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Logo Designing: 5 tips you need to know right now

Posted on April 17, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Logo - it is that small piece of graphic which carries big responsibilities in the success of your brand. Logo is the first introduction to the brand. It influences the customer’s decision and affects the overall brand perception whether it is a new brand or an existing one. Apart from being symbolic of what your brand does and what it stands for, a logo represents your brand on social media posts, letterheads, pamphlets, hoardings and every marketing collateral you can think of. There is a lot that a logo has to do and there is a lot that goes into creating the perfect one. Here’s simplifying the process of creating the logo, whether you are starting a brand afresh or wanting to refresh an existing one.

Here are 5 things to keep in mind while preparing a logo:

Clean and Clever
Colour is Crucial
Find Your Font
Pick Your LogoType
Make it Scalable

1. Clean and Clever

A good logo is always smart, clean yet easy to understand. Let’s exemplify the Amazon logo to understand this better. It is a very simple logo with smart play on its different elements. The yellow arrow from a → z denotes their wide inventory and it also denotes the wide smile their packages bring on everyone’s faces. Another great tip is to give blank spaces to keep the logo clean, while using those spaces smartly. Let’s take some inspiration from FedEx, it uses the negative space between E and x to create an arrow - which signifies speed and direction.

2. Colour is Crucial

Colours are not only about appearance or beautification, their importance is much deeper. Colours set the tone for communication and carry a certain vibe with them. For instance, blue invokes the feeling of community and togetherness. This is the reason why Facebook’s logo is blue. Red, on the other hand, is a colour which invokes aggression and mostly targets the younger age groups. Example: Netflix. While green denotes organic, yellow shows optimism and purple shows wisdom, and so on. There is a science behind every colour and this science acts like a bible for all professional creative agencies with seasoned logo designers. While bright colours engage the eye, they may seem too much. Lighter tones look elegant but they may fail to grab attention unless used in perfect balance.

3. Find Your Font

The typography depends largely on your target audiences. If it is children, there will be a handwritten font to make the logo and company look friendly. With thousands of brands popping up in the market, standing out has become the new normal. Therefore, it is always better to not use gimmicky fonts or fonts already used widely. It’s always better to create your own unique font family for your brand. If not that, search for some unique fonts available on the internet. Coca Cola is one brand which created its own unique font and there is no doubt its logo is imprinted on everyone’s minds.

4. Pick Your LogoType

The different types of logotypes makes logo-making difficult to choose from. There are various different kinds of logos but the most prevalent is wordmark - which is having a brilliant logo made with the brand name written. A great example of it is Noon, Amazon, Google, Hamleys, Dubai’s homegrown brands Huda Beauty and Mirzam chocolate, etc. The beauty of using a wordmark logo is that your brand name gets visibility parallely with your logo, thereby increasing brand awareness and recognition.

The second type of logo is Pictorial which is using the image of a certain object as the entire logo. Example: Apple, Lacoste. The next type is Abstract Imagery which is creating something unique and out of the box. Example: Pepsi, Starbucks. Abstract imagery is on the rage not only in the UAE markets but in all other major world geographies. Choosing the best logotype for your brand could be confusing and time-consuming but with the right set of logo professionals by your side, all you need to do is savour the magic of owning a good logo, brand-wise and business-wise.

5. Make it Scalable

A good logo is versatile; it should look equally classic on a sheet of paper, a billboard and even a pen. If the logo is resized, its shorter version should be just as effective as its expanded version. Here in this picture, we can see some iconic logos looking equally good in all sizes.

Take the example of Chanel. The smallest version of Chanel logo is used on the buckle of its handbags and it is essentially the buckle that makes the bag stand out from other brand’s bags. Now, that’s the power of a good logo!

