Tag: branding belfast

Say it with Social Media!

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

We are living in the new, digital era. Social media is single handily the most powerful tool for business and it is important to capitalise on this.

From Instagram to Twitter, to TikTok and Facebook. Each platform has a different art and getting it right is key. Promote what you do to the endless stream of scrollers.

Failing to maintain a consistent presence on online may result in your organisation going unnoticed and your competitors stealing your target audience and potential customers.

Invest in the best social

Social media has become an incredible resource for staying updated on current events, connecting with friends or family, and engaging with businesses online.

For brands hoping to leverage the popularity of different online platforms and reach the ever-growing user database of those platforms, investment is key.

Developing a well-thought-out social media campaign can be an incredible investment, helping to build brand recognition and boost the success of your business.

Keep up with Competitors

Social media is a brilliant tool, allowing an open access platform to monitor the progress of competitors. Yet, it is crucial that organisations do not get sucked in and begin mirroring the behaviour of their competitors.

Innovative and original behaviour will breed success and ensuring your organisation maintains a competitive edge is key. A massive asset in this process is to hold a consistent presence online.

Communicate with your target audience

Social media is a great platform for organisations to maintain real time communication with customers, clients and target audiences. Hence, continuously updating your platform is key.

Whether you conduct online surveys via your Instagram stories, engage with your audience through question and answer sessions or operate an open direct message policy, all is beneficial.

Additionally, social media can be used to promote your company as a customer focused business and encourage engagement and feedback. Doing this will not only benefit customers, providing them with the best possible service but will also benefit your company, highlighting what your audience wants and incidentally generating ideas for future projects.

Get your timing right

Posting on social media requires considered, calculated planning. Many people still have suspicious holdups about online platforms and do not see the immense power that it holds.

When it comes to posting, timing is key. There are certain times of the day that is best for posting and capitalising on this is key. You could have a perfect social media campaign but the benefits are often disregarded if posted at an incorrect time.

#Hashtags #Are #Key

The power of the hashtag is not to be undermined. They are a valuable tool, used strategically across almost all social media platforms.

Using relatable, relevant and engaging hashtags are key, boosting your exposure and targeting your audience of choice. If correctly implemented, the use of hashtags holds the power to boost your campaign engagement, increase your audience, generate sales and enhance your organic social reach.

Furthermore, using hashtags allows your organisation to get involved in conversations and other important issues on social media. Hence, when running a campaign, it is worthwhile to research topics that are trending in relation to your focus and placing the campaign amongst that conversation through hashtags.

Track your social stats

Getting to know your audience has never been as simple as it is at the moment. Through tracking your audience’s activity, you can gain an accurate understanding into their social habits, with active time being one of them.

Posting content at optimal time, when most of your audience are active on social media is key. This will encourage their engagement and boost your exposure.

How Kaizen can help YOU with social

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we understand how to navigate platforms and how to perform well on each relevant site.

We understand how each site can be used to benefit your business differently. We use this knowledge to create a social media strategy so you can begin to master your own social media accounts.

For organisations seeking to leverage celebrated insights, social media campaigns can be very worthwhile, targeting the ever-growing users of online communities. Kaizen Brand Evolution differentiate between social platforms and categorise which platforms will work best for you. Incidentally, we can evolve your platform by creating stand-out designs that are sure to surge your insights.

Blog Writing: Tips & Tricks

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

In the modern era of online social sharing, writing a blog holds a massive opportunity for your company. The power of blogging will give your company a competitive edge, boosting your products and services into the online community in an enlightening and engaging way.

Blogging brings a massive boost to an organisations place in the market, increasing custom and growing sales through educating consumers about what you do.

Intriguing titles

When deciding on a blog topic, it is important to consider your audience and the impression this blog will make. Capture their attention instantly, making them want to click straight away!

We have seen it time and time again, where brilliant blogs go unnoticed due to a lazy, boring title. They say “don’t judge a book by its cover” but believe it or not, we all do it. Often, a title alone is enough to draw your attention in. Incidentally, the title of your blog has the power to make or break a readers decision to entertain your blog.

First impressions are key. We find ourselves gravitating towards reading material that hold exciting titles. On the other hand, we often find ourselves overlooking content that have poorly thought-out titles.

Understand your blog readers

In every aspect of business, it is crucial that you recognise, value and understand your audience. This is no different when it comes to writing a blog.

There is no better way to showcase all the brilliant things your organisation does than through blogging. A blog provides an unfiltered, unlimited and underrated platform to shout about what you do, sharing your achievements, your improvements and your advancements.

Blogging provides an opportunity to educate your audience on matters that are important for your business. Using your platform to blog about your products and services will ensure there is a more well-rounded understanding of your organisation. When readers have a clear vision of what your company has to offer, they are more likely to follow through and become a valued customer.

Featured images and social posts

We are now living in the digital era, where visuals are preferred to text. Unfortunately, this is not good news for blog writers but there are some loop holes that can lure people in and encourage them to take 5 minutes out of their day to read your blog.

Using your own images is even more valuable. Whether you offer products or services, you will find that first-hand images will resonate with readers and intrigue them.

Equally, creating consistent blog posts ensures you will always have content to share on social media. It is so important to share images when posting on social media.

Spending lengthy periods of time carefully creating blog content must be followed up by an impressive promotion plan in order to reach your target customers and potential new audience members. Remaining active on social media is paramount for organisations and ensuring content is continuously fresh and innovative will give you that competitive edge.

Let your blog tell a story

When writing a blog, it is important to consider a brand-new customer, one who has never heard of your products or services. Taking this approach will ensure your content tells a story about your brand, guaranteeing that readers will understand what you are aiming to achieve.

Blogs must be educational and informative in order to work. Although it is desired that customers recognise your brand identity, this is not always the case and you must be prepared for this eventuality.

The 5 W’s in your blog

Who, When, What, Where and Why?

When creating a blog based on your products or services, it is advisory to incorporate the trusty 5 W’s. Who are your target audience? When are your target audience going to realise what the blog is about? What is the product or service you are aiming to showcase and does the blog represent this? Where are your target audience going to avail of your product or service? Why have you chosen to write about this?

Recognise potential questions and answer them

A tip for blogging would be to integrate answers to possible questions into your content. We are all too familiar with google when it comes to questions; just ping in your query and you are likely to have the answer in seconds.

If your blog holds a solution to a query of a potential customer, it will likely appear on their search results and lead them directly to you. Providing engaging and informative blogs is imperative for your organisation as it will be a key deciding factor for potential customers.

Get in Touch

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we work internationally with brands large and small, delivering a suite of brand assets through which to promote their business.

Having one of the largest graphic design teams in the country, we are equipped to meet the demands of both large and small organisations. We work to the tightest of deadlines, while always retaining the highest level of design possible.

To discuss a creative project for your business, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

Brand design to make you stand out

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

A brand design is the visual illustration that the public hold of your organisation. Your brand is the associative feeling that people get when considering your product or service. From first impressions, to long-lasting associations, it is important that your organisation holds an applicable brand design that will capture attention and boast positive reactions.

Branding is an innovative way to create your own narrative and educate your audience. From your service offerings to your company values, it is important that your branding relates to your identity and engages your audience.

Brand design is important for all businesses, whether you are a brand-new business, or an established, long-standing firm. The design that your organisation holds will promote your organisation as a whole, as well as the more complex details. These details include representing your brand strategy, vision, goals, personality and much more. 

Consistency is key

Running a brand requires detailed consideration across all areas, including brand representation. It is crucial to develop a recognisable brand in the early stages of establishment and maintain this over time.

Brand design is a massive asset in this process, helpful in establishing a familiar identity and building trust within your industry. Unfortunately, society has become unsettled and gaining trust is not an easy task due to technical scams. Hence, the importance of an established and consistent brand identity is second to none.  

Like everything, consistency is key. Whether it is online; through websites, social media, or advertisements or physically; in events, posters, billboards or retail, it is paramount to maintain a consistent design. Consistency will create a sense of unity in your brand and promote a recognisable and dependable identity.

Involve the experts in your brand design

One of the most valuable understandings a brand can hold is the benefits of involving the experts in your brand design. Investing in your design is crucial. Availing of top-quality service will stand the test of time for your company, particularly when it comes to design.

Brand design holds an equal power status to that of your products, services and indeed your workforce. Consumers will resonate with a design that is captivating and this will in turn boost your reputation and establishment.

Gaining and maintaining this established identity is massively beneficial for your organisation, especially in the early stages. Nonetheless, it is also beneficial for long-established organisations to conduct a brand redesign, in order to boost existing opinions and better position your brand for future consideration.

Brand Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have a team of experienced graphic designers. We have worked alongside organisations across the UK, Ireland and beyond, creating premium, consistent and recognisable brand designs.

Our branding team have created bespoke brands for some of the most widely known businesses organisations across the country. Some of our branding clients include: Fusion Antibodies, Slims Healthy Kitchen, Down Royal Racecourse, Punchestown Racecourse, McQuillan Companies and United Wines.

Our established experience positions us as industry experts. With widespread knowledge in delivering successful brand design packages for all types of organisations, including B2B, B2C and third sector, we have a vast experience in creating brands that engage your audiences.

Whether you are starting out and need a new innovative design for your business or you are an established organisation who requires a revamp, we can boost your brand massively. Through creating brand designs that can add significant value to your products or services, Kaizen create meaningful change and evolve every brand through innovative design.

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we strive to create successful and commercially driven brand designs. Each brand design that we conduct is unique and bespoke to your business, promoting the key areas of performance and ensuring a stand-out reputation.

Brand Designs that deliver

We understand and value the importance of individuality when it comes to brand identity. Incidentally, we approach every task with a clean slate and open mind. Through detailed research and collaboration with the team behind your organisation, we will create an exciting, innovative brand design that will showcase the drive and ambition that lives in your brand identity.

Start a project with us

Our team are enthusiastic to create an innovative, recognisable and premium brand design for your organisation. We also understand that the process can be daunting and unknown to your team. Therefore, we promise to provide a detailed introduction to the service and walk you through every stage. We aspire to showcase the endless opportunities that brand design can provide for your organisation.

Brand Name: Get it right first time

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Deciding on a name for your brand can initially seem like an easy task. In some situations, this can be the case. Some organisations may have been decided on their name for a long time, which is great. Yet, in some cases organisations jump at the first name they can think of, failing to take into consideration the countless name opportunities out there.

Your brand name plays a massive role in your identity. It is often the most recognisable associative term used by the general public. Hence, it is crucial that it makes sense and represents your most important goals, aims and offerings.

Make sure your name is a memorable one

Make them remember your brand name. From Google, to Nike to Starbucks, there is no doubt that absolutely everyone that you ask would be familiar with these, and many other brands. Hence, picking something unique, relevant and understandable is key. The importance of a brand name is endless. Be it in-store, online or through word-of-mouth, it is the one term that will be constantly used to discuss to your business.

In todays environment, there are organisations galore in every industry. Brand names are becoming more difficult to think of due to the sheer lack of original names left. Hence, brand owners have to put their thinking caps on to ensure their company stands out from the crowd. The importance of an individual, identifiable and recognisable brand name has never been more imperative.

Credibility

With a charming brand name, you will increase credibility and achieve a memorable, positive association with customers, clients and competitors. This is key in the modern consumer market as credibility is very hard to come by. Holding an established association with consumers is massively beneficial. The goal is to be the first brand that people think of when they are discussing your industry. For example; when you think fast-food; McDonalds is bound to be up there in your thinking! This is a common occurrence, with company names holding industry related connotations.

How many times have you heard someone talking about ‘hoovering their house’? Did you know ‘Hoover’ is actually a brand name and the correct term is vacuum cleaner? This is a primarily British association that came from a brilliant advertising campaign and brand dominance in the industry. So, even if the consumer doesn’t own a ‘Hoover’ branded vacuum cleaner, they are more than likely going to call it that, from habit! Imagine that! Hoover are the certainly the kings of brand naming.

Will your brand name suit for social?

When making any decision for your business, you must be aware of how that impacts your online presence. Unfortunately, it can be an area that is overlooked until it is too late when it comes to choosing a company name.

Your name will be the point of contact for absolutely everything online. This includes website name, social media handles, advertisements and hashtags. If your name is unique to your business, there should be no issues in getting the best possible domain names and social handles, which will raise the position of your organisation online. However, if the chosen business name is a common expression, word or phrase, you may face numerous issues, resulting in a less identifiable online presence.

Create your Brand Name with Kaizen

Kaizen Brand Evolution have widespread first-hand experience in developing brands for organisations just like yours. Whether it is creating a brands identity from scratch, rebranding an out-of-date company or creating a revolutionary brand name, we have you covered.

Kaizen recognise the importance of your company name in the process of developing your brand. Whether your naming journey is established or unidentifiable, Kaizen have an incredible team of creative experts that can discover unique insights into your organisation to create an incredible name.

In order to creative an authentic and convincing brand name, Kaizen conducts intense research into your organisation, involving their experienced team as well as conducting an intense client consultation. Doing this enables an in-depth understanding of the organisation which will incidentally produce a limitless quantity of ideas.

To make the process of choosing your brand name an enjoyable experience, the Design Director at Kaizen will collaborate all developed ideas into justified and appropriate list of concepts. This process enables you to creative informative and measured decisions on your brand name.

Get in Touch with Kaizen to create your Brand Name

At Kaizen, we pride our creativity and attention to detail. If you are considering a brand name and would like to involve an experienced brand studio, get in touch today.

Better your Brand with Brochure Design

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

In the modern, digital world, we often fail to consider the continuous benefits of traditional marketing concepts, for example brochure design.

It is undeniable that the benefits of digital platforms in some situations, massively outweigh the perks of traditional platforms. Yet, this is not the case in all situations.

When we think traditional marketing, we think newspapers, posters, brochures, and flyers. It would be unreasonable to suggested their popularity remains the same. Yet, if implemented correctly, their power remains prevalent in the modern day.

Brochure Design

In a digital world, we often overlook some of the most tried and tested traditional opportunities to engage our customers. Brochure and booklet design is still one of the most effective opportunities for your business to develop sales and marketing opportunities, and it is therefore imperative that your brochure design is delivered to the highest of standards.

Printed Brochures

The printed brochure is the concept we are all most familiar with. From annual reports, to sales brochures and seasonal product catalogues. They are often placed in our company through many methods of communication, including postal marketing, public hand-outs, and workplace distribution.

The perks of a printed brochure are second to none. The longevity of their value remains prevalent for days as the brochure will be available to read at all times. Additionally, a brochure can boast a wonderful design that will boost brand identity and reputation.

Digital Brochures

Like all innovative organisations, Kaizen Brand Evolution take pride in evolving with the times and adapting to change. This applies more than ever in the marketing industry comes to marketing techniques.

In addition to creating eye-catching print brochures, we ensure that our designs can be adapted to function in a modern environment. Incorporating innovative ideas, they can be evolved into a contemporary and digital tool.

Understanding that digital delivery is often paramount to a project’s success we output your brochure in any number of required digital formats.

Within interactive, digital brochure designs, we can add advanced functionality such as hyperlinks, UTM tracking codes and animations intended to engage and fascinate your target audiences.

Do your Bit for the Environment

We are now living in a world where it is more important than ever before to look out for the environment in everything we do. Many organisations are taking a stand against waste and as a result are reducing their paper usage.

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we felt it important to provide clients the choice of digital design as opposed to print, reducing unnecessary distribution. This option is massively beneficial for both the environment and for organisations in promoting your efforts to protect the environment through corporate social responsibility.

Types of Brochure Designs Available

The variety of brochure designs to choose from are endless. The team at Kaizen Brand Evolution have widespread experience across the range and are happy to consider your suggestions throughout the process.

Our most common brochure design projects include:

  • Annual Report
  • Booklet
  • Company Brochure
  • Bulletin
  • Catalogue
  • Directory
  • Guide
  • Handbook
  • Magazine
  • Manual
  • Newsletter
  • Programme
  • Prospectus

Brochure Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we design brochures for numerous industries across the UK and Ireland. From annual reports to training manuals, sales brochures, and gallery collections, we have experience in designing 1000s of brochure designs for all types of businesses.

Here at Kaizen, we are extremely lucky to have an esteemed partner in print; Kaizen Print. Hence, we have the unrivalled knowledge of understanding what is needed to create a premium, eye-catching brochure design that will be sure to stand ahead of the competition.

Get in touch with our team to discuss a brochure design project. Upon interest, we will explain the professional process in which we undertake to create your product. Once we have agreed on this, we will request content, imagery, and assets that we need to create the design.

Once we have quoted the project and received approval from the client, we will begin the exciting brochure design process. We involve our clients in every step of the process, requesting sign off at every stage. Doing this ensures that we deliver the best possible results, staying on brand and meeting the commercial needs of the project.

When the final product is approved, we will output this promptly and professionally in the agreed formats for print or digital use.

To start a brochure design project with Kaizen Brand Evolution, please get in touch with our team via the contact form or call us on 028 9507 2007.

Perk up your Packaging Design

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

When it comes to packaging design, consideration of the printed output and knowledge on how to achieve this is critical to the project success. Carefully considered packaging will ensure your brand is developed at every touch point of the purchase process.

Creating a relatable and attractive packaging design is very important for businesses, big and small. The packaging design for a product is often a primary element of association for consumers, particularly in a physical setting, such as in retail stores.

For example; when we enter a grocery store and see a can with chromatic red and black packaging design, we instantly associate it with Coca-Cola. This is the overall goal for organisations, to be instantly recognised by their brand identity. Packaging can play an influential role in this process.

Don’t Leave Packaging Design Behind

Unfortunately, packaging design can get the back seat when it comes to product design. As the last step in the product process, it can be forgotten about and as a result of this, rushed in the last minute.

It is important to carefully consider this stage. Yes, it is essentially the final step but is a massively important asset to your brand identity.

Packaging design can be used across many platforms, not just in a retail setting. Other uses of packaging design include online product promotion, delivery services and many more.

Stand out from the Crowd

The massive variety across all markets has resulted in a difficulty to stand out in the crowd. Appearing pride of place in a retail setting is the overall goal. Hence to achieve this you must carefully consider your design, remain consistent and boost your brand identity.

We have all done it, bought a product based on their packaging design alone. A beautifully designed packaging concept has enough power to draw attention to a product and encourage purchasing. Yet it is important to realise that the design of your packaging has the power to make or break a customer’s purchasing decision.

Premium Packaging is Key

Packaging is in essence the most important step of the product creation, as it is essentially what makes people purchase your brand. Often though, this is overlooked and the packaging can become an afterthought.

Yet, organisations who involve professional graphic designers in this process have no need to worry about this. Graphic designers recognise and highlight the importance of every step in the product creation process. From the product itself, right through to the packaging, each stage is equally important.

Poorly designed packaging can be detrimental to the success of your product. Consumers will recognise this immediately and incidentally ‘judge a book by its cover’ and avoid purchasing the product.

Packaging Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we are experienced in the design and development of packaging design for numerous industries. We can produce packaging design for an extensive variety of products. These include food packaging sleeves, gift bags, gift boxes, labelling and many other types of outer packaging.

With great experience in B2C moment of choice decision influencing, our creatives will ensure your brand has the best opportunity for purchase and engagement.

We have an excellent team of dedicated and world class designers, who have helped many organisations evolve their packaging, ensuring that their products are the best looking on the shelves.

Drinks Industry Labels & Packaging

We work with independent and multinational drinks brands to develop their brand strategy, brand activation and their range of packaging including labels and gift boxes.

Kaizen design with overall consideration for your brand strategy, but with a direct commercial focus that ensures our designs can be output in a cost-effective manner. Some of our drinks industry clients include: Bushmills Whiskey, Kraken Rum, Glencree Whiskey, Thompsons Rum and Shortcross Gin.

Start a Packaging Design Project with Kaizen

To begin your project, please get in touch with our client services team 02895 072007.

We will explain the steps, find out about your project and send a quote to bring the project to life.

The Power is in the Poster

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Posters, a powerful marketing tool that has been utilised for centuries across the world. Securely positioned at the forefront of promotion since its inception, poster design remains a powerful and influential tool for businesses universally.

The Perks of a Poster

A huge perk of using posters as a method of promotion for your brand would be the exposure they gain. In order to achieve the highest exposure possible, it is important that your organisation considers poster location. Choosing a position that will reach high volumes of footfall is key, catching the attention of as many people as possible.

Additionally, posters hold the power of flexibility. They can be placed on a wall, on a table, handed out to commuters. The possibilities are endless.

Involve the Experts

Poster design remains a powerful tool in promotion, hence the importance it holds is second to none. Yet, a common error of judgement by organisations is to conduct a DIY design job.

Often, DIY design jobs can fail to showcase the business in all its glory. Although this is not always the case, with several DIY designers being able to come up with impressive concepts through platforms such as Photoshop and Canva.

