Sunburst Brand Guide

BRAND GUIDELINES

Contents Brand Essence ............................................... 04 Mission Statement ................................................ 06 Principles ............................................................... 07

Logo Guidelines ............................................. 08 Primary Corporate Logo ........................................ 10 Product Logos ....................................................... 12

Polywood Shutters Logo .................................. 12

Ovation Shutters Logo ..................................... 14

Reclaimed Wood Shutters Logo ...................... 15

Studio Shutters Logo ....................................... 16

Timberland Shutters Logo ............................... 17

Logo Usage ............................................................ 18

Logo Boundary & Sizing ................................... 19

Incorrect Usage ................................................ 20

Graphics ............................................................ 21

Color Palette .................................................... 22 Typeface ............................................................. 24 Brand Application ......................................... 26 Business Card ....................................................... 27 Envelope ................................................................ 28 Letterhead ............................................................. 29 Advertising Material .............................................. 30

Our Slogan ......................................................... 32 Online Presence ............................................ 34 Social Media Responsibilities .............................. 35 Store Websites ...................................................... 40 Customer Reviews ................................................ 41

Product Imagery ............................................ 42 Photography Guidelines ....................................... 43

Brand Essence

VISION /

Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions was started in the 70’s when our founder and his wife were shopping for plantation shutters. After reviewing their samples, he was not impressed with the quality of their shutters and saw an opportunity to build a better shutter. He did. It started as a personal home improvement project, but quickly grew as friends, neighbors and family members saw the shutters he made and asked him to build shutters for them.

Today, his original mantra of “doing it better” is the foundation for everything we do at Sunburst Shutters. We pride ourselves

Strike A Chord

on making better products, having better employees, and offering a better customer experience than our competitors.

Everything we do impacts that goal.

The Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions brand is critical to our success. Our brand is built by everything we do as employees, every message we send, every media we use, and every customer we meet. From vehicle graphics to the brochure we leave behind, from the appearance of the sales rep to the tone of voice used when we

TRUST /

Our founder always said, “We do what we say we’re going to do, when we say we’re going to do it.” That’s the nature of

answer the phone, EVERYTHING creates the brand of our company in

building trust. To achieve our brand mission, it is essential

the minds of our customers.

that all Sunburst team members foster that philosophy—we deliver on promises, without exception.

Our brand stands for many good things: quality, excellence, superior customer service, honesty, and a customer experience that is better than every other window treatment company.

This brand usage guide sets procedures for everything that will support our brand with customers, suppliers, media, and partners.

MISSION /

Our mission statement focuses on our core goals as a company—to provide better products and better service than the competition and to create loyal customers. This goal should be the focal point of every Sunburst manager, sales rep, installer and employee.

“

Branding is not merely about differentiating

products; it is about striking emotional chords with consumers. It is about cultivating identity, attachment,

”

and trust to inspire customer loyalty.

BRAND ESSENCE | 5

VALUES Our primary values are honesty, integrity, hard work, excellence in craftsmanship, teamwork, and superior customer service.

THE CUSTOMER Our business lives or dies based on the satisfaction level of every customer. All Sunburst Shutters employees should work diligently to ensure total customer satisfaction.

TEAMWORK MISSION STATEMENT

The success of our brand heavily relies on our people. We encourage all employees to work together to deliver the ultimate customer experience.

“Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions is a customer service company that provides superior quality window treatments. Our goal is total customer satisfaction by going above and beyond expectations to provide an unparalleled ownership experience, resulting in extremely loyal customers for life.�

GIVING BACK Sunburst Shutters is known for its charitable contributions of time and money to numerous charities and organizations.

Our people help others and are encouraged to serve wherever possible to enrich the lives of those less fortunate.

6 | MISSION STATEMENT

PRINCIPLES | 7

Logo Guidelines Making A Mark The Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions logo, as well as our product logos, are an essential part of our branding efforts. Logos are how customers instantly recognize a company. Consistency in appearance and colors is critical for building a strong brand identity with customers. Variations or changes to our logos are not allowed for any reason.

The Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions corporate logo should be used to identify the company in every application. Never substitute the Polywood logo (or any product logo) as the company identifier.

The strategy is that customers should call Sunburst for any window treatment needs. Using a product logo instead of the company logo can create confusion with customers.

The following pages outline the appropriate logos, colors and usage.

“

Great design is born

�

of simplicity and clarity.

PRIMARY CORPORATE LOGO

LOGO COLORS Primary Logo Colors - 2 COLOR Pantone/PMS 202 C

Trademark Requirement: Always use the registered trademark symbol ®

Pantone/PMS 4625 C

Alternative Logo Colors - SINGLE Pantone/PMS 202 C

Black

Primary Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions logo mark

Solid White (on dark backgrounds)

Primary Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions logo mark (reverse).

PRIMARY CORPORATE LOGO | 11

POLYWOOD SHUTTERS LOGO

LOGO ALTERNATIVES (POLYWOOD SHUTTERS) There are alternative versions of the Polywood logo for specific uses. Each one uses the same Pantone color, has the same requirements of primary & secondary use and trademark that the main Polywood Shutters logo has. As a rule of thumb, the Polywood Shutters logo above is the primary logo to be used in almost all situations. When in doubt, use the Polywood Shutters logo.

A. The Polywood Shutter

This logo refers to the product in singular tense. It is only applicable when the media content is focused on Polywood singularly. It is rare that we use this version, as we most often refer to “Polywood Shutters” in a plural tense. Never use this logo in addition to the primary Polywood Shutters logo.

Primary Polywood Shutters logo mark

LOGO COLORS

B. The Polywood Shutter Insulating System

This logo positions Polywood as the insulating system it was designed to be. Use this version only when you need to emphasize the insulating characteristics of

Primary Logo Colors - 1 COLOR Pantone/PMS 576 C

Polywood. Never use this logo in addition to the primary

Trademark Requirement: Always use the registered trademark symbol ®

Polywood Shutters logo.

THE

SHUTTER INSULATING SYSTEM

Alternative Logo Colors Black

Solid White (on dark background) C. Polywood / Created By Sunburst Shutters

This logo is designed to be used when Sunburst Shutters is already established in the content—such as

THE

SHUTTER INSULATING SYSTEM

on a display inside your showroom—and the Polywood message is only about it being exclusive to Sunburst. It is rare that we would use this logo, as the Sunburst logo is usually sufficient and the message can state that Polywood was created by Sunburst, thus making this logo redundant. Should an occasion arise for using this version, never use this logo with the primary Polywood Shutters logo.

12 | PRODUCT LOGOS

PRODUCT LOGOS | 13

OVATION SHUTTERS LOGO

RECLAIMED WOOD SHUTTERS LOGO

Primary Ovation Shutters logo mark

Primary Reclaimed Wood Shutters logo mark

LOGO COLORS

LOGO COLORS

Primary Logo Colors - 1 COLOR Pantone/PMS 1605 C

Trademark Requirement: Always use the (TM) trademark symbol ™

Alternative Logo Colors Black

14 | PRODUCT LOGOS

Primary Logo Colors - 1 COLOR Pantone/PMS 417 C

Trademark Requirement: None. We do not have a trademark on the name “Reclaimed Wood Shutters.”

Alternative Logo Colors Solid White (on dark background)

Black

Solid White (on dark background)

PRODUCT LOGOS | 15

STUDIO SHUTTERS LOGO

TIMBERLAND SHUTTERS LOGO

Primary Studio Shutters logo mark

Primary Studio Shutters logo mark

LOGO COLORS

LOGO COLORS

Primary Logo Colors - 1 COLOR Pantone/PMS 7688 C

Trademark Requirement: Always use the (TM) trademark symbol ™

Alternative Logo Colors Black

16 | PRODUCT LOGOS

Primary Logo Colors - 1 COLOR Pantone/PMS 477 C

Trademark Requirement: Always use the (TM) trademark symbol ™

Alternative Logo Colors Solid White (on dark background)

Black

Solid White (on dark background)

PRODUCT LOGOS | 17

LOGO BOUNDARY & SIZING

Logo Usage

The optimal size for our logo is easily readable and does not violate boundary guidelines—the space forming a buffer zone around the logo. Do not set other images, graphics, or words too close to the logo or it will not be presented properly.

