What is branding?

Branding can do several useful things, all of which help to ensure the success of the product or service. In essence, a good brand aims to fulfil the following hallmarks:

Reinforcement of a good reputation

Encourage customer loyalty

Assure quality

Convey a perception of greater worth

Bring about a sense of affirmation

Brand reputations are often synonymous with how they reside in the customers mind.

How do we use visual tools to enhance a brand?

In the successful brand development, we look to a few key areas to determine whether their strategy is easily recognisable and also succinct within their target market. When we look to refresh a brand, we consider the brand positioning, i.e. defining where the brand is most relevant in terms of colour, tone of voice, product/service and age range.

We also look to how we visually tell the story of the brand, whether it’s a complete revamp, or just an evolution of an established brand, making the appropriate design decisions can be the difference between taking the brand forward, adding value and credibility, or not doing the brand justice.

In design terms, we look to incorporate every aspect of research that we undertake so that we can make informed decisions about how to approach the design process.

Being able to associate and distinguish brands by visual impact is of key relevance in any brand awareness exercise, ultimately, we familiarise ourselves with brand identity in visual terms more than we do any other way, therefore communicating the right message by the use of subtle colour combinations and form is perhaps the core importance to any successful brand development process.

Why is colour so important in the branding process?

One of the most important and perhaps impacting factors of branding is colour. Colour is a sensation, produced by the brain, by the light which enters the eye; and that while a sensation of a particular colour is usually triggered by our eyes, receiving light of a particular composition, many other psychological and physiological factors also contribute. Understanding the complexities of colour is an essential influencing factor when assigning colour themes to a brand based on their hallmarks and guiding principles.

Taking this into consideration, we have developed a study whereby we are able to utilize the theory of past colour experts, along with brand placement in order to assign colour themes that are appropriate for their requirements and the role they will inevitably undertake within a brand. In acknowledging our perceptions and emotional interactions with colour we are able to influenced by its psychological properties, our own experience is based primarily on how receptive we are to changing colour environments and/or colour schemes, coding, visual and verbal communication.

Case Study – Evolution of Coca Cola brand design

Coca Cola is a great example of how the established elements of the brand have been echoed in their current brand aesthetic. Derived from a solely black typographic logo, the diagram above demonstrates how the Coca Cola brand has gone from minimal tweaks and changes to complete movement away from traditional serif font, almost performing a full circle before arriving at their present day design, which ironically, is more or less identical in form to the logo in use in the 40’s.

Here we are able to see that the introduction of colour enhances the brand, the red has been chosen carefully to depict the appropriate emotional connotations with the brand, also with the font style being revived from 60 years ago, this helps to reinforce the long established successful nature of the Coca Cola brand. It’s easily recognisable down to the fact that it has gone through an evolutionary process as opposed to a revolutionary one. A nod to the past whilst maintaining the core hallmarks of a brand moving towards the future.

Overview

The study of colour is complex, made difficult by its variety of attributes, which include the aesthetic, psychological, physiological, associative and symbolic nature of our own personal interactions with it. When the eyes see’s colour it is immediately stimulated, the spontaneous nature of this reaction instinctively seeks to reproduce another, alongside the original, this infinite process aids us in the comprehension of the whole chromatic scale.

Our practice is supported by the integration of colour theory, based on pioneers of their field, we are able to structure our colour navigation using the processes outlined by Isaac Newton and Goethe, both of whom studied colour extensively and are responsible for outlining the correct use of colour alongside its complementaries.

Johannes Itten, a pioneer of colour strategies, devised 7 simple methodologies for coordinating colours by utilising the hue’s contrasting properties. Using the basic principles outlined by these, we are able to determine the relationships between appropriate colour applications, which will make the process of identifying a new accent colour(s) as accurate as possible.

In many ways, colour drives our decisions within the context of brand development, enabling us to create a brand that resonates with the hallmarks and guiding principles. Having re-organised the priorities of the colours and made distinctions between their application, we are able to develop an informed guide as to how best to implement new/revised colours into the brand process going forward.