Although this is a cost-effective solution, if implemented poorly, it can be spotted a mile away and affect your brand reputation. It is important to always showcase your company as a premium, reputable business and a poorly designed poster can lead to a dip in this opinion.

A valuable realisation for any business when carrying out a marketing and advertising campaign is investment is vital. When creating a promotional tool, particularly a poster, you know it is going to hold a long-term position in society. Availing of top-quality service will stand the test of time for your company. This will lead to impressive results and the deserved recognition.

A business should always aim to hold a recognisable brand identity. To ensure this, organisations must implement consistent designs to create and maintain a familiar company recollection with customers, clients and competitors.

Remaining consistent in design is key and without professional training, it can be difficult to maintain this. Graphic designers are familiar with remaining consistent through brand guidelines, sticking to agreed fonts, design, colour palette and measurements. Doing this will ensure a distinct brand, constantly boosting brand identity and remaining competitive in your industry.

The Technical Bit

Posters are a unique promotional tool, that target audiences from all different demographics, 24/7. It is crucially important to recognise the different audiences that your promotion will be reaching and ensure that it is understandable for all.

People that are looking at these posters every day, need to be able to read them. They need to be able to understand what exactly is going on and act upon your sales message.

Designing a poster requires detailed creative consideration. From the location, to the distance from which it will be viewed and the level of content that is added.

Poster Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

Lucky for you, here at Kaizen Brand Evolution we know what it takes to design a brilliant poster. Stand out from the crowd while using our tried and tested design techniques.

We have a knowledgeable and enthusiastic team of graphic designers, who have proudly helped many local, national, and international companies get their print marketing campaign right first time. We design with purpose and through a considered discussion with your marketing and sales functions, we will understand and design your poster accordingly.

Whether you need an A3 short run digital poster or an A0 nightclub poster, we have created thousands of poster designs for organisations like yours. With vast experience in poster design of all sizes and for almost every conceivable use, our graphic designers will create the perfect poster design to meet your project goals.

Perfect Poster Design for Every Industry

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have the unique benefit of being part of the Belfast’s’ leading poster printing companies; Kaizen Print. With this said we have designed thousands of posters for organisations across the country.

To discuss a creative project, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

Logo Design: Stand the Test of Time

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Logo design is extremely important to any brand or organisation. A logo is the primary identifier for your brand that will immediately engage with the public. Acting as a symbol to represent the brand, your logo plays a key role in boosting brand identity and recognition.

Commonly customers and clients will associate your logo with their experience with your business. Hence, logo design is a key element in the buying process, encouraging customers to invest in your company.

Consider your all-time favourite brand… was the first thing you pictured their logo? It is common that consumers are often able to picture the logo design instantly when they think of a brand, more so than the typeface or name.

Creating a Logo Design for your brand

Logo design is often the first step in any brand development and should be considered at the earliest stages of business planning. As the first step in brand development, there should be a detailed and considerable amount of time spent on logo design. This will ensure that the design begins to take shape how you would like it to, from the outset and throughout the branding stages.

When beginning the logo design process, it is crucial that organisations conduct a thorough mind mapping exercise, to be sure all elements of your brand are considered in the logo development. A brilliant logo design will clearly represent your brand, its goals, and its purpose.

It is equally important that in everything you do, you consider your audience. At the end of the day, your clients, potential customers, and target audience are your most important critics.

In order to target your audience successfully, you must hold a clear understanding of who they are and what they are looking for. By conducting this thorough research, you will be on track to creating a logo that clearly resonates with your audience. This will prove advantageous to your reputation, positioning your organisation as a customer focused brand.

Keep up with your Competitors

We are now living in a world that is constantly changing. Organisations are quickly evolving, shifting and altering their service offerings. In order to keep up with other organisations in your industry and curb the competition, it is important to remain attentive to the altering trends in logo design.

If your organisation has evolved in service offerings, it is important to showcase this through an update to your brand assets. This includes logo design, an extremely important tool for representing your identity. It is crucial that your logos align with company values to permit a stand-out position in the market, remaining competitive and evolutionary.

A logo is the visual representation for your business, hence the importance it resounds with the audience. From the font, to the symbol, it is vital to choose wisely, representing your business in the finest manner.

Involve the Experts in your Logo Design

One of the most valuable understandings a brand can hold is the benefits of involving the experts in your brand design. Investing in your design is crucial. Availing of top-quality service will stand the test of time for your company, particularly when it comes to design.

A logo design holds an equal power status to that of your products, services and indeed your workforce. Consumers will resonate with a logo design that is captivating and this will in turn boost your reputation and establishment.

How Kaizen can help YOU

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have designed hundreds of logos for businesses nationwide, as well as on a universal scale. We have one of the largest design studio teams in Belfast and Dublin and our focus is always on developing the best logo to suit your business needs.

Our industry experience and understanding of many market sectors and the ability to draw on our skill, ensures we are experts in logo creation. With one of the largest design studio teams, our focus is always on creating a stand-out logo to represent your business to the highest standard possible.

To discuss a creative project for your business, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

Get ahead of the game: Festive Design

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Yes, it is approaching that time of year again. No, we can’t believe it either! Some are excited and others filled with that all too familiar seasonal dread. If the latter is you, don’t panic! Kaizen Brand Evolution are here to help you combat those stressful hospitality design preparations and get you on track for the most wonderful time of the year.

Menu Design

Let’s face it, when we think Christmas, we think food. The festive period is a time to indulge, eat out and celebrate with delicious seasonal dishes. Aside from the festive food, your restaurant menu is your most important component.

Many hospitality businesses will introduce a festive menu, offering an altered choice of dishes, especially chosen for the Christmas period. Capture attention with a beautifully designed festive menu that will impress customers, before they have even got their food. The quality of the menu itself leaves a lasting impression with your customers. 

Brochure Design

A method of traditional promotion that remains popular to this day is brochure design. Printed or digital brochures? We say both, be sure to target all arenas. Brochures provide opportunities for your business to achieve sales in both a digital and physical setting.

Many organisations have lots of seasonal products and services to promote in the lead up to Christmas. Why not avail of our incredible design service, and go above and beyond customer expectations.  

Christmas Cards

Personalised Christmas Card design is the perfect opportunity to keep in meaningful contact with friends, colleagues or customers this festive season. We provide a variety of choice with pre-designed options or you can design your own with our graphic design team.

Whether it is an employee, a stakeholder or a customer, this personal approach will be effective in showing your sincere appreciation. We recommend that you make a list of recipients that have supported your business during 2022 and use a personalised Christmas card to thank them and wish them an enjoyable break. Make it memorable and you are guaranteed a happy new year with repeated business and a happy workforce.

Gift Vouchers

People love receiving gift vouchers for their favourite local businesses, particularly at Christmas time. Promoting gift vouchers for your business is a genius gateway to target new audiences and boost revenue. The success of gift vouchers stretches far beyond the Christmas period with new customers entering your doors for months to spend their valued revenue.

Invitations and Tickets

They don’t call it sparkle season for nothing! Christmas is the only time of year where it is socially acceptable to go to events every night!

Are you throwing the ultimate Christmas party? Start the event off right with some custom designed invites. Your guests will love them and it provides an opportunity to send all the event details in one fell swoop.

Christmas design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we are experts in designing hospitality stationary for both printed output and digital delivery.

Our design studio have created thousands of festive designs for businesses, charities and other organisations spanning every conceivable market sector.

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have the unique benefit of being part of the Belfasts’ leading printing companies. With this said we have designed thousands of graphics for organisations all across the country steeped in print design. Our designs can be seen proudly placed in the following hospitality sectors: Retail Stores, Fast Foods, Nightclubs, Bars, Restaurants and Hotels.

Our experience and knowledge of type, layout and photography ensures we position your brand perfectly, while providing opportunity to meet the strategic goals of the project, whatever they may be. We understand that the delivery of your stationary may take many forms and so our team of graphic designers can expertly output your design for both print and digital delivery.

If you want to explore a design project further, please get in touch with our client service team via the contact form or by calling us on 028 9507 2007.

Wow this Winter with your Event Design

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

We know, we know! Summer has just begun, but winter is coming… faster than you think. Although winter is an unfavourable season for many reasons; the cold, the dark and the dreary, it does have its exceptions. Winter is the ultimate event season, boasting Halloween, Christmas and New Year parties, to name just a few! Whether you are hosting an event or attending a trade show, it is important to make a memorable impression on your audience with event design.

Event branding offers companies, organisations and collectives a chance to massively amplify awareness, using experiential design best practices to offer an impactful and unforgettable experience. Through the power of distinctive, dynamic design, businesses can harness the immense potential of event branding – but it’s only through an intelligent and cohesive approach that you’ll experience the full effect.

Let the experts deliver memorable results

Event planning can be extremely stressful, particularly around the festive season. Why not take the pressure off and involve a professional graphic design team in your planning and implementation? Not only will this take a huge chunk off your workload, it will also ensure the highest quality content is produced and promoted.

There are many complex layers to the task of event design. Many of which go unrecognised until the late stages in planning and preparation. Elements include website design and monitoring, campaign design, branding and promotion, to name a few!

Involving a professional design team in this process offers the prospect of massively amplifying brand awareness for your organisation, using experiential design best practices to produce an attractive and unforgettable experience.

Consistency is key with event design

When hosting an event, the overall goal is to impress your audience and ensure they have a wonderful time. Equally, you hope to receive the deserved recognition and reputation boost.

To achieve the optimum brand recognition and create a memorable impression with attendees, it is crucial that your event design is consistent. Whether your event is a one-off occurrence or a frequent experience, holding consistent design is advisable to ensure both a high standard of delivery and a familiar brand identity.

Maintaining this consistency can be difficult without the involvement of a professional in event design. Graphic designers are experienced in developing projects that hold a unform template through meeting careful considered brand guidelines; using brand fonts, design, imagery and colours. Without the correct software or design knowledge, implementing event design in-house can be both time consuming and unobtainable for your business.

Consider your attendee

Creating a sense of togetherness throughout your event branding is especially important where the attendee journey is concerned. The journey an attendee takes from entrance to exit needs to be subtly and strategically designed.

With all elements of the event working together, the journey from A to B should be seamless, that way, your audience will have the most immersive and engaging experience possible. Maintaining a sense of perspective throughout the event branding process guarantees results.

It’s by keeping one eye on the big picture, exploring how different elements interact and how they work to communicate your core message, that you’ll deliver a meaningful and memorable event.

The benefits of event design

Event design is a massively beneficial tool, promoting a top-class reputation and providing an inclusive feel for attendees. Whatever the definitive aim of your event is, whether it’s to boost brand exposure, advance awareness on a topic or promote sales and subscriptions, the journey an attendee takes from start to finish needs to be subtly and strategically designed.

Within Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have worked with a number of different businesses, right across Belfast and Northern Ireland, as well as event organisers themselves, to provide them with the right display products and design for their events.

Our designers will make sure that the design used for your event material are the best you can get, being both eye catching as well as durable, so that no matter where you are, potential customers and clients will notice you and want to come and talk to you.

To discuss a creative project, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

The Wonder of Wayfinding Design

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Wayfinding design is an enlightening experience, guiding and steering people through their surroundings. From arrow markers to directional stickers, the opportunities are endless to deliver a simply understood wayfinding design.

Whether you own a small warehouse or a skyscraper block of office space, wayfinding is a must. Everyone who visits your organisation, be it staff or visitors should be able to freely navigate their surroundings in a straightforward manner. The goal of wayfinding is to direct people through unfamiliar settings. To achieve this, a thorough planning and implementation is required, using the correct language, typography, colour palette, all of which maintain and boost your brand identity.

Create a positive atmosphere from the get go with wayfinding design!

We have all been there. Getting lost in a new environment is never fun and often leaves a feeling of embarrassment. This is not the desired association that brands want visitors to create when visiting their organisation. Hence, the importance of wayfinding design.

To combat any confusion from the get go, wayfinding navigation can be extremely useful. When providing navigation, it is crucial to deliver this in an easily interpreted manner, this will not only benefit attendees, it will also assist your staff members by reducing direction enquiries. Additionally, using a unique wayfinding design will help you to promote your brand throughout the location. 

The skill in designing wayfinding is understanding the visual and physical clues that help pull people through a space without the need for intensive signage. In doing so, the interpretive journey is much less stressful and therefore, much more enjoyable.

Seize the opportunity for some shameless self-promo

Designing your wayfinding design from scratch can provide many opportunities to boost brand recognition.  Yes, purchasing typical, generic signage will save your brand time and money but in the long run, it can depreciate your organisations reputation and brand identity.

In order to boost your brand identity at all times, it is important to seize every opportunity that comes your way. Incorporating your brand guidelines into all elements of your business is key, including that of wayfinding design. To promote and represent your brand highly, it is important to remain consistent in your design.

It is often the case where organisations invest highly in large-scale branding, leaving very little budget for smaller scale elements. Wayfinding design presents a unique opportunity, it is designed to be looked for. This alone should encourage organisations to avail of branded wayfinding, guaranteeing a boost in brand representation and incidentally, recognition.

What wayfinding design works for you?

Identification

Identification wayfinding design offers an informative clarification to visitors, outlining where they are presently located. This wayfinding signage is frequently used in offices, outlining rooms such as the ‘Meeting Room’.

Regulatory

Regulatory wayfinding is an extremely vital design, alerting individuals of regulations, rules and laws. These signs are essential when it comes to ensuring safety and compliance. Common regulatory wayfinding can be seen in ‘No Parking’, ‘No Smoking’ and ‘Wear a Mask’ signs.

Directional 

The most popular form of wayfinding is directional design. Directional wayfinding supports individuals in their journey around a specific location. Common directional signs point out entrances and exits.

Informational

The final category of wayfinding is informational design. Providing valuable information to individuals, informational wayfinding is commonly used to deliver answers to frequently asked questions, including ‘WIFI Available’ and ‘Free Parking’.

Wayfinding Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have widespread and detailed experience in designing wayfinding. Through working with numerous businesses across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, we have developed an esteemed portfolio in wayfinding.

We can help you progress your brand identity through wayfinding design. We can help you with the planning, design and implementation, ensuring this is executed appropriately and successfully.

Wayfinding can be unclear if designed unprofessionally. Our graphic designers are experienced in creating clear, attractive wayfinding designs. This ensures visitors experience a smooth and enjoyable journey.

We aspire to create wayfinding designs that make visitors almost spend as much time looking at it as they do with whatever they are on-site to see. To discuss a creative project for your business, get in touch with our esteemed team of graphic designers via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

Graphic Designer: Involve the Experts, Reap the Rewards

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Graphic designers are creative experts who produce visual concepts both digitally and traditionally. Creating complex and innovative designs, a graphic designer aspires to inform and inspire audiences. From website design, brochures, posters and social media graphics, graphic designers hold widespread experience across numerous industries.

In the modern day, many professionals would consider themselves to be a jack of all trades (yet a master at none). In many instances, organisations fail to see the benefit of involving a professional graphic design team in their plans. Many view graphic design as a DIY opportunity. This perception can unfortunately lead to poor results and a drop in reputation. The notorious excuse for this often links to financial savings. Yet, the question to ask yourself is, “yes, you are saving money, but are you wasting time and affecting your reputation?”

Of course, the service will cost you money but involving a graphic design expert in your campaign planning and implementation will be a massive asset to your success. The return on investment is guaranteed and what you pay out in money, you will regain in reputation. This collaboration will offer your business expert design insight, creating a recognisable, innovative design that will boost both brand recognition and identity.

DIY Graphic Designer Fails

DIY graphic designers can often be spotted a mile away. A logo created on Word; a poster designed on Photoshop… hey, congrats on the resourceful creativity, it works for some but unfortunately, the majority of times it does not. Incidentally, the lack of creative expertise could cost your company credibility.

Don’t get us wrong… if done correctly, DIY graphic design can be a functional and accessible tool for organisations. Yet, it is still advised that a graphic designer is involved to implement the technical design for your business.

Ask the Expert: Gain the Insight

As well as designing all of your content, a graphic designer can provide revolutionary insight into the industry. Graphic designers are connoisseurs in their field, with an imaginative flair like no other. They hold direct insight into the dos and don’ts of the design industry and this awareness can be crucial to your success.

Stick to the Status Quo

Although investing in a graphic designer is more expensive than a do-it-yourself job, it saves immense amounts of time for your organisation. This time can then be invested into your original area of expertise.  Win-Win really!

Instead of wasting countless hours trying to implement a technical graphic design campaign in-house, it is advised that you invest your money in a professional graphic designer, who can create first-class designs, in a fraction of the time.

Create a Lasting Impression with a Graphic Designer

You have heard it a million times before, first impressions are so important. In general, people take in graphics quicker than text. We are more likely to catch attention with an exciting graphic than with an engaging paragraph.

With this in mind, the involvement of a professional graphic designer is paramount, ensuring the visual design is excellent, achieving the desired first impression.

Trustworthy Design is Key

In the modern day especially, we are becoming less trusting. Due to the rise in scams and fake news, we have become more reserved when it comes to our consumer habits. When buying a product or service, consumers seek out reliable, identifiable brands to trust and purchase from.

A business should always aim to hold a recognisable brand identity. To ensure this, organisations must implement consistent designs to create and maintain a familiar company recollection with customers, clients and competitors.

Remaining consistent in design is key and without professional training, it can be difficult to maintain this. Graphic designers are familiar with remaining consistent through brand guidelines, sticking to agreed fonts, design, colour palette and measurements. Doing this will ensure a distinct brand, constantly boosting identity and remaining competitive in your industry.

Graphic Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, graphic design is our forte. We have executed a huge portfolio of design projects in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and beyond. Our esteemed reputation did not happen by accident, our design studio boasts and expertise, ensuring your graphic design is implemented to the highest standard possible.

From logo design, poster design, social graphics to vinyl signage, we have you covered.

If you are interested in involving a Graphic Designer in your brand, please contact our studio by calling us on +44 (0)28 95 072 007, emailing us at studio@kaizenbrandevolution.com or filling out the form on our contact page.

Belter Billboards for Summer 2022

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Billboards are a very important marketing tool in the modern day, particularly due to the extensive reach they can achieve. Regardless of the digital age in which we now live in, billboards continue to play an important role in the success of a marketing campaign.

Though the power of traditional platforms in advertising and marketing campaigns has reduced, it is important we do not discard the potential lasting impression it can have in real life. 

With online platforms, we can create giant, sweeping campaigns. These initiatives receive exposure across numerous social platforms, websites and digital advertisements.

Yes, these campaigns are innovative and will hold an impressive reach in audience but will it stop people in their tracks and catch attention? There is no doubt that an eye-catching billboard design will capture the attention of commuters, far and wide. As a physical marker that reaches thousands of people daily, a billboard design holds great potential for exposure, particularly if it holds an easily understood, memorable message.

Your Message is Key

Your billboard design requires measured consideration in order for it to hold a memorable impression. Think of a story, a slogan, an idea to use on your design. It is important that your billboard clearly states your call to action, encouraging people to take action upon seeing it.

The wording and style are equally important to the content itself. Many billboard viewers are going to be driving, walking, running or in a rush. Hence, it is important that your brand message is clear, straightforward, easily readable and snappy.

You want your billboard to tell a story. People remember stories, the basic details of it and the exciting points. One thing they do not recall when retelling a story is the facts. Hence, the incorporation of visual graphics in your billboard is also advised. Whether it is an image or a particularly recognisable colour pattern, choose something that will likely resonate with viewers.

Don’t Forget Font

We all know what a billboard looks like… huge. With such a large platform, it can be easy to get carried away with font, features and design. It is particularly important to get your font right, ensuring easy readability. We recommended that you use a legible, bold and clean font. 

It is important to remember that with billboards, you have a brief period of time to catch attention. You have approximately 6 seconds to make an impression with your billboard.

Consistency is Key, Especially with Billboards

People are creatures of habit. They rarely like change. It is important to channel this when conducting a brand design.

Your organisation should use the relevant and recognisable branding of their business to appear familiar to your target audience. Consistency is key and maintaining this through large-scale promotion will be extremely beneficial and boost brand identity.

Smaller Brand? Not a Problem

When we see a billboard, there is often an untrue connotation associated with it. Many think billboards are restricted to massive, corporate companies, who function on a large-scale basis. Yes, you are likely to see more of these due to an endless budget but the notion itself is untrue.

Billboards can be implemented for brands large, small, established and new. The association between large companies and billboards primarily comes from the idea that billboards are extremely expensive to create. This is also untrue. With the widespread reach and exposure your brand will achieve through a billboard campaign, the cost attached is relatively affordable and the results will undoubtedly see a return on investment. 

Location Location

A colossal benefit of billboards is that they are not secured down one audience. If tactically located, a billboard can catch the attention of numerous audiences, from numerous areas. A prime location for billboards is on a busy road, a popular walkway, an area that your target audience primarily live in.

