Branding: Don't have an identity crisis

If their logo isn't hideously awful, many companies put branding on the back burner. What they don't realise, is that the logo is an all pervasive symbol of everything they stand for. It may look 'nice', but if it isn't saying the right thing, it can cost them business.

Have you heard of Gaze Burt? Probably. They have been practising in Auckland for over 90 years. They work for a lot of charitable organisations and take pride in the strong values their firm was built on.

The partners at Gaze Burt could see their logo wasn’t working; it was holding them back. It was typical of a law firm, old-fashioned and unexciting. It wasn’t aesthetically-dastardly, but it wasn’t communicating the right message.

Gaze Burt wanted to attract younger staff and clientele, and convey their point of difference – the values inherent to their practice.

Everyone knows it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. And never is this more true than for a tagline. Boasting about having values doesn’t exactly communicate humility, so it was crucial we took an honest and unaffected approach. With the line We see law differently we distanced Gaze Burt from the slimeballs that give the legal profession a bad name.

Most law firms have the same look. To differentiate Gaze Burt, our designers broke the mould with abstract shapes and modern colours. We chose a friendly, rounded typeface to replace the formal serifs and stiff uppercase of the old logo, and developed a fresh, stylish new colour palette. Using the new colour palette, we designed a geometric device that could be used to connect all of Gaze Burt’s communications in a dynamic, contemporary way.

Then, to reinforce the new branding and inspire staff, we created art based on the new look to adorn the firm’s walls. Each piece of the series used a geometric shape and a short saying to represent a different value.

The new look and feel brought who Gaze Burt really was, and wanted to be seen as, to the fore. Which is what your branding should do. When your branding no longer represents the qualities of your company in an immediate and compelling way, it’s time to change it - or lose customers.

If you’d like us to take a fresh look at your branding, call Steve on 09 950 2144 or 021 744 960.