2x

2x

Logo Boundary Clear Zone The logo boundary clear zone is equal to two times the width of the ampersand symbol ( & ).

2x

x

2x

Minimum Size in Print

Staying In-Bounds

The smallest the Sunburst logo should ever be is shown to the right. Since our Sunburst logo is horizontal, you

There are many places a logo can be used. From building signage to business cards, and posters to T-shirts, it is important that wherever our logos are used, they are used properly.

can use the rule of a minimum height of ¾”. As long as the height is at least ¾” and the width is proportional, the logo will be represented well. Any smaller than ¾”

3/4”

and the words “Window Fashions” or “Shutters” become

The size of a logo also communicates a message to customers. Our logo does not support the brand if it is sized so small that it becomes difficult to read or so large that it is overpowering. Please follow these

difficult to read. Keep in mind that a good portion of our customer base is older, and their eyes can’t see those smaller words as well as younger customers can.

guidelines for logo usage.

Maximum Size in Print

1”

The maximum size of the Sunburst logo depends on the nature of the media. In an ad, our logo should be large

“

enough to be noticed and readable, yet not so big that

A brand is a living entity—and it is enriched

or undermined cumulatively over time, the product

”

it is the main thing customers see on the page. Let our great photography be the hero of an ad, flyer, brochure or other printed piece. The Sunburst logo should be at the bottom of the media in a size that’s secondary

of a thousand small gestures.

to the hero photo. The preferred size of our logo in an

— Michael Eisner, Walt Disney Company

1 1/2”

advertisments is: • 3/4” – 1” tall in any ad smaller than half page • 3/4” – 1 1/4” tall in a half page ad • 1” – 1 1/2” tall in a full page ad

PRODUCT LOGOS | 18

LOGO USAGE | 19

INCORRECT USAGE

GRAPHICS

It is important that the Sunburst brand be consistent and represented correctly in every situation.

Recommended Graphic Applications

Incorrect usage of our logo not only misrepresents Sunburst Shutters, but it also subconsciously conveys brand inconsistency to our customers, potentially jeopardizing their perception of our product quality and workmanship standards. Please follow these rules to ensure the best impression of our brand.

Many graphics are available through our corporate service center, and each one uses the logo properly.

The general rule of thumb is if our content is only a logo—such as a building sign, banner or truck—large is acceptable. Usually the company providing the media

RULE #1: DO NOT stretch our logo or condense

RULE #4: DO NOT change the colors from the

it. See the examples below of the Sunburst logo

approved colors. The following are not acceptable.

being stretched wide, tall, and condensed. All are

(landlord, etc.) or the item receiving the logo (the truck) will have size requirements/restrictions.

Company shirts that feature the Sunburst logo, should

unacceptable.

have the logo on the front at a size between 1.5” – 3.0” tall. Typically, small logo placement on the front of a shirt helps the brand achieve a more classic look, especially for those team members who are in customer’s homes.

A larger logo on the back of the shirt is acceptable.

*Please note that the way to increase or decrease our logo proportionally is to click on it so the sizing box appears. Then, click the circle in one of the corners and hold down the mouse as you move the circle in or out to decrease or increase the logo to the size needed.

This ensures the logo stays in the correct proportion.

Subtle Approach Sophistication in our brand comes with a logo that is not overpowering. Use your best judgment to not force a large logo in front of a customer.

Brand Placement with Other Logos

RULE #2: DO NOT remove elements of the logo for any reason.

Sometimes our logo is used in conjunction with

RULE #5: DO NOT alter the typeface with shadows or outlines. The following are not acceptable.

other logos—such as with a number of companies supporting a charity event. The primary requirement of this application is that our logo be at least the same size as the other logos on the media, and that no other logo touches ours.

