Rebranding a Company

Every now and then companies seek out the assistance of a graphic Designer with their brand image, to either elevate it or change it completely. When a company rebrands it is either because their brand is is failing to succeed or it is ready evolve in the business world and gain further recognition. Rebranding is a strategy undergone by a company to change its name, term, symbol or design thereof. The intention is to re-establish the brand in the minds of the consumer, Investors and competitors. These changes are aimed at dispelling any negative connotations which were previously associated with the brand. In rebranding a company is able to reposition itself and communicate effectively.

A company may also want to rebrand if it is entering into a new line of business that is not in line with its current brand identity e.g. Apple changing from being Apple Computers so simple being known as Apple. Relevancy is also a cause for change as the identity must reflect the company’s current positioning of itself. And sometimes competition can serve as a catalyst for change; a competitor’s image can render your company’s as old outdated. Rebranding may be the only way for a company to regain its foothold in the market. A shining example of this is Microsoft, a company which has undergone a gradual rebranding of its products between 2011 and 2012 following the release of the Windows Phone 7. It also changed its logo, services and website to adapt to the market and compete with frontrunners like Apple and Google in its sector. It is considered wise for a company to inform its customers of its rebranding so that they won’t be completely shocked when it does happen.

For a past school project I had the opportunity to pick a company I thought needed a new identity and rebrand it completely. The company I chose is Retrofontein, a street wear brand characterised by its use of bright bold patterns in its clothing designs. The company started in 2012 and is based in Johannesburg. The target market is 16 to 25 year old males and females living in urban areas attending high school and tertiary. The problem I found with the company is that its previous logo did not reflect its products and neither did the brand extension (of which there was very little). So I was tasked with the creation of a brand identity which would stand out amongst the competition and reflect their offering to the market. I came up with a logotype for them with a repetitive pattern in movement and then I abstracted an element from it to create a pattern for the brand extension. The new logo and brand extension I created for them reflects who they are what they do and it gives them a new competitive advantage.  So what do you think of the new brand identity?

Old logo.

New Logo.

Business card.

Letterhead

Flyer.

Poster/Magazine advert.

Billboard.

References:
http://aytm.com/blog/research-junction/rebranding-essentials-why-rebrand/
http://www.pencilscoop.com/2013/04/5-amazing-examples-of-successful-rebranding/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebranding

The importance of naming a brand correctly

The name of a brand is one of the foremost determinants of whether people will fall in love with it or hate it. A consumer can form an opinion about a brand just from hearing its name. So when naming a brand a company should pay close attention as to whether it will resonate with its target audience. Although there are no rules in particular to naming a brand, I found and summarised ten steps that one should consider following when naming a brand and they are as follows:

1.       Give the naming process priority; do not treat it as an afterthought: In the creative world the product or service offered by a company is often given much more attention than its naming and thus results in a last minute rush for a name. The naming should fall into the development part of the brand.

2.       The naming process is as strategic as it is creative: A great name does not come simply, as it is suppose to define the personality and position of the brand. Strong brands transcend the physical attributes of a company, products or services. They form emotional connections with consumers. A brand name should have enough flexibility to cater to an evolving market.

3.       Never underestimate the importance of a creative brief: A naming brief should be specific, highlight the elements of the strategy to be communicated and set clear understandable parameters on its construction. The brief should act as a lens through which you filter a suitable name for your organisation.

4.       Do not confuse differentiation with communication: Companies more often than not, use descriptive terms to name themselves in a bid to lessen the need to explain what their brand is all about. They often think that the more detailed the name is the more likely customers will understand it when in fact picking a simple name makes it easier to remember and allows them to associate a chosen meaning to it.

5.       Look into trademarks to avoid issues: There are approximately over thirteen million trademarks in the world and two hundred and fifty thousand words in the English dictionary. So chances are your name might end up not being yours alone. Therefore names should be pre-screened during the trademark process to illuminate ones that are off limits. Pre-screening saves you time and endless legal battles.

6.       Pay attention to global implications: Make sure that your name is not inappropriate to translates to something thereof in another language. Global Linguistics should be evaluated on a name after it has been shortlisted or chosen. The last thing any company wants is a name which translates as offensive to cultural group.

