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Dear reader, Since its inception 15 years ago, Koeka has grown into full-scale lifestyle brand. What is Koeka’s secret? What exactly makes our baby, child and home products stick out among thousands? According to some people, it is the natural colors and soft fabrics. Others say it is the functionality and high quality of the products. These factors have certainly played a role in the success of our company. Without them, Koeka would not be the strong and recognizable brand it is today. But the question remains: What is Koeka? What are the pillars of our success and what separates us from other brands? In this brand book we will attempt to summarize the soul of Koeka in words. We will give answers to the most fundamental of questions so that anyone involved in the future of Koeka will have a clear understanding of what it is we believe in. We focus first and foremost on our direct employees. Together they possess a unique collection of talents and they make us proud. Furthermore, this book is written for all distributors, agents, customers and suppliers, as well as other professionals that are involved in the marketing and presentation of Koeka (products) worldwide. Because whether you are designing a product, balancing the books, setting up a stand for a trade show, or selling the product: you are Koeka! Our main goal for this book is to inspire. We will tell you who we are, what we stand for and what we believe in. From this shared vision, we invite everyone involved with the Koeka brand to do so with enthusiasm and creativity. Happy reading!
Growing up The birth of a name... The story of Koeka begins with a two-year-old boy named Steven. Steven was Margareth’s little nephew and like most kids, Steven loved his pacifier. His mother had tied a small, soft cloth (in Dutch: doekje) to the pacifier, which helped soothe him. Whenever Steven wanted his pacifier he would he would yell out loudly for his “koeka”. So when Margareth and her friend Jeannette decided to start a baby clothing line, it didn’t take them long to come up with a name! Even the logo of Koeka is inspired by the “koeka” once belonging to Steven. As a result, the flower-shaped cloth with a loop to attach the pacifier became Koeka’s signature product. The pacifier cloth would become the first of many successes for Koeka.
The Original “Koeka”
The first steps Margareth de Haas and Jeannette Kraaijeveld met each other while working in the fashion industry. In 1998 they were both pregnant and their quest to find cute baby clothes and other baby items often left them disappointed. Since necessity is the mother of invention, Margareth and Jeannette made the best of the situation and founded Koeka. Their vision was clear from the start: Koeka should have a defined character with a focus on quality. The products had to be pleasant for both mother and child, and they had to be user friendly. The fabrics and colors should be in perfect harmony with the rest of the interior. And so, the first collection of Koeka was born!
Growing up with love for the little ones Fast forward 15 years and Koeka has grown into a lifestyle brand. Products for sleeping and caring for babies and children are still at the heart of our collections, but in addition, Koeka also designs products for the home. These products are designed using the same guiding principle that everything we bring into our home should be in perfect harmony. The collection, which includes over 160 unique products, is available in more than 800 sales points spread throughout Europe. Our products are also available in our own web shop. Thanks to our ample stock we deliver fast and offer a ‘never out of stock’ guarantee. This also makes Koeka unique.
The future starts today Koeka is steady and reliable, like a mother’s love. Over the years we have grown into a healthy and mature company and we want to keep it that way. Remarkably, the demand for our products in an economically challenging time has remained unchanged. We plan to continue to work at increasing brand awareness, growing our market and continuing customer satisfaction.
Our DNA Our mission: what do we stand for? There is no greater miracle than children. Koeka strives to bring peace, comfort and harmony in the lives of children, their parents and the world they live in.
Our Vision Koeka strives to make high-quality, innovative and functional products for baby, child and home. The ‘mix and match’ quality of our products means that they are easily coordinated, providing balance and harmony. The look is fresh, pure, and unfussy. The products are easily recognized by the wide variety of colors and high quality materials used. We have created a unique and timeless brand that is always available thanks to our never out-of-stock philosophy.