Logos on Advertisements, Flyers & Media RULE #3: DO NOT add any element to the logo for

There is no need to show all product logos on an

any reason, as shown below.

advertisement—even if the ad mentions multiple products. Again, the strategy is that if a customer only remembers one brand, it will be the Sunburst brand.

With that impression, they can contact your store and purchase whichever product they need. Multiple logos on an ad or flyer take the focus away from the Sunburst Shutters brand, and is also visually distracting by adding unnecessary clutter to the message being communicated. In this case, less is more.

20 | LOGO USAGE

LOGO USAGE | 21

PRIMARY COLORS Corporate Brand Colors

Color Palette

Corporate Red Pantone CMYK

Corporate Brown 202 C

9 100 64 48

RGB

134 38 51

Closest matching paint color is Sherwin Williams 6314, Luxurious Red

Pantone CMYK

White

4625 C 30 72 74 80

RGB

79 44 29

Closest matching paint color is Sherwin Williams 6111, Coconut Husk

Please note: Marketing support elements DO NOT have to solely consist of these two colors.

Do not make a red and brown trade show booth just because they are our logo colors. Often a complementary color works better so the logo pops. Our red and brown logo looks great against white, light gray or other light colors.

White is always the best color to use behind our logo. It makes it stand out the best. If our logo is in front of a darker color, use the white version of the logo.

Corporate Tones

SECONDARY COLORS

Colors are used to support the Sunburst Shutters brand in many applications. It is necessary that you only use approved logo colors, and that when using secondary colors, you are consistent with what’s being used at other Sunburst stores across the country.

The secondary colors below are used in many of the marketing elements we create. They can be used as background or complementary colors. Corporate Red and Corporate Brown colors are the logo colors--don’t use these colors behind our full color logo.

Sun Red

Earth Brown

Pantone

1805 C

CMYK

5 96 80 22

CMYK

RGB

175 39 47

RGB

Midnight Blue

“

Pantone

Your brand is

95 74 7 44

RGB

463 C 14 54 95 62 116 79 40

Medium Blue 534 C

CMYK

Tuskin Rust

Pantone

27 54 93

Pantone

Pantone

145 C

CMYK

4 53 100 8

RGB

207 127 0

Baby Blue 653 C

Pantone

CMYK

94 57 4 18

CMYK

RGB

50 98 149

RGB

543 C 37 9 0 1 164 200 225

what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.

— Jeff Bezos, Amazon

”

Plum

Rustic Gray

Pantone

5275 C

Pantone

CMYK

74 68 7 31

CMYK

RGB

89 84 120

RGB

Fire Yellow Pantone CMYK RGB

Shell Gray 424 C

30 20 19 58 112 115 114

120 C 251 219 101

Pantone CMYK RGB

420 C

CMYK

6 4 7 13

RGB

199 201 199

Leaf Green

Kiwi Green 0 5 64 0

Pantone

584 C 21 0 89 0 210 215 85

Pantone CMYK RGB

377 C 50 1 100 20 122 154 1

COLOR PALETTE | 23

GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS

Typeface

For general communications— emails, letters, etc.—Sunburst recommends two fonts to use in any application. Georgia Regular and Tahoma Regular are good options that are easy to read.

Georgia Regular is the primary option. Tahoma Regular is a secondary font if needed.

Primary

Georgia Regular

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 Secondary

Tahoma Regular ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

ADVERTISING Advertising is handled from the

Living Letters

Sunburst corporate office and all advertisements will have the proper typeface on them. Those

The typefaces used in any company communication play an essential

fonts are as follows:

role in brand identity and perception. Some are trendy. Others look

Headline

Helvetica Neue 65 Medium ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 Body Copy

dated. Some are difficult to read. Sunburst Shutters wants to unify our use of typefaces and fonts to maintain a consistent look to our

Helvetica Neue 45 Light

customers in every application. Our typefaces will vary slightly on

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

different mediums to maximize readability and image. But they are consistent in a font family that looks neither dated nor trendy—fonts that support the professional nature of our brand.

WEB/INTERACTIVE

“

”

Type is branding.

