1. In your own words, explain the industry setting. What needs or challenges were identified to justify the project? Provide at least one direct quote from this week’s readings or videos with a citation to relate your answer to the research assignments.
The Industry Setting is post-secondary education. Royal Roads University (RRU) offers both a traditional and online education. The university wasn’t being presented effectively. RRU needed to present a new brand that consistently communicates all of their offerings to their audience. The first thing the designers had to do was to research and identify the audience. In Design Management, Kathryn Best quotes A. Swann saying: “All design communicates a visual message. It is the combination of design elements, such as color or shape, which make each message distinct and, ultimately, crystalizes the brand. The message has to be ‘right’ for its target market, and successfully reaching that target market depends, in part, on how attuned the designer is with the audience” (Swann, 1990).
The brand had to show that RRU is progressive and also that it has a legitimate history in the field of education. They needed a brand that communicates credibility and prestige. Most importantly, they needed to communicate how they were different from their competition. It was necessary to identify the differences. As Neumeier points out, you need to “—demand unambiguous answers to three little questions: 1) Who are you? 2) What do you do? 3) Why does it matter?… Unless you have compelling answers to all three questions, meaning that customers find them irresistible, you haven’t got a brand…Together, these questions provide a litmus test for what makes you different, what gives your company its raison d’etre.” (Neumeier 2006. p. 32)
2. What was the strategy used in solving the challenge? Was there a distinctive goal or a concept that stemmed from the research? How was it conveyed in the solution? Provide at least one direct quote from this week’s readings or videos with a citation to relate your answer to the research assignments.
The Brand Strategists/Designers did marketing research with focus groups to form a new brand model. There was a series of brand workshops that relatively quickly created a brand architecture to establish the branding requirements for RRU’s academic, corporate and partner entities. Viscocky O’Grady says “Quantitative in nature, focus groups don’t require the same number of participants/responders as survey or poll research and can therefore be assembled and evaluated in a more timely fashion.” (Viscocky O’Grady, 2006)
It was established that they wanted to use the iconic Hatley Castle in the new icon/logo to convey their rich heritage. They also wanted a digital element to show the online component. The new icon/logo combines the castle with the digital pixel to tie the old with the new. They created a brand style guide to keep the brand consistent. Lorrie Thomas points out “Once you’ve selected a logo, the consistent use of it is a must. Develop a style guide for your logo.” (Thomas, 2013) The blend from old to new, onsite to online, celebrates RRU’s “clicks and mortar” offerings. The new icon/logo and style guide provided the foundation for a variety of brand expressions that were updated during the initial launch, ranging from stationery and signage, to a fully overhauled website and marketing material.
3. What was the result, or ROI, and how did the project help to differentiate the brand from its competitors? Are there long-term goals identified? Provide a direct quote from this week’s readings or videos with a citation to relate your answer to the research assignments.
The launch of the new brand resulted in a 250.7% increase in website visits versus the same period the previous year. The new identity created excitement in the university that inspired them to continue working towards a common vision with new energy and passion for the RRU brand. Additional applications continue to roll out across campus. Neumeier says “By combining logic and magic, a company can ignite a chain reaction that leads from differentiation to collaboration to innovation to validation and finally to cultivation. Built into cultivation is the mandate to question all assumptions, leapfrog the status quo, and begin the cycle again. With each turn, the company and its brand spiral higher, taking it further from commoditization and closer to the Holy Grail of marketing: a sustainable competitive advantage.” (Neumeier, 2006 p. 146)
References:
Neumeier, Marty. Brand Gap, The: Revised Edition, 2006. 2/e Vitalsource eBook for Full Sail University. Pearson Learning Solutions. VitalBook file.
Swann, A. Design and Marketing Phaidon, 1990. As Referenced in: Best, Kathryn. Design Management: Managing Design Strategy, Process and Implementation. AVA Publishing, 10/2006. VitalBook file.
(Viscocky O’Grady, J., (Viscocky O’Grady, K. 2006 A Designer’s Research Manual. Gloushester, MA. Rockport Publishers, Inc.
Thomas Ross, L. (2013). Brand Building Basics, with Lorrie Thomas Ross. Retrieved fromhttp://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Building-Your-Brand/101957-2.htmlsrchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:Brand%2BBuilding%2BBasics,%2Bwith%2BLorrie%2BThomas%2BRoss%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2
1. In your own words, explain the industry setting. What needs or challenges were identified to justify the project? Provide at least one direct quote from this week’s readings or videos with a citation to relate your answer to the research assignments.