Most brand owners sit down to create their own logo and mostly end up choosing a random logotype which looks good to their eye at that moment. Unless your brand perception holds no importance to you, random logos are a big no-no. At Vowels, we genuinely believe that your brand deserves the logo of your dreams and nothing lower than that should be accepted. Logo doesn’t change every year, it’s a long term asset, so settling for less is not an option here. Moreover, getting a generic logo made from crowded service-providing-sites or inexperienced freelancers can put your brand image at risk, without you knowing it. Trust professionals, join hands with like-minded creative agencies with specialisation in logo designing to weave the magic your brand deserves, today and forever.

From India and the Middle East to the US in the West, our brand consultancy is spread across different countries to assist all new businesses looking for a brand new logo and impressive brand identity, as well as old ones looking for a holistic corporate rebranding. If there is any question you might have regarding logo designing/branding/rebranding, please feel free to contact us.

Brand Positioning: Why is it unmissable for brand success?

Posted on April 14, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Brand positioning is your master key to making your target customer choose your brand over others. The brand positioning ensures everything your brand does is directed towards the common aim of making the brand appear more relatable to the target audiences.

The first step in brand positioning is finding out a niche market and a differentiating brand quality (or USP) that sets you apart. It is not necessary to innovate a brand new product to be different (of course, that’s a bonus), but there are other ways too.

Role specific: Your brand could be making products or creating services only for the CEOs. In other words, your brand doesn’t cater to everyone but only a specific tribe. That is a solid case of specialisation. Another example of this could be “For the to-be-mothers”
Cost-benefit: You could differentiate your brand by offering quality product/service at low costs. Using a tagline like “offering world-class accounting services at standard rates” is a great way to set yourself as a budget-friendly yet quality-driven brand - the dream recipe to attract new clients.
Industry-Specific: Tesla has captured the electric automobile industry so much that Tesla and electric cars have almost become synonymous. An electric car lover aspires to own a Tesla. That’s the beauty of brand positioning!

Throughout all these points, whatever the brand is claiming must be true and supported by evidence. It is also very necessary to ensure your brand positioning is relevant to your target audience. For instance: The customers of a brand like Louis Vouitton wouldn’t want to see it making low-priced bags. The beauty of that bag is that it is luxurious and affordable by a few. The major chunk of the success of luxury brands is that they are “purely” catering to only the higher income groups.

After you have figured out your Unique Selling Proposition, define your target audience, study how your competitors’ are branding in the market and if possible, do a professional research with customer surveys. Understand how your target audiences feel about your competitor, where do they think your competitor is lacking. Once you have understood what it is that the customers are expecting from your competitors but not receiving, almost creating a market gap. Bridge that gap and make that your strength. If the customer is unhappy with your competitors’ after-sale service, become their hero by giving complimentary after-sale services. Maybe you could build your brand position by saying: “There for you, before and after you have used our product”

The Specialist

When you are known for one particular service, the world knows you better, the world knows you as an expert. Your room to bring in new clients increases manifold.

With your brand positioning deeply embedded into your marketing strategies, your brand communication becomes more meaningful, excites the prospective audiences and gets you the limelight.

Ever thought about express shipping and almost certainly thought about FedEx. That’s the sweet fruit of the powerful brand positioning that FedEx has done and maintained over all these years. Likewise, think about budget-friendly everyday online shopping in UAE and you almost instantly know it is Amazon or Noon.

A Communication Guide

Brand positioning leads to more strategic communication, it gives you a path to follow for all your messages to the customer at every touch point.

A great example of Brand Positioning is how Dubai has transformed its global perception using strategic communication. Here’s what Brand Researchers Lee and Jain said: “Dubai is an excellent example of how a city can use a dynamic economy, wealth, sophistication and innovation as its brand position to attract visitors, residents and investors alike. Dubai has also implemented several advertising strategies to reinforce this position.”

Price Influencer

The way a brand is positioned also affects its pricing decisions. If the brand has positioned itself as a game-changer, innovator service provider, it makes complete sense to price their services above those brands who have positioned themselves as general service providers.