Design your billboards with Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we are extremely experienced in graphic design. We take pride in creating billboards that are boldly displaced far and wide. Kaizen Brand Evolution have first-hand experience in recognising the benefits of investing in adshels and billboards for your company, providing top quality design to ensure success. Go big or go home with a 48-Sheet or 96-Sheet billboard. 

Advertising campaigns we won’t forget in a hurry

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Advertising provides a massive opportunity for organisations. If implemented correctly, brands can evolve their identity massively through advertising, particularly through print and digital platforms. When it comes to advertising design, whether it is a complete campaign review, or simply a one-off advertising campaign to promote a single product or service, it is crucial that everything is implemented to the highest of standards.

An advertising campaign, by definition is ‘an organised course of action to promote a product or service’. Hence, your advertising is what your customers can see and feel, when you are promoting your product or service. Ensuring the right message is portrayed at every step of the process is vital, and this can be implemented through well-thought-out, measured advertising design.

Considering implementing an advertising design? We have you covered. Check out a few of our favourite advertising campaigns in recent years that have worked a trick.

Share a Coke with: Kaizen

You would be hard-pressed in finding a person who is not familiar with the Coca-Cola empire. Although this is a wonderful position to be in, it also presents difficulties for the brand in creating a trailblazing advertising campaign, when they are already known on an extensive scale.

In 2011, Coca-Cola begun a revolutionary campaign, targeting an audience that not often receives global attention. The individual. Share a Coke With…, by Coca-Cola was an ingenious campaign that targeted the normal person, sending them on a hunt to find their name on the famous red and black bottle. Every Tom, Dick and Harry had their own personalised Coke bottle and it was, for a time, the greatest thing to happen!

Coca-Cola thought of everything with this campaign, promoting a sense of representation which is massively important in the modern day.

We either are them or we know them, but there are always a few frustrated individuals who can never find their name on personalised products. Coca-Cola had the foresight to consider this and offered a personalisation service, offering those unique named customers a customised bottle.

The localisation, representation and inclusivity were something to be admired with this campaign. Although a worldwide promotion, Coca-Cola customised their advertising campaigns to resonate with the audience within particular locations. For example; the billboards across Ireland boasted names such as Tadhg, Aoife and Roísín and those in Italy included local names such as Giuseppe, Rosalia and Franco.

McDonald’s – Our Food: Your Questions

Similarly to Coca-Cola, McDonald’s is a brand that requires little to no introduction. However, the associations with the McDonald’s brand have not always been positive. Over the years, there has been an ongoing debate about the quality of their food products.

We have all heard the rumours… but McDonald’s were keen to put those to bed, with a clever, transparent advertising campaign. Releasing a behind the scenes look into the McDonald’s brand, the fast-food chain answered questions about their food quality, products and reliability.

McDonald’s wanted to showcase to their customers that their opinion and concerns mattered. This campaign was not implemented quietly but showcased for the world to see, by answering over 20,000 questions on online platforms, as well as traditional platforms including billboards, train stations and in print.

What makes these advertising campaigns stand out from the crowd?

If we refer to the above examples of successful advertising, there are numerous patterns. Many of these patterns lead to the exposure and success of these campaigns.

Transparency in advertising campaigns

Trust is uncommon in the modern day. We are all sceptics, cautious of the catch and concerned about the consequences. Consumers seek transparency in brands prior to forming an opinion. Promoting a sense of transparency in your advertising campaign is massively beneficial. This will encourage confidence in your brand amongst important consumers, including investors, customers, clients and stakeholders.

McDonald’s were spot on with their transparent campaign, massively boosting their reputation by showing that they have nothing to hide from their customers. This incidentally changed the way a lot of people thought about McDonald’s and put to bed a lot of false rumours about the brand.

Localisation in advertising campaigns

Advertising campaign localisation is a massive opportunity for brands, particularly those that function on a worldwide scale. When a brand is universal, we often feel disconnected to their story.

There is a simple, yet effective way to combat this. Localisation. The process is often overlooked but is extremely beneficial and you will reap the rewards from consumers on a massive scale. Coca-Cola encapsulated this perfectly in their Share a Coke With… campaign. This initiative enforced a localised promotion across the world, from Cavan to Chicago to Croatia, they had it covered.

Building these associative terms brings a sense of familiarity and representation to brand identity. Which in turn will create a positive opinion and encourage association.

Advertising Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we work internationally with brands large and small, delivering a suite of digital assets through which to promote their business. From seasonal campaigns to reactionary creative concepts, we are always on hand to understand the creative brief and output the highest quality advertising designs.

Having one of the largest graphic design teams in the country, we are equipped to meet the demands of both large and small organisations. We work to the tightest of deadlines, while always retaining the highest level of design possible.

To discuss a creative project for your business, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

Retail Design: Remain Relevant

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Some may argue that retail stores are on the downward spiral when it comes to popularity. Unfortunately, this is the case in some situations, with consumers swapping out their shopping sprees with scrolling, but it is important we do not rule out the power of retail design completely.

Retail design can be an extremely powerful method of persuasion when it comes to encouraging consumers to shop in your store. Attractive retail design is key. You want it to stop people in their tracks and intrigue them.

An impressive design lends a hand in the success of a retailer. The overall goal is to develop a brand that consumers will choose. We all aspire to be the first choice, this is extremely relevant in the retail industry, due to the dropping popularity, as well as the dense competition.

Unfortunately, the industry progress in recent years has seen a new-found intricacy in the process of retail design.

Retail Design: A Customer Experience

Now more than ever, it is crucial to stand out in the crowd. This is no different when it comes to retail design, it is crucial to stand out in the high street or shopping centre!

To create an authentic retail design, you must incorporate your brand identity, bringing it to life through your physical store. A retail store should provide much more than simply products or services to customers. It should provide an experience that will resonate and bring a feeling that customers will identify with, when they consider your brand.

The Consistency within Brand Identity and Retail Design

A common misconception when developing a retail design is that it simply revolves around the physical store. Yet, a successful design will consider much more than simply what is in your bricks and mortar store.

Retailers must consider all elements of their brand identity. To maintain and boost their exposure, they should marry all of their design elements together, maintaining consistency and building familiarity. Ways in which this can be implemented includes a consistent font, logo, colour palette, design feature and retail store.

Create a Retail Design that Consumers will Trust

We now live in an era where unfortunately trust is not easily earned. Consumers have become extremely resilient to trust, particularly in the retail sector as the ‘too good to be true’ termis often proved to be factual.

An area that physical retail stores can use to their advantage is their trustworthiness. Having a real-life store brings a sense of reassurance and trust that online stores sometimes fail to deliver. However, it is important to note that competition is prevalent and shoppers are always going to prefer to spend their money in a retail store that has a polished branding and design.

With this in mind, it is important that brands maintain a premium retail design, updating it where necessary. Through an established retail design, brands have the opportunity to turn consumers into customers or clients by engaging with them through trust, understanding and memorable first impressions.

Incorporate Retail Trends

Trends come and go and it is important to recognise this. Yet, there is a fine line between an enduring trend and a passing phase, known as a micro trend. Longstanding trends will be an asset to your business, showcasing a forward-thinking approach. However, a miscalculated investment into a microtrend can be detrimental and a poor expenditure.

In times gone by, trends did not hold the power that they do now. The popularity of social media has provided a platform for worldwide exposure, reducing the timeframe for brands to hop on board the latest trends, in order to remain relevant. However, the investment of time and money must warrant a return on investment, so brands, particularly in retail must be smart to the areas in which they participate.

Retail Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

Our design team at Kaizen Brand Evolution is made up of some of Ireland’s most experienced professional graphic designers. Our team of experts have a unique skillset across numerous industries, including the retail industry. This insight has afforded us with a first-hand understanding into the retail environment, the opportunities and the complications to overcome.

Our knowledgeable and enthusiastic team strive to create considered retail design that is suited to your anticipated business vision.

Get in Touch

To discuss a creative project for your business, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

Social Media: Make an Impact

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Whether we like it or not, social media has quickly become a huge part of our day to day lives. From Instagram, Facebook, Twitter to LinkedIn, it is crucial that brands create an engaging presence online, promoting their products or services to the endless stream of scrollers.

Social media is an extremely advantageous platform for organisations to avail of. Providing the opportunity to maintain round the clock communication with customers, clients, stakeholders and the general public.

Unfortunately, society affords little consideration to those brands who choose to remain old-fashioned and stay clear of social media. Failing to withhold a recognisable online presence may lead to your organisation going unnoticed and falling behind social savvy competitors.

The Perks of Social Media

Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to the use of social media. Yet for instance, when it comes to business, the pros most certainly outweigh the cons. Social media is an incredibly valuable research tool for brands. The platform allows them to monitor competitors, connect with potential customers, investors and target audiences. These platforms also provide industry insight in real time, showcasing the top trends, as well as the passing fazes.

For brands that are either starting out or aiming to boost their brand identity and recognition, the use of social media is invaluable.

Impactful Social Campaigns we LOVE

Dove – #ShowUs

Dove is known for their impactful, human interest campaign design. Their widespread representation and positivity towards the human body is something to be admired. Particularly on social, where this is not always evident.

In 2021, Dove struck again with an impactful, user-generated campaign, cleverly captured with the name #ShowUs. The campaign was led with simplicity, asking social followers to show off their beauty, in all different shapes and sizes.

Through research, Dove discovered the disappointing representation of women in society. Body stereotypes are a massive issue worldwide and this campaign shone a light on the beautiful differences within us.

There is a key takeaway for brands from this campaign success. Dove’s #ShowUs campaign arguably performed so well due to its personal, relatable message, in which many consumers resonated with. In addition, the clever use of a hashtag quickly created a social trend, wherein online users could easily access other participants posts and interact with one another. When mind mapping ideas for your next social media campaign, think outside the box, consider your audience and incorporate your company values.

Spotify Wrapped

December. The month of Santa, Snow and Spotify Wrapped. Launched in 2015 and quickly rebranded in 2017, the Spotify Wrapped social media campaign promotes an aesthetically pleasing summary of an individual’s music habits for the year.

The ingenious graphic design team behind Spotify quickly caught on to the picture-perfect personas that we are all guilty of portraying on social media. The beautiful graphics, the fanciful filters and the desire to project our musical opinion, onto anyone that will listen.

Not only did Spotify excel with their own campaign, they also had a helping hand, with massive exposure from their audiences. A cool 1.2 million Spotify users shared the campaign to their own social media, promoting the platform, far and wide.

This campaign provides us with numerous learning curves, including the pinnacle point that is: it’s not what you post, its how you post it. Data is data, we see it every day, many of us shiver at the sight of a spreadsheet… so why is this campaign any different?

Let’s face it. Who is entertained by statistics? Long story short, everyone apparently, if it is presented in an #Instagramable design that allows you to show off your musical taste.

Genius Spotify, Genius.

Social Media Campaigns at Kaizen Brand Evolution

Kaizen Brand Evolution have a team of enthusiastic industry experts, who understand the dedication required to create and deliver an engaging social media campaign. Through evaluating your brand, as well as your proposed social platforms and target audience, we are able to categorise which areas you should be focusing on, in order to receive the best return on investment.

Are you struggling with your social media? Get in touch with Kaizen Brand Evolution for some industry tips. We can impart our wisdom through creating a detailed social plan, with stand-out designs and engaging material.

Availing of this service will not only resolve the confusion that comes with social media, but it will provide you with an understanding into the navigation of social media, affording you the knowledge to confidently manage your own social accounts in the future.

To discuss a logo design project, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

3 signs its time for a company re-brand

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

It isn’t uncommon for organisations to evolve and outgrow their initial branding concept. Think of it logically, we as individuals do not remain the same over time, we advance and grow, leading us down new avenues and directions in life.

What was once a perfect brand identity may now seem disconnected, outdated and in need of a revamp. In other cases, you may not have afforded enough attention to your branding concept when initially implementing this. If this is the case, it is paramount to realise this as early as possible and conduct a re-brand, allowing your organisation to progress, under a new, more fitting brand.

Is your brand is stuck in the past?

We are living in a fast-paced, ever-changing society. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Unfortunately, society can get very bored, very quickly and it is important to be reactive to this, in order to stay relevant.

It is no surprise that things become outdated, out of touch and in need of a refresh. We all get to the point where we need a new car, a new phone and a new haircut. It is no different in the business world. Your brand may have been the next best thing when it stepped onto the scene but unless it keeps up with the times, it may fall behind and fail to maintain its position in a very saturated market.

It is recommended that you regularly examine your brand logo, design, website, storefront, merchandise and print advertising to check if it remains relevant.

Re-brand if your identity no longer represents your purpose

As previously mentioned, it is expected that brands will grow and change over time. This evolution cannot be predicted when initially developing a brand identity. Hence, it is important to recognise this and consider a re-brand once developments have been made.

A brand identity must showcase your organisation in all of its glory, making it clear to clients, customers and stakeholders what it exactly is that you offer.

What is the point in making company advancements if you are not going to show them off through innovative branding?

Re-brand if you are trying to target a new audience

Target audiences grow and change over the years. This is all to do with societies trends and the age groups that are associated with these trends.

A prime example of this is the recent surge of popularity in Crocs. Until 2021, Crocs were considered to be a fairly ‘uncool’ brand of shoes amongst young people. Targeted at an older audience, as well as medical staff for work purposes, Crocs were rarely entertained by an adolescent. This all changed in the summer of 2021. Crocs became a major hit with young people and this was all down to their launch of ‘platform crocs’ which boasted a higher sole and youthful colours. Since this surge in popularity, Crocs have grabbed the attention and ran, evolving their brand in many ways, in order to secure their new, youthful target market.

When monitoring your brand progress, it is important to research your target audience to get a feel for what they are interested in. This will allow your business to adapt in order to meet the needs and desires of this market. If you fail to consider this element, your brand will fall behind and receive an outdated reputation.

Re-brand your organisation with Kaizen Brand Evolution

Here at Kaizen Brand Evolution, we are experts at re-branding. We have a widespread team of experts who are equipped with industry insight. In order to create the perfect re-brand for your business, we take the process very seriously, with a step-by-step plan of action.

In the initial stages, we will take a brief from our client, deconstruct this and have a number of our experienced designers interpret it in their own, unique and innovative way. We place the client at the centre of everything we do and aim to involve them in the process, every step of the way. Once our team has carefully considered the brief, we will invite the client into view all possible design concepts, discuss them and give them time to choose a favourite to move forward with. Once a final concept is chosen, the magic begins and the process of bringing a re-brand to life unfolds.

When choosing a re-branding with Kaizen Brand Evolution, we appreciate it can be difficult to decide on a new brand identity. In order to make the process easier for our clients, we create our design concepts using real life resources and produce digital images to match your industry. For example; if you are hoping to re-brand your music store, we will create digital images of a music store and fill it with the design concepts to give you a real life feel of what it would look like.

Have we convinced you that now is the time to re-brand?

To discuss a creative project or re-brand for your business, get in touch with our team via the contact form or on 028 95072007.

Inspiration for your Brand Implementation

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Congratulations on your new brand, a wonderful achievement for your business. However, the evolution does not stop there. The next steps are just as crucial to ensure your branding is presented in the highest value possible.

Brand Implementation is an essential part of any brand creation and a step in the process that is often overlooked. A new brand is an exciting, evolutionary experience for your business. Yet, if it is not showcased appropriately, it can develop a motionless and stagnant reputation.

Don’t forget to show off what you have created!  

When conducting a brand refresh, organisations will gladly invest large sums of money into the creation of a robust and engaging brand identity. From research to design to campaign consideration, businesses will often invest as much as it takes to position their company in the best light possible. Yet, when it comes to showcasing all of this to the world, this can often fall short.

Share your ever-evolving brand

Brand Implementation is paramount, to display your brand refresh and deliver the desired message about your organisation in your industry and beyond.

When you have created your new brand, it is paramount to showcase to your customers, clients, stakeholders and wider audience that your organisation is constantly developing, growing and excelling. Promoting your rebrand is just as important, if not more important than creating it.

Tell your story

Organisations share their story through their branding. In order for a brand to be successful, people must be able to see it, hear about it and hold an engaging connection with it.

Delivering a successful Brand Implementation

Whether you have conducted a brand refresh or created a new, exciting brand from scratch, it is important to let the world in on your exciting project, as soon as possible. This can be implemented through numerous platforms, encompassing physical, digital, word-of-mouth and more.

Traditional Brand Implementation

One way to implement your brand would be through producing printable goods. Common examples of physical brand implementation would be posters, business cards and flyers. For example, if your brand is a shop, it may be a good idea for some brochures advertising the good you sell, or if you work remotely, business cards may be an ideal investment.

Here at Kaizen Brand Evolution, we are lucky to have a wonderful sister company and printing studio, Kaizen Print. This service provides convenience and opportunities for our clients, wherein Kaizen Print can create premium physical products for your business. From small format, to large format printing, Kaizen Print have you covered, ensuring you have a high-quality, eye-catching brand implementation people will remember.

Digital Brand Implementation

On the other hand, digital brand implementation is an extremely widespread area of opportunity. This is how your organisation appears online, including your website, making sure it is purposeful, engaging and designed well. As well as this, it is paramount to ensure your social accounts are designed purposefully and catch the attention of online users. It is important to make the most of these useful tools to help increase your brand awareness and sales.

Digital brand implementation can be exciting and engaging across numerous platforms. At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we can help you implement this to the highest of standards. Our esteemed design team can create revolutionary designs that will be sure to make your brand promotion stand out. From website banners, to social media assets, we have your digital brand implementation covered.   

Brand Implementation is Continuous

A common occurrence that organisations can face is an initial brand implementation and a failure to continuously promote afterwards. It is important for businesses to realise that brand implementation is a continuous task and must be applied at all times.

Incidentally, brand implementation is an unremitting part of the branding, marketing and advertising process for any business. In order for an organisation to achieve and maintain recognition, brand implementation must remain continuous and steady via all communication and publication channels.

Get in touch with Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen, we specialise in evolving brands, creating and maintaining modern identities that you will love.

We also recognise how important continuous brand implementation is. With widespread branding experience, we have worked across a vast industry base, including hospitality, finance, IT, print and science, effectively sharing company messages, communicating their stories and delivering evolution.

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, the customer is at the heart of everything we do. We will work directly with you to showcase your company to the highest of standards.

Get in touch with Kaizen today.

Event Design: Make a Comeback to Remember

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Unfortunately, like almost everything, events have taken a backseat over the last 2 years. The anticipation surrounding the planning and preparation is something we all miss and hope to once again experience in the near future.

As the world begins to recover and reawaken, the opportunities are endless. With the correct planning and implementation, you can make a comeback to remember. 

Whether you are hosting your own event or attending a trade show, it is equally important to make a memorable impression on your audience or attendees.

Happy people tell the world, disappointed people tell the world faster.

When it comes to events, it is paramount to create a function that is to a high-standard for all in attendance. To obtain a premium reputation with customers, clients, stakeholders and potential investors, the attention to detail should be unmatched.

Event design is an extremely important element when hosting. Yet, it is a stage in preparation that commonly gets overlooked or rushed. Poorly designed and implemented event elements, such a branding is often easily spotted and this can be detrimental to your company reputation and image.

Involve a graphic design team in your event preparation

To ensure you pull out all the stops when event hosting or attending a trade show, the involvement of a graphic design team is advised, to ensure the highest quality content is produced and promoted.

Event design is a complex tool, covering many areas, including animation, website content, campaign design and promotional design. Incorporating a professional team in the event design process offers the prospect of massively amplifying brand awareness for your organisation. Using experiential design best practices will undoubtedly produce an engaging and memorable experience.

Consistency is Key

When hosting an event or attending a trade show, the overall goal is to impress your audience. In order to achieve brand recognition and create a memorable impression, consistency in event design is key. Whether your event is a one-off occurrence or a frequent experience, holding consistent design is advisable to ensure both a high standard of delivery and a familiar brand identity.

Maintaining this consistency can be difficult without the involvement of a professional in event design. Graphic designers are experienced in developing projects that hold a uniform template through meeting careful considered brand guidelines; using brand fonts, design, imagery and colours. Without the correct design knowledge, implementing event design in-house can be time consuming and unobtainable for your business.

Spectators are Supreme

When running an event or participating in a trade show, creating an engaging and impressive journey for attendees is paramount. Ensuring your event provides an engaging and immersive experience for attendees is key. This can be implemented through numerous measures, including premium design, delivering your core message in an expressive and engaging way.

Gain Expert Advice

Involving a professional in the event design for your business holds endless possibilities. Opportunities include access to advice and insight from experienced industry experts. Graphic designers are specialists in their field, working in the event industry frequently. Hence, they hold an updated and evolving understanding of trends, the event dos and don’ts and the vast opportunities available. This insight can be massively beneficial for your business, creating a competitive edge when hosting events or attending trade shows.

Event Design at Kaizen Brand Evolution

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have widespread and detailed experience in the event industry. Through working with businesses across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, we have developed an esteemed portfolio in event design. As well as working with businesses, we have also collaborated with event organisers directly, providing professional design advice and execution to ensure the correct display of products and design for their events.

