Standards Manual Media Edition October 2011
Table of Contents Introduction........................................ 1 Do it Best Corp. Trademarks, Service Marks, and Registered Marks................................ 2 Our Corporate Name................................. 4 Member Store Names................................ 5 Our Exclusive Brands................................ 6 General Logo Guidelines.............................. 7 Variations of the Do it Best Retail Logo................ 8 Correct Logos for Vision 2000 Stores................... 9 Correct Logos for Signature Store Design Program..... 10 Other Terms and Standards Corporate Facts............................... 11 Do it Best Markets............................. 11 Retail Development Specialist (RDS)............. 11 Retail Service Center (RSC)..................... 12 Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU)...................... 12 Additional Standards........................... 13
Introduction This manual will help you ensure that your communications concerning Do it Best Corp. and its members and interests are in agreement with Do it Best Corp. communication standards. It will also help you correctly use Do it Best Corp. logos, trademarks, service marks, and registered marks. We appreciate your consistent and accurate use of the standards in this manual. If you have any questions about the manual or its content, contact the Do it Best Corp. communications manager (260-748-5307). Please note that it is the policy of Do it Best Corp. for employees to refrain from comment on any topic without prior notification and involvement of the Communications department. All media inquiries must go through the Do it Best Corp. communications manager. 1
Do it Best Corp. Trademarks, Service Marks, and Registered Marks The following are the Do it Best Corp. trademarks currently in use (some of which are, or may from time to time be, registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and are designated with ): Best Look CORE Do it Do it Best Do it Center Do it center Do it Express Do it Best Kids Do it Best Select Friday Night Sneak Peek Home Impressions IMCS InCom Integrity Making the Best Even Better Master Touch MVP Opportunity Program RetailPLUS! RetailSTART! Sneak Peek STEEL PRO The Friendly Ones TitanTuff We Speak Retail Fluently World s Largest Hardware Store ADbuilder ADpak SM Best Rewards SM Big Box Competition Kit BYO Express Color Solutions CS2000 CS2000 Mobile Manager Do it Best All Across America SM Do it Best Café Espresso Do it Best Clipstrip Do it Best Commercial Supply SM Do it Best Co-Op Claim Service SM Do it Best Contractor Do it Best Free New Item Do it Best Garden Center Do it Best Gift Card Do it Best Home Do it Best Home Décor Do it Best Info Plus Do it Best Installation Services SM Do it Best Interactive Catalog SM Do it Best May Market SM Do it Best Monthly Power Aisle Do it Best October Market SM Do it Best Paint Center 2
Do it Best Paint Solutions Do it Best Pet Supplies Do it Best Power Aisle Do it Best Professional Do it Best Quality Paints Do it Best Rental Center SM Do it Best Training Break Do it Best Vision Do it Card SM Do it Yourself Sam eflash SM envirolink SM Hot Buys INCOM Distributor Supply SM MAP MBA PAR Power Preview SM Power Tool University SM Profit Lines SM ProjectPRO PTU SM Retail Assistant SM RetailFIRST! SM Retail Management Training Course SM Retail Wizard SM Shop The Friendly Ones Signature Store Design Program Smart Savers Super Hot Buys The Best Things In Life Are Free Your Project Partner 3
Our Corporate Name Our corporate name is Do it Best Corp. When using the corporate name, the D, B, and C must be capitalized. The i is lowercase. Do not use any hyphens in the corporate name. Do not omit Corp. from the corporate name. Always put a period after Corp. Do not substitute Corporation for Corp. Do not abbreviate the corporate name (other than the use of Corp.); i.e., do not shorten it to DIB, DIBC, or DIB Corp. Use Do it Best Corp., not Do it or Do it Best, when referring to the company. When ending a sentence with the corporate name, do not put an extra period at the end of the sentence. When the sentence ends with a question mark or exclamation mark, put the period before the other punctuation. Do not make the corporate name possessive. Instead, reword the sentence to make Do it Best Corp. an adjective instead of a noun. Do not use TM, SM, or with the corporate name. INCORRECT Do-it Best Corp. Do it Best Corporation DIB DIBC DIB Corp. Do it Best Corp. Do It Best Corp. CORRECT Do it Best Corp. INCORRECT Do it Best Corp. s newest retail service center is located in Mesquite, Nevada. CORRECT The newest Do it Best Corp. retail service center is located in Mesquite, Nevada. 4
