Branding in development
A well-designed brand is a guarantee of maintaining a long-term competitive advantage. But a brand that does not keep pace with the development of the organisation can become a crutch. When is the right time to change?
Brands that are starting to position themselves differently need to be revitalised. The product portfolio grows and it becomes increasingly difficult to control the number of offerings. A company changes its status or debuts on the stock exchange. Identity refreshment also awaits merging companies and those that are no longer just doing what they did at the start of their business.
We will help you identify the image capital that the company has developed over time and ways to strengthen it while communicating the new content and the change that has taken place or will take place in the near future.
Our offer for debut brands includes:
Together, we will undertake a detailed review and analysis of all the materials the company uses on a daily basis. The visual audit also includes measurement of the brand’s distinctive assets. We also look at the indicators that the organisation currently measures. At Perform, we also try to experience the brand ourselves – so that we look at the world through the eyes of the end user of branded products or services. We point out the most important assets, or emerge what could become them. The visual audit concludes a series of meetings showing those unconvinced to change the points where the brand is losing and how this can be remedied ad hoc.
For us, clever and good design is much more than aesthetic design. We specialise in designing signs and symbols that convey meaning. We encapsulate the essence, market positioning and positioning of a brand in a logo. We know that an image is the fastest way known to man to communicate, and a logo is the most common reminder of the values a company cares about. This is because a company’s actions flow from the vision, mission and values to which it remains faithful. At the same time, they should remain consistent with the positioning of the brands in its portfolio. This is the starting point for planning all marketing activities, including logo design.
Company acquisitions or mergers, acquisitions or the decision to create a new brand give a new direction to a company’s existing marketing activities. A change of profile or management requires a comprehensive strategic approach, also in terms of image. The name, logo, colour scheme, company slogan may change. Interculturality, necessary time and legal aspects need to be controlled. It is a challenging period and decisions regarding brand architecture are increasingly complex. Together with the client we analyse possible decisions in the area of brand hierarchy (brands under a common umbrella / main brand and sub-brands / portfolio of dispersed brands) so that the architecture shows the planned connections between companies or brands and supports their future growth.
A Visual Identity System (SIW) is a set of rules and consistently designed patterns. It should be an accessible and practical tool for building visual consistency. However, it is often the case that a quickly created SIW lacks flexibility or logic, and when the brand develops intensively, it ceases to work in practice. A good and clever SIW perpetuates desired brand opinions among employees and the wider external audience. Our perception of a brand is predominantly determined by the visual experience – a coherent and logical system that can be easily multiplied into a variety of materials strengthens the brand – for investors it sends the message: “this is a company that cares about its image”, for competitors: “it’s an important player”, for customers: “it’s a big, credible company”.
Accompanying materials include publications, uniforms, fleet signage, leaflets and gadgets. We design all kinds of printed materials: folders, brochures, offer catalogues, annual reports, commemorative albums, large-format calendars, various offer materials. Depending on the needs of the project, we select the appropriate paper families. All this – with attention to concept, detail and consistency. We go to great lengths to ensure that uniforms are a source of pride for employees, and we also know that they directly translate into the perception of the brand as well as the entire organisation. Thoughtful workwear design allows for a quick understanding of the hierarchy and scope of authority of individual employees. We understand that branding certain items or designing them to maintain the distinctive ‘look and feel’ of the brand is a challenge and worth entrusting to specialists. For materials that require separate standards, we design special versions of the mark or signet, and in special cases of unusual media, we always provide free advice as part of our ‘brand care’ service.
The website is becoming the second most important point of contact with the brand, just after the actual reception of the product/service or a direct conversation with a company representative. It is important that, just like a ‘face-to-face’ conversation, the website dispels any doubts the user may have and is quick, friendly and effective. For brands in development, it can be crucial to find points of commonality between the familiar and the unfamiliar, the old habits of the site’s readers and the new brand identity system. The website is not the end of our efforts. A growing brand should have an online presence wherever its new and existing audiences are. We therefore deliver a dedicated strategy and creation so that brands can effectively communicate their values and continue the dialogue with their audiences.
It is the shop shelf that is considered the most competitive marketing environment there is. Whether launching a new brand on the market, expanding or revitalising an existing one, we treat packaging as a unique channel of communication with the customer, at the same time part of the overall visual identity. A good design supports sales and is at the same time a tangible and emotional expression of the brand identity – an opportunity that cannot be replaced. Therefore, the composition is important, but so is the fine-tuning of each individual detail. Packaging cannot be bypassed with the eye when buying a product, packaging is taken home or to the office, packaging is often studied and analysed in depth. For brands in development, we offer clever and good structural and graphic packaging design – one that emphasises its unique character with the right composition, appropriate symbols, colours that appeal to the senses and the necessary information skilfully integrated into a unique whole.
We work with printing houses of different profiles and specialisations. Our extensive technical knowledge and familiarity with modern techniques enable us to offer optimal printing solutions. We advise on the choice of paper family, and check the compatibility of the print with the proof approved by the customer. We place particular emphasis on the first print. We want the customer to know what effect to expect when cooperating with the printing house independently in the future.
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