From content design, including logos, posters, roller banners, and even packaging design for table favours to website design and animation for presentations and video features, we have you covered. Kaizen Brand Evolution can guarantee that your event design requirements are planned, implemented and executed to the highest standard, boosting your position as a premium focused organisation.

Hosting an event in 2022 or attending a trade show and want to stand out from the crowd? Kaizen Brand Evolution can help you out.

If you are interested in involving a Graphic Designer in your event design, please contact our studio by calling us on +44 (0)28 95 072 007, emailing us at studio@kaizenbrandevolution.com or filling out the form on our contact page.

Annual Report Design – Telling a Compelling Story

Posted on by Michael
Irish Football Association Annual Report Design - Kaizen Brand Evolution
Irish Football Association 2020 annual report design created by Kaizen Brand Evolution

The Annual Report is a critical part of a good business marketing strategy, both internally and externally.  Above all, it is the story of your business, whether it be for your investors, your customers or even your employees.  Annual Reports typically include:

  • The company’s financial data summary
  • Financial statements
  • General corporate information
  • Auditor’s report
  • Accounting policies
  • Financial transactional highlights
  • Letter from the CEO
  • Company Partners/Members’ Portfolios

Reasons Why Annual Reports are Important

An annual report is primarily for giving company financial performance to investors, but has evolved and therefore it is key your company should go with an impactful report. Go with a professional to make the most of your annual report design.

Annual Reports Communicate With Investors

Annual Reports are an integral part of a strategy to attract and retain investors, and ultimately illustrates proper management.  Above all, regular communication is good to keep everyone informed and the annual report is your most critical communication.

Builds Customer Trust

Annual Reports inform on a company’s statistics and vision, building trust in the brand.  They are also key to conveying the company’s stability and profitability.

Attracts & Retains Employees

No longer solely for investors, the annual report reassures employees with company success and awareness of any pitfalls/issues.  In addition, annual reports illustrate that the employer understands the marketplace and above all, has a vision.

Informs & Influences the Media

Reporters monitor and give details of a company’s fiscal year performance, health and future plans for coming fiscal years. In addition, any impacts to the community are illustrated.  Therefore, a clear and concise report is paramount in ensuring the correct message is conveyed.

Highlights Achievements

The annual report recaps the company’s mission statement, history and goals.  Following, it conveys the successes over the fiscal year, including but not limited to financial success, market share achievements, research progress, or any employee awards.

Therefore, engaging your audience is key and how to engage has evolved.  Annual report design is focused on visual content which compliments the text and holds the attention of your audience.

Compelling Annual Report Design Strategies

Statistics Featured With Infographics

Infographics should be kept focused.  A high level understanding of the presented statistic must be instant and should retain the attention of your audience.  There are various infographics you can select from to present your statistics effectively:

  • Statistical
  • Timeline
  • Process
  • Geographic
  • Informational
  • Hierarchical

A professional annual report design consultation with an expert can advise on what infographics can be utilised for a most effective presentation.

Effective Data Illustration

Your annual report is the story of your company’s fiscal year.  Think of it as a story and present it as such.  Use a unique cover page to grab the audience’s attention and interest.  The cover should include infographic elements and photography to best leave a favourable impression on your audience.

Share some of the main company highlights in the beginning of your report.  Allow your audiences to understand what you want them to readily comprehend.

Effective Photography Use

Photography adds the human element to your annual report.  When utilised effectively, photography an attract and inspire investors and shareholders, having a measureable effect on their decision making.

Following determining which pages would benefit from photography use, consult with an annual report designer to position in the most compelling way to grip your audience.  High-resolution photography is best practice to use in your report design.

Make It Interactive & Engaging

Keep the audience engaged with any relevant video presentations, image presentations, GIFs, and other elements in the digital form of your report.  Various interactive elements including graphs, subtle animations and characters will assist in making your annual report more compelling.  You want your audience inspired and engaged to review your most critical communication and adding some life will guarantee that.

Comparison Infographic

Giving context to your company’s performance allows you to tell the fulsome story about your fiscal year, without any ambiguity.  Comparison infographics clearly illustrate year on year performance effectively and efficiently.  Future growth expectations can also be made impactful with the use of comparison infographics.  A professional annual report designer can assist in advising on most impactful utilisation of comparison infographics.

Create a Short Motion Graphic

Make your report enticing and exciting.  Thank, welcome and impress audiences by creating a short motion graphic to introduce your report. 

There are many elements to consider when drafting your annual report, notwithstanding the content itself.  The story is one critical element to convey, but how you iterate that story is just as crucial for a successful annual report.  Consider your audience and how you want to convey the story of your company’s fiscal year in the most engaging and enticing manner.  It is your grandest statement, therefore, your design should be grand and well laid out.

Start a Project With Us

To begin an annual report project with Kaizen, or to discuss how we might work together further, please get in touch. Our client services team are available to contact on 028 9507 2007. Alternatively you can send us a direct message via the contact form. We look forward to working with you soon!

Rejuvenate your Packaging Design in 2022

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

A new year brings endless opportunities. It is a time for change, a time for evolution, a time for doing better. This should be no different in your business. As your organisation enters 2022, take time to consider the areas that could do with a revival and refresh.

An asset in organisations that often gets overlooked is packaging design. Yes, it is essentially the final step in the buying and selling process for your company but is a massively important asset to your brand identity.

Whether it is packaging that will appear pride of place in your retail store, packaging that will be photographed and promoted through your online store or packaging that will be used for online orders and delivered to your valued customers door, it is important to stand out, remain consistent and boost your brand identity.

They say “don’t judge a book by its cover” but believe it or not, we all do it, especially as a consumer. Often, a packaging design alone is enough to draw your attention to a product, be it online or in-store. Incidentally, the design of your packaging has the power to make or break a customer’s buying decision.

Make a Stand-Out First Impression with your Packaging Design

First impressions are key. This is no different in the buying process. We often find ourselves gravitating towards products that hold exciting designs, be it online or instore, the likelihood is, if the design stands out, you will investigate.

On the other hand, we often find ourselves overlooking products that have poorly designed packaging. This often links to our belief on first impressions – ‘if the packaging isn’t exciting, the product inside probably isn’t either’.

This is an area wherein many organisations face issues. You can invest a fortune in your product, website, brand identity, but if your packaging fails to showcase how brilliant your product is, it is likely to fail.

Let your Packaging Design Tell your Story

When developing a packaging design, it is important to consider a brand-new customer, one who has never heard of your products or services. Taking this approach will ensure your packaging tells a story about your brand, guaranteeing that customers will understand what you are aiming to achieve.

Packaging must be educational and informative in order to work. Although it is desired that customers recognise your brand identity, this is not always the case and you must be prepared for this eventuality.

The 5 W’s

Who, When, What, Where and Why?

When creating a design for your products, it is advisory to incorporate the trusty 5 W’s. Who are your target audience? When are your target audience going to realise what the product is based on the packaging? What is the product inside the packaging and does the design represent this? Where are your target audience going to come into contact with your packaging? Why have you chosen to design your packaging in a particular way?

Consider the Logistics

Although the design is our primary focus with your packaging, it is paramount to ensure that it is a manageable design, boasting the correct elements to guarantee functionality. Your packaging must be a protective shield for the product inside, as well as providing the necessary information for a customer to know what the product is. Additionally, your packaging design must be eye-catching on the shelf or the web page, this is so important, ensuring it draws the customers attention to your product, over a competitor’s product.

Packaging Design with Kaizen

At Kaizen, we recognise the importance of packaging design. We hold esteemed relationships with packaging printers across the UK and Ireland to guarantee our packaging can be proficiently developed to ensure success for your product.

Kaizen can create packaging design for a wide variety of products, including food packaging sleeves, gift bags, gift boxes, labelling and essentially all types of outer packaging.

With esteemed clients such as Bushmills Whiskey, Slims Healthy Kitchen and Thompsons Rum, Kaizen have an outstanding team of experts, who have advanced packaging design for many products, ensuring they appear pride of place in-store and online.

POWER UP YOUR POSTERS

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

To this day, posters have an extremely important role in organisations marketing, advertising and promotional strategies. Although a relatively traditional method of communication, posters remain essential for businesses worldwide.

According to Forbes, people are 70% more likely to remember a business promoted in print in comparison to businesses promoted solely through online communication platforms. 

With this in mind, it is pertinent to place considerable importance on the development of posters through research, the involvement of graphic designers and the opinions of those with experience and expertise.

The Perks of Posters

Exposure

A massive benefit of using posters as a method of promotion for your business would be the heightened exposure they generate. As a static piece of information, posters have the power to captivate people in ways scrolling on social media cannot.

In order to achieve the highest exposure possible, it is paramount that your organisation considers the importance of poster location. Choosing a position that will reach high volumes of footfall is key, catching the attention of as many people as possible.

Additionally, posters hold the power of flexibility. They can be stuck up on a wall, placed on a table, handed out to commuters… the possibilities are endless. Hence, the importance of a carefully crafted poster design to stand out amongst the crowd.

Recognising your target audience is key. Posters can be often overlooked when it comes to target marketing. Through internal monitoring of engagement, your business should hold a clear idea of a target market. With this information, your business holds the opportunity to engage with interested consumers through visiting areas in which the target audience would frequent to distribute posters. For example: youth clubs, universities, gyms.

Cost Effective

A massive perk to promoting your business through posters links to the cost. The creation, printing and distributing of posters is a relatively cost effective and rewarding initiative.

The longevity of posters enables an impressive return on investment, particularly in comparison to a digital poster, in which will disappear in as little as a *refresh*. Digital posters, although an incredible piece of promotion, are short-lived, remaining on social timelines for short periods of time. Opposingly, printed posters hold a more permanent position, at a similar or lesser cost.

Posters Boost Trustworthiness

It is a well-known fact that online media holds its limitations when it comes to reliability and trustworthiness. Particularly in recent years, the epidemic that is fake news has resulted in a mass reduction of faith in online communication platforms. With this in mind, print media once again holds massive opportunities that were once seen as outdated. Incidentally, the use of posters to promote your business can be seen as a reputable and credible point of communication with consumers.

Increase Brand Awareness

When creating a poster design, it is important to consider your brand identity in the hopes of increasing brand awareness. Businesses should aim to engage with their audience in a consistent way to encourage brand recognition and association.

Kaizen believe that poster design should encompass a recognisable and undeviating design, increasing brand awareness consistently.

Kaizen promote that a poster design should incorporate:

  • Company logo
  • Consistent Colour Scheme
  • Call to Action (contact details / web address)
  • Company Text / Font

Kaizen can help YOU

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, our team of experienced graphic designers have worked on a remarkable number of print campaigns, including poster design. Kaizen have an experienced and dedicated team of graphic designers, and have helped many local and national companies get their print marketing campaign right. We design with purpose and through a measured conversation with you, we will recognise and design your poster accordingly. Whether you need an A3 short run digital poster or an A0 nightclub poster, we’ve created thousands of poster designs for companies like yours.

Poster Portfolio

Kaizen are proud to maintain a competitive and considerable portfolio of poster designs for businesses, proudly promoted throughout the following industries:

  • Hospitality
  • Medical Practices
  • Retail Stores
  • Universities and Schools
  • Art Galleries
  • Council Offices
  • Third Sector Organisations
  • Nightclubs and Bars

At Kaizen, we recognise that developing a poster design is a very unique process that requires careful thought surrounding the design, the distribution and content and the measurements. With wide-spread experience, our graphic designers will create the perfect poster design to meet your promotional goals.

Contact Kaizen to discuss the development of a poster design today.

LEVEL UP YOUR LOGO DESIGN

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

A company logo is an important, stand-out design that will immediately engage with the public. A symbol to promote brand recognition, logos are a key element in the buying process, encouraging customers to invest in your company.

In the modern day, it is paramount to remain vigilant to the ever-changing industries. Organisations must ensure their logos align with company values to enable a stand-out position in the market, remaining competitive and evolutionary.

A logo speaks a thousand words for your business, hence the importance it resonates with the audience. From the typeface, to the mark or symbol, it is important to choose carefully, representing your company in the best possible manner.

Logo Blunders

A common mistake that organisations make is failing to recognise the power and importance of a company logo. More often than not, businesses consider their logo to be a miniscule design element in the bigger picture. This results in a rushed, poorly thought-out design that inevitably fails to showcase the business in all its glory.

DIY Logo?

Ever been tasked with a logo design project from a family member? The vast majority of us can vouch for this statement. Merely showing interest in the digital world can convince relatives you are a graphic design genius, resulting in gaining the responsibility to design posters, content and the all-important company logo. Although this is a cheap and cheerful solution, it can be spotted a mile away and fails to showcase your company as a premium, reputable business.

Invest for the Best

An important realisation for any business is investment is key. The longevity and top-quality service will stand the test of time for your company, particularly when it comes to design. A logo design holds an equal power status to that of your products, services and indeed your workforce. Consumers will resonate with company logos that are captivating and this will incidentally boost your reputation and position of trust and establishment.

Fake it until you Make it

As previously mentioned, a well-executed logo design holds the power to position your company as an established, reputable and premium organisation. This is a massive opportunity for businesses just starting out, providing them with an initial platform to build upon. Holding an established reputation from the get go is a massive opportunity for start-up businesses, showcasing your goals and aspirations through a recognisable and premium brand identity.

Logo Design: Where to Begin?

When embarking on a journey to achieve the perfect logo design, it is paramount to carefully consider all elements of your business, its aspirations and its purpose. You must also have a clear understanding of your audience, what they like and aspire to receive from your company. Having a logo that clients resonate with is key, showcasing your business as a customer focused organisation.

Consistency is Key

Having a stand-out logo will make your job considerably easier when it comes to designing artwork, advertisements and merchandise. The colour scheme chosen for your logo will become your staple colour scheme for all thinks design and artwork. This will reduce the time, effort and resources required when developing additional design elements, such as social media content, artwork for billboards and newspaper advertisements.

Inconsistency promotes a fragmented and unproductive reputation for a business, dropping the establishment of a recognisable brand identity and reducing trust. Holding a clear logo, theme and colour scheme will be a massive asset to your organisation, maintaining a clean image and consistent focus. In most cases, the starting point to creating a design package like this is through creating a logo.

Recognisable Logos

Once you have a brilliantly designed logo, the opportunities are endless. The goal for any business is to hold such a strong brand identity that their customers recognise them by their logo alone.

The swooped tick, the giant M, the 3 stripes… we all know them from that simple visualisation. Be it on a global scale, with the likes of Nike, McDonald’s or Adidas or a national scale, with the likes of Boojum, the Guinness Harp or the GAA, there are many instantaneously recognisable logo designs that you will be familiar with due to their unique colour palette or design style.

Moreover, the majority of recognisable logos maintain a very minimalistic design, with very little fuss and indisputably sleek.

How Kaizen can help YOU

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, we have designed hundreds of logos for businesses nationwide. Our experience and understanding of many market sectors and the ability to draw on our skill, ensures we are experts in logo creation. With one of the largest design studio teams, our focus is always on creating a stand-out logo to represent your business to the highest standard possible.

Revamp your Retail Design with Kaizen

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Although online shopping has evolved into a primary buying habit for many spenders, in-store retail shopping is extensively encouraged to save the High Street and #ShopLocal. For retailers who own physical stores, it is paramount to possess a recognisable brand identity and retail design that invites customers into an experience they will want to relive over again.

The last 20 months has presented extraordinary complications for the retail sector, with massive loss in sales, lockdowns and store closures. As we slowly but surely get back to a sense of normality within the retail industry, there is an enhanced emphasis on the importance of shopping local. This presents a massive opportunity for retail businesses who operate in a physical setting. There is no time quite like the present to revamp your retail design, reintroducing shoppers to the wonderful and exciting world of local retail stores.

Brand Identity

When creating a retail design, it is important to base your project around brand identity. Incorporating your retail brand identity into your physical store boosts customer recognition which will only bring people back. The end goal of a retail design campaign is for customers to identify your brand, know what you sell and understand your company goals.

Consistency is Key

Retail stores are unique, there is no pop-up advertisements, notifications or email alerts to entice customers into the store. It relies on the visual design and store presentation to engage with passing footfall. Incidentally, when it comes to developing your retail design, it is paramount to maintain a uniform focus across all branding. From storefront displays and shopping bags to webpages and social media, there must be a consistent design that is recognisable amongst all company elements.

Eye-Catching Engagement

Retail stores rely on their merchandise to catch the attention of shoppers. Essentially, current customers are representing the brand by carrying a shopping bag around town, influencing others into the store. To ensure you stand out to shoppers, perfecting your retail design is key. Having a design that stands out amongst the crowd is a necessity, enticing people to explore what you have to offer in-store.

Let your Retail Design do the Talking

Brilliant designs tell stories. Let your retail design speak for itself by ensuring it incorporates the personality of your brand. When revamping your retail design, it is important to envisage what a brand-new shopper would experience…

  • Does the design tell your story?
  • Will it represent your goals and aspirations?
  • Does it appear engaging and interesting?

No matter how good your retail store is, poor representation through retail design can reduce footfall, sales and consequently, success.

To successfully convey your retail company, incorporate your personality. This can be implemented through colour, font, slogans and design. Often overlooked, these elements are extremely important, catching the attention of customers and delivering a lasting first impression. As mentioned previously, it is equally important to implement this across all promotional platforms, be it in-store, online or through advertising to ensure consistency.

Boost Reputation and Trust

Reputation and trust are undoubtedly two of the most important achievements for a business. These are attained through professional and strategized planning and implementation. It is understandable that shoppers prefer to spend their money in retail stores that have polished branding and design. Through an established retail design, shoppers will turn into customers as they engage with what your business through building trust and understanding of what you have to offer. 

Contact Kaizen to Revamp your Retail Design in 2022

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, our graphic design team is made up of some of Ireland’s most qualified professionals. Our first-hand experience within the retail industry is a reassuring bonus for customers. We guarantee a unique understanding of both the obstacles and opportunities presented to your business. With this knowledge, we strive to deliver a high-quality service that will boost your retail design massively.

Keeping up with Kaizen: Rebranding

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

2022. A year holding massive anticipation. 

A year we hope to once again prosper, flourish and succeed.

A year we hope to once again celebrate in style at events, launches and awards.

The much-anticipated return of normality within the industry has provoked an inspiring hunger within companies to excel, rebrand and surpass their previous reputation.

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, our main focus is creating brilliant concepts to evolve your brand and achieve incredible company results. Kaizen work directly with clients to gain an accomplished understanding of their goals and ambitions. Kaizen take pride in their passion and dedication and through our knowledge and expertise, we guarantee admirable outcomes.

Have you been thinking about rebranding, improving your design, or changing your logo?

There has never been a better time to change things up. As we (hopefully) reintroduce ourselves back into normality, why not make some changes to your company that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Keeping up with the constantly evolving trends in society is a massive task but doing so will be rewarded. Kaizen believe it is important to evolve your company brand to boost engagement and productivity. When choosing how to brand your organisation, it is paramount that it clearly reflects exactly what your company stands for. If done correctly, a company rebrand can be a ground-breaking transformation, boosting your organisation’s brand exposure, recognition and awareness.

Why rebrand in 2022?

Has your company focus progressed?

We have all overcome massive obstacles, improved our workforce and boosted our productivity. Sometimes organisations change and outgrow their initial company focus. Many organisations have ventured into areas they never deemed possible before. This is all wonderful but if people cannot recognise this from your brand, you’re missing a trick.

Keep up with the evolving industry by rebranding

The last 2 years have resulted in unanticipated change that nobody could have prepared for. The way we function as professionals has evolved through vast adaptability… working from home, shopping online and communicating remotely are all phrases we have become accustomed to. Very few companies escaped the mass commotion that the pandemic presented, resulting in widespread changes.

Kaizen believe it is paramount that your company has a brand that is relatable and up-to-date, hence the decision to rebrand may be pertinent for you at the moment. The constantly transforming industry has resulted in out-of-touch company branding and what was once considered brilliant, may no longer hold relevancy in a post-pandemic world.

Curb your competitors

Standing out from the crowd is so important. Reaching the target audience ahead of competitors is key and holding a clear and diverse image will enable that. Authenticity is to be admired in the modern day and it is paramount to seek methods to be conspicuous above competitors.

When considering a rebrand, it is important to look at the evolution that has occurred in your industry.

  • Has there been an influx of competitors since your previous brand update?
  • Have your available products and services changed?
  • Do you have a revolutionary unique selling point you believe you could promote further?

It is anticipated that the majority of answers to the above questions are ‘yes’. To ensure your organisation holds a stand-out reputation, it is important to remain ahead of the curve, ensuring you uphold existing clients, target future customers and engage with competitors’ clients.

