Cooksongold Brand Guidelines
Brand Guidelines
Defining our place in the jewellery world.
Every day, the Cooksongold brand is out there. Connecting and engaging with new audiences in new ways across a multi-faceted mix of digital, social and traditional print media. In this busy marketplace, it’s never been more important for us to build our brand presence by creating true consistency across all of our communications.
The importance of brand perception.
The way our brand is perceived is important because the more people like the way we think, the more likely they are to place us in their consideration set, the first step to becoming their jewellery-making supplier of choice. Whether we are communicating with customers, colleagues or the media, having a clear, easily identifiable personality will help us to raise brand awareness and gain traction in existing and emerging markets.
The following words define who we are and represent different aspects of our personality.
As part of our DNA, they determine the way our brand looks, talks, acts and behaves.
They are the kind of words we would use to describe ourselves to people who are encountering the Cooksongold brand for the first time:
Helpful
We’re always looking for new ways to add value, from ensuring our prices are competitive, to pioneering new service initiatives.
Flexible
We have the scale, agility and range to respond quickly to ever-changing customer needs.
Supportive
We go further to give customers the dependable and speedy service they require.
Can-do
We are always looking for innovative new ways to deliver great service and help our customers succeed.
Motivated
We are committed to exceeding customer expectations, today and tomorrow.
Straight-talking
We are refreshingly straightforward, personable and to-the-point in a friendly way.
It’s all about You.
The way we speak to our customers, matters. It matters because every customer is unique, with individual needs, challenges and motivations. That’s why it’s important to look at things from their perspective and demonstrate that we genuinely care about their business. That’s why, in all our communications, we think ‘You’ first. By placing the emphasis on You (the customer) we’re sending
out a very clear message; that what’s important to them, is important to us.
Our brand language: putting the customer first.
Cooksongold offers the most extensive range of jewellery making supplies in the UK. We have over 19,000 products. An unrivalled heritage. Excellent customer service. We offer exceptional value,
week in and week out. All of these points are integral to our brand story. They communicate
that we have the scale, stock and stature to lead the way in the markets we serve.
But we’re not here to talk about us; we’re here to talk to our customers. Large or small. Local or international. Every single one of them. That’s why in our communications, we let them know that we’re totally focused on delivering everything they need.
Talking one-to-one.
By communicating that the customer is the focus of everything we do, we can instantly make a personal connection. The more we show that we understand their business, their hobby, their
creativity, their timescales or their budgets, the more likely they’ll be, to like our brand.
That’s why we use the word ‘you’ frequently, addressing customers directly in a conversational way that feels like we’re talking to them one-to-one. (This style of communication is called writing in the
second person. You’ll find more information about this on Page 13, together with examples of our Tone of Voice in use.) This style of writing is as effective in digital and traditional
advertising as it is in letters and emails. Personalising emails and taking simple steps like using the word ‘you’ establishes an immediate rapport, improves engagement and is known to increase
click-through and conversion rates. From the local design maker to the largest manufacturer, living
our brand personality to the full will make our communications feel modern, human, authentic and relatable, strengthening relationships and building trust.
Our Tone of Voice is:
Helpful
We’re always looking for new ways to add value, from ensuring our prices are competitive, to pioneering new service initiatives.
Flexible
We have the scale, agility and range to respond quickly to ever-changing customer needs.
Supportive
We go further to give customers the dependable and speedy service they require.
Can-do
We are always looking for innovative new ways to deliver great service and help our customers succeed.
Motivated
We are committed to exceeding customer expectations, today and tomorrow.
Straight-talking
We are refreshingly straightforward, personable and to-the-point in a friendly way.
Whatever you need, whenever you need it.
This proposition informs everything we say and everything we do.
It’s a sentiment which is not always spoken, but is implicit in every communication. As a starting point, it’s useful to keep this in mind whenever you are writing copy, in any context. To support this, our key benefits and reasons to believe underpin our communications. We never use these words directly but they are the essence of our brand. We use these messages in different contexts to differentiate ourselves from the competition.
Our key benefits. What customers can expect when they talk to Cooksongold:
• Depth and breadth of offering to suit a wide range of needs.
• Competitive pricing.
• Reliable, dependable and speedy source of everything the customer needs.
• Expertise and advice available when customers need it.
• Strong Cooksongold standards and values.
• We give customers everything they need to succeed. Our key reasons to believe. How we deliver the customer experience:
• Service excellence. Our continual focus on speed, agility and relationship building.
• Our commitment to delivering consistent value.
• A vast range of products.
• We’re part of an internationally renowned group.
• Exemplary quality assurance.
• Our future-facing, customer-centric focus on what can we do for customers today/tomorrow.
For the purposes of these brand guidelines, we are focusing on three core audiences. The words that define our Tone of Voice remain consistent across all sectors, but can be flexed slightly to appeal to each individual audience.
Hobbyists/Individuals.
Predominantly female, they are driven by their passion for all things jewellery and seek inspiration on Amazon, Ebay, YouTube, social media, web product pages or at exhibitions. They enjoy making creative pieces for friends and family and occasionally sell their jewellery wares to a wider social circle. Making money isn’t a primary driver for them (although a little would be nice!) and because they work in their spare time on a shoestring budget they are always looking for the next deals. They are socially engaged, demanding about delivery and rely on Cooksongold to give them the tips, information, seasonal deals, low prices and exceptional service they need.
Designer Makers.
An eclectic mix of artists, silversmiths and goldsmiths, they are workshop based and may work for themselves or others. They have a strong creative and commercial focus, actively seeking out the latest ideas and offers, regularly checking to see what’s trending online, in the UK and across the world, taking inspiration from nature and keeping an artistic eye on new fashion influences.
They’re driven by an innate desire to maintain their creative reputation amongst their peers and customer base and their need for guaranteed product quality, reliability and convenience. Our ability to provide them with the speed, dependability and high standards they demand makes Cooksongold a name they can trust for every project.
Independent Retailers.
These store-owning family businesses have a proud workshop based tradition of jewellery making, often with expertise in specialised areas, especially as some regularly receive special commissions. They shop around for inspiration at larger jewellery exhibitions and have an in-depth knowledge of their competitors. To maintain footfall they need to regularly refresh their windows and displays so they’re constantly looking for on-trend designs to satisfy their niche customer base, building strong relationships with suppliers who can provide the high-quality product, B2B software, competitive pricing and bulk discounts they need. At Cooksongold, we deliver on all fronts, via our catalogue, dependable stock levels, easy ordering, reliable delivery, wholesale pricing and multi-buys, plus our dedicated, consistent (and consistently helpful) service.