Our websites use Open Sans for all headlines, sub headings, body copy and disclaimers.

Headline

Open Sans Regular ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

TYPEFACE | 25

BUSINESS CARD

Brand Application

Sunburst Shutters uses a two-sided business card. The front side is in brown with letters and numbers reversed in white. This side must include your name, email address, one phone # and website. It can also include a title if desired, second phone number, and fax number.

The back side is our logo with slogan. That side is for branding purposes. Both sides work cohesively to create a more sophisticated image of Sunburst. Please only use this approved business card layout.

Typography

Name: 10 pt, Whitney Bold, sentence case Title: 8 pt, Whitney Book Italic, sentence case Additional info: 8 pt, Whitney Book, sentence case Corporate Tagline: 10 pt, Whitney Medium Italic, sentence case

Front Name Title

Everyday Experience

Your Name Here

Your Title Here

yourname@SunburstShutters.com SunburstShutters.com

Additional Info

The application of the Sunburst Shutters brand is critical to our

Corporate Brown PMS 4625

Office 123 456-7890 Fax 123 456-7890 Cell 123 456-7890 1234 Any Street Any City, ST 12345

success. Both consistency and quality are important in achieving this effort. Be sure that our brand is always represented well and always printed in the highest quality. Our goal is to sustain the reputation of being a sophisticated industry leader and influencer brand.

Pantone/PMS 202

Avoid any low quality and unethical applications that would

Pantone/PMS 4625

compromise the Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions reputation.

NOTE: The front of the card features the Sunburst logo screened back in a gradient of the brown color and with elements removed. While this seems to break the earlier rule about protecting the logo, in this application it is acceptable due to the fact that the full logo is represented properly on the back. The front logo is more artistic and esoteric to give the front of the card some added character—something we would never do if the proper logo was not on the back of the card.

While there are many applications of our logo, the following pages showcase some of the more common uses, with branding guidelines to follow.

“

Back 1”

Before you can have a

share of market, you must have a share of mind.

”

Corporate Tagline

TYPEFACE | 26

BRAND APPLICATION | 27

ENVELOPE

LETTERHEAD

The standard envelope design for Sunburst Shutters communications is simple with our logo on

The Sunburst letterhead is simple and professional, with the Sunburst color logo in the upper

the front upper left corner and the return address on the flap on back. If desired, the address can

left corner. The logo can include the slogan if desired.

be printed below the logo in the upper left corner instead of on the back flap.

The address, phone #, and website URL are centered along the bottom footer. This format allows

Typography

ample room for any type of document, letter, or announcement.

Address: 10 pt, Whitney Book, sentence case Website: 10 pt, Whitney Bold, sentence case

Typography

Address: 10 pt, Whitney Book, sentence case Website: 10 pt, Whitney Bold, sentence case Tagline 14 pt, Whitney Medium Italic, sentence case

Website

Address

Front

Front 1234 Any Street, Any City, ST 12345 | www.SunburstShutters.com

Back Flap

Pantone/PMS 202 Pantone/PMS 4625

Corporate Logo

Alternate Back Pantone/PMS 202 Pantone/PMS 4625

Back Back Flap

1234 Any Street, Any City, ST 12345 | www.SunburstShutters.com 1234 Any Street, Any City, ST 12345 | 123-456-7890 | www.SunburstShutters.com

Address

Website

Corporate Red PMS 202 Give your windows the treatment they deserve.

28 | BRAND APPLICATION

Tagline

BRAND APPLICATION | 29

ADVERTISING MATERIALS

Postcard & Mailers

One of Sunburst Shutters’ most effective forms of branding is the advertising we place and the literature we provide customers. Our Sunburst ad campaigns are designed and tested to support our brand in all markets. The corporate service center has spent significant time and strategy working on ads that will send the right message, properly position the company, and persuade customers to buy our products. We need all stores to use the materials provided by the corporate service center. Should your store need some variation of these materials, please contact the corporate service center and let them assist you. It is imperative that all materials with the Sunburst name on them look and feel cohesive and support our brand.

