Doula Agency Brand Book

BRAND BOOK

CONTENTS This brand standards document explores the message, visuals, and expression of your brand.

• Brand Message • Design & Visuals • Words & Content • Live Your Brand

BRAND GUIDELINES High County Doulas

M O O D B OA R D

The images chosen to represent the brand are a mix of parents with their babies and also natural images of your local area - the Blue Mountains around North Carolina. Images we chose have a soft, cozy, and natural feel to represent the brand experience.

Brand Message

POSITION

CORE IDEA You are an agency of doulas that supports mothers and parents during pregnancy, birth, and baby-hood. You remind your clients that they are *enough.* They don’t need more education, more choices, or more advice. They just need support to remember how amazing they are. You also offer a level of control through their birth & baby experience. Your clients get to choose you to be with them.

YOUR GOAL To introduce High Country Doulas to the Boone, NC market as a professional doula agency. The agency is a source of agenda-free support and care. They augment, not replace, the team of medical professionals who work with women through pregnancy and birth.

HOW YOU ARE DIFFERENT As an agency, you offer a new level of professionalism and dependability that was not available in your market before. You are larger than the sum of your parts. You also are very clear about the role you play in the labor room & after. You come without an agenda to support the mother and family in this important season of their lives.

THE END RESULT Your clients feel supported and cared for, no matter what kind of birth or preferences they have. They feel secure in their choices, and happy about their experience through pregnancy into baby-hood.

BRAND GUIDELINES Vicky KNEE BRAND GUIDELINES High County Doulas

Brand Message

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PERSONALITY

CAREGIVER & GIRL NEXT DOOR BRAND ARCHETYPE You are the best friend who happens to be an expert in birth and babies. Your goal is to support and care for moms (& dads!) in a way that is judgement-free, unbiased, and down-to-earth. You keep the focus on them - their experience, wishes, and decisions.

When they encounter your brand, your ideal client feels: uplifted, empowered, validated, understood, capable, comfortable, secure, and in control.

You are: • Affirming • Encouraging • Warm • Connected • Accepting • Open-minded • Approachable • Supportive • Respectful


Brand Message

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POINT OF VIEW

THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR BIRTH EXPERIENCE MATTERS. The season of pregnancy, birth, and babyhood is a major transition point for a family. It sets the conditions for the rest of your life. It changes relationships between partners. It changes your priorities and values. When your birth & baby experience are happy, everything can change for the better. When it’s a challenge, it’ll often negatively affect other areas of your life. We’re here to help you make happy memories through this time in your life.

YOU ARE ENOUGH. In a time when information and opinions are over-abundant, we want to remind you that you are ENOUGH. You are capable of making decisions for your body and baby. We’re here to support you through YOUR experience with birth and baby-hood.

JUDGEMENT-FREE ZONE We are here to augment your medical professionals. We aren’t here to advocate for a specific type of birth or way to care for your baby. Your decisions are the best decisions. If you need information or options, we can share our experiences, but we aren’t here to make decisions for you.


Brand Message

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The way you feel about your birth experience really matters.

MANIFESTO

UNFAIR ADVANTAGE

YOUR ‘UNFAIR ADVANTAGES’ ARE:

• By working together (and in the future, with more contractors) you are more than the sum of your parts. You’re able to offer a superior brand experience by having more options and reliability.

• Your personalities and brand ethos are inclusionary. You aren’t trying to “convert” clients to a specific type of birth & baby decisions. You offer a specific and specialized, NO JUDGEMENT support.

• You’re both connected to your local area in an emotional way, which comes through in your messaging and brand visuals. You’ll attract others who have a strong sense of pride for your local area.

• Similar to what you tell clients, you are also enough. Your experience, support, and hearts are such a valuable service to offer. Your clients will cherish the role you play in this important time in their lives.


Brand Message

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Design & Visuals

LOGOVisual Identity

The logo offers the softness and personality of handwritten fonts. The accent of the cross of the “t” signifies your connection to the mountains in your local area in a subtle way.


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COLORSVisual Identity

The final selection of colors is a beautiful melody of everything you are: cozy and supportive tan, grounded and professional blue, with a dash of energy and fun in the purple. The gold adds a touch of femininity and grace.


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PATTERNSVisual Identity

In lieu of patterns, the “background” visuals of your brand will be images of the Appalachian mountains. They remind your ideal clients of being in nature, perhaps in front of a fire in a cozy cabin, and of doing their favorite leisure activities (walking, skiing, hiking, biking…)


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TYPOGRAPHYVisual Identity

Proxima Nova is a clean and round sans-serif that shows both friendliness and professionalism. The light, airy “Featherly” script font is an accent that feels like a handwritten letter from a friend. By combining the two together, you show both sides of your brand: warm, yet reliable.


