For Email Partners
Everything you need to know about Dutton Brown's email program, brand voice, audience segments, and sending philosophy.
Welcome to the Dutton Brown email program. This guide will help you understand our brand, our audiences, and how we think about showing up in people's inboxes.
Section 01
Company background & context
Dutton Brown is a color-forward lighting and hardware brand based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We design, powder coat, assemble, and ship everything from our own studio. We're best known for customizable fixtures in bold, confident colors — and for being the opposite of boring, neutral big-box lighting.
We serve two primary audiences: Trade professionals (interior designers, architects, hospitality specifiers) who need fixtures for client projects, and Homeowners (design-interested consumers) who want personality and customization in their spaces.
Section 02
How we sound — and why it matters
Our voice is confident, honest, fun, informative, and cheeky. We're the knowledgeable friend in the design world — never pretentious, never boring, and never trying too hard.
Key principle: Write like you're a knowledgeable design friend giving advice over coffee — not a salesperson trying to close a deal. Trust and relationship always come before transaction.
Section 03
Trade professionals vs. homeowners
Segmentation is non-negotiable. These two audiences have fundamentally different needs, timelines, and decision-making processes. They should almost never receive the same email.
Interior designers, architects, hospitality designers, specifiers. They buy fixtures for client projects, not themselves.
Speed, specs, clarity, reliability. CAD files, lead times, finish consistency, samples for client presentation.
Project-based, often multi-unit orders. Longer consideration but higher order values. They specify once and reorder often.
Efficient, value-forward, design-literate. Lead with project support and professional reliability.
Design-interested consumers buying for their own homes. DIY remodelers, new homeowners, style-conscious individuals.
Guidance, reassurance, inspiration. Help choosing colors, understanding customization, confidence in their design decisions.
Typically one-time buyers, longer consideration cycles, price-conscious. Emotionally-driven decisions.
Fun, approachable, helpful. Lead with personality, color, and the joy of customization.
Section 04
One of our most powerful conversion tools
We offer free color samples — swatches of our powder coating and finishes. This is one of our biggest conversion drivers and the follow-up flow deserves careful, thoughtful attention.
of people who request samples purchase within 6–12 months
Sample requesters are warm leads, not cold contacts. Treat them accordingly. The follow-up flow should feel helpful and curious, not pushy.
The right opening move: Ask how the samples looked before ever mentioning ordering. Something like “How did the samples land? We love hearing which colors made the cut.” Let curiosity lead. Commerce follows naturally.
For trade professionals requesting samples — they're typically doing so for a specific client project. Acknowledge that context. A trade designer holding a swatch is imagining it in a hotel lobby or a client's kitchen, not their own home. Write to that reality.
Section 05
Flag all flows near this window
For all flow building: Please flag any emails that would send in or around early April 2026 so nothing conflicts with or overshadows the Pinkaboo launch window. This is our most anticipated color release of the year.
Section 06
What makes Dutton Brown worth writing home about
A wide range of powder coat options; customers choose what fits their project
Bold personality, color-forward aesthetic that stands apart from safe, neutral competitors
Made in our own production space, not overseas, not in a warehouse
Not sitting on a shelf, made specifically for the person who ordered it
Made to order but not made to wait forever; faster than most custom competitors
Meets safety standards for residential and commercial use; important for trade specifiers
Used in hotels, apartments, restaurants, and homes across the US
East Coast (Philadelphia, NYC), Texas, Florida, California
Section 07
How we approach the inbox — and why it matters
We are intentional about how often we show up in people's inboxes. This is a genuine point of pride — and it shapes how every flow should be built.
Section 08
Tools, assets, and brand specs
Omnisend
Available via Hannah
Poppins (Google Fonts)
300, 400, 600, 700, 800
#FF9912 — Ochre
#4A4A4A — Charcoal
#F7F5F2 — Off-White
WCAG 2.1 Level AA
Verb CTAs, contrast, alt text
When in doubt, ask yourself:
“Does this sound like something a knowledgeable, warm friend in the design world would say?”
If yes — you're on the right track.