Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
It is often said that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”
Well, we are so flattered by being imitated.
Honestly, we are beside ourselves, stop. It’s just killing us.
Never before in DOMA Coffee Roasting Companies 12-year history have we received so much flattery (in the form of imitation) for our design work as we have since Roast House opened their doors a few years ago.
From font treatments, photos, design concepts, to the very specific choice of colors.
Our thanks goes out, really honestly thanks a million for imitating us, so glad you like our design work that much.
As a group of designers and artists we design with a very thorough attention to detail, very much like the way we roast coffee.
We take the time to research our designs, making sure our work is original, unique and no one regionally is doing something similar. Those are the standards we have set for ourselves. We belabor the details of everything. The DOMA brand has developed and modified over time to convey who we are as a company.
We have had brilliant creative expertise and consistency with Shelly Croswhite of Crowberry design, which did our original logo and was part of the team who redesigned our latest version last year. She has been with DOMA since the beginning. Chris Dreyer of Dreyer Press has played a large part in developing our brand by adding his unique style of illustration, design and most notably his maturing craft as a letterpress man. Honestly Dreyer Press and DOMA have a contract signed in blood (his and mine) his relationship to DOMA is that important (Ok, and sometimes we’re not sure if he’ll show up with our bags!)
Personally I have loved having the opportunity and good fortune of working closely with these creative designers, and along with many other illustrators and designers we have a very developed brand. One that includes, fonts and ligatures’, color palette, logo and tagline, tone and voice.
Our brand speaks volumes about our company, our product, our ethics, our sustainability, and our promise to our customers. DOMA has won design awards in regional, national and international markets. (Now, that was flattering)
So, we wonder, is the consumer confused when Roast House decides to use similar treatment in their logo font? When their tag line is 3 separate words? When they launched a coffee supporting cycling with a skeleton? When they posted a photo of a farmer from our co-op’s web site on their FB page, renaming the farm and the region implying that this is a farmer they purchased green coffee from?
Is our local community deceived when Roast House stated that 100% of the coffee they sold was organic, when in fact they did not receive their organic certification until 18 months after they had been making these claims.
Is anyone confused when Roast House uses the exact same colors and style of layout as all of DOMA’s marketing material in their most recent web site?
I hope that Roast House and their designers did not mean to bring about confusion in our brands, particularly in this regional market, as we are both selling coffee.
Is this a most unlikely coincidence or infringement of intellectual property?
It can also be said “Flattery gets you nowhere”.
Hilaria Ramos Hndz showing organic soil. We actually buy our Mexico Michiza Yeni Navan from this cooperative.
May 21st, 2012 at 4:50 pm
This is like West Side Story. Just with coffee.
May 22nd, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Are you kidding me?? Roast House CONTINUES to use my photo of Hilaria Ramos on their websites??
Considering their claims to “handpicking both the farmers we trade with and compensating them both fairly and ethically…” I thought i was saving them the embarressment, when i wrote over a year ago to explain that Hilaria is NOT a Colombian farmer as they claim on their facebook post – but rather a farmer from MICHIZA, Oaxaca. At that same time I requested they take down my photo and to stop pilfering my work without my permission or photo credits).
But apparently the “appearance” of having a relationship with their producer partners is more important that actually doing so.
It truly makes me wonder what they mean by “Fair Trade Plus”? Plus a little undeserved credit? A dose of deceit? Neither of those options is tasting very good to me this morning…. all the more bitter – those who lie in the name of trade justice!
Monika
May 23rd, 2012 at 3:52 am
I don’t know what your issue is, but thanks for immitating ME! I created the Roast House skull as a painting three years ago. i sold the painting image to the owners of Roast House and allowed them use of the image for their advertising. I have been working with them since as a graphic artist, among other things. So, yes, in fact it was a coincidence. And no, I knew nothing about you or your advertising “team”. I do commend them, though. They do very nice work and serve you well. However, that said, you owe an appology for your remarks about RH “immitating you”. Why would they want to? You all do local coffee, and similarities happen. You all do great work. So why not support each other instead? Be more positive and less reactive!
May 29th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Aside from who did what first, etc., I have experienced no confusion determining whether the coffee I see before me on the shelf is Doma or Roast House, and I doubt that there is much (any?) confusion on the part of other consumers. So, maybe the issue of who looks like who is a “tempest in a tea pot” (coffee pot?)…