Kaizen recognise a reoccurring pattern; companies are afraid to change. ‘Why fix what isn’t broken?’. Unfortunately, sitting tight with the safe option frequently consequences a company getting lost in an intensifying crowd of competitors. In order to excel, you must implement calculated thought into being an innovative organisation and incidentally endorse this through unique branding.

An effective rebrand can open doors into new markets, target new customers and position your organisation with an updated demographic and appropriately showcase your company focus.

Motivate your company to do greater things by rebranding

In all aspects of life, remaining consistently motivated is tough. Sometimes all we need is change to reignite the fire within – be it new trainers for the gym, a new diary for work or brand-new rebranding.

Think of it this way… if you are passionate about something, it is important to invest heavily into ensuring it excels. A company rebrand could boost your organisation into the next level, motivating the introduction of even greater things.

Rebranding gains recognition and this is the perfect opportunity to reach out into the industry, taking the plunge and trying new things. Rebranding offers a clean slate for your organisation, utilise this opportunity to introduce brand-new products/services, boost your social media presence and explain your goals and aspirations.

Keep up with Kaizen

At Kaizen, we specialise in brand identity, graphic design, digital, packaging, websites and animation. Evolving brands, Kaizen create modern identities that you will love.  We aim to tell you the truth, designing work that resonates with clients and customers.

With widespread branding experience, we have worked across a vast industry base, including hospitality, finance, IT, print and science, effectively delivering company messages truthfully, communicating their stories and delivering evolution.

It is expected that organisations will evolve over time, expanding their brand identity and focus. In other cases, an organisation may fail to recognise the importance of their branding until they are struggling. Kaizen acknowledge your individual circumstances and will focus on rebranding to suit you.

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, the customer is at the heart of everything we do. We will work directly with you to create a brand that suits your vision and focus, showcasing your company to the highest of standards.

Have we convinced you that 2022 is the perfect time to rebrand your company?

Get in touch with Kaizen about rebranding today.

Tis’ the Season to Spruce up your Social Media

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Social media is undoubtedly one of, if not the most powerful tool for your company. Whether its Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok, it is paramount to get out in front, promoting what you do to the endless stream of scrollers.

Social media is an incredible platform for organisations to maintain real time communication with customers, clients and the public. Hence, continuously updating your platform is key.

Track your Insights

It is paramount that your organisation monitors social media usage, ensuring you reach the highest return on investment possible. Tracking insights is the first step in achieving this. Conveniently, the majority of social media platforms understand the importance of chasing insights and have made doing this accessible through a simplified in-platform tool. These tools enable social media users to familiarise themselves with their audience through informative measurements such as reach, shares, gender and age range.

Evolutionary organisations can utilise the data obtained through tracking to evolve their social media campaigns, advancing their audience through engaging and informative posts that appeal to them.

Minimal Cost

There has to be some perks in life… and social media definitely has its perks. Cost effective marketing is key for your organisation and this can certainly be achieved with a brilliant social campaign.

Although social media requires intense purpose and time, it holds massive cost-effective opportunities. It is recommended that every organisation invests into their social campaigns to gain the deserved exposure and reach. It is advised that significant research is invested into social platforms, identifying cost-effective strategies that do not break the bank. Additionally, in some cases, free, organic social posts can perform incredibly well which is a massive boost for your company.

Timing is Key

Posting on social media presents vast opportunities but if not carefully distributed, it can get lost in an endless crowd of competition. Timing is everything. You could have an impeccable social media campaign but the benefits are often overlooked if posted at an incorrect time.

Getting to know your audience has never been as simple as it is presently. Through tracking your audience’s activity, you can gain an accurate understanding into their social habits, with active time being one of them.

Posting content at optimal time, when the majority of your audience are active on social media is key. This will encourage their interaction, ensure their visibility and boost your engagement.

Interactive posts

Interactive posts are an ingenious tool that has been incorporated into social platforms in recent years. To maintain interest from your audience, we recommend the incorporation of interactive posts, encouraging them to engage through ‘question & answer’ sessions, polls and competitions.

Promoting these activities will not only boost interaction between your company and audience but will also encourage a more understood relationship. Obtaining insight through interactive content allows your organisation to become familiar with your audience on a deeper level, pulling out their interests, requirements and opinions. Holding an in-depth understanding of your audience is a huge benefit, guaranteeing you the power to produce social campaigns that are relatable, innovative and customer focused.

Hashtags the Limit

Do you recall when Instagram was in its infancy, hashtags in abundance?

#We #have #launched #a #brand #new #socialmedia #campaign

Thankfully, gone are the days where aggressive and incorrect hashtag usage was a trend. Presently, hashtags are an ingenious tool when used strategically throughout a social media campaign. Carefully choosing your hashtags are key, targeting your envisioned audience in a categorised way.

As previously mentioned, hashtags must be carefully considered, appropriate and specific. If correctly implemented, the use of hashtags holds the power to boost your campaign engagement, increase your audience, generate sales and enhance your organic social reach.

Additionally, using hashtags enable your organisation to get involved in conversations and other important issues on social media. Incidentally, when running a campaign, it is advisable to research topics that are trending in relation to your focus and placing the campaign amongst that conversation through hashtags.

For example, if you are running a social media campaign based on the importance of #sustainability, be sure to research the popular hashtags debating the topic and involve your campaign in the discussion.

Keep up with Competitors

Social media is a powerful too, enabling a 24/7 platform to ‘keep up’ with competitors. Although it is paramount for companies to be original and innovative, we all have our competitors. It is important to ensure your organisation is maintaining a competitive edge in the industry and one way to do this is hold a consistent presence on social media.

Customer Feedback

Finally, social media provides an open platform to communicate directly with customers. Use this opportunity to promote your company as a customer focused business and encourage engagement and feedback. Doing this will not only benefit customers, providing them with the best possible service but will also benefit your company, highlighting what your audience wants and incidentally giving you ideas for future projects or improvements.

How Kaizen can help YOU

Kaizen Brand Evolution recognise the importance of a brilliant social media campaign, we understand the detail required to successfully engage with an audience and identify the benefits of monitoring your social insights. Kaizen Brand Evolution differentiate between social platforms and categorise which platforms will work best for you.

Are you seeking to boost your company audience with social media? Kaizen have you covered. For organisations seeking to leverage applauded insights, social media campaigns can be extremely rewarding, targeting the ever-growing users of online communities. Kaizen Brand Evolution can evolve your social platform by creating stand-out designs that are sure to surge your insights.

The Benefits of Blogging for your Business

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

In the modern era of online social sharing, blogging holds a massive opportunity for your company. Commonly associated with casual topics of discussion, such as beauty, travel and entertainment, the purpose of a blog often fails to gain recognition as a beneficial promotion tool for organisations.

With an overwhelming 4.5 billion people using social media in 2021, it is undoubtedly difficult to gain exposure and become a recognised and established name. Incidentally, the power of blogging will give your company a competitive edge, boosting your products and services into the online community in an enlightening and engaging way.

Blogging brings a massive boost to an organisations place in the market, increasing custom and growing sales through educating consumers about what you do.

Boost your Website Traffic through Blogging

Consistency is key when it comes to online content for your company. Sharing blog posts on a regular basis will undoubtedly increase your website traffic, driving more customers to visit your page and increasing your position in the online rankings.

To achieve optimum website traffic, it is recommended that you research the data of your target market and current customers. Doing this will outline a pattern, showcasing the age, location and areas of interest of your site visitors. Once this information is attained, you have the power to engage with your audience in a way that meets their interests and blogging is the perfect way to start.

The goal for any organisation is to be recognised for their hard work, hence blog writing is a key feature in achieving this.

Content is King

In our instantaneous world, remaining relevant is a tremendous task. According to WordPress, over 70 million blog posts are shared every month. With these figures in mind, it is important to keep up to date with trends, changes and competition. Many organisations are familiar with updating their website and social media platforms to remain relevant. Whilst this is necessary, it does not allow the flexibility to share a detailed insight into the functioning of the company. Blogging provides your organisation with a platform to boost your reputation in the industry, promoting your adaptability with to the world. Sharing content through a blog allows your organisation to hold a direct line of communication with customers and ensure they are heavily involved in the progression.

Brand Awareness through Blogging

The power of blogging can promote your organisation in many platforms. It is a prime location for explaining to your audience what it is you do and how you stand out against the competition. Blogs allow you to go into comprehensive detail on the products and services you offer, which incidentally could encourage new customers.

Catch Questions and Queries

A tip for blogging would be to incorporate solutions to possible queries that readers may have. For example, if writing a blog about Billboard and Adshels, it is advisable to incorporate figures, measurements and lead times, which could potentially target those searching the web for answers. If your blog holds a solution to a query of a potential customer, it will likely appear on their search results and lead them directly to you. Providing engaging and informative blogs is imperative for your organisation as it will be a key deciding factor for potential customers.

Consistency is Key when Blogging

Like everything in life, we thrive on consistency and routine. This should be no different when blogging for your company. According to HubSpot, organisations that publish 16 or more blog posts per month generate 4.5% more leads than those that publish 4 or less. An advisable strategy for any organisation would be to create a plan for blog posting, ensuring a recognisable timeline for weekly sharing – for example: Monday 10am and Friday 3pm. This will not only develop an organised structure internally but will also create a posting timeframe that readers will begin to recognise.

Educate and Engage

Blogging provides an opportunity to educate your audience on matters that are important for your business. Whether you want to encourage the importance of sustainability or promote the benefits of incorporating employee wellbeing into your organisation, blogging allows you to share your opinion freely. There is a great opportunity to boost corporate social responsibility by sharing your internal values. Doing this may engage with a reader and create a potential customer for your company.

Additionally, using your platform to blog about your products and services will ensure there is a more well-rounded understanding of your organisation. When readers have a clear vision of what your company has to offer, they are more likely to follow through and become a valued customer.

Blogs Create Social Media Content

A massive benefit to creating consistent blog posts is that you will never run out of social media content. Spending lengthy periods of time carefully creating blog content must be followed up by an impressive promotion plan in order to reach your target customers and potential new audience members. Kaizen Brand Evolution recommend that you share your blog post on social media to boost brand visibility and expand reach. Remaining active on social media is paramount for organisations and ensuring content is continuously fresh and innovative will give you that competitive edge.

Blog about what you do!

There is no better way to showcase all of the brilliant things your organisation does than through blogging. A blog provides an unfiltered, unlimited and underrated platform to shout about what you do, sharing your achievements, your improvements and your advancements. If your organisation has gone that extra mile on a project, why not write a detailed case study to share this with the world?

Providing a detailed analysis about what your company does on a blog will invite readers, clients and potential customers to experience an insight into the ideas and functioning of your organisation. This transparent awareness projected onto the reader will build a level of trust that is invaluable for any organisation.

People are curious, feed that curiosity with engaging and exciting blog content and you are winning!

Boost your Brand Awareness with Billboards

Posted on by Ellen Turbett

Modern day marketing and advertising promote a driving force on digital exposure and online engagement. Often, the benefits of traditional advertising fail to receive deserved recognition, due to the old-fashioned associations it holds. It is paramount for organisations to remain open to a variety of advertising platforms, to ensure they reach a widespread target market. This can be done through opting into Out-of-Home advertising, incorporating Billboards and Adshels.

Key Areas of Advertising

The goal of an organisation is to constantly reach and engage with potential and existing customers.

Three key areas of marketing and advertising to target audience:

  • Digital Advertising

The benefits of promoting your organisation through digital platforms needs no introduction. Digital is undoubtedly the most prominent and relied on platform in the modern day. Social media, animation and web design, to name a few, are prominent features in an advertising plan, targeting an audience 24/7.

  • In-Print and Media Advertising

Secondly, advertising promoted through newspapers, television and radio remain key for engagement and outreach. Although it does not hold the same instantaneous speed, it continues to be a reliable promotion tool. Unlike social media or online promotion, where an advertisement quickly disappears once the page is refreshed, in-print advertisements are permanent, often residing in homes for numerous days. Additionally, advertisements via television and radio, if done correctly, have the power to resonate with the reader.

  • Out-of-Home Advertising

Finally, out-of-home advertising, including billboards and adshels embody a prominent and engaging investment, beneficial for both large-scale organisations and smaller companies. Reaching a vast audience, billboards and adshels ensure that your organisation is being advertised at all times, catching the customer at moments they are unable to scroll online or engage in media.

Catch the Commute

In most cases, traffic is not a welcomed experience. Yet, when your organisation is advertising via billboards and adshels, traffic is hailed a favourable occurrence. According to The Independent, travelling to work is currently taking longer than ever before, with the daily commute now taking up to an hour every day. Hence, the rise of travel time presents a rise of opportunities for investing in billboards and adshels.

Prime Location

Careful consideration is required when deciding the location of a billboard or adshel, choosing a position that will reach high volumes of traffic and footfall to catch the attention of as many individuals as possible.

Additionally, recognising your target audience is also key. Many fail to place billboards and adshels under the bracket of easily targetable advertising, yet it is possible and very important. Through internal monitoring of engagement, your organisation should hold a clear idea of their target audience, target location and target market. Incidentally, there may be key areas of importance: such as a particular city, town or highly populated area.

Less is More

When spending on advertising, many believe it is important to squeeze in as much information as possible, getting value for money. Yet, it is important to remember that when dealing with adshels and billboards, you have a short period of time to catch the attention of an individual. Be it driving on the motorway or walking in the city centre, an instantaneous message is key. You have approximately 6 seconds to make an impact with your billboard design. Kaizen believe a brief and explanatory design that showcases exactly what your organisation is trying to promote will be enough to encourage a call for action.  

No Company Too Small for Billboards

Billboard and adshel advertising hold numerous incorrect connotations, including the idea they are for large-scale, corporate companies only. Kaizen wish to promote that they prove beneficial for all organisations, no matter the size or reach. Additionally, it is widely believed that billboards and adshels are massively expensive, exceeding company budgets. Yet, they are arguably a very affordable piece of advertising material, with an audience reach wider than the majority.

Boost Brand Identity and Awareness

Kaizen believe that all company marketing and advertising should encompass a recognisable and uniform design, boosting brand awareness at all times. The goal of any company should be to engage with an audience that immediately recognises their branding and what they offer.

Kaizen promote that in order to boost brand identity and awareness, a billboard or adshel should incorporate:

  • Company logo
  • Recognisable company colour scheme
  • Call to action contact details – e.g. website
  • Company text font
  • Company slogan if applicable

Kaizen can create your Billboard and Adshels

At Kaizen Brand Evolution, graphic design is our speciality. Our team have worked on an impressive number of outdoor campaigns, encompassing adshels and billboards for organisations throughout Northern Ireland. Kaizen have first hand experience in recognising the benefits of investing in adshels and billboards for your company, providing top quality design to ensure success.

Did you Know?

Kaizen work alongside Northern Ireland’s most established outdoor advertiser, Clear Channel NI, allowing us to offer an extensive variety of services in both specific and widespread areas.

Get Started

Kaizen understand the importance of effective marketing and advertising for your organisation. We believe you should show off your company. Go big or go home with a 48-Sheet or 96-Sheet billboard. Kaizen have a graphic design team that recognise the importance of developing an eye-catching out-of-home advertising campaign.

Contact Kaizen to discuss the development of a Billboard or an Adshel today.

Westville Hotel – brand identity

Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

The Westville Hotel is a longstanding boutique hotel situated in the heart of Enniskillen. For many years the Westville has grown in popularity for its diverse range of high spec rooms, service and entertainment, not to mention food outlets across the town. With success comes change and the owners at the Westville realised that now was the time to re-state exactly who the Westville are and what it means to stay there. So they approached Kaizen about doing a new Brand Identity for them.

In their own words:

A Superbly Stylish Boutique Hotel in Fermanagh

Perfectly located in the heart of Enniskillen’s waterside historic quarter, The Westville Hotel is a sophisticated, yet understated, boutique destination – offering everything to the contemporary, discerning guest, including a Terrace restaurant, beautifully spacious and comfortable rooms, a stylish WV Bar matched with the warmest, welcoming service.

A great focus for the Hotel was to attract the Instagram generation, making the boutique experience much more in tune with key experiences across Enniskillen all the while having a hotel where you want to stay in, eat drink and Instagram! This brief for the designers was a dream for some of our keen city breakers and self -proclaimed hipsters within the studio. This was an opportunity to create a really ‘cool’ and unique brand identity for the type of people that, well… we are. Adventure seekers, young professionals with a genuine passion for where they stay and what they do at the weekend, interested in their surroundings, food, drink and experiences.

Language

First-off we re-stated exactly what it was the Westville offered. Through language we we’re able to set the scene on how the brand identity would develop throughout the hotel’s communications. We introduced the line ‘Stay and Explore’ as the overall purpose of the Westville. This strapline opened up a world of visuals both for the hotel and Enniskillen with a lovely link to the tourism opportunity for the area surrounding the Westville, from the caves to the lakes we’ve got this covered.

Typography

The brand identity takes its form from a classic but very modern type family ‘Condor’. With a series of customisations, cuts, raises, kerning and craft in the type we created the unique word mark for the Westville. The type is a natural evolution from their previous logo but completely simplifies the identity for 2020 and beyond, making it a lot more flexible and removing a lot of the previous symbols, stars and even the word ‘hotel’ was removed with the aim of producing a modernised version of the mark. As well as the language we really wanted to introduce a symbol that reflected the strapline and purpose – hence the ‘Westville wave’ was introduced. A simple glyph, taken and customised which sits beautifully above the W. The wave is reflective of the lakes, the water and the fact that Enniskillen is in fact an island locked in by water. This opportunity to tell this story was a no-brainer for the design and roll out of the brand. The wave is utilised as a pattern system throughout the interior, brand assets and marketing as you will see. This symbol also made way for 3 beautifully drawn badges that feature across the brand, all three highlighting the Stay and Explore message. 

Art Direction

Art direction for the Westville was as important as the new brand mark. We introduced a stylised, hipster photography direction and colour palette which pair beautifully with the mark and bring an air of freshness to the brand which is reflected in the interior and brand accents across the hotel. We provided concept across the entire hotel offering, from website to door hangers, bottled water and towels, this project has been a real passion project for the studio and we love to continue to work on the brand as it develops, rolls out and evolves. We love seeing brands we work on out in the wild and cannot recommend enough paying the newly branded Westville.

    At Kaizen Brand Evolution we understand the difficulties that brands face in evolving their brand and in keeping it fresh. If you’d like to find out more about what we can offer you can visit our brand identity page. Alternatively, you can get in touch via our contact form or by calling 028 9507 2007

    Boundary CrossFit – brand identity

    Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

    Understanding the Brand

    The newest player in the CrossFit arena, ‘Boundary CrossFit’ came to us to create create a unique brand identity and system to showcase their brand new high-end facility, to help them prepare it for launch and growth within the industry. Their ambition was to achieve a modern, bold narrative that would pay homage to the raw industrial nature of the sport but also the physical interiors within the gym itself.

      The Logo Build

      The vast majority of us have heard of or have some kind of idea about what CrossFit is. For those who don’t CrossFit in recent years has become much more than just a choice of exercise. The growing CrossFit brand has become a culture amongst likeminded passionate individuals. We felt that this was a primary message we needed to get across through the Boundary Brand Identity Narrative. We needed to pay homage to the people who commit and support these gyms. We wanted to capture the spirit of these individuals and their culture and lifestyle.

      The brandmark was created with the brand name at the soul of its direction. The term ‘ Boundary’ illustrates a conflicting ideology it can reflect a division, a defense mechanism, but also a sense of place, a sense of strength.

      The word itself has such a powerful narrative that it was an organic development that the brand mark would be a strong typographic word mark.

      The logo is set in a modern Flat-Sided san serif typeface, a style also known as ‘gaspipe’. The modular letters evoke modernity and industrialism. The type led brandmark visualises the feeling of the word ‘Boundary’ and encapsulates the narrative of the brand. To further project the narrative of the brand an organic underline was incorporated to bring a softer contrast to the modular typemark. To amalgamate the strength of the word with the raw passion and commitment to the people who belong within it. 

      This notion of a warrior, war paint, the raw grit and dedication associated with the physically experience of the brand. The underline creates a device that can be used throughout the brand roll out as a visual sense of the word ‘bound’ to create metaphors and links through visual assets. The line device also enables ‘Crossfit’ to be neatly combined within the logo but also easily removed when needed and to ensure brand longevity. This strong typographic approach creates a unique typographic identity, which will become a natural association to the ‘Boundary’ brand.

      The strength evoked within the logo helps to resonate with the desired audience of the brand. There is an immediate connection to the name ‘Boundary’ and the visual depiction of the meaning of the word throughout the type. This typographic language that will be used throughout the brand roll out creates a direct and powerful connection to audience the brand is trying to attract. A loyal client base who share like-minded goals, who are passionate about being a part of the ‘Boundary’ culture. 