Harmony is the heart of Koeka The world we live in is dynamic and finding the right balance between adventure and relaxation is important. This is especially true for our babies and children. Harmony is Koeka’s most distinctive characteristic. It brings peace, and with that peace, comes happiness. The emphasis on harmony is inspired by the most pure and profound relationship that we know: the harmony between mother and child. Koeka translates this balance into a broad range of products, which harmonize perfectly with one another— our famous mix ‘n match. The emphasis on balance and harmony can be found in all aspects of our work and our brand. Just look at the balanced color and material options. On the one hand, Koeka gives energy— our clothing is just as fresh and happy as the children wearing them. On the other hand, Koeka brings peace, comfort and a sense of calm— just like the newborn baby who is just discovering the world. Scan this page with Layar and dive into the world of Koeka with our brand movie.
Our core values Harmony is deeply embedded in Koeka’s DNA and it is reflected in everything we do: from the countless possibilities of ‘mix ‘n match’ products to the designs of trade show stands and showrooms. In order for us to reach harmony we are guided by the following three core values:
Innovation When designing new products we always put ourselves in the shoes of the user. This results first and foremost in a product that is functional. The products are easy to use and safe for the child. Next we strive to bring new and original ideas to our designs.
Purity Koeka provides a unique combination of quality, color, materials and finish. As a result, our products are recognizable among thousands: they are pure, honest, fresh and no-nonsense. These attributes make Koeka feel friendly and familiar.
Timelessness Koeka continues to explore new paths. With the use of new materials, new colors and new solutions we remain surprising, up-to-date, and exciting. Still, every new product is in line with each of the products that came before it. Therefore, Koeka is still recognizable and new products are easily combined with those from the past.
Our identity By now you can probably see that Koeka knows exactly who we are and what we want. But, it is important to us that others get to know Koeka as well, which is why we pay so much attention to our image. With our words and pictures, in any situation, we strive to speak the same “language�. You can recognize us by some of these defining characteristics:
Fresh Koeka is a contemporary brand that is full of life. We are young and bursting with energy and fresh ideas. This is evident not only in our products, but also our communication style, branding, trade show presentation and client contacts.
Reliable Solid relationships are important to Koeka. We follow the golden rule of treating others the same way we wish to be treated. We are committed to being honest and trustworthy: a deal is a deal. Good service and efficient complaint handling are essential to the way we do business at Koeka.
No-nonsense Koeka is a no-fuss kind of company. What you see is what you get. We develop pure, honest, no-nonsense products and we communicate with our audience in the same way.
Nurturing Koeka takes good care of her customers. We always keep a finger on the pulse when it comes to our market. Requests, questions and suggestions are always welcomed and taken seriously. A good example of listening to the customer is our never out-of-stock philosophy, which has taken a lot of pressure off stores since we began implementation.
Our corporate identity The success of Koeka is primarily due to the quality and popularity of the products. But Koeka has continued to steadily and consistently build its image over the course of the past 15 years. Our positive image can also be attributed to the conduct of our employees, along with our consistently implemented corporate strategy. Our corporate identity is the face of Koeka. It increases brand visibility and it teaches our customers about our company and products. Our corporate identity is represented by the consistent and coherent use of graphic elements in our corporate design. This includes our logo, font, visual language, and photography style.
Our name is Koeka Our full name is Koeka b.v., but you can call us Koeka. With the exception of our logo, our name is always written with a capital letter K.
Recognizable logo The logo is the visual heart of an organisation. All the more reason to handle it with care. All of the letters in our logo are written in lowercase (no capital letters), in the typeface President. No changes may be made to the color or typeface of our logo. The logo should not be placed on an image background. When used in printwork we use the color gray: 55% black. The logo looks best when placed on a white background. When circumstances require a colored background, then our preference is to use gray for the background color, and in that case, white or dark gray for the logo. Always consult first with Koeka when using the logo on different materials (such as metal) and/or used for special purposes (trade show stands or displays).
Pay off Our pay off is “Koeka. Because you care”. The pay off explains what our brand is about. It is always used in combination with the logo, never without. Alternatively, there are some exceptions where the logo may be used without the pay off, but these exceptions are few. We strive to use the logo in combination with the pay off whenever possible, using a design that stays in line with the rest of our corporate identity.