Member Store Names Do it Best Our members are Do it Best Corp. members, not Do it or Do it Best members. Some Do it Best Corp. members have Do it Best stores. Some Do it Best Corp. members have Do it center stores, Do it Center stores, or Do it Express stores. Some Do it Best Corp. member store names do not contain Do it Best, Do it center, Do it Center, or Do it Express. Do it Best is used in the names of many of our member stores. Always include the registration mark when Do it Best appears in the store name. Do it Best is also one of our exclusive brand names. For more information, see the Our Exclusive Brands section of this manual. Do it center vs. Do it Center Do it Center stores using the Signature Store Design Program have a capital C in the store name. Do it center stores that do not use the Signature Store Design Program have a lowercase c in the store name. However, in the stacked logo, Do it Center always has a lowercase c regardless of whether the store name has a capital or lowercase c when written out in a straight line. Always include the registration mark when either Do it center or Do it Center appears in the store name. Do it Express Always include the registration mark when Do it Express appears in the store name. STORES USING SIGNATURE STORE DESIGN PROGRAM Joe s Do it Center STORES NOT USING SIGNATURE STORE DESIGN PROGRAM Joe s Do it center STACKED LOGO 5
Our Exclusive Brands Use only the approved logo files. If you have any questions on proper logo usage, contact the Do it Best Corp. communications manager (260-748-5307). This is our exclusive brand of hardware and home improvement products that are equal to the national brand but provide members and consumers better value due to lower cost of acquisition. Do it products provide great value and increased margins, and most carry a satisfaction guarantee. This is our exclusive premium brand of hardware and home improvement merchandise that is guaranteed to be equal to or better than the leading national brand. Do it Best products offer superior quality and durability, and most carry a lifetime warranty. This is our exclusive lifestyle and fashion brand of home decor merchandise. Home Impressions products equal or surpass national brands in quality, style, and value. Our exclusive line of Do it Best Quality Paints includes Color Solutions and Best Look from Sherwin-Williams and Integrity from Valspar. All three brands are priced at or below comparable national brands and deliver equal or better quality and durability. This is our exclusive brand of kids tools and do-it-yourself hobby kits. This is our exclusive brand of industrial strength janitorial supplies and cleaners. This is our exclusive brand of locksets. This is our exclusive brand of dollar items. This is our exclusive brand of power tools. 6
General Logo Guidelines Logos must not be warped, stretched, skewed, or retyped in any way that changes their appearance. Use only the approved logo files. The Do it Best color retail logo is used here to illustrate the following guidelines. Keep in mind that these guidelines apply to all logos owned by Do it Best Corp. If you have any questions on proper logo usage, contact the Do it Best Corp. communications manager (260-748-5307). This is the correct Do it Best retail logo. This is the correct Do it Best brand logo, for packaging use. Best Treat the logo as a single piece of art. Never alter any portion of the logo. Never substitute any font in the logo. Never stretch or skew the logo. Never change the color. Never rotate the logo. Never use the old versions with American Typewriter lettering. They have been retired. 7
Variations of the Do it Best Retail Logo The Do it Best logo variations shown on this page are approved for use only in certain circumstances, as described below. If you have questions, contact the Do it Best Corp. communications manager (260-748-5307). These are the only approved variations of the standard logo. Color breakdowns for PMS Warm Red: CMYK: 75M90Y RGB: 242R102G49B This is the standard Do it Best color retail logo. PMS Warm Red and PMS 116 Color breakdowns for PMS 116: CMYK: 16M100Y RGB: 255R210G This is the Do it Best black and white retail logo. For use with black and white print jobs. Using the logo on PMS Warm Red background NO YES This is the same logo as above, used on a field of red. The red field is the same color