      Photography

      A creative direction for the photography was developed to further enhance the narrative of the brand. It is people focused to give the audience a true reflection of the ‘Boundary’ culture and to ensure the right people invest in that culture. The imagery depicts loyalty to the brand a common visual trend associated with the sports industry and the nature of the CrossFit community. Promoting through imagery of branded sportswear and to evoke this sense of belonging and passion. To showcase the hard work, dedication and passion valued by the ‘Boundary’ brand. 

      An image treatment has also been developed for the brand to create gritty, high contrast visuals that portray movement and energy. Contrast plays a primary role within the narrative of the ‘Boundary’ brand, with the confident stand alone brandmark the physical experience of the brand needed to be further introduced throughout the brand imagery as a storytelling device to stand out within a crowed industry.

      Brand Colour

      The brand colours will primarily be black and white to reflect a modern and minimal tone of voice. However, to achieve the contrast and successfully reflect the brand values associated with this industry and its audience a warm red palette was introduced as a secondary colour device for the brand to utilise. 

      Red is a strong colour that has a direct cultural connotation to passion and love, but also has conflicting meanings of jeopardy or boundaries, and in this case over coming these physical boundaries the blood, the sweat and the tears reflective of the industry and resonates with the target audience.

      Brand Language

      To further enhance the brand narrative of unity and strength we developed a tagline to define Boundary as its own culture, the unity of the people who experience it ‘Bound by Passion’.

      Typography is one of the main devices used within this brand. The modular san serif typeface that not only gives life to the brandmark, will also encapsulate the entire brand story. The large type family allows us to utilize the typeface throughout. 

      Kaizen Brand Evolution

      At Kaizen Brand Evolution we understand the difficulties that brands face in evolving their brand and in keeping it fresh. If you’d like to find out more about what we can offer you can visit our brand identity page. Alternatively, you can get in touch via our contact form or by calling 028 9507 2007.

      What are the aspects of a rebrand?

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Taking on a rebrand is a serious commitment. You need to be sure that this is what’s needed for your business to move forward but also that you know what you need before going into it. It may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be made so much simpler by knowing what is required. Within this article, we are going to look at what you as a company and brand need to look at when you are considering a rebrand

      Have you determined your brands target audience?

      Every brand needs a target audience, no matter what it is you are selling. These are the people that you hope are going to be buying the majority of your products or services. However, after 5, maybe 10 years as a brand evolves, does your target audience change? This is the first question that you need to ask yourself before going through with a rebrand. The current brand that you have will have been created to appeal to certain people, but as you evolve more and more people are going to be buying your products or using your services and as such when your rebrand you can’t focus solely on those you did before. You need to conduct research into who your current customers are and base your need branding on them.

      Have you established a brand mission statement?

      As every company or brand begins, it is important that you have a mission statement. This is for telling customers why you are doing what you are doing. What do you want to gain from selling your products or services? It is important that this is often customer focused, as not very many people are going to buy from a company who’s mission statement is ‘we want to make money’, just keep that bit to yourself. But over the years that you are in business, might your mission statement change? As you start to offer new products or services, or gain a new customer base, you might begin to see that what you are selling your products for changes. You need to make sure that when you are going through with a rebrand, you take this into consideration and base it around the new mission statement.

      More importantly, does your brand truly reflect your current offerings and product?

      As we have previously stated, over the course of 5 or 10 years that your company is in business, the products or services that you sell may very well change. You might change as a brand completely but it is more likely that you will just branch out and offer more products or services than you did at the beginning. With this, you need to reflect on what your brand says against what it is you are selling. If they don’t match, then you know that it is time to think about a rebrand, to ensure your customers don’t get confused, or that the new product you are offering doesn’t fail because no-one knows you are selling it.

      Is your brand ready for your future projects and clients?

      You may be thinking about a rebrand, but not sure if you should or not. However, one question that we suggest you ask yourself is are you ready for the future? The current direction that you are heading, do you think that this will be enough for 5 or 10 year down the line, when the market that you are in has shifted and new competitors have entered the fray? This is where you need to do further research on the market and your competitors, to see what exactly they are doing and try to build your new rebrand off this.

      How has your business changed its values or consumers since the last time you looked at your branding?

      There is a fair possibility that you haven’t looked into your businesses values or your consumers in any great depth since you first started your company. However, before going into a rebrand it is very important to do this. Look at how your customers may have changed from when you began to now. Has the age range increased or decreased? What demographic are they coming from? Looking at all of this will help immensely in bringing about your rebrand and making sure that it is what works for you

      Here at Kaizen Brand Evolution we want to make sure that when you are undertaking a rebrand it is the best you can get and also one that works for you and where your company is at in the moment. If you feel like you are heading towards a rebrand, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 028 9005 2007 or send us en email to studio@kaizenbrandevolution.com, we’d love to chat.

      How important is a Brand?

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      We’ll start with the obvious: Branding is very, very important for any business. There isn’t any ‘might’ or ‘could be’, it just IS. But why is it important? What does a brand do for you and your business exactly? Within this article we are going to take a look at exactly that, helping to give you a better understanding of why Brands are important and why you need one if you haven’t already.

      Firstly, what exactly is a Brand? What is Branding? In the conventional sense, branding is where a company creates everything that will identify them, from their name to their logo and colours that will be encompassed within this. A brand is something that makes a business easily identifiable from others that work within the same industry as them. But a brand is also so much more than this, as it becomes everything you do as a business. All of your actions will be viewed not as individuals, but as a whole under one BRAND.

      A Brand is important because, as previously stated, it helps set you apart from your competitors and tells customers why they should do business with you, over someone else who is offering more or less the same product or service. You build your brand from the ground up, not only the way you see it but also in the way that you want to be perceived by others, because due to how much your brand encompasses of your business, it is how you will become recognised and viewed by everybody, not only those within your industry.

      One of the most important aspects of your brand is that of your logo, so it is vital that you get it right, but also that it makes sense in the message you are trying to get across. Your logo will essentially become the face of your company before you ever employees. The logo that you choose therefore needs to be professional, as people will immediately begin to view you in a professional manner, someone that they can trust and want to do business with. It is important at this stage that you put the investment in and get a professional graphic designer to do this for you, instead of someone who might be able to give you what you want. A professional will be able to take everything that you already have and everything that you want to achieve and bring this into a logo that is going to match your business, help to bring you success and ultimately help to bring you a positive ROI.

      What you will ultimately want to achieve from your business, is for it to bring in customers and for them to buy your products or use your services. A strong brand will undoubtedly help with this. It will help to generate new customers because it instantly creates a positive impression of you. Again, similar to having a professional logo, having an excellent overall brand means people are more likely to do business with you. From this, begins the word of mouth process as the popularity of your brand spreads from person to person, helping to increase the number of customers that you have and ultimately the amount of profit you are pulling in.

      A great brand isn’t just for the benefit of customers, however, as you will immediately notice that it benefits your employees, or that they show improvement, especially if you have recently rebranded and are showing a renew sense commitment to your brand, your goals and your cause. Employees will have greater satisfaction and sense of pride in saying that they work for you, making them happier to come to work and making the workplace a better place overall.

      Finally, another advantage of having an excellent brand is the fact you will be given respect in the market you are involved in. You are more likely to get business again from those you have worked with, but also more likely to be taken seriously by competitors, as they can see that you are serious about what you are doing. Strong branding will help to give the impression that you are an industry expert, even if you are only starting out.

      We hope that by reading this you have seen the importance of a brand and just how much it can help nearly every aspect of your business, both day to day and long term. To follow up on this, we are holding an an event on the 22nd of February titled, “When is the right time to rebrand” this will aim to show you when is the perfect time and help you through the process. Tickets can be purchased right here for only £5: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/when-is-a-good-time-to-rebrand-tickets-54847035961

      If you feel that you are in need of some branding work, feel free to give us a call on 028 9507 2007 or send us an email at studio@kaizenbrandevolution.com, we’d love to have a chat.

      Apples & Mermaids Round-Up

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      At the end of January, we here at Kaizen Brand Evolution held our first event/workshop of the year, titled Apples & Mermaids. This was a workshop detailing the importance the logos play in our lives and just how important they are to businesses everywhere, no matter what industry they are in. The event took place in The Mac, Belfast which we can only say had a fantastic set-up for us.

      Ryan Stanfield, our very own Design Director, was the speaker during the event, taking us through what logos mean to us and also how we are influenced by them. For example, is there a brand that you are faithful to and won’t deviate from even if someone else is offering a similar product at a cheaper price? Think perhaps shoe or trainer manufacturers. If you are always buying Adidas trainers, you are less likely going to buy anything that Nike might have to offer. The same can be said for Vans and Converse. It is usually one or the other. However, if you remove the logo from these products and do a test, you might find that your loyalties change. This is because it is all to do with the brand and logo that we see, the logo that we feel a connection with.

      Those that attended the event were also given the opportunity to put their own design skills to the test, being given an exercise where they had to try and figure out what symbol, font and colours best suited a certain company. The point of this was to show those in attendance the process that goes into creating a logo for a company and how much else there is involved, rather than just sketching something and saying it is okay. It is vital to look at what industry you are in and see what would go well. But it is also important to look at what other people in the same industry are doing.

      At the end of the morning, guests had the chance to ask Ryan some questions, getting further insight into his knowledge and also help with understanding some of their own projects that they are undertaking. As well as this, they had the opportunity to chat with some other team members who were in attendance.

      It was a great morning had by all and we can’t thank everyone who came enough, helping to make it so. We are now in full preparation mode for our next upcoming event, “When is a good time to rebrand” taking place on 22nd of February in The Academy Restaurant. If you would like to buy tickets, you can do so right here: http://bit.ly/rebrandtime

      If you feel that you are in need of some inspiration and help with your current branding project or perhaps you are a company just starting out, then please do not hesitate to contact us either by email at studio@kaizenbrandevolution.com or else by phone on 028 9057 2007 to get your next project underway.

      Town – brand development, website design & social media

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      When branding a new venue, whether restaurant, hotel, nightclub or bar, thee are considerations we must make as your branding partner. Our initial discussion will focus on customer demographics, market opportunities and the heritage of the business in the case of a bran audit or brand refresh. After meeting with the owners of Town, Leixlip we were blown away by their passion and drive within the hospitality trade in Co.Kildare. They had a vision for the bar / restaurant and we were engaged to bring that vision to life through: Brand Strategy, Brand Identity Design, Logo Design, Menu Design, Website Design and a social media launch campaign.

      About Town, Leixlip

      Town is a bar based in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, Ireland. They loved the idea of being the ‘Talk of the Town’ bar as this would be great for a ‘Town’ campaign they can work with and evolve over time. We explored diffident uses for brand language, which could easily evolve over time. Their target audience would be locals who would head into Dublin for a night out. They were inspired by well known neighbourhood bars in the likes of Dublin and Manchester and aimed to bring it back to Leixlip so punters could get the same experience and not having to travel as far, back in their home town. A place you can go for your coffee meetings, family dinners to having a night out partying on the dance floor with your friends. 

      Town is “More than just a bar”.

      Town approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to create a brand for their bar because they wanted to create a bar for everyone in the local community. Town’s approach was creating a friendly bar for all generations of the Leixlip community. They needed a branding system, which worked for everyone. It had to feel homely after it all it was a Town in their hometown. Town is a bar that would rely heavily on their social media to advertise their events each night and mid week offers. The Brand would have to work particularly well on social media platforms as most of their audience would be on these, to create a social media friendly brand we looked at how other bars across the globe used social media to promote their business. 

      We created the branding system in way, so it’s simple for Town to use. It had to also stand out from their competitors but mainly be consistent. To get the brand identity for Town, we gathered our research of places the owners of Town liked. We took elements from our research then we crafted 3 concepts, which were all unique created to tell the story of Town. 

      We Partner Your Interiors Team

      We worked closely with the interior designer to make sure the brand worked with the interiors and to complement the building. We introduced a contemporary colour palette for the brand, using a rich blue, teal and gold with contrasting pinks from the floral elements used to add more depth to the brand.

      Crafting the TOWN mark had to represent a place for everyone with some character. The Mark had to feel established, friendly and Town had to you make you feel like you belong, a place where you can go for a morning coffee, or grab a bite to eat or have a really good time with your mates, it had to feel like a place you never have to leave as it’s all under one roof. This is where it ties back to he underpin for Town, “More than just a bar”. 

      Brand Language is Critical

      The brand language had to be simple, but unique to Town. “Fancy a G&T”, “It’s T-time” and “Down to a-T” using the T mark, which can easily evolve for future adverting promotions. The language is playful, and it’s simple. 

      Brand Development Is Just The Start

      As well as the branding system we produced a range of visuals to show them how the brand could be used across different mediums; including work uniform, menus, hand stamps, glassware, and online presence. When you see how all the brand elements are brought together it’s clear to see how well the brand works as a whole. With this brand structure, Town will stand out from the rest of competition.

      Website Development

      With any branding project we must further consider its reach beyond the conceptualisations presented. We look at all manner of print and digital mediums the brand is to shown on and develop these further in line with the brand strategy. For most in the hospitality sector, the main focus of attention moves from brand to website development. As you can see from the graphic above, we have captured the essence of the brand and brought to life a new website for the thriving business.

      We enjoyed working with Town on this branding project and we look forward to seeing the branding used across social media, the branding paired with the interiors of the bar and we are excited to be part of the Town evolution.

      Start a Branding Project

      Want to start a bar, restaurant or nightclub branding project of your own? We’d be delighted to have a chat. You can get in touch with us on +44 289507 2007 or you can get in touch with us via the contact form below

      [contact-form-7 id=”2934″ title=”Blog Post – Branding Blog Post”]

      United Wines – Brand Identity

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      United Wine Merchants approached the brand team at Kaizen Brand Evolution with the objective of repositioning their brand identity and communications to be more in line with their unique service, product and reputation. With over 36 years in business, United Wines have moved with the times in terms of their product portfolio and brand associations, however, their own brand has remained unchanged. Today the company is modern, forward-thinking, and upholds a formidable reputation. With this said it deserved an identity to truly represent them.

      In their own words:

      United Wine Merchants incorporating HEINEKEN NI is a dedicated Agency led wholesale business within the Licensed Trade servicing the entire On and Off Trade.  As a subsidiary of HEINEKEN IRELAND, we are the licensed wholesale company responsible for developing the HEINEKEN portfolio including Orchard Thieves across Northern Ireland. Now in our 34th year of operation, we pride ourselves on our market leading and award-winning portfolio of Beers, Wines, Spirits, and Soft Drinks. Beyond timely supply and reliable delivery, we have got a range of marketing support and an experienced sales team to help you select the right range for your customers. We can design your wine lists, supply POS and provide your staff with product training as our Sales and Marketing team are all WSET qualified.

      The team at Kaizen Brand Evolution created 3 unique brand designs for United Wine Merchants, each one exploring separate USP’s and reflections of their current standing in the marketplace. From colour variation, negative space, wine hints and some contemporary type styles we aimed to flex our creative skills in this brand audit, after all, it has been 30 years since the current branding, time for us to show potential. The new, chosen brand mark incorporates modernity, negative space and a clear, focused typestyle. The colour palette is reflective of their current ‘wine palette’ with a great balance of a highlight and base ‘berry purple.’ Each element of the logo represents truthfully the ambition United Wines set us from the outset. You will also notice that the word “merchants’ has been removed from the primary, simply for simplicity. When referring to the company people tend to drop the Merchants, so we dropped it.

      Language plays an important role in the new brand direction for United Wines.  We put together a language style for the brand to take forward, one which highlights their USP’s but one that has an almost tongue in cheek wordplay. Statements such as ‘from harvest for beer fest’ for ‘forward thinking drink’ set the brand apart from local and national competitors. Setting this tone of voice at the beginning of the new brands journey will pave the way for how the brand communicates on and offline, short and sweet…but engaging. The company and staff at United Wines are extremely personable and friendly so the language guide was set to reflect not only their products and service but their people – something that United Wines pride themselves on.

      We directed the artistic and photographic style for the new branding using process, ingredients and the art of creating the products they sell at United Wines – rather that typical product imagery or cheesy stock imagery. The new visual narrative for the company has depth and explores the story of their products.

      We are extremely proud of the United Wines rebrand and continue to roll the branding and design out across digital and printed materials. The new United Wines website is under development in the Kaizen Brand Evolution studio as well as the new internal office and vehicle livery which we are excited to see live and kicking. If you feel your business is in need of a rebrand or repositioning to represent your service or product accurately simply get in touch with our award winning brand experts at studio@kaizenbrandevolution.com

      How much does a rebrand cost?

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      How much does a rebrand cost?

      This cost of a rebrand is reflective of how much value it can bring to your business. In order for us as brand designers to evaluate this, it is very important to understand what you hope the rebrand can achieve for you. Your ambition and goals will determine the outcome and the cost value. For instance, you may need your rebrand to simply sell more to one specific audience, case in point – a restaurant wishing to attract more vegans – we would perform a rebrand with a clear and direct focus allowing the customer to see immediate results appealing to their new vegan audience. In the same vein, you may wish to increase your turnover by 15%, a clear goal for us as designers to evaluate and analyse your business in great depth to ensure we are targeting and communicating to the right people at the right buying level. This process is far more in-depth and can take place over a number of weeks before we actually begin the design process. Market analysis, client and business profiling exercises as well as gaining a deeper understanding of a company are all part of this. With this higher sense of your company purpose, we can accurately craft a rebrand to suit your goals and ensure success in all communications, paving a clear way for all future marketing and brand activity.

      If you have clear goals then we as brand designers can determine a true value that a re-brand can have for your business and intern develop a tailored cost package to suit your needs. Believe it or not, there are no clear ways of pricing a re-brand as every one’s needs and goals are different, from the goal of attracting a new customer to increasing company turnover by 15%, raising the entire bottom line of a business your re-brand will do what you need it to do. Of course we have a fair idea following a brief of how much it could possibly cost to perform a rebrand and to what level to pitch a quote, however we always break down the price against what we have discussed in order to reach your business ambition, so you receive no nasty surprises.

      Investment is a business necessity that we are a familiar with. Investing in store/building fit-outs, staff training, product development or vehicle fleets we are comfortable with these investments as of course, they show immediate results right in front of your eyes, instantly. When you hand over money for a car, the car is there in front of you to drive away, you can drive it, smell it and use it as it is supposed to be used. Investing in your brand correctly, by engaging a brand design agency such as Kaizen Brand Evolution who will take time realising the potential and delivering results through creativity will set your business apart from competitors, aid the decision-making process with consumers, increase reputation and be a true reflection of what you have to offer. Branding is an investment that you will always see results from, from year to year, an investment that will continue to evolve and give your business the platform it needs to succeed when faced with tough competition.

      If you are interested in finding out how much a rebrand of your company would be, setting your ambitions for the business and reaching your goals talk to one of our team at Kaizen Brand Evolution and we will be able to take you through, step by step how much of an investment you will need to make in order to reach your objectives. Give us a call on +44 (0)28 9507 2007 or get us by email via our contact form

      The benefits of the rebrand

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      One of the most powerful and effective times to re-brand is when a business sees a great change in circumstance, a takeover, a merger a new product line or direction. The benefits of rebranding now are so you have the opportunity to communicate truthfully exactly what the change means to the business and express exactly what it is and how you are going to do it differently. A re-brand can reposition a company’s reputation, re-establish a failing business, make relevant what was a tired product or service and increase or develop a new interest in a business and its purpose. There are many factors but there are three main benefits that a re-brand can have for a company or service.

      Refresh

      A rebrand completely refreshes a business from the ground up. A new identity and re-brand project with pull the truth out from under the surface and find out what really sets you apart from the competitors and rival companies. With this understanding the re-brand with truthfully express (through logo, language and art direction) what it means to work with you as a business. USP’s are brought to the forefront, how you work differently and what makes you unique as a company can all be expressed in your re-brand. A successful re-brand will not follow design trends but assess who you are, what you do, why you are here and who you are here for. Ambition setting allows a design team to realise your potential through branding and communications. A re-brand is not simply there to impress your customers but also your team, your loyal staff who have been sitting under the same masthead for a number of years now have a voice during the research stage with the brand agency. Involvement and belief from your team will benefit brand culture internally and appeal greatly to those ideal candidates – we all want the best people to work for us and your brand and culture is an important factor in that decision-making process – would you want to drop in a CV to a tired, lacklustre looking brand? Or would it make more sense to engage with a brand that speaks your language?

      Relevance

      A rebrand can make a tired product or service relevant in today’s marketplace, tap into the mindset of modern consumers and engage relevantly. Your product or service might be the best, the strongest the most efficient, but if the branding, packaging or shop front isn’t relevant to todays consumer or shall we say ‘attractive’ then you can easily lose interest to young, bright and bold competition. Perhaps their product or services isn’t nearly as good as yours but they, of course, are relevant. This is a key attribute of a re-brand – to re-establish your brand/logo/packaging/website – whatever communication or brand exposure you have to become relevant to the right consumer.