General Advertisements

Brochure

30 | BRAND APPLICATION

BRAND APPLICATION | 31

OUR SLOGAN

Our Slogan

The Sunburst Shutters company-wide slogan is “Give your windows the treatment they deserve.®” We have a trademark on that slogan and will continue to use it as our corporate statement. It should be used with the registered trademark (®) in all cases.

This slogan communicates a number of credible brand statements: • The home deserves a better window treatment product.

• Sunburst and/or any Sunburst window treatment is the source of that better product.

• By using Sunburst products, the customer is giving their home a well-deserved upgrade.

• Sunburst takes great care of their windows and their home.

Each of these messages has a sense of class and credibility. The slogan delivers all of them in one concise branding statement.

This is the corporate branding statement to be used in every situation where a slogan is needed.

The slogan can also be used as a headline in an advertisement. The slogan can also be placed under the Sunburst logo as our tag line. Do not use any other slogan associated with the logo.

Expressing Ourselves

Logo / Tagline Examples Here are examples of the slogan as a tagline under the Sunburst logo in color and black & white.

A slogan is an extra way to deliver an all-important message that tells the customer how they should think of our company. The slogan is near the logo to associate the message with the company. Powerful

2 COLOR

slogans can last a lifetime. When used properly, our slogan can position Sunburst Shutters as the best choice for quality and service in the window treatment industry.

Pantone/PMS 202 Pantone/PMS 4625

Whitney Medium Italic

“

1 COLOR

Content precedes design.

Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.

”

Black

Whitney Medium Italic

OUR SLOGAN | 33

SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITIES Search engines give more credibility to content on local Facebook and Houzz sites than

Online Presence

corporate social media sites. It is not uncommon to see a post from a local Facebook page out-rank content from the corporate page. For those reasons, each Sunburst store has a local account on both platforms.

All other social media sites are more generalized in search engine marketing, and customers’ usage of them differs from localized social media sites like Houzz and Facebook. Therefore, we will only have one of those accounts for the entire company. Creating local sites on those platforms is not consistent with our branding strategy. Here is the list of usage requirements for each social media platform.

• Facebook: Each store has its own Facebook page.

• Houzz: Each store has its own Houzz page.

• Pinterest: There is one corporate Pinterest page.

• Instagram: There is one corporate Instagram page.

• Twitter: There is one corporate Twitter account.

• YouTube: There is one corporate YouTube channel.

Any time you have an idea for a post or video, or want to add content to any site, please contact

Get Connected

the corporate marketing department. We welcome and encourage content from the field. In many cases, you can post pictures of a local shutter install on your local Facebook or Houzz page on your own, but by contacting corporate marketing, we can also leverage that content and

Social media posts are important for growing the Sunburst Shutters

photography on all sites.

brand and giving future customers a great experience with our products. Every piece of content we create is strategically developed and posted so that we position Sunburst as the best source for window treatments, encourage customers to call us for any treatment, and give them confidence in our ability to deliver total customer satisfaction.

“

Your brand isn’t what you say it is--it’s what Google says it is.

”

YOUTUBE

ONLINE PRESENCE | 35

SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITIES

SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITIES

LOCAL POSTS

POST GUIDELINES

We invite all stores to post local content on their local Facebook and Houzz pages. By posting

Here are recommended guidelines for posting local content that each store should follow:

recent jobs with photos, you add more information about our company that will appeal to customers locally, and be seen by the search engines as a social media site with regularly updated relevant content—which helps our SEO.

HOUZZ

Facebook: •

It’s critical that you post a good photo. Refer to the photo tips section for best practices.

•

Let the photo do the talking. Keep your text short and sweet.

•

Don’t mention the customer’s name in the text or give their address.

•

Highlight the overall victory of project completion vs the obstacles overcome to achieve the victory. Just focus on the positives: “extra tall windows are no problem for Sunburst!”

•

Mention benefits the customer cares about, like energy efficiency, beauty, privacy, durability, lifetime warranty, etc.

•

Always link to your local web site.

