L L CC The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie
Project Book
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Introduction The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie is one of the few restaurants in Wichita, Kansas that is devoted to a plant-based, vegetarian menu. It offers vegan and gluten-free options as well. It is unique in product as well as location—found downtown in a historic district. The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie’s branding is outdated, tired, and not memorable.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Strategy .......................................................................................... 6 Research Paper .............................................................. 6-7 Target Audience ........................................................... 8-9 SWOT ..................................................................................... 10 Brand Mission .................................................................... 11 Style Guide ........................................................................................ 14 Logo ................................................................................ 14-15 Moodboard .................................................................. 15-16 Infographic ................................................................... 17-18 Media Mix ...................................................................... 18-21 Design Standards ...................................................................... 22 Logo Standards ................................................................. 22 Logo Guidelines ............................................................... 23 Color Palette ..................................................................... 24 Typography ....................................................................... 25 Textures and Imagery .............................................. 26-27
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Strategy
Research In an age where information is quickly found and shared, more and more people are learning about where their food comes from and what it takes to get from the farm to the table. Increasing awareness on the importance of adding more organic vegetables in to the American diet has caused adults to begin looking for nutritious alternatives when dinning out. The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie, in Wichita, Kansas focuses on vegetarian and vegan dishes while constantly changing its menu to fit the season. The thesis for this paper is to discuss and assess the values of The Lotus Leaf while promoting the brand effectively to encourage Wichitans to choose the cafe as a healthy option.
“offers organic food and is affordable”
If conserving the environment is important to the consumer, then the fact that using local ingredients as much as possible in each menu item will be operative. The Lotus Leaf cuts down pollution by transporting vegetables from local farmers, knows how the vegetables were grown and harvested, and uses these vegetables seasonally. By eating with the season, consumers are able to obtain nutrients from the dishes in a most optimal way. The faster the food arrives from farm to plate, the higher the nutrient content.
In this small, Mid-Western, town, there are few options like those The Lotus Leaf offers and this needs to be exemplified. Since it is a small cafe, advertising appears to be minimal. The problem is that consumers do not know that it exists, and some people are leery of vegan or raw food. Increasing awareness of the importance of health, and promoting education on the variety of dishes that can be created from vegetables, will make it less scary for traditional Mid-West consumers to try The Lotus Leaf. In recent years, the “slow food movement” has been rapidly growing in the United States, and The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie is an appropriate choice when coinciding with the crusade. As Gervais Williams said in a debate at the University of Cambridge, “’Slow Food’ has changed consumer attitudes and behavior. The food companies have to watch what ingredients they put into our food, because we’re watching what ingredients go into our food” (2012). More and more people are becoming health conscious and environmentally alert, and The Lotus Leaf directs their entire value on this lifestyle. By offering vegetarian and vegan options, they welcome participants of the “slow food movement” to satisfy consumers’ desire for healthiness and sustainability. Williams also said: “The best way to change the behavior of our businesses is to change our behavior as consumers” (2012). In a response to the dangers of fast food, slow food focuses on nutrient content in the food and how it is grown and harvested. Consumers want to know where their food is coming from and are demanding knowledge. Businesses are starting to change their behaviors. If this movement continues to grow and consumers are passionate about their health, the food industry could potentially be forced to change their
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habits of massive food production and farming. The unique thing about The Lotus Leaf is that when available, ingredients are used from local farmers. The restaurant is open with the information about what is organic or where it came from. This will put specific consumers, such as vegans, vegetarians, gluten-intolerant, or health-conscious at ease, as this type of honesty is rare in Wichita, Kansas.
“Imported fruits and vegetables account for almost two-thirds of the produce consumed in the U.S.” (Fast, 2012).
. As Neil Zevnik said in “Better Eating. Eating Seasonally,” “any foodstuff that has to travel a long distance also has to be picked sooner and less ripe than a local counterpart” (2013). This gives The Lotus Leaf a rare advantage over almost any other restaurant in town. If consumers are looking for healthy and flavorful food, fresh, local ingredients are a must. The Lotus Leaf is also affordable. With the average menu item around 10 dollars a person, this is in line with most all restaurants in the Wichita area. There is a stigma with natural food that it is more expensive and this “justifies” consumers to choose a more mainstream, fast food or American chain restaurant. But with the prices at The Lotus Leaf being at the lower end of regular restaurant prices, this excuse might, optimistically, die down.
petrochemicals. Processing, transporting food long distances in refrigerated trucks and cooling out-of-season food uses more fossil fuels” (Fast, 2012). In short, the processing of growing, harvesting, and transporting the goods are all harmful. As stated before, by eating seasonally, the nutrient content of the vegetables will automatically be higher.