7.       Choose a name subjectively: Choose a name based on the criteria for success by having a strong brand strategy, clear role of the name and key attributes it should communicate. Research will help you tremendously in this department.

8.       Not everything requires a name: As an organisation grows so do its products and services, thus compelling the naming of each and every one of them. Too many names associated to a brand tend to confuse the customer and this can work against it. Not everything requires naming, just the right strategy to push it.

9.       Get rid of irrelevant names: Brands evolve over time due to changes in the market and customer demand. The current name may not be able to carry the company to the next level of its restructuring. Therefore a company should consider renaming its brand/s in a manner which is not abrupt but gradual.

10.   Do not end the verbal identity process at a name: A brand is more than just the name given to it. The name forms one part a of brand’s verbal identity, Brands should speak to their audiences in a language which has an appropriate tone for a positive response. This determines whether or not they will manage to draw up an emotional connection with their audiences.

The naming process is just as important, if not more, as any other when coming up with or restructuring a brand. The name can be what sell or kills the brand. Brands that do succeed and continue to do so know the importance of a name and paid close attention to it. So the next time you fall in love with a brand name, think of how much thought process went into making it appeal to you.

References: 

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/05/the-science-of-naming-brands-from-ipad-to-ice-cream/238820/

http://www.interbrand.com/en/knowledge/papers-and-articles/10-Most-Common-Naming-Mistakes.aspx

Brand Campaigns

Branding has become something a company cannot do without when wanting to sell its products and services to the masses. A brand has to speak to a person’s senses and influence them to buy into the brand. In order to make a brand work a company has to define its values, the image its wants to portray and the action it wants people to take after coming into contact with it. One of many mechanisms used to measure the success of a campaign is called ‘brand recall’ this is measured by whether a consumer can remember the name of a brand, company or product as part of a particular class. And because consumers have a lot on their minds on a daily basis, brands have to work hard at occupying the limited space available in the consumers mind in order to reinforce their message.

Now a short lived branding campaign has to work even harder at this as it has a limited time in which to implement itself in the consumers mind. On the positive side short campaigns increase urgency for the retailer to sell the product and the consumer to buy it as soon as possible. I had the pleasure of producing a short branding campaign for a school project in the form of Women Writers 2013. For this project I had to pick a female author and create a brand campaign around them, three of their books and a book launch which would happen on the 9^th of August on Women’s Day.

The Author that I chose is Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, February 18, 1931). She is a world renowned American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are famed for having richly detailed characters which take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride. She has a string of awards under her belt including a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Nobel Prize. The three novels that I went with for my book trilogy are:

1.       The Bluest Eye: Written in 1970 this was Toni’s first novel, written while she was still teaching at Howard University. The story revolves around a little girl named Picola who because of being mocked everyday by other kids for her dark skin, constantly prays for beauty, blonde hair and blue eyes.

2.       Song of Solomon: The story revolves around Macon Dead Jr. nicknamed “Milkman”. The story follows his compelling journey from being an arrogant boy to a compassionate man.

3.       Tar Baby: This story revolves around Jadine Childs, a black fashion model with a white patron. She falls deeply in love with a black fugitive named Son. The Story chronicles the forbidden love between the two in a racial setting.

The logo that I created for the event was inspired by a pen and the form of a figure meditating, which is something one has to do in order to reach a calm place in order to write. I then abstracted the two and fused them into one. I extended the logo by making it form dandelion seeds which are blown into the air by the wind. Dandelion seeds being blown into the air evoke emotions of lightness, happiness and tranquillity. I decided to shoot all my book covers and theme them around figures standing in the sunset. Here are a few pieces from the campaign:

Logo

 Poster

Bookmark

The Bluest Eye

Song of Solomon

Tar Baby

Promotional bag

Notebook

Web Advert

 3D book reading environment

The campaign taught me that for a brand to work all of the different marketing tools used have to communicate the same visual message, they can have variety but essentially they must look like a family well spread out.