•

You can add a hashtag. Some of the most popular/most searched hashtags in our industry are #WindowTreatments, #WindowDecor, #HomeRenovations, etc. Two – three hashtags is plenty.

•

Respond to any customer who comments about your post.

Houzz: •

This medium is all about the photo. If you don’t have a spectacular photo, please don’t post.

•

You can post under “projects” or “products.”

•

Make your text positive, short and focused on the benefits.

•

Don’t mention the customer’s name in the text or give their address.

•

List as many keywords in your post as possible. If you’re posting a photo of shutters in a kitchen, use words like “kitchen,” “cabinets,” and “kitchen remodel” as keywords.

Remember that people searching for

FACEBOOK

kitchen remodel ideas will see your shutter post if you use that term as one of your keywords.

•

There are no hashtags used on Houzz.

We encourage all Sunburst employees to repost, retweet and share any posts from Sunburst’s social media sites.

This effort will spread our message to a broader audience and help us increase followers.

36 | ONLINE PRESENCE

ONLINE PRESENCE | 37

SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITIES

SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITIES

SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE/POSTS

PERSONAL USE

There is one Sunburst page on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Due to the nature of these

Reposts

sites, there is no need to have a local store page on these social media networks. Content for

We encourage you to share Sunburst content on your personal social media sites regularly—it

Sunburst’s Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest pages will be posted by the corporate service

is one way to expand our customer base in every market. Any time you repost, retweet, or share

center. Likewise, we want only one Sunburst channel on YouTube where all stores can post

a post by Sunburst, it spreads the message to your followers and friends. This is a great boost

content through the corporate service center.

for our social media program.

Any local content, photos, videos, or ideas should be sent to the corporate service center for consideration on all social media. Some guidelines are necessary to ensure an appropriate representation of our brand. Those include image/video quality, video duration, content, and overall appearance.

INSTAGRAM

Conduct TWITTER

As an employee of Sunburst Shutters & Window Fashions, you represent the company in all you do. This is especially true of your social media posts when you list Sunburst Shutters as your place of work. We encourage you to list Sunburst as your employer on social media. However, if you do, it is necessary that you follow these social media rules:

IMPORTANT: No store should create any additional website, blog, social media page, or video channel. We have established these parameters to control the look, feel, message, and ultimately the brand of all Sunburst Shutters stores.

• Never post photos or content of you doing anything illegal or immoral.

• Never use language inappropriate for children to hear.

• Never threaten anyone for any reason.

• Never start or join in arguments about any topic.

• Never like or share any post that fits in the above categories.

If you cannot commit to following our social media guidelines for personal use, do not list Sunburst Shutters as your employer on your personal social media pages.

PINTEREST

38 | ONLINE PRESENCE

ONLINE PRESENCE | 39

STORE WEBSITES

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Each Sunburst Shutters store has their own local website. The corporate marketing team will

Our business will continue to thrive as we get more customer reviews on websites like Google My

add content to each website regularly, including blog posts, product information, videos, and

Business, Yelp, Facebook, Houzz, and others. Each installer should invite satisfied customers

photos. We welcome store managers and employees to provide content and photos for your

to leave reviews for us on their preferred platform. We also need each store manager or sales

sites. Your content can include photos of recent jobs, information about community service

rep to respond to customer reviews—this shows customers we care and gives us an opportunity

performed by your employees, etc. Please forward any information, photos, and ideas to the

to reinforce our reputation and credibility. Remember these rules when responding to reviews:

corporate office.

• Respond timely—within two days max.

• Thank people for their comments.

• Do not type in all caps.

• If the review is negative, do not try to resolve it on the post. Explain the situation in the most positive way for other customers to see, and then contact the customer privately.

LOCAL STORE WEBSITE EXAMPLE

YELP! Reviews

LOCAL STORE WEBSITE EXAMPLE

40 | ONLINE PRESENCE

ONLINE PRESENCE | 41

PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES

Product Imagery

These basic guidelines will help ensure that your shutter photos are taken correctly and used properly to position Sunburst Shutters in the best possible way.