Tech major Apple’s unique position justifies the price tag on its products.

With the fast-paced market and multiple layers in brand positioning, it may become daunting to find a differentiating ground for your brand and attract customers from your competitor’s kitty but we’ve got you covered. If creating a brand positioning is something you are struggling with, consult our branding experts. From India and the Middle East to the US in the West, our brand consultancy is spread across different countries to assist all new and existing businesses with brand positioning, brand identity and all things branding. If there is any question you might have, please feel free to contact us or mail us here – [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

Brand Archetypes: Why is it the first step to Branding?

Posted on April 10, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Archetypes - it is that magical tool which makes your customer feel connected to you, your brand. Archetype is the persona of any brand that guides its communication with the world outside. It is the soul of the brand shaped by its core purpose of existence, its vision and mission. Archetype does not just represent a brand, it represents where that brand has come from and where it is ready to go. It is a long-term picture, a long-term feeling, a long-term connection! It is a medium of communication that, scientifically speaking, hits right on the subconscious mind, and hence, largely influences a customer’s perception about a brand, very effortlessly, seamlessly and so much more intuitively.

The world recognises 12 major types of archetypes as denoted by Carl Jung. Every successful brand is guided by its archetype to interact with its customers. Before we dig into archetypes furthermore, let’s understand why they are the first and foremost step in the process of building a brand.

Why are archetypes so important for branding?

Imagine you are watching a movie featuring different characters with different traits and behaviours. Some are soft-spoken and understanding, some are old and grumpy, some are jolly and childish, some are simple and naive, etc. Every character has a different personality and that is also reflected in their dressing sense, lifestyle, way of talking, etc. In the same manner, every brand has its own personality — and that gets reflected through its logotype, typography, colour palette, behaviours, communication pattern, website layout, product properties, etc.

When Brand Personality matches with the Customer Personality, a connection sparks and that is what successful brands or brands aspiring to be long term players are looking for. That connection is timeless, it only stays and flourishes!

12 Types of Brand Archetypes by Carl Jung

The 12 types of archetypes are: The Innocent, Creator, Ruler, Magician, Everyman, Hero, Outlaw, Explorer, Lover, Caregiver, Jester, and Sage.

Every archetype arouses a unique feeling and attracts different human beings with certain desires. Let’s take a basic tour of the various archetypes to understand them better.

“The Ruler” archetype

Core Value: Leader, Top of the game

Example: Ritz Carlton

Human desire that matches: Control

Now let’s dig a little deeper in “The Ruler” archetype. This archetype is about showing control and asserting power. It is suited for luxurious and expensive brands. People feel powerful when they stay in Ritz Carlton, when they wear a Rolex timepiece, when they buy a Georgio Emporio T-shirt - which are some of the brands that fall under this archetype.

Most popularly used fonts for the Ruler archetype are Trajan and Garamond. Brands falling under this archetype associate themselves with famous personalities. They also show their control by showing the good work they are doing for the world through donations and large-scale social associations. The websites and social appearances are clean, minimalistic and effortless with white accents.

“The Caregiver” archetype

Core value: Caring, Nurturing

Example: Johnson & Johnson

Human desire that matches: Service

Let’s talk about “The Caregiver” - an archetype that is increasingly grabbing a lot of attention from Dubai and Arab brands as well as UAE target markets.

This archetype is all about showing that you care. Brands promising to deliver farm-fresh vegetables to nurture their customers, Dove promising to take gentle care of the skin, Nintendo promising a happy and pampered time are just a few examples of brands following the Caregiver archetype. The idea is to create a pure and safe world, with no adulteration and preservatives.

Dove is cruelty free and hence, makes the consumer feel guilt-free while using its products. Naturally grown products - be it perfumes, creams or vegetables are trending and if you are one such brand offering love, nourishment, nurturing, then you fall under Caregiver archetype. Soft green, peach, purple, blue and of course white are the colours associated with this brand personality. The suitable fonts are Manu and Omnes.