      Restate

      To restate what you ‘now’ do is a fantastic benefit of a rebrand as it gives you a new opportunity to restate all of the lovely new things you have to off that perhaps customers might not know about – your new lines of products, your new technological advance, your new building or premises these are all seismic shifts in your business and through the power or identity, language and artdirectionn – the milestones of a rebrand you can restate your offering to your audience and restate it correctly with intrigue and excitement.

      There are many reasons a re-brand can is beneficial, and the proof is in the pudding. Get in touch with the Kaizen Brand Evolution team to talk further if you feel like you might be ready to re-brand.

      GB Poultry Brand Development

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      The family business of GB Poultry contacted Kaizen Brand Evolution wanting to their refresh the identity of their well known brand. GB stands for Gregory Bell which is the family name of the business established since 1982 that has been passed down the generations. In their own words “GB Poultry Ltd is a family owned business based in Crossgar in the rolling countryside of County Down”. There are 7 Directors in the company, all from the Bell family who are personally involved and committed to the general day to day running and operating of the business. An EC Approved Cutting plant and are guided by DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs). Supplying a wide range of Whole Chicken, Flash Fried Chicken, Sauces, Cooked Chicken, Turkeys and other meat products. GB Poultry wanted to modernise their brand and bring it into the future as they are leading in their field of poultry in Ireland. Supplying to outlets such as Boojum, Pallas Foods and Henderson a refresh of brand is what they wanted to align with their customers aspirations.

      One of the main USPs that GB Poultry wanted to bring across is that they are from Crossgar, a small village in County Down, we travelled down to their offices and were met by fields upon fields! They are very proud of where they come from therefore we have come up with the tagline ‘A Taste of Crossgar’ as an important part of narrative of their brand. This brings in the origin of the product and also links to the taste of which is also developed in Crossgar.

      The previous logo consisted of a cooked chicken and a wreath, similar to your traditional styled butchers, our creative studio updated this with a modern rounded typeface which gives connotations of friendly and approachability. We created a custom vector illustration of a chicken to match the rounded typeface. We have selected the colour scheme of a dark grey and light blue palette which gives a refreshing difference from their usual red and green branding. We have used the colour separation of the blue and white two toned logo for the GB and the Poultry text.

      When we travelled to Crossgar we noticed the beautiful landscape around it, we captured this by creating a custom illustration of fields with trees, tractors and chickens in it that can be rolled across their branding. We used textures and muted colour palette for this to utilise the brand and the modern logo, they bring across the farm aspect of the brand. GB Poultry have several products requiring packaging design, this includes sauces, flash fried chicken and cooked chicken which flavours they create themselves. The flash fried chicken products are readily available from most local shops, make sure you try them out. We have visualised up three different types of products, sauces, salt & chilli chicken goujons and breaded chicken burgers using three different colour schemes to define the different products. The packaging is a sticker on the products which sit on shelf with all of their competitors therefore the bright colours of blues will stand out. The brand roll out includes tone of voice, business stationery, packaging, vehicle graphics and signage.

      We greatly enjoyed working with Bell family on their brand refresh for GB Poultry and we are looking forward to seeing the packaging roll out and the well known vans on the road.

      Belfast Mens Health Logo Design

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Belfast Men’s Health Group (BMHG) is made up a group of people across the community of Belfast and volunteer organisations across Northern Ireland, all with a strong interest in the health and well being of men, by raising awareness of all the main health issues relevant to men and sharing events of interest across Greater Belfast.

      BMHG provide a range of information shared by experts who really are experts in their fields. Organising meet up events, provide videos, podcasts and even hosting competitions, they want men to really feel good about themselves and to look after others. BMHG want to make sure there is access to all the relevant information where ever you are.

      In their words:

      “Belfast Men’s Health Group is a made up of representatives across statutory, community and volunteer organisations across Belfast with a strong interest in the health and well-being of men. Each year we celebrate Men’s Health Week and International Men’s Health Day by organise events to raise awareness of health issues that are relevant to men. We also work with other agencies at other health events to raise further awareness. We are developing the work of the group and a website to further evidence of our ambitions.”

      Initially approaching Kaizen Brand Evolution on a website, designed to help them share a range of media and information to a wider audience, our working relationship grew. After our first studio meeting, BMHG noticed our wall of clients and our portfolio of work, it was at this point they decided to rebrand their logo as they felt it was outdated, and it wasn’t communicating the tone of their current direction.

      BMHG wanted a logo that worked along side the Northern Health and Social Care Trust branding, they wanted it look like a sub brand to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and to feel like a brand you can really trust with some sensitive topics within the health and general well being of men.

      Hoping to show people that they were a Belfast based organisation, whilst also hinting at what they stand for. They also didn’t want a logo that was too clinical, so this became our challenge to produce a mark, which would become instantly recognisable, corporate and memorable to men across Belfast.

      We created a device using the B for Belfast, removing the counters and replacing with the cross for health. The colours are more of a muted blue, which when in use is quite corporate and masculine. The B+ device could be used as a window what information BMHG has to offer, the logo will work well online, email signatures, on t-shirts, beanies and also work on pop up banners, and flyers for events. The use of blue helps the logo have confidence, and feels trust worthy.

      We are also creating a website for Belfast Men’s Health Group which will be their audience’s digital handbook for anything and everything they need to know about Men’s Health and well-being. The website will include a range of videos, podcasts, blogs and links to other websites in a visual and clear manner, to help men understand the importance of good health and uniting together. The site will be launching during Men’s Health Week in September 2018.

      It will be great to see how their new logo will be used around Belfast, knowing they are helping Men across Greater Belfast.

      Day & Age – Brand Development

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Day and Age, creators of short films, use video to make sure the little moments are never forgotten. Kathryn approached Kaizen Brand Evolution when she wanted to steer Day and Age in a new direction, when she wanted to hand her brand identity over to safe hands for an all over evaluation, and when she wanted to evolve her business.

      Starting from a young age Kathryn was capturing videos for weddings, corporate insights and family events. Day and Age is now pushing forward to new areas of film, looking to create memorable films that become powerful memory aids. Focusing on making memories and treasuring each moment, whether it be for promotion or an event, a memory for someone that may forget, or even just to give as a gift – Kathryn creates the most beautiful and effective videos.

      To display this evolution of the business, we took the Day and Age brand and re-focused it. A brand that will appeal to the current, the new, and the expanding target audience. Kathryn and ourselves agreed that that bold and fitting name of the business should remain, everything else we could assess, address and push in the right direction.  

      Throughout the process, it was clear what Day and Age represented and what it would bring to each of its clients-memories. A Day and Age film would provide a beautiful memory aid and so much more. With memories, nostalgia and capturing the moment in mind, we came up with the suitable brand language that would surround the brand. The strapline ‘Memory Studio’ helped give definition to the name, explaining exactly what Day and Age is. They create memories and help you ‘Remember each day’.  

      The brand identity itself was provided as a wordmark and an abbreviated device ‘D and A’ to apply throughout any brand extensions. We found the connection between the initials of the brand and term ‘DNA’ riveting. Day and Age’s main aim is to celebrate families and individuals, all about the ‘DNA’. Displaying this connection subtly through the abbreviated device meant the ‘Day and Age’ name still held prevalence.  The versatile device can be applied in many different ways to connect you directly back to the Day and Age name while highlighting the ‘DNA’ or ‘D and A’. We used the combination of a rounded and modern font to reflect personality, approachability and style, a brand that you would want to work with and trust.

      The colour palette and imagery came naturally from the Day and Age films.  Using all stills from taken footage, we could see how well the brand would work. We applied a soft and neutral colour palette to compliment the brand identity, language and each film. Not to distract, but to honour the nature of the brand and each film. 

      We are now seeing the brand come together to display a clear focus and direction, the direction that Day and Age were and are aiming for. The new Identity is tailored to evolving clients, through narrative, identity and finally the implementation, whilst still appealing to a greater audience. Day and Age creates memories, but it can also still cater to and appeal to any possible film seeking client.

      We continue to work with Day and Age, rolling out their new brand across various different forms of stationery and promotional materials. The new brand is coming to life and complimenting all the great work that we are seeing from Day and Age. It is a pleasure to work with such elegant content and now a new brand that compliments that content. We look forward to seeing where the business and new brand goes from here.

      Graze, Belfast – Brand Audit & Logo Refresh

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Graze is a restaurant based in Ballyhackamore, East Belfast. They love serving tasty little dishes (also know as tapas). These dishes are full of flavours using quality local produce, paired with your favourite wines. Graze is a great place to enjoy your tapas as they have created an atmosphere that is comfortable, friendly and the ideal place for people who just love great quality food and drink. Graze has made a name for themselves because of their special fish dishes, which change daily, based on the catch that morning.

      In their own words:
      “The Graze experience is about more than just food. A sincere effort to educate our staff on all aspects of food and wine culture is the basis for our service philosophy. We take great pride in our relaxed style of service and our welcoming staff at Graze go to great lengths to make diners feel at ease, comfortable and well taken care of.”

      As well as the restaurant serving tapas & wine, Graze has the Lounge; soft lighting, with dark interiors and comfortable seating makes the Lounge feel relaxing. It’s known for their range of local Gins, craft beers and ciders.

      Graze really know how to make your experience extra special; with their resident mixologist, who will make you some amazing drinks and cocktails.

      Graze love their Gins so much they have their own Gin Club. Get involved in their monthly club where you can try 5 new gins, and shown how you can serve them up yourself.

      Graze approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to create a brand audit for their restaurant because they wanted a brand which was consistent, and reached a new audience of late 20’s early 30 year olds. Graze’s approach has always been simple, so we felt we needed to create a branding system, which would be easy to use. They will be able to use across all of their marketing for both online and offline. It had to be simple for them to use. It had to stand out from their competitors and it most of all had to be consistent.

      To create a brand that really represents Graze and develop a brand identity really needed. The previous brand and the food didn’t pair well so we took inspiration from everything within Graze, from the dishes they serve to the colours used in the interiors of the restaurant.

      The Graze brand combines a word mark with a personality, a popping friendly colour palette and referencing the tiles they have in their interior. We developed a tone of voice which is friendly, and sounds familiar, it reminds you to “Enjoy the little things” in life and to cherish those moments with friends, family and to be surrounded by great food and drink.

      As well as the branding system we produced a range of visuals to show them how the brand could be used across different mediums; including work uniform (aprons and chef jackets), interior signage, exterior signage and menus.

      I enjoyed working with Graze on this branding project; I can’t wait to see the branding all over social media and Ballyhackamore. I’d like to see Graze develop into a restaurant, where people come from all over to try their tapas and gin.

      I hope Graze sets the mark for what tapas should really be all about.

      Meet our evolutionaries – Dawn

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      1.What has working in Kaizen Brand Evolution taught you about the design industry?

      The main thing it’s taught me is adaptability. The world of design is fast moving and it’s so important to evolve with it and to be able to work on a wide range of projects. It’s also taught me that you can’t just think like a designer making pretty pictures, you have to think like a marketeer, an advertiser, a strategist, an accountant, a business owner and a consumer to ensure you get the best and most effective results for your client. Oh and it has to look good too.

      2.Desert Island Design Studio, which typeface would you bring with you?

      Burford. It’s not one I use all the time, but it’s a really creative typeface that you use by building layers. It consists of base layers, top layers and bottom layers that you can have a lot of fun with. It would definitely keep me entertained and give me something to do if I was stuck on a desert island!

      3.What do you use for motivation inside the studio?

      When I’m in need of some serious motivation, there’s nothing for it but headphones and heavy tunes. Anything from ASIWYFA, Daft Punk, Royal Blood, Muse or Biffy Clyro depending on how I’m feeling.

      4. Any designers you have been stalking online recently?

      I’ve been following/stalking Morag Myerscough on Instagram since I was at her talk in Offset last year. I love her use of bright colours and typography. I really want to decorate my house in this style, but I might need to invest in some super strength sunglasses first.

      5. What are you listening to in work today?

      Today I’ve had a bit of 6 music with Father John Misty, and The Vaccines, Temples, and um Justin Bieber on Spotify. I have a very eclectic taste in music. Don’t judge.

      6.Any exhibitions in Belfast recently that are worth checking out?

      The Late Night Art Bus Tour is absolutely brilliant and definitely worth checking out. The bus takes you round various galleries and street art in Belfast, often to places you’d never think of going to. Some of the stops even include a glass of wine, so it’s a super night out, very inspiring and great craic.

      7. What’s your pet called? Tell us about them.

      Sadly, I’m currently petless. I did have 3 goldfish but it didn’t end well. Nuff said.

      Code Fixer – Branding

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Codefixer are a small web design and development company based on the Malone Road, Belfast. They design websites for a range of clients  across many different industries all over Ireland. Codefixer are one of the few companies that specialise in Google Ad words, SEO friendly websites and Analytics. Having this all under one roof helps give you the ultimate package for your business. They make the whole experience very easy for your business and needs.

      In their own words:

      “Codefixer offers a comprehensive range of first class web design and development solutions including e-commerce and WordPress, that coupled with our extensive skillset in SEO and Pay Per Click helps all types of websites punch above their weight.

      Whether you are a small to medium sized business, a start-up to a multi million pound online business we’re confident that we can help you improve and get more of out your online business. Our success is due to our hunger to succeed and provide web solutions that exceed client expectations.”

      Codefixer came to Kaizen Brand Evolution wanting a new look to their brand. The old brand was out-dated and didn’t match the professionalism and years of experience Codefixer had. It just looked cheap and amateurish and this was so far from the truth. In fact they have been in this industry for just over 15 years. Codefixer wanted a refreshing logo that would set them apart from the industry landscape. They needed to look like a professional web design studio who you want to look after your online presence. As being a company who works with the internet they are potentially competing in global market not just local. The current brand doesn’t do Codefixer and justice.

      Our approach was to create a memorable logo, which is future-proof; we wanted it to say exactly what sector they were in without looking like your typical web design company. We created a logo that would easily develop into a brand with sub logos.

      In the meantime it had to be a logo that covered all basis of what Codefixer do into an eye-catching design, which prominently worked across all screens from mobile devices to desktop.

      The mark is a inspired by the language of code. A main object is written in square brackets ‘code’ followed by an instruction ‘fixer’ in this case. This language is written in lowercase (computers don’t understand uppercase). The [code]fixer mark can easily be written when the logo isn’t present on any device and will become instantly recognisable. The use of azure blue helps reach out to more corporate clients. This blue makes the business feel trust worthing and reliable.

      The new logo will be used on social media, Linked In, their own website and possible print materials.

      I believe the new mark will help them get the business and clients they want for their business.  The logo will be able to work well for training course and possible coding events in the future in Belfast and across Ireland.

       

      Active Health – Brand Development

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Holywood based Active Health Solutions approached the team at Kaizen Brand Evolution to reposition their brand identity to tie in with their plans to build a new website and a re-fit to their facility on Hibernia Street. Investment into their online service and internal facilities sparked the requirement to refresh their entire brand identity from their logo mark to their brand purpose and narrative. Active Health Solutions required a fresh, contemporary brand audit that reflected their ambitions for the business and a brand that spoke to new and existing clientele.

      In their own words:

      We are a company of passionate health care professionals providing a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to healthcare from our bespoke clinic in Holywood, County Down. Our mix of services include Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Chiropody, Massage Therapy, Pilates, Personal Training, as well as the provision of Occupational Physiotherapy to a number of large companies and organisations across Northern Ireland and Ireland.

      Active Health Solutions was started in 2006 by husband and wife team David & Rachel Saligari who are both are highly trained Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Specialists who met while completing their Masters of Manual Therapy in Perth, Western Australia. They and their clinical staff pride themselves on providing the most up to date and evidence based treatments available. Whatever your requirements, you will be directed to the health care professional within the company with the expertise to solve your problems and achieve your goals.

      Utilising their own description of Active Health Solutions we crafted a brand narrative and identity that would help re-position the business as market leaders, experts and forward thinkers. The first port of call was the logo mark itself. In a brand audit we retain and refresh rather that re-invent. This ‘refresh’ was a modern take on their existing mark, a contemporary word mark with considered typographic detailing using the ‘sportier’ glyphs found in ITC Avant Garde along with a simplistic ‘Plus’ brand device that the business can introduce as a nod to the health industry as well as reflecting that they are a physiotherapy business at the core “PLUS’ so much more. A key piece of the audit was also to remove the word ‘solutions’ from the primary brand mark – this decision came into play rather early in the design process, we felt that ‘solutions’ was too generic a word to describe the full set of services on offer at Active Health. This was an easy removal for the business owners as most clients refer to the business as ‘Active Health’.

      We introduced the narrative ‘Activate your Health’ to use across all branded touch points both online an in print. Activate your health is a direct call to action for the brand and acts on its own as almost a sub brand for the business to use around the building, on advertising and in any promotional material they produce. With the logo mark and brand language set in place the colour palette and photography direction was next in completion of the brand audit. The colour palette reflects the previous branding, rather than using a primary lime green, we have introduced a pastel scheme to accompany a beautiful blue grey. The colour symbolises renewal and growth, addressing the key selling points of Active Health Solutions. The photography direction is focussed, dramatic and telling of the services carried out at Active Health – we wanted to move away from the traditional stock photography direction of clients smiling in a clinical environment, something that this market is saturated in. The imagery is much more though provoking and speciality focussed.

      Active Health are currently working on refreshing their website with us, creating an informative, user friendly experience online, all reflective of their service in store.

      Mongey Communications – Branding

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Mongey Communications tasked the Kaizen Brand Evolution studio with a full company rebrand of their hugely successful communications business based in Co. Kildare. The work that Mongey carry out is instantly recognisable across the island of Ireland with reach across audio and visual in some of the most prestigious sporting and high profile events across Ireland, not to mention their security communications and audio work. Mongey communications reputation is exceptional, however their brand identity was falling behind. We created a new brand purpose for the business including strong brand narrative, ident and brand vision for future growth and success.

      In their own words:

      Mongey Communications , founded by brothers David and Cyril Mongey is built on over 30 years worth of experience in the sound and communications market. Operating throughout Ireland, the company has the commitment, resources and experience needed to provide a comprehensive audio-visual and communications solution for any event, project or venue.

      We have developed an enviable reputation in providing AV and communications solutions for the event industry in Ireland in the sporting, cultural and entertainment arenas.

      We are experts at providing first rate audio-video solutions. This is our job. We have been doing this for the past 20 years at some of the biggest events Ireland has ever witnessed, from the hugely successful Ryder Cup in 2006 to all the rugby and soccer internationals in Landsdowne Road and Croke Park.”

      Our first challenge was the name, we believed that the name Mongey stood alone in its own right as a recognisable name, so we decided to drop the ‘communications’ from the brand paving the way for a simple, clever mark. As we investigated further with narrative and storytelling for Mongey we introduced the ‘MORE” concept. More audio, More visual, More CCTV for example. This alliteration makes the Mongey name synonymous with More than communications. This new strapline also aids Mongey for growth and introduction of new technologies, which the company pride themselves on. Any new technique of communicating to audiences Mongey is an early adapter, from Walkie Talkies to drone work they are a progressive, contemporary business with focus on the future. All of these business attributes have been considered in the new branding for Mongey.

      The new Mongey mark is very much an audit of the original abbreviation “MC” that they used as their brand identity for many years, we felt this was the best approach for the business, to recognise success by treating the logo mark as a contemporary 21st century brand system with modern values. The M becomes the device for the brand and evokes the sense of the Mongey personal touch. This personal ‘signature’ style was crucial in reflecting how the Mongey business is very much a family business, a subtle but relatable hint. The remaining word mark takes a very modern, structured approach. Increased kerning and valued space between letters in the mark improve its visibility on screen and in print. We have retained the original Mongey red palette and introduced a beautiful Teal palette to work alongside it, as well as a brand image library full of high impact, abstract photos. The photo direction is an important factor in the new Mongey brand as it propels Mongey as a stand out communications company. Competitors traditionally use images of their actual equipment, screens and speakers we have focused on the experience that Mongey brings to a project with bright, dramatic shots of fibre optics, close ups of audio systems and even high impact visuals of the types of events that Mongey has experience of working in.

      The brand itself has extensive reach across Ireland which we as a studio are excited about, from Croke Park to Kingspan Stadium the Mongey brand is now prepared to soar across Ireland successfully. It was a pleasure to work on and we look forward to continuing the brand roll out across print and digital.

      Poppogoblin

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Poppogoblin are a healthy focussed café/juice bar situated on Alfred St, Belfast. They have garnered a reputation for fantastic, delicious healthy alternatives for lunch and for having warm friendly staff that make the entire experience with Poppogoblin one to remember. The owners approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to re-position the branding for plans to refresh the business alongside an interior fit out and a unique Poppogoblin juice range. The businesses reputation an integral part of their offering, which became apparent in our own research into customer, reviews on trip advisor and the broad social media landscape. One thing that was reoccurring was the focus on how the customers where blown away by how friendly and lovely the staff were in Poppogoblin, which immediately set them apart from competitors and highlights their brand purpose. With the brand purpose in mind we made sure to include hints to the unique offering in their brand identity, narrative and tone of voice.

