Successful brands have always understood the power of branding. Spending a significant amount of time developing their Brand Statements, Brand Promise, and Graphic imagery so consumers will feel confident in what they are buying and why they choose it versus the competitor. [Read more…] about Personal Branding, Part 1
Brand Strategy
SWITCH BC
Straydog has just completed the branding for a new independent, non-profit health society that was established in 2021 to provide the organizational basis for an innovative and collaborative initiative to influence, invest in and support province-wide initiatives to improve health care worker health and safety in British Columbia. The Society is chaired by Roberta Ellis, appointed by the Minister of Health and the organizational model, unique in Canada, brings together representatives of employers, unions and physicians who are joined by the Ministry of Health and Worksafe BC as directors of the Society.
The Vision of the Society is to support one system of safety and wellbeing for health care teams across BC. The Society started out as:
BC Health Care Occupational Health and Safety Society.
The name was a handful and didn’t lend itself well to being memorable, and easy to say or remember. It was clear at the outset, that we needed to develop a new name for the Society. Naming is always a challenge, but in this case, especially challenging as our team at Straydog would have develop name options that would support many ideas and brand elements, including: the brand values, vision, purpose. Plus, we were going to have to present to and get buy-in from a wide variety of stakeholders in the process, including the head of BC Nurses Union, WorkSafeBC, Health Employers Association of BC, Doctors of BC, representatives from the Health Authorities in BC as well as the BCGEU. Certainly this was going to be no easy task, without risks of blowing the budget and ending up at a stalemate.
Our efforts to successfully develop a new name for the Society was rooted in the Straydog team’s ability to look at the big picture, focus on what’s important, and work through the challenges and feedback with patience and collaboration. We knew the tasks was formidable, but that’s when our team really shines.
We looked at many new name options, some a little more creative & empty vessel type names, that could work very well in brand play, brand name recognition as well being able to meet the name criteria outlined in our discovery sessions, however, we knew these types of names would be harder for us to gain wide consensus from the client….considering the client and the stakeholders, taking a conservative approach was always going the driver.
However, we knew that an approach of being too conservative was just too easy, yet a conservative would not help the society achieve it’s lofty goals. We need the society members and all of it’s stakeholders to be excited about their mandate and having a great name and outstanding brand identity would make their efforts just a little bit easier.
SWITCH BC turned about the be the best name option. It’s acronym is: Safety, Well-being, Innovation, Training & Collaboration in Healthcare, will perfectly supporting the society’s focus. And the word SWITCH conjures up a move in a new direction, doing something different, switching the way we think, being Switched on. The name also invites curiosity, and refers to action and movement…critically, what the society must be able to encourage and foster from all of the stakeholders in order to bring real improvement, collaboration and caring to the BC Health care network.
The Brand Identity
For the brand logo, we derived inspiration from the Honeycomb. Often regarded as the strongest structure, the Honeycomb allows the minimization of the amount of used material to reach minimal weight and material cost. It represents seamless collaboration where the organization is working together to solve problems, identify gaps (achieved through the use of negative space), and achieve balance and symmetry.
The symbol subtly alludes to a Matriarch and the use of colour, either at full saturation or muted, speaks to diversity and inclusion. A very slightly rounded but very bold font (Greycliff CF) pairs well with the serif tag line font (Plantin MT Pro).
The Logo
For the brand’s logo, we took inspiration form the honeycomb. Often regarded as the strongest structure in nature, the Honeycomb allows the minimization of the amount of used material to reach minimal weight and material cost.
A honeycomb represents seamless collaboration where the organization is working together to solve problems, identify gaps (achieved through the use of negative space), and achieve balance and symmetry. The symbol subtly alludes to a Matriarch and the use of colour, either at full saturation or muted, speaks to diversity and inclusion. The font used is a hand-customized version of Acier for SWITCH BC and Stroudley for the tagline.
When used with the name “SWITCH BC”, the name appears to the left of the logo and implies that the ‘society’ is responsible for filling the gap on the healthcare system in terms of collaboration and improvements to employee health & safety and well-being in the industry.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR BRANDING PROCESS OR TO REQUEST A QUOTE, LEAP OVER TO OUR
BRANDING PAGE
How to Hire the Right Creative Agency
No matter the size of your business or your business goals, deciding on whether to hire an internal marketing team or to partner with an outside agency is something every company is going to be faced with sooner or later.