“The Everyman” archetype

Core Value: Supportive, friendly

Example - IKEA

Human desire that matches: Belonging

Next, let’s talk about Everyman. Brands providing solutions to daily problems and making life easier for one and all, fall under this archetype. Whether it’s eBay which provides easy access to goods across the world or Levi’s which makes a pair of jeans for every gender, all sizes and income groups. These brands become a household name and people feel like they belong here. Classic examples of everyman brands invoking belongingness are Facebook and Instagram. Rather than opting for a celebrity endorsement, these brands hire common-looking artists to advertise for them. The fonts used are Motiva Sans and Myraid.

A common mistake that some brands do to save on budget is integrate a few characteristics of a certain archetype through the brand colours and communication as that is something which can be imitated or searched directly on the internet without brainstorming about the different aspects of their own unique brand. However, archetype is an overall persona of the brand, which suggests the brand’s perception about life and what kind of lifestyle it supports.

Let the perfect archetype guide you in humanising your brand and connecting with your target audiences with a vibe so good, it’s hard to go unnoticed! Like all successful brands do, it is advisable to consult professional branding experts who strategically pick the best archetype for you and holistically humanise your brand based on that, taking customer connection to an altogether new level!

We’d love to know what your brand archetype is in the comments below. If you are a new brand or an existing brand looking for picking the perfect archetype as part of your rebranding process, we’ve got you covered. From India and the Middle East to the US in the West, our brand consultancy is spread across different countries to assist all new and existing businesses with brand archetyping, brand identity and all things branding. If there is any question you might have, please feel free to contact us or mail us here - [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

How A Solid Corporate Identity Can Help Small Businesses Grow?

Posted on March 31, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Entrepreneurs, startups, or organizations are often great at defining their products, target audience, and what their employees and stakeholders think and expect of the brand. But when it comes to crafting their corporate identity, and how they are perceived in the marketplace is where they falter and fall.

Defining your corporate identity is difficult. Unlike its branding counterpart, it is not a collection of visual and verbal elements, rather, it asks deeper questions like ‘who are you?’ and ‘what do you stand for?’ The final outcome of the exercise may be to create a good impression and favourable impression on the audience but this exercise has more to do with corporate culture, behaviour, and communication.

In this article, we aim to understand the nuances of corporate identity. How is it different from brand identity? What are the different elements that constitute a corporate identity? Let’s start!

What Is Corporate Identity?

A corporate identity is a manner in which a corporation, business, or company expresses and presents itself to the public. In the complex corporate structure and hierarchy, and identity helps streamline values, guidelines, internal and external image. It also involves other elements of marketing such as advertising, design, and public relations.

The word ‘identity and ‘culture’ seems unnecessary, far-fetched, or simply too corporate-y to entrepreneurs and small businesses, especially when you are a small team. Trust us, there are many benefits of having one.

Effective corporate identity helps you engage meaningfully with investors, stakeholders, employees, and customers.

It ensures an effective and consistent medium of communication.

It differentiates you from your competition.

Corporate Identity vs Brand Identity

The concept of corporate identity is an evolved version of branding. Though these two terms are often used interchangeably, there are certainly different concepts:

Perception:

Brand identity often refers to a particular product or service that a company provides. Corporate identity on the other hand is responsible for creating a favourable perception of the entire organization.

Relationship:

Branding aims to form an emotional connection between its customers and the business. Whereas, a corporate identity is all about the ‘look and feels’ of the business.

Emotions:

The core requirement for branding is to evoke trust, favourability, and reliability towards their brand. The corporate identity speaks of its organization’s culture, ethics, values to establish individuality

What Are The Elements Of Corporate Identity?

An identity is more than its company’s logo, website, social media, or even employees. It is an amalgamation of design, behaviour, and culture that sums up the values on which your organization was built on. This consistent re-evaluation and awareness regarding your self-image revives goals, strengthens the loyalty in the workforce, and helps them navigate their role in the complex structure.