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Target Audience Zach is a 34 year-old, single, white male, living in a townhouse on the river in Wichita, KS. He works as a market analyst for a regional industrial company and makes nearly $75,000 a year. He is very business-mind and works 6 days a week and travels around the U.S. monthly. Zach has a busy schedule and works in an hour workout every morning. Health is just as important to him as business. Annually, he participates in major marathons throughout the U.S. and raises money for charities. Zach is actively dating and is highly sociable. He is open to settling down with someone but has yet to find a good match. To keep him company, Zach owns a Boston Terrier, Gene Wilder, and takes walks with him in the evening, rain or shine, along the Arkansas River near his townhouse. A typical day for Zach looks like awakening at 5:00, getting to the gym and a work out in, completed by 6:30. He showers, drinks a protein shake, has 2 pieces of toast and an apple to eat in the car. He picks up a coffee and the shop near his work building and flashes a bright smile at the young barista. His day is filled with meetings and presentations, a business lunch, and a report. Dinner is around 7, and if it is a Thursday he is probably taking a new woman out on a date. He looks for a woman who shares his vigor for life and health, and chooses a restaurant accordingly. Zach usually ends the day with a glass of wine and watching “House of Cards� on Netflix with Gene by his side, on the couch.
Zack
Kiara is a 24-year old, female who lives with her boyfriend, Kevin, in a loft above her business in downtown Wichita, Kansas. Kiara has medium length, dirty blonde hair, which she rarely curls or straightens. She wears minimal eye make-up and considers putting on a bright lipstick as her version of getting “dolled up” for a night out. Her style is effortlessly cool and completely unique. Kiara mixes textures and patterns and combines new styles with retro ones. She recently opened her own store called “Redo Boutique,” also downtown. The store features unique, vintage clothing, but also offers consignment. Customers can bring in their gently used, quality clothing, and sell it to Kiara, or build in-store credit and use it to purchase a vintage item. Kiara continues to ooze of creative energy by putting together collages and sells them at the Saturday morning flea market between an old man selling Sand Hill plum jelly and an Amish family selling baked goods. She has become quite comfortable with her weekend “co-workers.” Kiara and Kevin love their Sundays, together, the best. A typical Sunday morning consists of a green smoothie, coffee, and a bagel, and the two catch each other up on their latest philosophical thoughts and dreams from the week. They look up free things to do in Wichita on the online newspaper and spend time reading in the window that overlooks Main Street, while their cats sit in their laps and nap. Most likely they decide to drop by their favorite thrift shops and peruse the selections. They usually end up at a friends house by evening and either have a homemade dinner with a small group of friends, or enjoy a brew at a local bar where a friend is playing a solo guitar act. To sum it up, Kiara enjoys all the leisure’s life has to offer.
Kiara
Action Plan SWOT Analysis for The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie
S Strengths Seasonal menu Reasonable prices Historically located
W Weaknesses Low advertising Not easily memorable Does not have flexible hours
O Opportunities Update logo and design Promote awareness Celebrate historic district
T Threats Other vegetarian diners Faster food Cheaper food
Positioning and Value Proposition
The Lotus Leaf is completely unique from the other brands in the market sector: its entire menu is based on local and seasonal food. Audience development would also differentiate The Lotus Leaf from others because increased exposure would invite more costumers to choose them when deciding on a healthy food choice. With more people riding on the gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, or slow-food movements, having a restaurant option specific to these audiences will increase the growth of the business.
Sustainable Competitive Advantage
By supporting the local food movement, The Lotus Leaf is at an advantage to be successful over time, because people are always growing and changing and looking for healthier options. The more awareness of where conventionally grown food is coming from, the more likely people are going to look for alternatives when eating out. The Lotus Leaf offers organic and local food at a reasonable price. It needs to be easy, intuitive, pleasant and effective. An advantage The Lotus Leaf has over its competitors is that it combines the design ideals that it needs to be easy, intuitive, pleasant, and effective. The Lotus Leaf is a dinning option that feels easy for the consumer and is effective because they leave feeling satisfied.
Strategy for Promoting the Brand in the Campaign Project (Big Idea)
The theme for this campaign is the slow-food movement. Campaigning for locally grown, quality, seasonal, organic food at a price consumers are willing to pay is what The Lotus Leaf is about. The Lotus Leaf values health as its primary guideline when creating food for their menu. It builds trust with the locals because they have created a unique dinning experience in the historic Delano District. The Lotus Leaf builds trust by offering the most nutritious and healthy options available.
Brand Mission The Lotus Leaf CafĂŠ and Creperie offers a plant-based menu, created with local, seasonal, and organic ingredients, and supports an environmentally healthy lifestyle. This cafĂŠ is located in downtown Wichita, Kansas. The target audience is 20-40 year olds who are fit, active, productive, creative, and exciting individuals who are not afraid to try new things and are flexible and expansive in knowledge. They want to optimize their daily living, and that means by taking care of their bodies as well as the planet.
The theme for this campaign is the slow-food movement. The Lotus Leaf is completely unique from the other brands in the market sector: its entire menu is based on local and seasonal food. The unique thing about The Lotus Leaf is that when available, ingredients are used from local farmers. The restaurant is open with the information about what is organic or where it came from. This will put specific consumers, such as vegans, vegetarians, gluten-intolerant, or health-conscious at ease, as this type of honesty is rare in Wichita, Kansas.