Business and revenue growth depends on scaling up with the right people in the right positions, all while working toward the same goal. You want what’s best for your business. And you’ll need to hire the right people. People that share the same vision, passion and values. These are the same ingredients that you should use when you’re looking to hire creative agency.
Just as you would carefully vet someone who was looking to invest in your business, or become a key part of your executive team, you should also look for certain criteria in a creative team. Make sure that they have your same interests at heart.
When you find the right fit, it’s a win-win for you and the agency — they succeed when you succeed. That’s why it’s important for an agency to assess your needs and understand how to reach your goals.
So, what should you be looking for in an agency partner?
At Straydog, we believe in these core items when it comes to finding the right fit:
Cost-Effectiveness
You want quality work, but you don’t want to break the bank. Does the agency work on monthly retainers or are they project-based? Since you’re not paying for benefits and training, you can focus directly on what you’re getting for your money.
Monthly retainers are more predictable and allow for better working conditions, as you’re securing an agency for the length of a campaign. Project-based work can also work and are a good way to test out the potential relationship without a long-term contract. But sometimes, with project based work, the agency will need to fit your project in and around their other work. So if you’re going to engage in a longer-term relationship, with known quantities of work, with shorter completion times, a monthly retainer program, for a defined period of time, (ie, 6-months or 1 year) can be more beneficial.
In many situations, hiring an outside agency will be far-more cost effective than trying to hire, train, retain and provide space for an internal team. Keep this in mind when reviewing a quote from an outside agency. You’re not only hiring for their time, but more importantly, you’re hiring their experience, and it’s hard to put a price on experience.
Experience
Speaking about experience, you’ll want to hire an agency that has some history, with good working relationships with its clients. In our opinion, a good agency team serves multiple businesses in various industries to create a well-rounded base of expertise — and they’re always looking to broaden that experience.
We often get by prospective clients; “Do you have experience working in this industry”. Sometimes we do, but often we don’t. We think it’s far more important to look at the agencies process, their reviews and testimonials and their past work. These are a much better judgement of their capabilities and fit, than whether they have worked with 10 other companies in your same industry.
Value
The right agency will add value to your business. Learn about their project processes and their team members. Are they taking a generalist or specialized approach to your journey?
At Straydog, we think it’s uber important to have a sound process, but it can’t be implemented in a cookie-cutter approach. It must be customized for each client. So check that you’re not just getting some templated strategy, the same as every other client that they’ve worked with. You’re special and jnot ust some random dog on the street, and as such, you deserve special treatment.
Innovation And Adaptability
A good agency is passionate about what they do and is always looking for innovative ways to optimize their work. Does the team excel at strategy building? Do they lead the way in the industry with their ideas and actions? Are they willing to grow with you?
Speed
In the same manner that you considered cost and quality, you’ll need to factor in time as well. You want efficiency, but you also don’t want the quality to suffer. Can you get set-up on a monthly or yearly plan? These types of plans build loyalty between you and the agency and can lead to even more cost-efficiencies as well as improving project tur-around times.
Next Steps
Let’s talk about what the right agency looks like.
The right agency offers what you need. If you are interested in doing a re-brand, then make sure the agency has a history of working with companies that have gone through the same thing. It’s also important that the agency has the team capabilities to fill-in all the blanks of along the way, such as having brand strategists, a graphic design team, people with an understanding of how to write using your company’s voice or are capable of interviewing relevant staff and capturing what they need.
However, if you’re in need of a new website, confirm that the agency has this experience with experience digital designers, developers, content writers and SEO specialists as part of their team that can take you all the way through the website re-design journey.
The most important component is the right fit.
If you want to get the most out of working with an agency, then you need to understand what they offer and how it overlaps with your needs. Add to that the key qualities fI’ve discussed here, and you’re on your way to hiring the right agency. From cost to experience to innovation and beyond, it’s important to understand what the right team needs to offer upfront to win your business.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR BRANDING PROCESS OR TO REQUEST A QUOTE, LEAP OVER TO OUR
BRANDING PAGE
Rob Barnett, Principal and Brand Strategist
Straydog Branding
Working like a dog!
Ya we know…..we haven’t posted in quite some time. Bad dog!! Well, with good reason, we’ve been working like dogs the past months and we think the results may help us get out of the proverbial dog house.
