Many companies make the mistake of thinking that a brand is purely visual. This is not the case. A brand extends beyond the company's logo and tagline, both of which are merely tools used to communicate the brand's meaning.

What is a brand?

A brand is a customer's gut feeling about a company, product, or service.

These gut feelings stem from the fact that humans are emotional, intuitive beings. While companies can’t control the way that individuals feel about their brands, they can influence these feelings by crafting customer experiences and communicating the qualities that make the brand different from its competitors.

“A brand is not what you say it is. It is what they say it is.” - Marty Neumeier

The Mäd Approach

Before exploring the visual aspect of the brand, we, At Mäd, take a strategy-first approach by applying our design sprint methodology. This allows us to discover the who, what, how, and why of the organization.

“While every organization knows what they do, only some know how they do it, and even fewer know why they do what they do.” ~ Simon Sinek.

Once the true meaning of the brand has been defined, we carefully craft the brand's 'onliness statement' - the one thing that makes the brand unique. This acts as the foundation of the brand's story and guides the brand's visual execution.

Tools like the brand pyramid allow us to humanize the brand, making it easier for the brand to connect with its customers on an emotional level.

The Brand Pyramid.
The traditional pyramid is separated into 5 different tiers, each tapping into different aspects of the brand and it’s identity.

The Brand Gap.

The gap in vision between the strategists and creatives is something that exists in most agencies. We pride ourselves on having closed the brand gap, resulting in a smooth and consistent transformation from strategy to what the brand's customers see.

We believe that each visual element of the brand should serve a purpose in communicating what makes the brand unique. We also believe that a little crazy goes a long way, and enjoy pushing creative boundaries.

The harmonious application of these visual elements plays an important role in ensuring that the brand always delivers a clear and consistent message to its customers, resulting in long-lasting customer relationships.

The application of the brand's visual elements is outlined by a powerful tool - the brand guidelines.

Brand Books: What are they, what do industry leaders do, and how can you make your own.
Understanding what a brand book is, why it’s important, and how to craft an effective one, can lead your brand to industry success.

Conclusion.

Branding is not a one-time exercise. We give our clients the tools needed to constantly develop their brand and grow their business.

Take a look at some of brands we have transformed:

re:edge
To celebrate a decade of design, we collaborated with re : edge to revitalize their web presence and showcase their influential works over the years.



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If you would like to #workwithmad then send us an email at hi@mad.co and let's Make It Happen.™