as the red box in the logo. This makes the registration mark appear out of position. Do not use the standard logo in this situation. When you want to use the Do it Best logo on a Warm Red background, use this version, which has the registration mark in the correct position. YES NO When the Do it Best logo is used on a colored background other than the red used in the logo, the red box must be visible. Use this logo for 2-color print jobs using PMS Warm Red and black. When the black Do it Best logo is used over a colored background, the background color must show through the logo. Use this reversed logo, which has the registration mark in the correct position, when you want to use it on a black or dark background in one color. 8
Correct Logos for Vision 2000 Stores The Do it Best and Do it center logo variations shown on this page show the correct use for the Vision 2000 Store Design Program. If you have questions about use of these logos in a Vision 2000 store, contact the Do it Best Corp. communications manager (260-748-5307). These are the only approved variations of the standard logo. Color breakdowns for PMS Warm Red: CMYK: 75M90Y RGB: 242R102G49B This is the standard Do it Best color logo to use for Vision 2000 Store Design purposes. PMS Warm Red and PMS 116 Color breakdowns for PMS 116: CMYK: 16M100Y RGB: 255R210G This is the standard Do it Best black logo to use for Vision 2000 Store Design purposes. For use with black and white print jobs. YES NO When the Do it Best logo is used on a colored background other than the red used in the logo, the red box must be visible. Use this logo for 2-color print jobs using PMS Warm Red and black. This is the standard stacked Do it center color logo to use for Vision 2000 Store Design purposes. It must be used on a PMS Warm Red background. * PMS 116 This is the standard stacked Do it center black logo to use for Vision 2000 Store Design purposes. For use with black and white print jobs. This is the standard horizontal Do it center color logo to use for Vision 2000 Store Design purposes. It must be used on a PMS Warm Red background. * PMS 116 This is the standard horizontal Do it center black logo to use for Vision 2000 Store Design purposes. For use with black and white print jobs. * If there is ever an application in which a Warm Red background cannot be used, the logo must be Warm Red instead of PMS 116 Yellow. 9
Correct Logos for Signature Store Design Program The Do it Best, Do it Center, and Do it center logo variations shown on this page show the correct use for the Signature Store Design Program. If you have questions about use of these logos in a Signature Store Design store, contact the Do it Best Corp. communications manager (260-748-5307). These are the only approved variations of the standard logo. Color breakdowns for PMS Warm Red: CMYK: 75M90Y RGB: 242R102G49B This is the standard Do it Best color logo to use for Signature Store Design purposes. PMS Warm Red and PMS 116 Color breakdowns for PMS 116: CMYK: 16M100Y RGB: 255R210G This is the standard Do it Best black logo to use for Signature Store Design purposes. For use with black and white print jobs. This is the standard stacked Do it center color logo to use for Signature Store Design purposes. PMS Warm Red, PMS 116, and black This is the standard stacked Do it center black logo to use for Signature Store Design purposes. For use with black and white print jobs. This is the standard horizontal Do it center color logo to use for Signature Store Design purposes. It must be used on a PMS Warm Red background. * PMS 116 This is the standard horizontal Do it center black logo to use for Signature Store Design purposes. For use with black and white print jobs. * If there is ever an application in which a Warm Red background cannot be used, the logo must be Warm Red instead of PMS 116 Yellow. 10
Other Terms and Standards Corporate Facts To ensure that we deliver accurate, consistent, professional communications, do not guess or use ballpark figures to quantify numbers of members, products, RSCs, etc. Always use the official company statistics as found on the current Quick Facts list. This list is located on page 14 of this manual. Do it Best Markets When referring to the Do it Best markets in general, do not capitalize the m. (However, you should capitalize the m in titles, as we ve done here.) When referring to a specific market, use the entire name in the first mention, along with the SM, and capitalize the M in market. You must include the year as well. After the first mention of a specific