References:

https://www.promoboxx.com/blog/2013/08/long-or-short-campaigns-which-is-right-for-your-brand/

http://ivarsmore.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/how-branding-campaigns-work-for-brand-recall/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison

Graphic Design and its role in the South African economy

Design has always played a role in how a society functions in relation to its surroundings. Graphic Design is a term first coined by William Addison Dwiggins in 1922. It is a discourse in which a designer seeks to convey a message to an audience specific to the client. While the discipline has witnessed tremendous growth and acknowledgement around the world for its role in driving the economy, South Africa has only just begun to understand its importance. South Africa is yet to see design as a powerful national resource. The discipline can assist the nation into developing local markets, competing on a global market place and meeting the requirements of social reconstruction. Graphic Design should begin to take a pivotal position in the South African economy. Since Graphic Design is so young in the country, it is only beginning to find its unique creative expression. The expression was evident during the world cup through campaigns such as ‘Fly the Flag’ and ‘Football Friday’. This also demonstrated the passion which the Nation can exude when behind a credible and cohesive brand image. Now imagine if that same kind of immense energy and unity could be channelled by the country through its national branding initiative. There is no doubt in my mind that the South African brand lacks that unique visual nuance to make it unforgettable.  There is a vast amount of Graphic Designers and design houses in the country which would be more than willing to assist in re-branding the nation. The evidence can be found in Design Indaba’s Brand the Beloved Country initiative and the amount of visual material designers create themed around the national flag.

Refferences:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design

Marian Sauthoff, 2004, Walking the Tightrope: Comments on Graphic Design in South Africa, Design Issues: Volume 20.

Branding 101

When a company succeeds in the working environment it is most likely because it has been well branded. Branding can be defined as "as a name, logo, slogan and/or design scheme associated with a product or service" and brand management is "the application of marketing techniques to a specific product" (Wikipedia).

Companies like Coca Cola are a quintessential example of good branding. Cola Cola is arguably the most recognizable brand in the world as it appeals to the young and old. The company has even been honored with the Cannes Creative Marketer of the Year Award for 2013.

With successful branding a company gets prospective customers to see it providing the only solution to their problem e.g. when you are thirsty and within close proximity to a shop you automatically think about buying Coca Cola. the company has embedded itself in the consumers minds as a thirst quencher.

When you brand a product you are also giving it a personality, which is like assigning human characteristics to it e.g. loving, caring, exciting etc. This makes a product easily receivables to consumers. The design aspect   is also important as it forms the foundation and makes the product distinct from its competitors. The main types of brand personalities are as follows.

1. Excitement
2. Sincerity
3. Ruggedness
4. Competence
5. Sophistication

Coca Cola fits into the excitement category as it presents itself as young, carefree and spirited. I used Coca Cola to explain the key elements of branding as i understand them because just about everyone has come across their beverages and is familiar with their marketing.

Alex Trochut

One of my favourite Graphic design artists in the world has to be (wait for it).... Alex Trochut. I swear this guy's graphic pieces speak to my soul! His philosophy to design is "more is more" which makes sense since all his creations are colourful  complex and yet make so much sense. he has a very clean style of execution which is very difficult to pull of in a complex graphic piece. He has worked with world famous brands such  as Nike, Adidas, Coca Cola, Absolut Vodka, and the list goes on. My favourite piece of his is a toss between   'Holy mother' for Wallpaper Magazine and '10 Ways to get a job' for Computer Arts Magazine. Here are a few of his pieces and the above mentioned favourite ones of mine. Enjoy.

First post of many to come.

Greetings to you all! This is my first blog, or rather my first formal blog where I will be speaking about nothing, but design. My name is Kagiso Sibeko and I am a third year Graphic Design student at NEMISA. The aim of this blog is to put up posts and have discussions pertaining to my research document, which is on branding South Africa, A subject I will elaborate on in posts to come. I will also be posting my own design pieces, inspirational works and biographies on Graphic Designers who inspire me to reach a higher design level. Your participation  would be highly appreciated in terms of offering me your comments, criticisms, suggestions and overall opinion. I hope to have a fruitful relationship with you and do enjoy my blog.