The Industry Setting is post-secondary education. Royal Roads University (RRU) offers both a traditional and online education. The university wasn’t being presented effectively. RRU needed to present a new brand that consistently communicates all of their offerings to their audience. The first thing the designers had to do was to research and identify the audience. In Design Management, Kathryn Best quotes A. Swann saying: “All design communicates a visual message. It is the combination of design elements, such as color or shape, which make each message distinct and, ultimately, crystalizes the brand. The message has to be ‘right’ for its target market, and successfully reaching that target market depends, in part, on how attuned the designer is with the audience” (Swann, 1990).
The brand had to show that RRU is progressive and also that it has a legitimate history in the field of education. They needed a brand that communicates credibility and prestige. Most importantly, they needed to communicate how they were different from their competition. It was necessary to identify the differences. As Neumeier points out, you need to “—demand unambiguous answers to three little questions: 1) Who are you? 2) What do you do? 3) Why does it matter?… Unless you have compelling answers to all three questions, meaning that customers find them irresistible, you haven’t got a brand…Together, these questions provide a litmus test for what makes you different, what gives your company its raison d’etre.” (Neumeier 2006. p. 32)
2. What was the strategy used in solving the challenge? Was there a distinctive goal or a concept that stemmed from the research? How was it conveyed in the solution? Provide at least one direct quote from this week’s readings or videos with a citation to relate your answer to the research assignments.
The Brand Strategists/Designers did marketing research with focus groups to form a new brand model. There was a series of brand workshops that relatively quickly created a brand architecture to establish the branding requirements for RRU’s academic, corporate and partner entities. Viscocky O’Grady says “Quantitative in nature, focus groups don’t require the same number of participants/responders as survey or poll research and can therefore be assembled and evaluated in a more timely fashion.” (Viscocky O’Grady, 2006)
It was established that they wanted to use the iconic Hatley Castle in the new icon/logo to convey their rich heritage. They also wanted a digital element to show the online component. The new icon/logo combines the castle with the digital pixel to tie the old with the new. They created a brand style guide to keep the brand consistent. Lorrie Thomas points out “Once you’ve selected a logo, the consistent use of it is a must. Develop a style guide for your logo.” (Thomas, 2013) The blend from old to new, onsite to online, celebrates RRU’s “clicks and mortar” offerings. The new icon/logo and style guide provided the foundation for a variety of brand expressions that were updated during the initial launch, ranging from stationery and signage, to a fully overhauled website and marketing material.
3. What was the result, or ROI, and how did the project help to differentiate the brand from its competitors? Are there long-term goals identified? Provide a direct quote from this week’s readings or videos with a citation to relate your answer to the research assignments.
The launch of the new brand resulted in a 250.7% increase in website visits versus the same period the previous year. The new identity created excitement in the university that inspired them to continue working towards a common vision with new energy and passion for the RRU brand. Additional applications continue to roll out across campus. Neumeier says “By combining logic and magic, a company can ignite a chain reaction that leads from differentiation to collaboration to innovation to validation and finally to cultivation. Built into cultivation is the mandate to question all assumptions, leapfrog the status quo, and begin the cycle again. With each turn, the company and its brand spiral higher, taking it further from commoditization and closer to the Holy Grail of marketing: a sustainable competitive advantage.” (Neumeier, 2006 p. 146)
References:
Neumeier, Marty. Brand Gap, The: Revised Edition, 2006. 2/e Vitalsource eBook for Full Sail University. Pearson Learning Solutions. VitalBook file.
Swann, A. Design and Marketing Phaidon, 1990. As Referenced in: Best, Kathryn. Design Management: Managing Design Strategy, Process and Implementation. AVA Publishing, 10/2006. VitalBook file.
(Viscocky O’Grady, J., (Viscocky O’Grady, K. 2006 A Designer’s Research Manual. Gloushester, MA. Rockport Publishers, Inc.
Thomas Ross, L. (2013). Brand Building Basics, with Lorrie Thomas Ross. Retrieved fromhttp://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Building-Your-Brand/101957-2.htmlsrchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:Brand%2BBuilding%2BBasics,%2Bwith%2BLorrie%2BThomas%2BRoss%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2