During the past 6 months, we designed, built and launched 5 websites for Paladin Security, 4 of which are intranets sites the support over 11,000 employees they working for these companies:
We also did a complete re-design and build of the Concord Parking website to bring it in-line with the Paladin Brand. We’ve also been busy adding many new features and functionality to many of the Paladin websites, while also helping them with their migration to Microsoft Azure. Our knowledge just doesn’t start and end with beautiful brands and effective websites, we’re also deep in knowledge of network solutions and website hosting support and solutions.
Beyond the work we’ve been doing for The Paladin Group of Companies, we’ve also had the time to:
- Continually support and build out new website features and functionalities for our good friends and long-time clients at Craft Floor.
Craft Floor continues to kill it in the marketplace, and their website is the envy of the industry. We’re so proud of our branding and website work with Craft and Urban Wood Floor, but we’re even more proud of the team at Craft and Urban Wood Floor for their continued enthusiasm and true brand stewardship, they really know how to leverage a great name, brand and business model - Re-brand and design a new website for Raicor.
- Brand and design and build a website for BC Custom Cutting, a new BC company.
- Design a new logo for one of our very first and loyal clients, as they work to open a new clothing store, The StandOut in Victoria, BC.
- Design and build a website for Z11. (launching April 2022)
- Continually support the good folks at Griff Building Supplies for the design and implementation of many of their internal and external business templates, and sales and marketing material, including invoices, pick-tickets, business cards and email signatures.
- Work with VACFSS for ongoing website support and maintenance as well as the additional of new website features and functionalities.
- Support for the ongoing addition of new users as well as monthly maintenance for the ISGyP.ca website.
- Ongoing support and new website features and functionalities for Resident Doctors of BC.
- Digital strategy for Phase 2 website features and functionalities for Garibaldi Glass. Phase 1 of the website launched September 2020.
- Ongoing monthly website support and maintenance for the ST’AT’IMC website.
Elan La Vie – The Band
Name that Band! That was our challenge. As a business branding agency, we’re not often (ever) asked to help name a band and design their logo and album artwork, but this musician wanted something different. He loved Straydog’s work and he knew that we were the right choice to help him come up with a name for his band and design the band’s brand identity. The name Elan La Vie came about as a desire for Darryl, the artist, to have a name that was fun and energetic. A name that would represent his enthusiasm for life and be viewed as intriguing and have a shed of mystery around it. We also designed the album cover for his debut album, Lost + Found as well as the design for t-shirts and hats and the new Shopify website, soon to be launched.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR BRANDING PROCESS OR TO REQUEST A QUOTE, LEAP OVER TO OUR BRANDING PAGE
The Cove Sports Recovery + Injury Prevention branding
Straydog has just completed the re-branding for The Cove Sports Recovery + Injury Prevention
The owners, Olivia Dykes and Nicholas Fadden, came to Straydog in September 2020 after having completed a not-so successful branding exercise with a freelance graphic designer. The results were less than superb and the new logo and brand just didn’t meet their expectations for modern, unique, appealing and representative of their innovative and one-of-a-kind sports recovery service. The original logo design and brand positioning didn’t represent what they had intended: unique, quality, appealing and modern. We see this often…companies trying to save a bit of money by selecting a designer or agency based on price. This is not a recipe for success. What’s that saying…oh yeah…..You get what you pay for!! The price paid to engage an experienced branding agency is not an expense, it’s an investment in your business that will pay dividends for years to come. Do it cheaply, get the wrong results and you pay the price in lost revenue and sales every day. Do it right and the results will bear fruit for many years.
The results of the new brand identity is a modern, minimalistic design, in black and white, with the use of vibrant supporting brand colours. The sleek font communicates professionalism and the science-based injury recovery and prevention therapies that their business provides.
The new logo and brand identity stands alone and represents movement, motion, sports and activity. We also added the term “+ Injury Prevention” to the tagline, adding a bit more description to the original “Sports Recovery”.
You can visit the Cove Sports Recovery + Injury Prevention at 1497 Marine Drive in West Vancouver, Suite 201.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR BRANDING PROCESS OR TO REQUEST A QUOTE, LEAP OVER TO OUR
BRANDING PAGE
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The Dog is here to help during the COVID-19 crisis
During this incredibly difficult time of COVID-19, we at Straydog salute our health-care workers and and all the others on the front line that are doing their best, working long hours and sacrificing their own safety to fight the spread and find the cure for the COVID-19 virus. Indeed, these are challenging times, many businesses have closed their doors, of many of which may never open again. For all of our past, current and future clients, we want you to know that if you need our services, we’re here to support you.