market, it is appropriate to simply use May market or October market, with a lowercase m and without the service mark. Do not refer to Do it Best markets as shows. Retail Development Specialist (RDS) RDS is the abbreviation for retail development specialist. The abbreviation should always be capitalized. When retail development specialist is spelled out, it is always lowercase. Do not use a capital R unless beginning a sentence. If you are unsure whether your readers will know what RDS means, spell out retail development specialist, followed by RDS in parentheses, in the first instance. (If only one instance in the document, omit the abbreviation.) Subsequently, use RDS. The correct plural of RDS is RDSs with no apostrophe and a lowercase final s. The only time RDS s should be used is when you are making RDS possessive. INCORRECT Do it Best Markets are exciting events. CORRECT Do it Best markets are exciting events. The 2009 Do it Best May Market SM is a valuable networking opportunity. INCORRECT Part of an RDSs job is to inform members about Do it Best Corp. programs and services. CORRECT Part of an RDS's job is to inform members about Do it Best Corp. programs and services. 11
Retail Service Center (RSC) RSC is the abbreviation for retail service center. The abbreviation should always be capitalized. When retail service center is spelled out, it is always lowercase. Do not use a capital R unless beginning a sentence. If you are unsure whether your readers will know what RSC means, spell out retail service center, followed by RSC in parentheses, in the first instance. (If only one instance in the document, omit the abbreviation.) Subsequently, use RSC. The correct plural of RSC is RSCs with no apostrophe and a lowercase final s. The only time RSC s should be used is when you are making RSC possessive. Do not use warehouse, distribution center, DC, or retail support center in place of retail service center. Our RSCs are Do it Best Corp. RSCs, not Do it Best RSCs. Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU) SKU is the abbreviation for stock-keeping unit and should always be capitalized. The plural of SKU is SKUs with no apostrophe and a lowercase final s. The only time SKU s should be used is when you are making SKU possessive. Do not use the number sign (#) after SKU. If you are referring to a specific SKU, SKU and the six-digit number are separated by one space. Do not refer to Do it Best Corp. SKUs as Do it Best SKUs unless you are referring specifically to Do it Best exclusive brand SKUs. Do not abbreviate Do it Best Corp. SKUs as DIBC SKUs or Do it Best SKUs as DIB SKUs. INCORRECT Do it Best Corp. has eight RSC's. CORRECT Do it Best Corp. has eight RSCs. INCORRECT The new Jeep wheelbarrow (SKU #723688) will be a big hit with customers. Do it Best Corp. stocks 65,000 SKU's in the retail service centers. CORRECT The new Jeep wheelbarrow (SKU 723688) will be a big hit with customers. Do it Best Corp. stocks 65,000 SKUs in the retail service centers. 12
Additional Standards When referring to Do it Best Corp. members in the first instance in a document, use member-owners, then just use members thereafter. Do not refer to Do it Best Corp. members as member-retailers or dealers. Note that eflash is not hyphenated. Always write it with a lowercase e and uppercase FLASH. Reword sentences so as not to begin with eflash. E-commerce and e-business are always hyphenated. Do not capitalize the initial e unless beginning a sentence. When referring to the doitbest.com and mydoitbest.com web sites, do not capitalize the d or m. Reword sentences so as not to begin with the site names. When referring to drop shipments, the Do it Best Corp. standard term is drop shipments. Do not call them directs or direct shipments. When referring to manufacturer model numbers, the Do it Best Corp. standard term is manufacturer model number (or simply model number). Do not refer to model numbers as product ID numbers or any other variation. When referring to market bonus discounts, the Do it Best Corp. standard term is bonus. Do not refer to these discounts as spiff or cash. INCORRECT mydoitbest.com, the Do it Best Corp. member-exclusive web site, helps members streamline many business tasks. mydoitbest.com lets members order products, check inventory levels, and perform many other useful functions. CORRECT The Do it Best Corp. member-exclusive web site, mydoitbest.com, helps members streamline many business tasks. On mydoitbest.com, members can order products, check inventory levels, and perform many other useful functions. 13