Our work in Service

Brandtone ? a brand for emerging markets

30 August 2010

Brandtone, a start-up company, has launched a pioneering mobile marketing campaign solution for FMCG products in emerging markets. Initially working with major brands in South Africa, Brandtone is expanding into the emerging markets of South America and Asia, and is also working with emerging brands in Europe. Brandtone's target clients are multinational consumer brand companies. As a business-to-business (B2B) service, Brandtone works on behalf of those clients by creating and delivering mobile-based marketing campaigns. Their innovative end-to-end campaign offering positions them as the potential market leader in this rapidly evolving space. Our role was to create a corporate brand identity that would enable Brandtone to communicate effectively with both Western and emerging market companies and to form the basis of a powerful global B2B brand.

We worked with the Brandtone management team to clarify the company's vision, values, corporate personality and market positioning. We created a vibrant B2B brand mark using strong typography and a bespoke graphic icon that symbolises the partnership of the consumer and the FMCG brand on the one hand and that of Brandtone and their client on the other. 

 

We designed Brandtone's visual language to facilitate the company's growing communications need across digital and print media. It is flexible in application, so as to relate to both the European corporate sensibilites of its direct clients and to the more dynamic approach needed in emerging markets. The striking colour palette of rich red and burnt orange captures both the entrepreneurial spirit of the Brandtone team and the vibrant energy of those markets.

 

NetAffinity loves hotels

17 December 2009

NetAffinity is an established software company that now specialises in online hotel marketing and in the provision of hotel booking engine systems for independent and group hotels in Ireland and across Europe.

NetAffinity recognised the need for a new brand identity that would communicate its new specialist offering, that would raise its business profile and that would position the company as a bespoke supplier to the hotel sector. Through a series of workshops we worked closely with the NetAffinity management team to define the brand essence and refine and agree brand positioning options. We conducted one-to-one brand perception research with past and existing NetAffinity clients. We brainstormed with our client to develop a new tag line.

This process was designed to achieve the best possible solution—one that would meet our client's needs, would exceed their expectations, and would result in the creation of a new identity that communicated values of sophistication, professionalism, quality and elegance.

The chosen design solution is based around a symmetrical arrangement in which the symbol is underscored by the NetAffinity name. The symbol is devised from a series of strands that emanate outwards from one focal point, reflecting how NetAffinity filter the best information and data for their clients and provide the best possible solution. Both the bespoke typography and subdued colour palette directly convey NetAffinity's positioning.

Another component of the brand mark is the tag line 'We Love Hotels'. This short, quirky statement is seen as the signature of the company and is used to communicate their passion for what they do and for the market they serve. This component of the identity is interchangeable, working as part of the identity or as a stand-alone design embellishment, as required. We used a very different typographic expression for the signature.

The result is a brand identity that is instantly recognisable, relevant and memorable. Net Affinity have now rolled out their new brand identity across a wide range of materials including their web site www.netaffinity.com

 

In July 2010, eighteen months after the launch of the new identity, the value of brand  for business-to-business development is stressed by Michelle Conaghan, Head of Client Services at NetAffinity "...the branding is working really well and we're constantly getting compliments on it. Business is also really good, we're signing lots of new clients..."

A professional start-up

27 November 2009

Martlett is a unique start-up company specialising in IT consulting for lawyers and will advise its law firm clients on the selection, installation and deployment of administrative IT systems. BFK were charged with the task of producing a comprehensive brand identity to reflect Martlett's core values and service offering.

Key to Martlett's positioning is the need to be perceived as a trusted advisor to their clients—to be seen to be understated and professional, and to communicate excellence in IT consulting. Martlett will work closely with their clients so it was also crucial to demonstrate a close-knit interactive partnership. 

In the chosen design route the core symbol acts a visual metaphor for the interaction between company and client, working together to achieve an excellent result. As the two parts of the symbol mirror each other they form a supporting loop. The typography offsets the symbol and is based on clean, contemporary forms. Colours featured in both the symbol and type are cool and subdued—underpinning the ethos of subtley and professionalism as outlined in the original brief. In addition to identity design this project included design of a stationery range and the identity will soon be applied to Martlett's new web site. 

  

A shoot above the rest

15 May 2008

As part of our ongoing work for Aer Lingus, we were commissioned to update their photographic library. As it had been some time since their original library of images was taken it was important that these new images were representative of Aer Lingus today. We art-directed and styled the shots and chose experienced photographer Arnold Bell to lens the shoot.

This was a major undertaking, not least due to the logistics involved in organising a photo shoot in a very busy and security-conscious airport while fitting into an extremely busy flying schedule to ground the planes. It has been one of the most challenging and rewarding photoshoots we have worked on.

The new images are engaging—portraying real people, relaxed and happy in natural scenarios. There is a strong focus on service, a key differentiating aspect of the Aer Lingus product offering. We used actual Aer Lingus cabin crew and ground staff portraying their normal job roles. This realism enhanced the shots.

Aer Lingus now have a comprehensive library of photographic images that will give a fresh and contemporary feel to their communications.

The Chairperson?s Guide

18 April 2008

The Chairperson’s Guide, a recently published book written by David Duffy of Prospectus, was launched in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham in April 2008. This is the second book written by David. His Practical Guide to Corporate Governance being published two years ago. This new book addresses the many responsibilites and opportunities afforded in chairing a Board of Directors.

 

Our design and layout for this publication is a development of our work on his first book. It is very understated to reflect the serious subject matter. We were very particular about ensuring a suitably high level of typographic detail, not only to establish a clear hierarchy of information within the text, but also to establish the appropriate tone. We introduced a corporate green as the accent colour throughout to differentiate this publication from the first corporate governance book. Both follow an overall Prospectus trade dress but there is a clear distinction between the book covers through our use of colour.

The book was well-received and looks set to become the key reference book for anyone who take on the role of Chairperson.

More articles about our work in Service

	When we say more, we mean so much more... 11 March 2008
	A positive result 01 December 2007
	Irish Open at Adare Manor 27 March 2007
	New aerlingus.com mark 16 March 2007
	A powerful insight 18 January 2007
	Promed: positioning a business-to-business brand 05 January 2006
	The management of management 30 September 2004
	Survival of the smartest 30 September 2004
	A moveable address 10 September 2004
	Bravo! Bravo! Encore 22 December 2003
	Underfloor heating to warm the heart 01 July 2003
	O2 Ireland: 3G licence bid 12 November 2002
	Ovation brand identity 20 February 2001