Last month, Steve wrote a post about the three key stages of branding. This month we want to showcase how one small business has taken the process to heart and how their clientele are responding. 

Dutch Delicious is a bakery and European grocer in Edmonton. After seeing the branding work we did for BlackStone Mechanical, another of our Edmonton clients, Siebe Koopman, the owner of Dutch Delicious, reached out to us. 

Initially, Siebe was interested in a new logo and website. But through conversation, we learned that after nearly 10 years in business, the logo and website were symptoms of a larger issue — the success of his baking had outpaced his ability to run his promotions. He was having trouble choosing the right advertising platforms for his audience and struggling to articulate the breadth of his product range, the experience of the bakery and its place in the community. 

Hearing about our branding process, Siebe realized that it was the right time to invest in clarifying the Dutch Delicious brand so that he could more effectively create, make and keep the Dutch Delicious brand promise to his customers.

Stage 1 involved a remotely facilitated brand discovery workshop with Siebe and his staff in order to generate a strong understanding of what makes this bakery unique and competitive.  

Our team then analyzed the findings and filtered them through the lens of their customers, the benefits those customers gain, and the values the bakery holds.

This stage culminated in the creation of a strategic document that included a brand promise and a series of core messages to guide the bakery’s present and ongoing communications.  

Stage 2 was all about getting the message out. With a strong foundation of strategic language in place, we developed a visual identity stocked with Dutch gezellig – a nearly untranslatable Dutch word that means an enjoyable comfortable, expansive and sociable time or place, usually with food or drink at hand.

Stage 3 is currently underway. Sharing your brand’s message isn’t a one-time thing. Remember, a brand’s work is never done. Dutch Delicious is embracing their brand through all facets of their communications – reaching new audiences with authentic, inviting and consistent messaging. 

The bakery is applying their brand strategy to align their business decisions too. Their new website allows hungry clients to conveniently order online for next pick-up. 

Their 10-year anniversary celebration would make any Dutch Oma proud. And their ongoing social media campaigning is unmistakably their own. 

In the past few weeks while their brand strategy has been rolling out, customer support has been rolling in. Dutch Delicious’ return on investment is revealing itself with repeat online orders, first-time visitors from the motherland, and catching the eye of passers-by, to highlight a few. 

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Choosing to embrace the three stages of branding is not a small task. Siebe could have ducked the responsibility with a logo tweak and a homemade website.  But that would have simply punted bigger problems a few years down the road. Instead he chose the path of brand clarification which, much like any long-term commitment, starts with a firm foundation, requires a lot of sharing, and stays strong with maintenance.

For those of you in or passing through Edmonton, stop by Dutch Delicious and experience gezellig first hand — and don’t forget to say hallo to Siebe while you’re there.