secondary typeface: Brandon Grotesque
AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJj KkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTt UuVvWwXxYyZz 0123456789 ?!@$&* ‘“
AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMm NnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz 0123456789 ?!@$&* ‘“
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Color palette
Textures
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Pulling it all together
Samples designed to support the Patxi’s experience
Make Patxi’s your new tradition
Indulge in a slice of pure happiness
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Every team member is part of the Patxi’s family. Welcome home.