      The brand mark itself reveals a smile in the typography, which is paired alongside a re-draw of their infamous lotus flower. The ‘smile’ in the typography immediately triggers a sense of positivity and the experience that Poppogoblin offers as a destination – you’re going to leave smiling. To balance the re-enforce the logo mark we introduced the strapline ‘eat smart, smile more’ – a strapline that sets the tone for the entire re-brand. You can now see as the brand launches in their signage, on their menus and even on their newly launched food truck – ‘eat smart, smile more’ is as dominant in the design as the logo itself, highlighting the power language can play on your brand.

      Colour choice was a delight for Poppogoblin, healthy modern pastels we’ll call them help extend the brand reach to the modern diner without isolated a particular gender or mind-set. You can dine in Poppogoblin if you are vegan, veggie, and carnivore – any palette really so we kept the colour scheme open and friendly as to represent the brand purpose fully. Photography plays a role in telling the brand story of Poppogoblin to which we called upon one of our favourite Architectural, interior and food photographers Donal McCann. Donal’s shots extend the brand direction fantastically, capturing the warmth and friendly atmosphere as well as the beautiful food and drinks on offer.

      Brand launch began some months ago in the background of the shop façade. Behind the scenes our team were building the full responsive website for Poppogoblin as well as preparing the social media channels for launch. The website utilises Donal McCann’s photo-shoot alongside beautiful typography, layout and brand placement. The full screen imagery on the site play a hug roll in telling the brand story and giving you a taste of the Poppogoblin experience on your desktop, on your mobile, anywhere really. We ensured that the brand roll out kept on track with the vision from the branding exercise. This extended into quality control with signage companies, interior fit out teams, vehicle wrap companies and juice bottle label manufacturers. We always like to keep a close eye on things as roll out happens, acting as full brand guardians as a brand starts to launch. This process and relationship with a brand extends our reach and expertise in the branding process and ensures that your investment in the brand is realised and achieved correctly as agreed.

      Poppogoblin is a fantastic case study for us a brand designers, the brand itself highlights how every aspect of your brand can be considered for maximum purpose. The Poppogoblin brand identity, language and brand guidelines are all set in place for a bright future.

      Punchestown Racecourse

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Punchestown approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to perform a re-brand for their established and celebrated racecourse and entertainment venue. We re-positioned the Punchestown brand by creating an engaging narrative and strategy for the business. With focus on the new ‘Town’ campaign we developed a suite of versatile straplines to use across the new brand roll out and marketing campaigns.

      The Punchestown Festival is considered amongst the Racing community as the equivalent to the Wimbledon of Tennis and the Augusta of Golf. The best of the best from far and wide and the entire annual racing season compete at Punchestown. The sheer audience and exposure of the Punchestown brand provided the need to keep their identity and advertising fresh and representative of their unique offering.

      There is a deep history at Punchestown Racecourse, which helped immensely in the craft of the brand narrative, from the famous horses, trainers and events that have taken place there is much more than meets the eye at Punchestown. The racecourse is not only synonymous with racing, there is so much more to the venue, from music festivals, corporate catering, family days, hospitality and new years celebrations to name a few.

      We felt that the best way for us to communicate the wider offering was to generate a campaign that’s going to be immediately representative of the brand and evoke the emotions and sense that you feel when attending events at the racecourse. This is where the “TOWN” campaign was born. Developing the campaign narrative from the courses namesake, presented potential mileage for the brand and its campaigns immediately and it seemed like an organic development for the branding. With the TOWN campaign decided upon we generated a suite of potential Irish colloquialisms, sayings and relative straplines that would become the driving force behind the new brand identity. ‘Get out of town’ was a saying that marries a few points at once, which we explored on launch.

      The idea of getting out of Dublin Town to visit Punchestown is the initial response to this phrase, however we’ve blended a traditional Irish colloquialism in the messaging “get out of town’ also gets used when you’re surprised to hear or see something. i.e. ‘I got a new Ferrari handed to me by my boss’ – the response would be “get out of town’. So the narrative bar was set, to communicate on two levels and engage vocally through the brand materials.

      With the narrative and strategy in place we could work the craft of the logo and brand materials. The logo, which features the Punchestown Fox (identifiable through the years across each variation their brand history) has been brought into the 21st century with the use of a fresh new type family and custom fox mascot, who sits neatly above the TOWN letters, harking back to the narrative and campaign messaging.

      We introduced a contemporary colour palette for the brand, keeping yet improving on the notorious Punchestown red we added a seasonal suite of colours to be used across the festival graphics, easily identifiable with the likes of Spring, Summer, Autumn Winter festival days. The colour flexibility has really strengthened the brand materials and creates an immediate association with a time of year at Punchestown. Primary colours explore pairings that compliment the Punchestown red, gold and a deep navy.

      Once the brand elements are married together it is clear to see the visual results of the successful re-brand, which now addresses the ambition of Punchestown as a business. The new brand identity and campaigns stand out from their local and national competitors. Everything from the strategy, narrative, identity, implementation and management of the brand has been considered and carefully treated to ensure absolute success as the brand evolves. We absolutely loved working on this brand as a studio and we continue to work with Punchestown as brand guardians and as the racing seasons come around.

      Branding The Future

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      We were approached by Adam / Founder and Director of the Future 17 Conference to develop a new brand identity and strategy for the up and coming tech conference for teens. Future was born out of frustration at the lack of tech events aimed at teenagers and was therefore created with the sole aim of inspiring the next generation of tech leaders.

      After their first event, which hosted speakers from TIME’s list of most influential teens, they are now hosting Future17, a one-day tech conference and hackathon that aims to inspire Northern Ireland’s teenagers to get more involved in the tech industry. By using a unique model and organising a tech conference around a hackathon, they ensure that attendees get the most from this experience: not only will they be able to develop their skills first-hand by ‘hacking’ together a product, but they will also receive talks from some of the leading people in the technology industry today. The ultimate aim of the event is not only to inspire the next generation of tech leaders but also to make teens see code as more than lines and squiggles on a screen and appreciate it for the magic that it is. This founder has his sights set on a number of high-profile digital superstars to lead the conference to be held in the Titanic Building, Belfast.

      We set the new Future 17 tone of voice around the primary mission of ‘developing greatness’ which symbolises the over arching theme of the event, inspiring the future of tech and digital/online developers. In keeping with the younger, teen target audience we aimed to create a brand identity that communicated effectively with this age group as well as potential sponsors. Adam, the founder has already secured solid investment from the likes of Twitter, Kainos and the MCS Group, all championing this growing industry in Northern Ireland. With this in mind, we created a clever brand mark utilising the ascender in the ‘F’ device with it’s own speech bubble mark. This subtle device speaks volumes across all marketing material on and offline. It immediately visualises the essence of the talks at the conference and is easily adapted across the brand.

      As well as the primary ‘F’ mark we introduced an additional, more fluid ‘F’ device built from a data map concept. This secondary ‘F’ is used across the brand in more abstract, high impact fashion. The founder of Future 17 thought that this additional device spoke volumes across marketing material and liked how versatile it became when rolled out across the conference graphics on stage and delegate material. All in all, there are two key components to this brand, the contemporary primary brand mark using the speech bubble in the F Ascender and the ‘Data Map’ F which adapts the playful, secondary colour palette.

      In keeping with the contemporary brand identity, we introduced Calibre as the brand typeface. The surge of circular typefaces in 2016 has been incredible and this one in particular fitted perfectly with the Future 17 ident, clean, concise, on trend. The supporting imagery with the Future 17 brand was chosen to inspire and intrigue, high impact scenic photography of skylines and the night sky symbolising the potential of the delegates and their future impact in tech.

      We are extremely pleased with the final branding of the Future 17 conference and look forward to the roll out as the build up begins for 2017. Here’s to the future of tech in Northern Ireland. If you are interested in attending the Future 17 conference please follow the link below for tickets and any further information. http://www.future17.co/

      Top of the Pops this week

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Design and Music go hand in hand and we are certainly inspired by the creativity of the music we listen to in and out of the studio. This week we’ve asked the graphic design studio to show us what music has inspired their designs and the brand we have created this week.

      Two Door Cinema Club – Game Show EP released 14th October
      The shiny and alluring but ultimately empty boxes shown on this cover do a great job at reflecting the themes for this album. The black plastic material hints to things being a little fake while being the perfect backdrop to create patterns with the lighting. The result is a fragmented pattern, that further reflects the themes of a fragmented society The band described the track as “rebelling against [consumerism]”. Guitarist Sam Halliday said: “The lyrics play on that and hating how the world is going in terms of commercialism and how people are addicted to social media and living on their phones.”

      Bell X1 – Arms released 14th October
      The simplistic doodle represents the simple life, overshadowed by the secondary images, giving the impression of a space age war, leading one to believe there is more dubious things going on behind the scenes. The colours still remain comforting and soothing, while the juxtaposition of the imagery sets it all on edge. “As the world feels like it’s becoming a harsher place (maybe there’s just more damn noise?), we seek out the comfort of the familiar and familial…arms” – Paul.

      The chain smokers – Closer – Single released 14th October
      This cover has a simplistic and modern look, using the intimate pose the models are in combined with an illustrated story in tattoos of two lovers exploring a relationship together. The reds and pinks representing lust and love, with the imagery also reflecting themes in this vain.

      Panacea in Vogue and online

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      We love seeing a brand do so well from its fruition in the Kaizen Brand Evolution Studio. Working closely with Panacea Drinks in their brand evolution has proven a massive success for the company with features in Vogue magazine, tastings from The Body Coach, Joe Wicks and growth in London and Ireland.

      This week we see the launch of the brand new Panacea website. We use a contemporary site design that reflects the needs of the customer through interactive blogs, visually engaging page layouts and insight to the product and lifestyle. The site boasts a straightforward user experience from start to finish, setting Panacea Drinks ahead of their competitors, paving the way for healthy, pro-biotic water-kefir in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

      The website follows as a part of Panacea’s brand strategy moving forward. As brand guardians to Panacea we ensure the direction is on point and communicating with the target audience as it grows. We are proud to continue working with this innovative brand as it reaches the masses.

      View the new site here: www.panaceadrinks.com

      Shebelle’s Brand Identity

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0
      Shebelle required a brand identity to reflect high end, ethically sourced hair extensions and associated beauty products. During a temple ritual in India women donate their hair to the gods. The temples used to burn this high quality human hair but now they auction it on the open market and channel the profits back into community projects. The hair is locally made into wefts and Shebelle only chooses product from companies with proven ethical standards in manufacture, employee relations and charity work, especially the education of women and girls. The products that enrich the hair are derived from andiroba oil found wild in South and Central America and in Africa. This blend of quality ingredients and ethical sourcing was the foundation for a strong branding position.

       

      We designed a luxurious, contemporary brand identity that sets Shebelle apart from their competitors. Patterns, photography and colour play their part in telling the story with each product having a separate, localised illustration. Traditional Indian, African and South American patterns weave through the packaging and marketing materials. The product launch is set for launch in late Summer 2016.

      Sylvester’s is open

      Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

      Belfasts’ newest restaurant, Sylvester’s approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to create a contemporary brand identity and logo design which celebrated the owner’s late grandfather ‘Sylvester.’ They required a brand identity that reflected the close knit family atmosphere that the owners pride themselves on. This was to be a completely new venture from the entrepreneurs, who already have an established track record, owning a successful chain of restaurants across Belfast – ‘Manny’s’.

      Logo Design Belfast – Restaurants and Cafes

      Sylvester’s opened its doors last bank holiday weekend and it was a joy to see it doing so well on opening day. The Antrim Road has been missing a hip little establishment and Sylvester’s really stands out as a leader in the area. The design of the brand identity firmly plans the legacy of ‘Sylvester’ and it’s evident across the restaurant. His image can be seen on signage and branded products throughout, with a custom portrait created in-house.

      Aside from the original logo design project, we also undertook a suite of projects including signage, promotional material and menu design.

        Sylvesters Cafe, Belfast

        The Sylvesters Cafe Kitchen brand has been incredibly well received in the marketplace and this is backed up by an exceptional food, drink and customer service offering. Located on the Antrim Road, Belfast this cafe has become a regular destination for diners from all across Belfast.

        Slim’s Healthy Kitchen No.4

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        From the very inception of the Slim’s Healthy Kitchen idea, Kaizen Brand Evolution have been creative partners providing all manner of brand support from identity and brand language, to marketing and strategic positioning for all stakeholder communications. For many clients, our service goes far beyond graphic design and Slim’s Healthy Kitchen is certainly one this holds true for.

        Last month, Slim’s opened their 4th store in Belfast and true to form, they wanted to make a huge statement to mark their arrival in Dundonald. A 25ft x 7ft mesh banner will do just that! The design takes the already strong Slim’s Healthy Kitchen branding and moves this towards our Spring/Summer campaign stylings which you will see visually rolled out across the brand over the coming months.

        Babble Brand Identity

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        Babble required a forward thinking brand identity that showcased them as the one stop shop for a career in the call centre industry. As well as the launch of their Babble Jobs brand (online jobs board) they required an accompanying brand that would speak to the user across social media, for ‘Babble Social.’

        We developed a contemporary, playful brand identity for Babble Jobs and Babble Social. Introducing ‘Barry’ – The Babbling Parrot, Babble’s Brand Mascot. Barry encompasses the user of the jobs board and social, he’s a well-travelled, chatty high flyer. Barry is seen across all collateral and acts as the voice of the company. A pleasure to work on and as the brand evolves Barry really starts to come to life.

        Nuovo Ristorante

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        Jordanstown Village will soon boast a nuovo ristorante! Working closely with the team at Bureau by the Lough to expand their offering and launch an Italian experience, we conducted a naming process incorporating some design thinking picked up at the IBM workshop at Offset this year. The new Italian Restaurant specialising in pizza, pasta & seafood with an in-restaurant pizza oven, and spectacular view needed to tell a story. The translation of Little Blue to Poco Blu became the narrative for the branding process. Immersing ourselves in Mediterranean patterns and colours the brand story unfolds to share the Italian experience. Collaborating with Brill Design on interiors we eagerly anticipate tasting the delights at launch this summer!

        Boojum, Cinco De Mayo

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        Boojum approached us to create a concept for the launch of their new ‘Win a trip to Mexico’ Campaign for Cinco De Mayo. We developed an online and printed campaign strategy that revolved around a ‘holiday tag.’ Using the tag as the device to drive the campaign it was clearly linked to the Holiday theme and strategically, ‘Tagging friends’ on social media became the staple of the competition. The tag also appears at the final stages of the competition where Boojum hold a special night where finalists have the chance to find a printed ‘Boojum Tag’ inside a Burrito on the night of the draw. Corona where the main partner in the holiday give away and we introduced some hashtag’s to coincide with the competition #boojum5demayo and #boojum&corona. The competition has proved very successful in driving new traffic to the main site www.boojummex.com (design by us) and raising brand awareness across Ireland.

        Brand evolution of White’s Tavern

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        The owners of the White’s Tavern came to us with an idea to brand the floor above the traditional Irish pub into a one of a kind bar/eatery. Stepping away from the long-standing tradition of White’s the new addition was to be tailored to a young professional audience, which would become a place of nostalgia and happiness with an edge.

        We delivered a striking brand identity for the new venture titled ‘Vandal.’ Vandal’s identity is a nod to nineties street art and culture. Through considered graphic design, the bright colours, patterns and hand drawn typeface are tributes to the 90’s theme with a contemporary treatment. The theme continues throughout signage, menus, wall graphics and online.

        Talking Brand

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        Senior designer Ryan Stanfield popped into BBC Radio Ulster ‘Good Morning Ulster’ this morning to talk brand.

        How it’s come about

        It has been built on a solid foundation of 6 years of creativity, the studio was producing work across the island of Ireland and beyond, but was an unsung hero. We wanted to give the creative team and our clients a voice, a brand that could tell the story of who we are and what we do.

        Why is what you do important

        I believe it is important to effect change for the better. That is what design does. It intervenes to create a preferred state. It’s the ethos of Kaizen Brand Evolution and how we help our clients in business.

        What will Kaizen Brand Evolution offer?

        “In two words creative change. The ability to evolve in an ever changing and competitive marketplace. To continually engage with both internal and external audiences both visually and through brand language. We offer ideas and thinking on brand that can find output both in print and digital formats to reach the most fitting solution to the design problem. We offer a way forward.”

        “We have recently converted our first floor into a studio space, allowing collaborative thinking from the designers, a break out meeting area, and reception to ask how you’d like your cuppa.”

        “We are currently fortunate to work with a wide spectrum of clients, from charities to media moguls and everything in between. Our designers find themselves getting under the skin of many industries, believing that the value of design comes in knowing how businesses work in order to help find the right solutions to make creative change.”

        “In terms of recruitment, we have just welcomed a new account manager, as well as someone to look after the numbers, and are in the process of sourcing a highly talented designer to join our gang.”

        Why are brands important

        Brand are incredibly important. Ultimately they are visual story tellers, they build consumer confidence and speak on behalf of your company. The visual language and tone of voice crafted for your brand will engage with your audience, build that audience and sell to that audience.

        BBC Digital

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        Connecting Homes Roadshow

        Here’s one you don’t get everyday! Lizi Daley from our Digital team has been working with BBC Digital and Farset Labs to create an interactive roadshow showing the evolution of digital technology in the home. The walk in mini home has everything from doorbells that operate lights to DIY Raspberry Pi solutions. Our job was to make what would arrive as a mobile on home on wheels to a cosy home that could display the technology and make the unit a domestic environment for the three day roadshow. Lizi had the task of mixing kitsch, shabby chic 70s style interiors with the corporate BBC Digital branding. Liaising with Farset Labs Lizi made sure online styling matched the environment she was creating that would take to the road. After a lot of wallpaper swatches, lighting research and door hunting, the vision came to life. The roadshow will be outside Belfast City Hall as well as Northern Ireland Science Park, designed, print managed and fitted by our team.

        Relax… you’re almost there

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        The next time you are travelling from Belfast international airport we hope you are well Fed & Watered! Our brief was to inject some soul into the outlet whilst protecting the balance of the customers perception of a high end offering at BIA. Expressing personality and character was key. The name, logo and colour palette was to remain, but our role was to evolve the brand to next level.

        The project was progressed in line with the interior designers vision and also liaising with the signage supplier on materials to meet the clients timelines and budget for the project.

        Firstly, we researched other restaurants to help benchmark the project visually. We created mood boards of materials and layout styles to make sure both designer and client were in agreement on the overall look and feel. Once we were exposed to the architects plans we adapted the mood boards to align the brand.

        This resulted in chosen fonts, colour palettes and textures that informed the menus, signage and printed communication in the outlet. The brand now talks to the customer with humour at each touch point, maintaining a quality standard yet opening dialogue to build a longer lasting relationship with the customer. From a commercial point of view, it was important to visualise the food deals to reduce customer decision time and make the menu more simplistic to increase sales and upsell products.

        The brand assets are solid, and can now be rolled out across other Fed & Watered outlets nationally, strengthening brand confidence and consistency across the portfolio.

        Client Quote from press link

        “Since its conception the brand has gone from strength to strength, with further outlets opening in Exeter Airport and the landmark Obel Building in Belfast. While the brand and the offering have evolved over the past four years, we took the decision earlier this year to execute a more significant brand refresh. The first part of the project was to work with our designers to reconsider the logo and associated corporate livery.” The updated brand assets have future-proofed this part of our business, and will now be rolled out across our other Fed & Watered outlets, thus strengthening brand confidence and consistency across the portfolio,” she added.

        Press Links – http://www.nibusinessnow.co.uk/enhanced-offering-at-fed-watered-takes-off-at-belfast-international/

        http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/ni-business-news/mount-charles-wins-major-international-airport-contract-1-7080977

        http://www.belfastairport.com/blog-news/2015/november/mount-charles-wins-major-contract-at-international-airport

        Bakehouse Belfast – Branding

        Posted on by YBmMqGwLx0

        Bakehouse Belfast approached Kaizen Brand Evolution for a branding project to set them apart as the top B2B supplier of baked goods across Ireland. Already established in some of the countries top hotels they required a fresh brand that would be rolled out across packaging, marketing materials, menus and eventually plans to open a café/patisserie. We pitched 3 contemporary brand directions for the company to which they chose the wheat’ mark with accompanying distressed text logo, echoing the hand made aspect of the business. We designed the packaging for their initial stand alone protein bar using a mix of bold raspberry and mint green colour palette. The brand personality cam in the naming of some of their best selling products, for instance their apple pie was re-named ‘Granny’s hand made apple tart.’ We wanted to use ‘Belfast-ism’s’ for each product and reflect the companies Belfast heritage. All copy going forward would use this approach and set them apart from their competitors.