Our positioning statement, Marketing by Design, captures this ideal best. We view our work as more than just a collection of colors, symbols and type treatments — it’s the foundation for how an organization markets its products or services and differentiates itself from competitors. We see purpose in it. We build strategy into it. We put vision behind it.
Each week, we’ll be covering one of the seven purposes of design according to Mauro Porcini, Head of Global Strategic Design at 3M, whom we feel said it best.
PART 1: Design is about research, analysis, intuition and synthesis.
In our industry, we use design to create or revitalize organizations’ identities, but doing so often requires a detailed look into their people, processes, products, services, history and philosophy — and that’s just the beginning. To design an effective brand identity, we have to consider everything.This process requires our clients to “look in the mirror” and see the realities of their culture and operations. It’s uncomfortable, and sometimes it’s even painful, but it’s necessary if they want to grow and reach their goals. The result of that research enables our team to harness mystery and convert it into discovery — thereby giving shape to a new creative platform designed with relevance and meaning.
When the YMCA revitalized its brand in 2010 (effectively becoming “the Y”), it marked the culmination of three years of thorough, enlightening research. That enabled the organization to launch a new identity that people quickly connected with because it was rich with diversity, simplified messaging and clearly stated benefits. Since the revitalized brand’s launch, the local Akron Area YMCA has seen an increase in member retention, donor involvement and overall advocacy for their cause.
Conversely, when the clothing store GAP launched a new logo in late 2010 that was unsupported by market research, its customer base led a social media coup d’état — creating a PR nightmare for GAP’s brand managers and leadership. In addition to the lack of research, GAP’s audience was never informed that a need for a new identity existed — it just appeared. Marketing research and consulting firm Artemis Crane said this about GAP’s blunder:
"Valuable lessons can be learned from the short-lived re-branding initiative, particularly in the area of market research. Whenever a company is looking to make branding changes, thorough market research is a necessity — a new direction cannot be pursued on a limb, it has to be supported by research. Stakeholders need to be consulted and their responses need to be carefully quantified and examined. Their input is a crucial part of the decision making process and cannot be ignored."All in all, research is like a roadmap to a destination — without it, you’re driving blind.
The C4:
- To design a revitalized identity, one must first look in the mirror.
- Looking in that mirror is hard — you need to know why you want to do it.
- Research is the foundation upon which successful identities are developed.
- An identity founded in research will always bring better results.
