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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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.

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.

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.

Flyer design

 This week I designed and printed some flyers for TW Home Improvements based in Derby. The client was looking for a consistent branded style to run across signage and business cards also. This is what I came up with. All of the photos used were of their own work.

Galaxy Chocolate New Branding

 I am a big fan of Galaxy Chocolate and I think their new branding is amazing! The use of colour is well appropriated and it reflects the way chocolate appeals to the senses. The white background is also a crisp new way to present a great brand. They have also used colourful scarves within their sub-branding which is a subtle device that exudes "Quality". When consumers buy Galaxy Chocolate they are buying into the rich brand. Well done Mars.

You are your brand

What people say about you is part of your brand legacy. If you focus on what skills or services you offer, and become more "visible", you can build a better brand for yourself. If your company needs a more comprehensive approach to branding, then Watson Consultancy can help. I offer reasonable rates for design of corporate identity and can establish the best media route to promote your brand. I can tailor a brand strategy that can be cost effectively implemented.