Creating an identity is a constant process that requires years of experience, and good-will in the industry. However, if you wish to create a good corporate identity, there are three key elements you should focus on:

Corporate Communication

Refers to the language that organizations use to express their corporate culture to their employees, external and internal stakeholders, and even the media. This language outlines a way in which departments communicate among themselves and the public. This language could be formal and authoritative in a traditional structure. In a flat hierarchy, it is informal and friendly. So, what is the structure of your organization, and how do you communicate?

Corporate Behaviour

Remember how the sexual harassment complaint by a Uber employee lead to stocks plummeting, bad publicity, and over-night change of management. Yes, that’s the power of corporate behaviour. In a nutshell, corporate behaviour refers to the essence of your company. It is an essential segment of corporate identity through which an organization highlights its core values, corporate philosophy, and brand promise. Corporate behaviour is the intangible asset that fosters trust among customers and loyalty within the employees.

Corporate Design

Here’s where the boundaries between corporate identity and brand identity start to blur. Corporate design essentials refer to the branding collaterals such as the name of the brand, logo, colour palette, typeface, slogan, and style guide. But, since corporate identity involves an entire organization, elements like business cards, letterheads, Identification cards, and uniforms are also included.

How Can Vowels Help You Create A Great Corporate Identity?

Work On Your Story. Tell It Right!

If you are a small businessman or a budding entrepreneur navigating the industry, your brand story is what sets you apart. So, what did you start your business? What inspires you and your team to work every day? As a branding agency, Vowels can help you find your voice, polish your values, create your brand identity and get your brand story right.

Create A Strong Visual Identity

Design is the silent ambassador of a corporate identity. It is the medium through which people recognize you. A solid logo can reinforce your company’s values and beliefs. A bright colour palette similar to Coca-Cola is a nod towards boundless creativity and screams adventure. What does your logo say about the company? Do your branding collaterals do justice to your company’s culture? No idea! Let us help you out!

Combine Creativity With Brand Strategy

Whether it is promoting a small business or a multi-million dollar company, marketing is not always about planning, managing, analysis, or logistics. It is more about the beautiful marriage of creativity and strategy. When you consult with Vowels, we offer you an array of services related to brand strategy, design, web development, and creative communication.

Set A Template Of Corporate Communication & Behaviour

Corporate identity is just your marketing department’s concern, it influences communication between departments, among employees but most importantly, with the customers. Our team at Vowels can help you create an integrated branding strategy through web development, finessing your brand communication, creating corporate videos, brochures, and packaging.

If you are a startup wishing to build a brand or someone looking for a fresh start, rebrand your own business whether it is a logo design, a website design, tailored messaging, or a complete brand makeover, it’s time you get in touch with professional branding agencies like Vowels to make your vision come true. We specialize in brand consultancy, strategy, brand guidelines, CI manual, brand presentation, and corporate rebranding.

Extended across multiple countries like the USA, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, we believe in providing exclusive solutions to all your brand problems.

Contact Us

Check out our work at Vowels

We are always available at [email protected].

Steps To a Beautiful Packaging - What We Do For You!

Posted on March 30, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

When it comes to your brand’s logo, you stop for nothing but the best. The logo can speak volumes to a customer checking out your product. So, if you thought it is something as easy as putting a word, designs and colors together, this article is going to show the amount of thought that goes into the creation of a logo so you realise why it is so important to get nothing but the best.

Speaking of best, we are going to throw light on what we do here, so you know how committed we are to your needs and you. The following article is a glimpse into the kind of work someone like us would be going through to ensure that you end up with an attractively packaged product.

Let’s assume that we have a package that you would like to redesign, let’s take a pack of Energizer batteries for now, come and take a look at how we redesign it.