Uniform typography The typeface we use plays a key role in the recognizability of Koeka. It also underpins the practical, no-nonsense character of the organisation. For this reason, we choose to consistently use the simple and accessible typeface Helvetica Neue. If this typeface is not available, Calibri can be used. As an additional typeface, “Nothing You Could Say” should be used for triggering a statement, exclamation, or a shout in light and airy communication. This typeface is not a replacement for Helvetica Neue, which is used for all informative content. We typically use this typeface in its standard font (regular), but it may also be italicized or made bold. The same typeface is used for the header and the body copy. To make things easy, we have used Helvetica Neue typeface in this Brand Book. To emphasize the light and airy personality of Koeka, we use wide line spacing (multiple, 1.5) whenever possible (always in documentation and in e-mail). We use a font size of 11 points for headers and 10 points between headlines and for body copy. The same guidelines have been followed in this Brand Book. The combination of font size and line spacing between headings and plain body text (body copy) is determinded by the medium used (print, email and documentation).
Consistent use of color Koeka communicates primarily in gray (cool gray 8 or 55% black) and white. With the exception of the logo, these colors are used in colored areas and copy. This visual component is one of the most important building blocks of our corporate identity. For communication specific to promotions, different colors are used. These colors always originate from the most rent collection of Koeka.
Distinctive form elements Specific formatting is also implemented in the use of photo material. In order to stay consistent with our corporate identity, we always place our photos in a box with rounded corners. Depending on its purpose, one or more (preferably a trio) pictures should be placed in a rounded box. For temporary promotional materials (think ‘new’) we use the familiar flower shape from the Koeka logo (just like the pacifier cloth). This is always used in combination with typeface “Nothing You Could Say” to emphasize the action-orientated nature of the text.
Natural photography The pictures we use are a clear reflection of our core values: pure, honest, no-nonsense, functional, and stylish. The situations could be real, and the pictures are seemingly unstyled. They are ‘slices of life’ that show children happy and carefree with Koeka. Viewers are left feeling inspired, with a positive association for the brand. The images (both with and without children) are tasteful and show emotion. The children are in a natural setting where they feel free and safe and dare to show their natural emotions. It is with that emotion and authenticity that we touch the viewer and make our products desirable.
Styling The importance of trade shows Trade shows play an important role in the success of Koeka. It is the place where we present ourselves to the world, where we hand out our business cards and where the trusting relationships that set us apart from other brands are formed. Since trade shows are a valuable place to showcase our brand, it is important that we present ourselves clearly and consistently. We start out each season by making a trade show calendar. This allows us to determine a theme and start with preparations in a timely manner. The chosen theme is applied at all trade shows for that particular season. We traditionally kick off the trade show season at De Kleine Fabriek. Because design consistency and presentation during trade shows is so important, Koeka prefers to use its own stand whenever possible. The concept for the trade show stand both in the Netherlands and abroad is developed by Koeka. To ensure that everything goes according to agreement, we are also closely involved in the build up of the stand. Occasionally shared stands cannot be avoided. In that case, Koeka (or the agent/distributor) will facilitate to ensure optimal representation of our brand.
The look & feel in stores To ensure that Koeka is optimally styled and commercially well-represented, in-store presentation for the Dutch market (and part of the foreign market) will be monitored by a visual merchandiser. With this service we facilitate the client and offer sales support, while protecting the look & feel of Koeka. Because styling is so important to us, we offer the client use of our displays whenever possible. For most stores outside of the Netherlands, the styling and presentation is the responsibility of the agent and distributor. With the use of photographs, the agent and/or distributor report to their sales contact person at Koeka each quarter. This way the look & feel of Koeka can continue to be monitored outside of the Netherlands. Koeka organizes bi-annual meetings with the agents and distributors as a way to exchange ideas and solve problems if needed. Are you curious about good examples of in-store presentations? Please contact Koeka.
Showroom presentation Both in the Netherlands and abroad, new showrooms are always designed by Koeka. We design the concept, while the purchase of materials and the logistics are done in close collaboration with the agent. The daily maintenance of the showroom falls under the responsibility of the agent. Koeka’s sales contact person is ultimately responsible for the presentation in the showroom and comes to visit at least once every eight weeks.
Molenlaan 12-a 1401 TJ Bussum Netherlands www.koeka.com