Monthly Archives: May 2013

Out of thin air, a tagline appears

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We were hired by Barudan, a global manufacturer of high-end embroidery machines, to create a series of trade ads for use in print and online. As we interviewed Barudan staff and customers, we began to recognize a pattern. The majority of Barudan customers had purchased their equipment after first purchasing a less expensive, less dependable brand. Time after time, we heard, “If only I had purchased a Barudan first, I would have saved myself a lot of downtime.” Barudan offers the best warranty, best training and best customer service in the industry. None of the customers we interviewed mentioned price.

RightFromtheStart

As we began to concept the trade ads, a tagline evolved: “Right from the start.”

We hadn’t been hired, initially, to develop a marketing tagline. We were simply doing our usual job of listening, observing and synthesizing. Barudan has used the tagline in its global branding ever since.

by Rebecca Cochran

What’s in a name? Lots, actually

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When challenged by a fellow musician/author/photographer to assist in naming and branding his new business entity, we jumped at the opportunity. The company offers expert-led trips to the musical capitals of Europe.

We did extensive research to determine what other tour operators were offering in this space. We had several brainstorming sessions and came up with literally hundreds of possible names for the company.

IMFAfter the name was finally chosen, we developed a marketing tagline, and then, brought everything together in a visual representation of the brand. Click here to see more.

 

by Rebecca Cochran

Rebranding a nonprofit — online and off

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BustWhen asked to assist a non-profit organization with the redesign of its website, I met with staff and board members several times before recommending an overall rebranding effort. The organization was founded nearly two decades ago to raise money to fund research for a biological breast cancer test. It is the only organization in the world with the single mission of finding a test to detect breast cancer earlier.

I interviewed key staff and constituents to learn more about where the organization had been. Next, I facilitated a brainstorming session to begin to unearth new ideas. The session included an extensive wordplay and lots of “what if-ing.” I framed the brainstorm such that no idea was too offbeat or unworthy of consideration. We wrote down literally everything.

As a result of these efforts, we determined that in order to reach a more global audience of researchers and online donors, the name of the organization needed to change. The answer happened to be right in front of us  — the URL already in use became the new name of the organization. Here are the “Before” and “After” identities.

Before

After

by Rebecca Cochran