We continue to be fully operational, with all of our staff working from home in self-isolation and available to support you with your all of your website or graphic design needs. Of course, we understand that this is not business as normal, however, we want you to know that should you need immediate or urgent support, we’re here for you.
We will get through this. We are a nation of great knowledge, resources and community spirit, and together, we will win. Do your part, be responsible, don’t gather in groups, keep your distance from others, reach out by phone, text, or Facetime to friends, neighbours and acquaintances, we’re all going to need a lot of support…..and don’t forget, wash your hands.
How to Launch a Successful Craft Beer Brand
As a craft brewer, marketing your brand is one of your biggest challenges. I’m betting that, like most craft brewers, you didn’t get into this business because you were passionate about the business stuff, you got into this business because you’re passionate about brewing the best beer on Earth.
There are many craft brewers that have great products but are struggling to succeed in business because they don’t have a strong brand.
As the number of craft breweries grows, it’s becoming harder and harder for consumers to choose which breweries to visit, which beer to purchase and which growlers to collect. Now more than ever, it’s critical that you successfully differentiate your brand and your beer.
Many breweries with horrible branding have amazing beer, and conversely a lot of the breweries with really great branding with mediocre beer. The problem with bad branding on great beer is that you have a disconnect—people might not give your beer a chance because they think the poor branding and label design equals poor beer.
Craft beer drinkers are much more discerning, curious and adventurous than other beer drinkers. They want facts, history, and bragging rights. They’re amateur reviewers and wannabe experts — sometimes they’re even real experts, and they want to know the story about what makes your beer special.
Successful Beer Package Design
What’s the first step to successful craft beer brands? Great Beer. It’s expensive to convince people that crappy beer is good (ever wonder why Budweiser spends so much money on advertising…). With great beer and a great brand, you’ll spend a lot less time and effort on advertising and trying to convince consumers to buy your beer.
Shelf Appeal
The Brewers Association lists, “Shelf Appeal” as one of the main selling points to craft beer. This not only refers to the individual label design, but the appeal of the “brand family” of beers and the point of sale pieces. Products from the same supplier should be designed to look good together because a mishmash of packaging—different styles and sizes of bottles, different shapes of six and four-pack carriers mixed in with each other is messy and not visually appealing.
Professional package designers are experts in balancing the shelf appeal (design and messaging) as well as the functional as aspect of food product safety, protection on the store shelf, and find-ability—which allows consumers to navigate to what they’re looking for with minimal effort.
Brand Story
One of the advantages you have as a craft brewer is your genuine passion about your beer and your company. People buy from brands that they trust, and when they feel they are experiencing something authentic, it creates brand loyalty.
Use figurative language and strong verbs, interject a sense of fun and excitement, and tailor your story to your audience. You should never be afraid of adding a little tension or conflict, and never be afraid to let your passion shine through. The craft beer industry doesn’t take itself too seriously. And why should it? Beer is fun! It’s for kicking back: vacations, parties, holidays, BBQ’s and beaches. People are attracted to brands that tell this story.
Branding a Brewery
A successful craft brewery starts with passion and strategic branding. A successful brand identity should accurately reflect a brand’s core character. This involves carefully cultivating your; vision, mission, tone-of-voice, name, logo, labels, bottles, packaging etc. Learn More about Branding
It’s not as easy or as simple as you might think. Yes, you can write a sentence. But does that make you a professional writer worthy of a position on the Bestseller List? The same is true when it comes to branding. Sure, you can come up with a great name and you’ve got a niece who can design a logo… but will that name stand the test of time, and can your niece also help you define all the points where your brand comes into contact with consumers and potential consumers, can she make sure that the logo and identity communicate the core values and promise of your brand? Taphouses, Websites, Liquor stores, Facebook Pages, Tweets, Magazines, Events and Salespeople all need to present a consistent brand message that reinforces you brand promise. To become a successful craft brewery, you’ll need to address all of these factors in the brand development stage.
