AlinaWheeler-DesigningBrandIdentity

When to start the processNew company, new productI’m starting a new business. I needa business card and a website.We’ve developed a new productand it needs a name and a logoyesterday.We need to raise millions ofdollars. The campaign needs tohave its own identity.We’re going public in the fall.We need to raise venture capital,even though we do not have ourfirst customer.Name changeOur name no longer fits who weare and the businesses we are in.We need to change our namebecause of a trademark conflict.Our name has negativeconnotations in the new marketswe are serving.Our name misleads customers.We merged.Revitalize a brandWe want to reposition and renewthe global brand.We’re no longer in the businesswe were in when we founded ourcompany.We need to communicate moreclearly about who we are.We’re going global—we need helpto enter new world markets.No one knows who we are.Our stock is devalued.We want to appeal to a new andmore affluent market.Revitalize a brand identityWe are a great company withcutting-edge products. We lookbehind the times.Will our identity work on the web?Our identity does not positionus shoulder to shoulder with ourcompetitors.We have 80 divisions andinconsistent nomenclature.I am embarrassed when I give outmy business card.Everyone in the world recognizesour icon, but admit it—she needs aface-lift.We love our symbol—it is knownby our market. The problem is youcannot read our logotype.Create an integrated systemWe do not present a consistentface to our customers.We lack visual consistency and weneed a new brand architecture todeal with acquisitions.Our packaging is not distinctive.Our competitors look better thanwe do, and their sales are going up.All of our marketing looks like itcomes from different companies.We need to look strong andcommunicate that we are oneglobal company.Every division does its own thingwhen marketing. This is inefficient,frustrating, and not cost-effective.Everyone is reinventing the wheel.When companies mergeWe want to send a clear messageto our stakeholders that this is amerger of equals.We want to communicate that1 + 1 = 4.We want to build on the brandequity of the merging companies.We need to send a strong signalto the world that we are the newindustry leader.We need a new name.How do we evaluate ouracquisition’s brand and fold it intoour brand architecture?Two industry leaders are merging.How do we manage our newidentity?4 : creatingtouchpoints5 : managingassets7