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FONTS IN ACTION

Visual Identity

Main font color: #232347 Links: #D59BC6 Headlines: Proxima Nova Bold Body: Proxima Nova Light


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Image Style

IMAGE DO’S

Visual Identity


Images of babies with soft colors and filters Local blue ridge Appalachian mountains

Images of the two of you, to show warmth and personal service

Cozy elements like tea, blankets, fuzzy socks, and fireplaces

When choosing images for your brand, pick ones like these.

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IMAGE DON’TS


Nature/locations that are not local Cartoons or vector drawings (not warm enough)

Too many pregnant women. The warm and fuzzies come from babies, not

bellies.

People who are outside of your ideal client age range (too old or

young)

When choosing images, avoid ones like these.

Visual Identity

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GRAPHICS


These are example designs of social media designs for your brand. You can see the fonts, colors, and imagery come together here.

Visual Identity

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GRAPHICS


These info boxes show how your brand visuals could come together as website elements.

Visual Identity

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Words & Content

TONE OF VOICE


Your brand communication will sound very warm, friendly, and open. Instead of declaring your opinions, you’ll ask questions and provide options. Messages from your brand will sound like a conversation with a trusted friend. Avoid jargon, complex medical terms, and cold descriptions. When possible, explain concepts with stories from your own experience or other clients experiences (maintaining confidentiality, of course.) Also, maintain your positivity and calm natures. They will be source of strength and confidence for your clients.

Perhaps ironically, a hallmark of your brand voice will be that you listen more than you speak. You turn the attention on your clients, instead of commanding a spotlight for yourself.

You’ll sound: • Friendly • Warm • Engaged, interested • Supportive, caring • Realistic, relatable • Positive • Calming

Not: • Opinionated • Rushed • Judgemental • Medical • Alarming

Brand Communication

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WORD BANK

• Okay to be you • You are enough • Partner • Happy memories • Baby-hood • Better birth & postpartum experience • Season of life • With you • By your side • On call • There’s not a perfect way to do this • You get to choose • Agenda-free • Judgement-free • Support that you want & need • Epic life event • You are awesome / amazing / capable • Yes, that’s a great decision


Brand Communication

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TAGLINEWITH YOU THROUGH PREGNANCY AND BEYOND.

OTHER OPTIONS:

• With you from belly to baby-hood. • Support you can count on from pregnancy to birth,

to baby. • Birth & baby support for your growing family. • Here to remind you how amazing you are from birth

and beyond. • Judgement-free birth support • Expect help when you need it most. • Support for bellies, birth, & babies


Brand Communication

Your tagline is a “catch phrase” that describes your work to others at a glance. It can also be used as your main headline on your website.

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STORIES

BIRTH & BABY EXPERIENCES

Share stories from you own birth & motherhood experiences, and (confidential) stories from previous clients to show people that they are not alone. Emphasize that the women in the stories were in control, capable, and calm with your support.

SOFTER SIDE OF SUPPORT

Instead of tackling big, controversial issues related to mom-hood, share support for topics that people will celebrate: things like drinking more tea, best walks in your local areas, giving yourself grace, and other “judgement-free” topics.

WAYS TO CONNECT

Give moms & parents a way to connect with you and with each other. This emotional support and camaraderie will keep them confident and calm about their own experiences.


Brand Communication

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Live Your Brand

ACTION STEPS

WEBSITE!

The site will be your brand’s foundation. Share your beliefs, services, and point of view. Bring your brand to life on the web with the styles, images, and message themes from this Brand Book.

CLIENT-FACING MATERIALS

Develop your brand experience for new and potential clients with print materials, welcome packet, and other materials that will make people comfortable & affirmed in choosing to work with you.

FOUNDERS’ PHOTOSHOOT

Mark the beginning of this new venture together with a photoshoot that shows that you are real, personable people behind this warm & friendly brand.


Brand Communication

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BRANDEMIES

IDEA ENEMIES • Doulas are advocates or a replacement for

doctors (you add to the support team, not replace them!)

• Birth and baby rearing needs to be done a certain way to be “right”

• That your clients are not ready or educated enough to take care of their baby

NOT TO DO LIST • Focus too much on education. You are their

support, not an all-knowing “guru” figure. • Promote a specific agenda or way as “better”

than others • Speak negatively about health/medical

professionals

WE ARE NOT • A “sisterhood” or advocates • Medical professionals or replacement for your

nurse, midwife, doctor


Brand Communication

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Doula Agency Brand Book