By exploring the theoretical implications of colour and combining it with the brand hallmarks we are able to make an informed decision on the appropriation of the revised colour palette. The ability to identify the specific colour groups that will work successfully is perhaps one of the most pivotal elements in defining a brand.

For more information please visit brand design or call the Pixel8 Branding Agency in Manchester on 0161 228 6489 – 0845 230 1336 or contact us by e-mail today.

Manchester Design and Marketing Agency Pixel8 have won an international pitch to work with the largest hotel group in the world.

Pixel8 was the only UK agency on the four-strong pitch list, beating competition from top USA branding agencies for the six figure contract from InterContinental Hotels Group.

The contract is for a brand refresh for InterContinental Group’s international boutique brand Hotel Indigo, ahead of three UK hotel launches in 2010.

The six figure win has led to the appointment of three new members of staff for Pixel8, which was founded 11 years ago by joint managing director Nigel Daws, former lead graphic designer at Manchester United Merchandising Ltd.

Pixel8, which is based in Manchester’s creative Northern Quarter, will report to Ed Thorne, Director Global Brand Management for Hotel Indigo at InterContinental Hotels Group’s Atlanta offices.

Speaking about how a small Manchester agency ended up on a pitch list with three major US players, Pixel8 joint managing director Jamie Watson said, “Ed Thorne was previously a Global Brand Manager for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts based in London, he was impressed with our portfolio but at the time there was no immediate need for our services.

“Four years later, we got a call from Atlanta asking us to pitch. We didn’t know at the time that we would be the only UK agency on the pitch list.”

On selecting Pixel8, Ed said, “Hotel Indigo is an international brand and it was vital that the agency we chose could think globally. Pixel8 demonstrated a more outward looking focus than its US counterparts and gave us greater confidence that they could align our brand all over the world.

“Pixel8 has a proven track record in design and branding and was able to demonstrate a greater degree of flexibility than the larger agencies. Their ability to tell the brand story of Hotel Indigo through identity design was exemplary, and their reasoning for making the branding changes was a clear winner.

“I have a personal preference for smaller branding agencies as they offer better access to the senior figures. Once I showed Pixel8’s proposal to the Atlanta-based senior management team, I had no trouble convincing them that this Manchester agency would deliver the highest calibre of work.”

Pixel8 joint managing director Nigel Daws said, “Pixel8’s background in working for well known brands was integral to demonstrating that we fully understand the guiding principles behind brand development.

“Working with InterContinental Hotels Group gives us the credibility we need to engage with other global brands. This win has already led to more work from other US companies and will lead to other exciting opportunities within the InterContinental Hotels Group.”

In addition to defining the brand identity, Pixel8 has been contracted to prepare guidelines for all in-hotel materials and develop tool kits to help deliver the look and feel across the internationally franchised brand.

The other competing agencies on the pitch list were Boston and Los Angeles-based Design Continuum, San Francisco’s Marshall Strategy and Brand Logic, which has offices in New York and Los Angeles.

About Hotel Indigo and InterContinental Hotels

Worldwide 33 Hotel Indigos have opened since 2004 and most of the hotels are pet friendly. Several Hotel Indigos host Canine Cocktails events where local residents, hotel guests and their pets get together and enjoy treats for all! Cocktail selections for pet owners may include “Salty Dogs” and “Greyhounds”, whilst the four-legged visitors get to grips with canine bacon treats.

Hotel Indigo offers boutique accommodations in an unconventional and unpretentious setting. Cozy, airy and inviting guestrooms with oversized beds, plush bedding, pillow top mattresses, throw pillows, area rugs, signature murals and spa-inspired bathrooms with walk-in showers, vessel sink, hair dryer and Aveda products.

London’s Paddington is home of the UK’s first Hotel Indigo and three more UK hotels are scheduled to open in London, Glasgow and Liverpool in 2010. A further seven hotels launches are planned this year including Vancouver and Shanghai, and additional hotels in New York and Atlanta. One night’s stay in a Hotel Indigo costs between £110-£170.