Successful Breweries Craft Great Beer
You craft brewers spend as much time thinking about how to present your beers to the public as you do brewing them. What if you developed a strong brand that could do all the talking for you? More time for creating great beer!
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Here are a few of our faves:
Back Country Brewing
Back Country Brewing opened it’s brewery in Squamish BC in 2017 and was awarded Rookie of the Year at the 2017 BC Beer Awards. We like the branding and packaging because of it’s distinctive label, use of the lantern and it’s link to backcountry camping and the brands’ positioning to the outdoor enthusiast, so key to it’s Squamish location.
Kona Brewing
Feel the “Liquid Aloha” literally. Kona Brewing company is rolling out new custom bottles for their entire line of Kona Brews. The new 12oz. bottle will be embossed with a Hawaiian Island Chain and “Liquid Aloha” lettering, complete with refreshed labels and packaging. Kona Brewing is delivering more of that sense of place that Kona is known for, and I think this new bottle and package really brings Hawaii home.
Whistler Brewing
Whistler Brewing Company has a strong reputation as a true BC brewery. The style of their brand identity is warm, fresh and natural, mixed with some old school Whistler nostalgia. The illustrations on each brew features playful scenes of local animals and vivid local scenery.
Hangar 24
Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, headquartered in Redlands, California, began with a love of flying and a passion for good beer. A licensed pilot, company founder Ben Cook launched his brewery in 2007 in a warehouse adjacent to the local airport and aptly named the business Hangar 24. The logo pays homage to America’s golden age of flight. Just like his favorite airplanes, Ben Cook’s Hangar 24 brand quickly soared.
Top Tips for Business Planning
Back in February, we wrote a post about launching your business and the importance of “branding” before you actually launch your business. But there’s actually a very importnat thing that every new business should be even before they seek professional branding advice and services…and that’s: writing an effective business plan. A business plan is a very important strategic tool for any new business. A good business plan not only helps a new business to focus on the specific steps necessary for their to make business ideas succeed, but it also helps to achieve both short-term and long-term objectives.
Here are some top reasons as to why writing a business plan are critical to any new business:
- To Test the feasibility of the business. Writing a plan to test the likelihood of success is a lot less risky than actually going out and doing it. Writing the plan and testing the plan can save a whole lot ot=f time and money if the plan reveals that the business idea is unfeasible.
- A business plan will give your idea the best chance of succeeding. The exercise forces you to think about the broad financial and operational objectives, obstacles and scenarios. Taking the time to write the plan will help you overcome a lot of start-up challenges and limit the unforeseen problems.
- Helps you secure start-up funding. You’re new business is likely going to need some cash infusion to help it get off the ground and without a well-written plan, there’s no chance of getting financing from established sources.
- To Attract Investors. Whether you plan to run the business through it’s entire life or you plan to attract a buy-out a few years down the road, having a solid business plan will encourage interest from investors. And as you grow, so will your capital needs, so being prepared will help your expansion when the needs arise.
- Empowers you to determine your future. Whether your objective is to run a small business or become a leading industry competitor, the only way to ultimately control the outcome of your business undertaking is to plan for it. By documenting your ideas and strategies–what you want to see happen and how you plan to get there–you are taking control of your future and placing the power to direct the final outcome in your own hands.
Here are the Components of a Good Business Plan:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Leave space for the Executive Summary at the beginning of the document but do not complete until the full plan has been written.
The executive summary should include the key points of your plan including target markets, high level forecasts and key dates.
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES
Describe the unique selling points (USPs) of the product or service and your vision for the business. Provide context to your description: Remember that the reader will not know you therefore write clearly and concisely without acronyms and jargon.
MARKET RESEARCH
Outline who your customers are, who your competitors are, and any current or future trends which will affect your market.
Do not recreate data. Provide your analysis of material and how it would affect the business sector.
Include information on the expected demand for your product or service, explaining how and why you have come to those assumptions.
BRANDING
Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Your brand concept should include: Supporting details that enhance/explain further your ideals,
vision, key messages/strategies and point of differences.
FINANCIAL FORECAST
Include cash flow statements, profit and loss forecasts, and sales forecasts.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
List estimated dates of completion for different aspects of your business plan with targets for your business and milestones.
APPENDICES
Include all licenses, permits, agreements, existing contracts and any additional documents that support your business plan.
Download the Business Plan checklist.
Learn more about branding your business.