Who doesn't love a great brand?! Im sure each of us have at least 3-5 brands that we admire, enjoy, and don't mind spending our time or money with. We return to that brand over and over because they have somehow built a relationship with us. It may be through their products, their customer service, or their mission and messaging. Hopefully it's all of the above.

A brand is more than a logo or a website, it is also your mission, your intention and the value you add to your customer’s experience on a consistent bases. Heidi Cohen of Riverside Marketing Strategies defines a brand as;

A brand creates emotional bonds with consumers. Brands are composed of intangible elements related to its specific promise, personality, and positioning and tangible components having identifiable representation including logos, graphics, colors and sounds. A brand creates perceived value for consumers through its personality in a way that makes it stand out from other similar products. Its story is intricately intertwined with the public’s perception and consistently provides consumers with a secure sense that they know what they’re paying for. In a world where every individual is also a media entity, your consumers own your brand (as it always was).

So yes, in regards to brands I wanted to share with you one local brand that I personally think is doing an outstanding job. I recently spent the afternoon in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas with my sister in law, who thankfully took me to Emporium Pies, a local pie shop in that neighborhood. I was very impressed and inspired by their brand through and through. I walked into this little house and was immediately transported to the "good ol' days" when life was simple, but still full of rich relationships and meaningful traditions. Emporium Pies invites you into their brand with every personal touch and well thought out detail of their business from the moment you enter to the moment you depart.

One aspect of their business that stands out {and I love}, is that all of their pies are handmade and all of their menu items change seasonally. Their pies contain no artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, dyes, or corn syrup. Now that is attention to detail and it adds value for a lot of their customers {like me}, making the quality of their product a very important part of their brand.

photo credit : Paul Wilkes

Also, the handmade touches and attention to detail are carried throughout their visual branding as well. As a graphic designer, one of the first things I noticed was their logo and the paper stock they have their marketing material printed on {Im guessing it's Neenah, pearlized 80# cover}, and they have added gold foiling. Their packaging stands alone and is also put together by hand, one at a time, right in front of you. Each piece is stamped with their logo, tied up with bakers twine, and placed into a woven pie basket. It's pretty special. Their team also has a huge roll to play. The way they greet and serve their customers, along with their cute personal style adds to the overall customer experience and personality of the Emporium Pie brand.

graphic design credit : Scott Hill and the Foundry Collective

A few other fun items to note :
— Their hand written notes sprinkled throughout the shop are clever. When you walk onto the porch you are greeted with a little sign that says, "Welcome to our Pie Shop. Please keep the door shut, so it doesn't become a fly shop." It’s whimsical, full of personalty, and captures a bit of who these ladies are.
— The Drunken Nut pie is really good!
— The vintage art prints in the shop are beautiful.
— And lastly, if you dine in, you pretty much feel like you are sitting in someone's home,
{in the best way} down to the dishes!