Do trusted brands still have the appeal?

In recent times there seems to be more reports in the media of people 'trading down' for more cheaper alternatives, due the increase in the cost of living. Certainly, in supermarkets, there has been evidence of consumers buying own brand goods. So, what happened to the mantra of a trusted brand being the mark of quality? In the current economic environment people seem happy to opt for reduced quality. Lidl was recently placed as the 5th largest supermarket in the UK. But the luxury market seems to be thriving. Luxury cars and fashion brands such as Dior are doing very well. It is the everyday luxury brands such as Heinz that will feel the pain, as shoppers turn to the value brands.

Not About Heroes Poster

 This week I designed a poster for a local theatrical group called Duns Players. They are putting on a play between 9th to 12th of November, at the Volunteer Hall in Duns. The play is called 'Not About Heroes'. I did two design options for them. The client liked both and wished to use both, but this one is my favourite. I did some initial sketches before I went to draw up my ideas.

New Calendar Design

 Hot off the press! I recently designed the 2023 calendars for A Heart for Duns, Keeping Duns Blooming Marvelous project. Calendars are £8 each. All profits go towards new plants for the plant beds around Duns. They are going to be available in some shops in Duns.

Nestle update their packaging on Gluten Free Honey Flakes

 I noticed that Nestle have updated the packaging on their Gluten Free Honey Flakes. I think the new design is so different, people might think it is a different brand. They have gone very yellow instead of the predominantly white packaging. The overall design is more crisp and less fussy. It is bolder and has more impact. The Nestle promise is Good Food, Good Life. I think this wholesome image is reflected in the packaging.

New leaflet design for Access Building and Property Maintenance

 Last week, I designed this new leaflet design for Access Building and Property Maintenance. They are a great client to work for and they always give me creative freedom to come up with a nice design. Access BPM have a team of skilled tradesmen who offer a variety of services in property maintenance.

 

Will the Castore brand be the next big thing?

 The Castore brand is gaining prominence in the UK. They now supply sportswear to Rangers, Newcastle United and Andy Murray. Their brand is now getting a lot of exposure and I can only see things getting better. They also have separate fashion lines that the public can buy. Their tagline is "better never stops" and I think they are going from strength to strength.

Duns Play Fest - Online Event

 Last week, I designed this poster for the online part of Duns Play Fest. This event is still available to view online until June 11th.

Rubicon Raw Energy Drink - brand positioning

 I've not tasted Rubicon Raw Energy Drink yet, but I like the branding of this product. The Rubicon brand is owned by AG Barr, the owner of IRN BRU and some other brands. I think the overall messaging of the Raw Energy drink has gone along a similar route that Mountain Dew has. With their reference to extreme outdoor activities within their adverts, they swap caffeine for exhilaration, because life is exiting, this overall image will give consumers a compelling reason to buy the product. Mountain Dew never really took off here in the UK, so with a similar brand positioning, I think the Rubicon Raw brand has room to prosper.

New logo and branding for NS&I, is it too simple?

 The new logo and branding for NS&I is, in my opinion, perhaps too simplistic. Their previous logo, which included the chestnut icon, was a photographic image and therefore it may be too detailed for some applications. But personally I think they have gone too far in the other direction. Now their logo has no icon and is purely just text based. NS&I are a government backed savings organisation and if you save with them, your money is 100% guaranteed. I think their new logo is too informal.

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New Flyer Design for Access Builders & Property Maintenance

 A couple of weeks ago, I designed this flyer for Access Builders & Property Maintenance. If you are thinking of selling your home Access Builders & Property Maintenance can help fix those tasks that you don't have time to do. They can do: Patios, Walls, Exterior Painting, Jet washing, Fencing, Interior painting, cleaning and gardening. My client was very happy with the design of the flyer, which also tied in with some social media posts that they had previously done. Overall this was a good project to work on.

What makes a trusted brand?

 The stronger your brand, the higher your profits will be. A highly trusted brand is a strong brand. The role of the design team is to create branding that will convey trust. A consumers buying decision is motivated by a feeling of trust that they have for a specific brand. This appeal to the consumer is known as brand equity. A brand that is known for quality, integrity, innovation and if it delivers on its promise, it is a highly trusted brand.

Duns Play Fest 2022

 I recently designed the 'at a glance' poster for Duns Play Fest. The festival is on from the 29th April to 7th May. There are several events taking place during this time and some events are for children. I am also creating a programme, signs and individual posters for this event.

Does your company have a Brand Strategy?

 If you want your business to have a competitive advantage you need to have a clearly defined brand strategy. The business objectives of your company should be clearly defined in a brand vision. Your vision statement should be a goal that your company aims to work towards. It should be a long term ambition. Google's vision is "to provide access to the world’s information in one click". Your company vision must be simple and clear. Your vision is just one part of a brand strategy. Branding is not just about a company logo or colour palette, but it comes from a unified coherent business objective that resonates throughout the company and be what the company or organisation stands for. 

If you require some branding advice about your company, click on the side link for Watson Consultancy which will take you to my website where you can get in touch and we can engage in some discussion about your brand.