Creative Brief
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Style Guide 7
CMYK: C=16 M=79 Y=99 K=10 CMYK: C=100 M=39 Y=39 K=9
RGB: R=168 G=83 B=45 RGB: R=16 G=113 B=133
CMYK: C=0 M=26.97 Y=41.51 K=0
RGB:: R=247 G=196 B=149
The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie This font is “Remachine Script” and is for the header.
THIS IS A SUBHEADER--It is titled Bangla MN The body copy is written in the Whipsmart font.
Mood Board
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Infographic
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Media Mix
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Media Mix
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Media Mix
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Media Mix
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Media Mix
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Media Mix
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Design Standards
Logo Usage
The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie’s logo is easily forgettable and does not stand out from the competitors. In the vegetarian restaurant sector, light typography with some form of a leaf seems to be the usual.
This new logo design moves away from a typical natural foods diner and draws on triangular shapes referencing nostalgia of a 1970’s diner but with an abstract incorporation of the word marks of the title within each shape. This ties together retro design with the typography and form, and modernity with implied line and without a picture. Keeping in mind David Airey’s rules to keep it simple, make it relevant, and to incorporate tradition and distinction, the new logo quickly states to the consumer with a recognizable symbol that this cafe is casual but efficient.
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The primary logo incorporates both a picture mark and a word mark. When these two are used, they may only be used vertically, as seen below. The pictorial mark may be used on its own when used on various print media that is repetitive. The minimum size is 1 inch, and the space around the logo should be no less than the “L� of the Lotus and Leaf typography. Only colors from the color palette should be used.
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Using Brand Colors Presently, The Lotus Leaf’s color scheme includes orange, yellow, and green. These colors might work well due to their representation of a healthy lifestyle, but to make the rebranding more appealing and unique, this campaign will change the bright orange to a burnt orange, keeping the excitement of the color, but harnessing the energy of orange in to a subdued shade. Replacing the bright yellow with a blue-green will represent cleanliness, focus, and calming of the evening. These colors will relate directly to the target audiences moods, as they wish to be hip, clean, and fresh, but want to be mindful of their carbon footprints at the exact same time. Balancing beauty, healthy, and efficiency are what the new orange, blue, and beige will possess.
CMYK: C=16 M=79 Y=99 K=10
RGB: R=168 G=83 B=45
CMYK: C=31 M=58 Y=75 K=0
RGB: R=167 G=122 B=88
CMYK: C=100 M=39 Y=39 K=9
RGB: R=16 G=113 B=133
CMYK: C=100 M=20 Y=2 K=45
RGB: R=0 G=95 B=134
CMYK: C=0 M=0 Y=22 K=0
RGB: R=255 G=251 B=210
CMYK: C=0 M=26.97 Y=41.51 K=0
RGB:: R=247 G=196 B=149
Color Palette
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Textures
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Typography and Voice Typography will be displayed on print advertisements for The Lotus Leaf in its menu, signs, newspapers, local magazines, brochures, and posters for events the café might be involved in. The typography needs to reflect the importance of clean, healthy, and sustainable eating but incorporate the retro vibe of a downtown diner. Like the color scheme, this can be quickly conveyed though what typeface is used. In Jay Nelson’s article “What Makes a Great Font?” he said it is important that “the font seems fresh and not overused by everyone, everywhere” (2010). The font will need to be memorable, but not easily forgettable, as The Lotus Leaf’s current font looks like a font repeatedly used in a Word document.
Remachine Header This is the Lotus Leaf’s unique logo font It should be strictly used for the name of the company Remachine Header This is the Lotus Leaf’s unique logo font It should be strictly used for the name of the company
Typography
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Using Remachine as the header font immediately evokes nostalgia, while Whipsmart and Bangla smooth things in to a natural feel. Whipsmart sub-header This font is for additional text when describing main ideas for the company AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLl MmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVv WwXxYyZz
Bangla MN is the body copy font. It is to be used for the main text in advertisments and menus. AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLl MmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVv WwXxYyZz
Typography
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Use of Images The feel of this campaign is casual, local, and organic. This cafe offers organic food in a downtown setting. Rebranding this essence will give customers a comfortable feeling of nostalgia when popping in for lunch on a work break, or meeting with friends in the evening to relax.
Imagery
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Combining a feeling of relaxation with the presence of healthy food and drink options give the target audience an overall sense of well being. These images portray the target audience utilizing these aspects of The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie.
Imagery
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Conclusion
Resources
Garden Grill: About Us. (Jan 19, 2014). Retrieved from: http://gardengrillcafe.com/about/ Zaytun. (Jan 19, 2014). Retrieved from: http://www.myzaytun.com Kebabs: History. (Dec 15, 2013). Retrieved from: http://www.mykababs.com/history.htm Yelp. (Dec 11, 2013). Vegan Restaurants. Retrieved from: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Vegan+Restaurants&find_loc=Wichita%2C+KS About Lotus Leaf Cafe. (Jan 25, 2014). Retrieved from: http://www.lotusleafwichita.com/index-3.html
Alisha Gridley MDMFA 2014
L L CC The Lotus Leaf Cafe and Creperie
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