1. Louver Position The best way to show shutters is with the louvers about 85% closed. When the louvers are completely closed, the shutters will show some light gaps. When the louvers are fully open, people look right through the shutters to see what’s outside the window. When taking shutter photos, always close all louvers with your finger in them—that provides just a little opening to control the light, and shows them at their best. Also, please make sure all louvers are at the same angle; a window with louvers at different angles does not look uniform.

Snapshots

WRONG

Beautiful photography is a critical part of marketing our products. Great photos generate interest from customers. Bad photos make them much less likely to choose Sunburst products. To ensure that all our photos support our brand and show our product most positively, this section offers guidelines for all pictures used in any ad, social media post, website, photo gallery, flyer, brochure, tradeshow booth, etc.

“

If you don’t get noticed, you don’t

have anything. You just have to be noticed, but the art is in getting noticed naturally, without screaming and without tricks.

RIGHT

”

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PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES 2. Focal Point

3. Environment

Certain items in front of shutters make the focal point of the photo less about the shutters and

Consider the entire look of the room. We don’t want an extreme close up of the shutters by

more about whatever is in front of them. Small décor items are acceptable, but large items

themselves—we like showing a little of the environment and decor around them. We also don’t

like big lamps, will take the emphasis away from the shutters. With the homeowner’s approval,

want to show so much of the room that no one notices the shutters because they are looking at

remove any big items before you take the photo.

the rest of the decor.

Example 1: In this example below, there are two

Example 2: Sometimes a good photo is weakened

items in front of the shutters—the flowers and

by items left around the area. Remove toys, your

the lamp. The flowers are fine—they are small

sales binder, drinks, tool kit, ladder, etc. from the

enough and add a little color to the shot. The

area before you take the photo. Even 1 item in the

lamp is larger, in the way of the shutters, and

scene—like the ladder below—can make a photo

should be taken out of the photo.

unusable.

TOO CLOSE

TOO FAR

Example 3: In this case, a lamp is in front of one shutter panel, but because there are 6 other shutter panels with nothing blocking them, there is no need to remove the lamp. It actually helps

JUST RIGHT

balance the photo.

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PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES 4. Lighting

5. Product Presentation

Lighting is critical to a good shot. When the sun is hitting the shutters in the afternoon, it’s

Always include the entire shutter when taking a photo. Never cut out sections of the shutter—

difficult to get a good photo because of all the light blasting in. A few tips will help:

especially arches and angles. Here is an example of a great shutter, but because the photographer got too close, the top of that beautiful arch is cut off.

1. Remember to close the shutters most of the way, which will minimize the light coming through.

2. Turn on all lights in the room. If possible, draw light from windows across the room by opening those louvers. If you have a portable light, that’s good to use.

3. Use the flash on your camera if necessary.

4. Sometimes waiting until the sun is on the opposite side of the house is best, as it could eliminate the lighting problems completely.

Example: In this photo, the light from outside is blasting out everything else in the room. By almost completely closing the louvers on these two windows, and generating light from across the room pointing toward these two windows, this example would be a more usable photo.

6. Ad Photography When using photos in an advertisement, flyer, or social media, don’t put anything—graphics, logos, headlines, etc.—in front of the shutter on the photo. Don’t ever block the shutters.

Example: This photo shows a headline and logo placed right over a shutter photo.

Never block the product we sell. Some slight overlap on the edges of photos is acceptable, but never let anything block the shutters.

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Here are just a few examples of great photos that best showcase our shutters.

Unity A Personal Message I want to thank everyone in the Sunburst family for their efforts in maintaining Sunburst Shutters as the #1 shutter brand in the US. We’ve all worked hard to be #1, and staying there is an important goal. This branding guide is critical for how we position ourselves, how customers view us, and how we can continue to present our best image to customers for years to come. Follow the branding guide and we will all benefit in clarity of image, message, and reputation. We look forward to continued success at each store.

All the best!

Dix Jarman, CEO

Corporate Office: 10091 Park Run Dr. Suite 190 Las Vegas, NV 89145 TEL (702) 870-4488 www.SunburstShutters.com