Define
During this stage you want to establish exactly what it is that the client and the client’s company are trying to accomplish. This involves discussing voice and tone, target audience, project scoop, mood board, and becoming familiar with as many aspects of the project as possible. Simply put, the more you know, the more you can help your client. I’ll keep using Crane.com redesign to talk about deliverables in this phase.
Voice and Tone
In conjunction with the visual design expression of the site, the tone will help bring the Crane brand personality to life. Understanding the key brand characteristics is essential to establishing the appropriate tone for the audience. The Crane tone embodies the following direction:
- Intimate
- Emotional in nature
- Relationship-building
- Authentic
- Romantic and Eloquent
- Enduring
- Action-oriented
Execution Mandatories:
In conjunction with adhering and leveraging established brand identity standards and the updated Crane Style Guide, the visual design directions will be inspired by the conceptual development efforts, which include a set of internally developed mood boards – inspired by a combination of Crane mood boards and expanded creative exploration by the creative team.
Target Audience
A target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message. In marketing and advertising, it is a particular group of consumers within the predetermined target market, identified as the targets or recipients for a particular advertisement or message. Businesses that have a wide target market will focus on a specific target audience for certain messages to send, such as The Body Shops Mother’s Day advertisements, which were aimed at the children and spouses of women, rather than the whole market which would have included the women themselves.
Crane Macro Target:
Adult women, ages 25-64, residing in affluent, suburban and urban neighborhoods.
| PRIORITY | AUDIENCE SEGMENT | INSIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Category enthusiast shopper
| Constantly engaged in the category – passionate about social correspondence with a more contemporary vision. An obsession with stationery in general – has a “stationery stash”. Embraces the category core universal truths – a reflection of who you are and connecting to what matters. Easily persuaded by design, style and new ideas. Crane brand awareness is medium to high. This audience segment represents one of the biggest opportunities for growth for Crane & Co. Believes the quality of stationery reflects quality of relationship. Ultimate goal is capture the audience and build brand loyalty. |
| Primary | Milestone shopper
| Event-focused such as a wedding, party planning, baby shower, baby announcement, holiday, etc. Easily influenced by design, style and brand recognition – i.e. Kate Spade. Primarily composed of bride-to-be and holiday shoppers. Somewhat familiar with Crane brand, but not intimately aware of the craft and quality of the product and the breadth of offerings. Crane brand awareness is low to medium. This audience segment represents one of the biggest opportunities for growth for Crane & Co. Purchase is based on a reflection of personal style. Ultimate goal is build more brand awareness and demonstrate relevance. |
| Secondary | Lapsed category shopper
| Currently not engaged in the category, but has been previously exposed to the brand; more of a casual category shopper. Has embraced the category in the past more so than she/he does today. Aspires to be more authentic and intimate in her/his life. Brand awareness is low to medium. |
| Secondary | Crane loyalist, enthusiast buyer
| The Crane brand loyalist – is a determinist shopper who uses Crane for personalized stationery and all significant personalized event/party invitations. Understands and appreciates the craft of Crane products. Crane is a stamp of affluence and distinctive taste. Significant level of brand awareness and trust. This audience segment currently dominates the market share at Crane. They are primarily luxury shoppers. Ultimate goal is to build equity. |
Mood Board
A mood board is a type of collage consisting of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition. It can be based upon a set topic or can be any material chosen at random. A mood board can be used to give a general idea of a topic that you were given, or can be used to show how different something is from the modern day. They may be physical or digital, and can be “extremely effective” presentation tools.
Mood board for Crane.com redesign includes type, color, photography and stylistic element.
Project Scope
Redesign the eCommerce site for Crane.com and deliver:
- A new and improved user experience–leveraging eCommerce usability best practices
- A defined brand expression which reflects the Crane brand and makes a relevant connection to the target audience
- Detailed, functional and technical specifications that support the user experience
- SEO recommendation
- A web analytics and success metrics plan
Objectives:
- Increase direct-to-consumer sales by:
- 56% in Year 1 (2010 vs 2009)
- 110% in Year 2 (2011 vs 2009)
- Create an engaging online user experience by:
- Updating Crane.com to follow industry standards with content management, platform tools and user flow
- Using web 2.0 tools to allow users to connect, participate, personalize and create on Crane.com
- Elevate the Crane brand online through the use of design, imagery and content, and by highlighting Crane’s unique craftsmanship
- Make the Crane brand more relevant and meaningful to today’s digital audience
Success Measures:
- eCommerce sales (through Crane.com and Crane Direct)
- Revenue
- Traffic-to-sales conversion rate
- Number of items in shopping cart
- Brand awareness
- Pre/post survey
- Traffic
- Number of users on web site
- Engagement
- Customer base measured via opt-ins
- Dwell time
- Return rate
- Personalization and participation activity