Brand is more than the domain of the marketing department.

 In his book The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier says "A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service or company". In essence a brand is decided by the customer. A company or organisation can try to influence how their brand is received, but essentially a brand is like a reputation.

In the book Brands and Branding, Rita Clifton says "Brands - whether product, service, retail or corporate, consumer or business-to-business - are demonstrably the most important and sustainable asset any organisation has". Brand is more than just marketing, it is the single uniform idea that must be the driving force behind the corporate strategy. The main business objective of a company is very closely linked to the marketing objective, but it is more than just about aesthetics, it is reflected in everything a company does, says and makes. If a company keeps its brand promise at the heart of everything it does, it will do business better.

Does your company really need a logo design?

 If you are just at the very start of setting up a company, you may not need a logo right at the beginning. If you are having some marketing materials done, like flyers, posters, social media posts etc, there is the argument that it may be better spending the money on something else that is more important for your new business venture. You could just use your business name at the top of any marketing collateral. If however, you have been trading for a while and you don't have a logo, then perhaps now is the time to employ a designer like me to design you a logo. If you would like to get in touch, you can click on the link at the side of this page and it will take you to my Watson Consultancy design website. There you can see samples of my work and get in touch.

Is the First Direct branding losing its bold simplicity?

 Since the bank First Direct started using a fingerprint-like image to accompany its logotype, I think it has lost some of its bold simplicity. Does this weaken their brand? Probably not. First Direct are always top of any survey for good customer service in the banking sector. As they have no branches and are only online, through an app or by telephone, then maybe they can focus more on providing a very good service. As a brand, I think First Direct is very strong. 

For many years their branding and imagery used within their printed and online materials has been very simple and clear. 

Thinking Without Borders - New Flyer

 This week I designed this flyer for Thinking Without Borders. It is for a free Zoom event taking place on the 7th of April 2022 to discuss Scotland's involvement in slavery. The client was very pleased with the design.

Virgin Money Branding

 I am not a customer of Virgin Money i.e. I do not bank with them, so I have no direct experience of the Virgin Money brand, but I am aware of their visual branding. The curly 'M' in the word 'money' and the Virgin logo replacing the 'o' in money. I think this works well as a sub brand of the Virgin parent brand. Virgin's purpose is to "change business for good" and an emphasis can be made on the word 'good' to be both forever and for the greater good. Virgin Money merged with Clydesdale Bank in 2019 and Virgin Money is now a trading name of Clydesdale Bank plc. The Curvy 'M' in the name makes for a quirky logotype and I think it carries off the message of the person who does business differently. Overall I think this is the strongest brand in the Virgin stable of brands and I believe it has the potential to be everlasting.

Community Quiz Poster

 I recently designed this poster for a community quiz for an organisation called A Heart for Duns. The client was pleased with the design.

New Flyer Design

 I recently designed this flyer for an organisation called Thinking Without Borders. The client supplied all the details and I put it together. This is the third one I have done for them. I think they are happy with it.

You want to trace a logo off the internet?

 So you are wanting to copy or trace a logo that you got off the internet? Chances are that image is copyrighted and no can do. If you are setting up a new company and need a logo designed, just click on the link at the side of this page for Watson Consultancy, go to the contacts page and send me an email.  I can get you a quote pretty quickly and do you a design that is not just lifted off the internet.

A supplier has asked for your company logo in vector format.

 You may be getting signs made with your logo on them, or getting clothing, pens, hats or mugs and the supplier has asked for your logo in vector format. Vector format is a type of file that has been created in line art software like Adobe Illustrator. It enables files like logos to be scaled up to any size without losing their sharpness. However, you may only have your company logo in bitmap format, which are TIFF, jpg and png type files. 

My advice is to go back to who originally created your logo and get the designer to supply it as a vector format. It is not advisable to recreate or trace the logo as a vector format. 

If you do need a new logo designed, I am happy to give you a quotation. Just click on the Watson Consultancy link at the side of this blog and check out my website and contact me through the email reply form.

Why do brands need a Mission Statement?

 A company's mission statement should be a concise summary of what the aims of the company are. It should include why an organisation exists, what they do and what service they provide. Basically it is where, what and why do they do what they do. It should be a short explanation of what a company does and why. 

Coca Cola's mission statement is "to refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness through our brands actions, and to create value and make a difference."

My mission statement for Watson Consultancy is "to create effective brand development for small to medium sized businesses. With my strong commitment to a high level of excellence, I allow businesses to reach their target audience with an accurate brand message."

Why do brands need a Mission Statement?
A mission statement acts as a guide for the company to stick to. It gives the employees focus, so that they have a guiding principle to follow. If the company finds itself veering away from its mission, it may damage their brand. A mission can be something to always refer back to. A mission is a guiding light.

Recent Work - New Logo Design

 I recently designed a logo for TDM Electrical Engineering Ltd. This was a good project and the client was happy with the final result. I did a few concepts to chose from, but I did very little amends to the final design so everything was straight forward. I also created a digital letterhead for this client.