InterContinental Hotel Group’s other brands include Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites. Its portfolio currently offers over 621,000 rooms worldwide.

For more information please visit Hotel Indigo on Facebook, twitter or at HotelIndigo.com

Each year the Pixel8 design agency in Manchester creates an invitation to a day at Chester races for our client, Vodat International Limited.

Last years invite was an email invitation designed and distributed by our email marketing team. The 2010 invitation was created by our graphic design team, and the invites have now been printed and posted to 50 lucky recipients.

The A5 size invitations were designed with an upmarket look and feel to suit the prestigious sporting occasion, but kept in line with Vodat International’s brand guidelines. To emphasise this we included a spot UV varnish on the front of the invites over the Vodat logo.

The invitations were digitally printed double sided, full colour, on a 300gsm gloss art board.

To see more examples of Pixel8’s designs, please visit our graphic design portfolio.

This week, our graphic design team in Manchester created a new brochure design for 2ergo – the global provider of mobile enabling technology for marketing, business, entertainment and media.

Brands including O2, Orange, Vodafone and AT&T to name a few, have all benefited from working with 2ergo. So naturally we were thrilled when they asked us to help out with our graphic design services.

Our designers took the existing 2ergo brand guide and pushed it to new limits by developing a series of simple, modern icons to fit in with the brands established style.

These were then introduced into the design of a new 12 page brochure, which was printed full colour. The new brochures are for 2ergo staff to hand out at the 2010 Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.

The Pixel8 graphic design and exhibition design teams have completed the design of a 16ft x 3ft football pitch advertising sign for our latest client BDi.

The design had to be effective and eye-catching at the same time. We used a striking image of an owl, which suggests security without actually using an obvious security device, e.g a padlock, a theme BDi specifically wanted us to focus on. Then we simply listed the services that BDi offers.

The two football stadium advertising signs were printed full colour onto a 5mm aluminum composite panel and installed at Chester City Football Club.

Following on from our calendar design work with Danilo in producing the Manchester United 2010 range, the Pixel8 graphic design team were asked to design the Lucy Pinder 2010 Calendar. Well, we jumped at the chance!!

Images of Lucy were supplied to us for the calendar, and we came up with the overall look and feel for the 12 pages. The calendar is to be printed and on the shop shelves in time for Christmas 2009.

It’s that time of year again where the Pixel8 graphic design agency is proud to have completed the calendar design and artwork for the official Manchester United 2010 Calendar Block, Desk Calendar and Pocket Diary.

The new Premier League Champions range will be hitting the shelves in time for Christmas, and it’s sure to score a success with all Red’s fans across the world.

Next on our list of graphic designs for MUFC are the Manchester United 2010 Wall Calendar, and the Manchester United 2010 Football Planner.

To see more of our latest designs please visit our MUFC portfiolio page.

The Pixel8 graphic design and web design agency in Manchester have recently carried out a successful logo design and corporate branding development exercises for a new venture called Company Right Move.

The new website which will launch in early 2010 to help businesses to re-locate by providing an online directory of economic development agencies.

Coinciding with a truly diverse sporting weekend hosting the UCI World Track Cup and the 1st BTCB British International Taekwondo Open, Manchester Sport and Leisure Trust officially launched its new brand design and new website design that were both developed by the Pixel8 design and marketing agency in Manchester.

The new website brings together 19 indoor sport and leisure facilities on behalf of Manchester City Council and is one of the most significant collections of sporting venues in the UK, including Sportcity; the largest concentration of sporting venues in Europe and a permanent legacy from the Manchester XVII Commonwealth Games 2002.

At Pixel8 in Manchester creating new corporate brand identities, designing new websites and delivering them on time and on budget is key to our success.

We demonstrated this on our latest launch for Renray Healthcare with the delivery of an outstanding new brand design and a fully integrated e-commerce website design.

Working with Renray has allowed us to show our full array of corporate branding, web design  and web development skills, and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.