The Prework

Drawing and all is fun, but obviously that’s not the first thing a logo designing agency does. So, what do we do? We come up with as many logo concepts as we can and then go through the entire process, mock up and all for a new logo. Sounds like fun? Then read on!

And then for something interesting, at least for an agency, we draw an image, and probably here it would be a kind of art that speaks of energy or speed. Was that what you guessed?

Are you ready for what comes next? Okay, we list out the words. What words? Well, anything comes to mind when we look at the image we just drew: electricity, passion, infinity, speed, energy, come on, you’re smart, you can give me more! Now, that’s quite some work, ain’t it?

Now, why are we doing this exercise? I’ll tell you. See, if you’re done with these words, put the sheet down before you as you brainstorm, and see the difference it makes to your results and the ideas that now come up in mind.

The Interesting Part

And with that begins the real part: the experimenting: icons, more images, simple and complicated patterns, a designer studio just keeps creating! So, what we are actually doing now is getting those words translated into visuals. Who ever said that art is all about visuals and a designer agency doesn’t play with words?

So, these words that came up by looking at the image drawn are now soon going to become the gateway to your awesome logo!

This brings the next big challenge to mind: choosing a typeface! See, when it comes to typeface, the idea is to keep experimenting. Try it out with different varieties, and don’t get tired till you have arrived at the one you think you are sure would be the best, the letters with the kinds of shapes that convey the elements in the best way.

And then, well, we sketch, still experimenting and seeing what more we can do and what different you can do all the while. We experiment with angles, movements, strokes, shapes, in short, anything you can think of, till we come up with something new that seems just right. To be honest you will surprise yourself in the process, you will see.

We’re Not Done Yet

And finally, when we come up with the best sketch, well, we clean it up! We can never be done till we’re really done. You like colorful? The same mantra again, we experiment. We experiment till we are sure that we have just the shade for your logo! And just before you think you’re done, there’s more! We need to test your design on your package. You really failed to realize that?

Nothing is too much of a hard work here, we can never be excited enough when it comes to your logo, but explore till we find that one that finally clicks, and shouldn’t be changed in any way.

Did You Enjoy the Journey?

And all the while we do not forget to keep in mind what the primary piece of information is. What I’m trying to tell you is, we don’t miss out on all those relevant pieces of information to go through the entire designing process again. Like, since we are talking batteries here, maybe you should keep in mind the information regarding the voltage.

So, how long does this entire process take. This is a process that could take two weeks or so. The idea is to be thorough as you attack the whole problem. We are talking about packaging for a brand and this is no drawing class, right?

So, would you like to through all this all along? While the above information is interesting to know, if you want these steps taken in professional hands, Vowels‘ team have them right here for you.

Logo Designing in Dubai, UAE and Saudi Arabia - Decoded

Posted on March 29, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment

Just like how we humans primarily trust a person based on their looks and appearances, a company primarily builds its trust through its logo. Whatever age group your customers fall in, the first and foremost method they use to identify your product is the logo. Long story short: Logo is the face of the company and it matters, it really does! If you are a brand owner looking for a new logo or wanting to replace your existing logo, you have landed at the right place. Before we dive any deeper, let’s recognise the unsaid importance of a logo (and a good one!).

The beauty of professionally crafted logos is that it brings out a specific connotation which is favourable for the brand. The final logo is just not a piece of art or well-placed aesthetics. It is a summation of the different stories related to the brand. It is the deep hidden meaning behind every good logo design that contributes to the success of brand aura and imagery. Every logo has its own unique vibe and personality. Every logo arouses a different emotion.

Let’s take a brief look at the lovely dual-toned logo of Dubai Tourism.

After launching this logo, Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing said, “The new logo features the word ‘Dubai’ written in both Arabic and Roman alphabets, representing the fact that the city is a fusion of cultures and nationalities – a result of the historic and present day approach of being outward looking and open to ideas from across the globe.

Arab companies - big or small, national or international are becoming highly focused on getting an appropriate brand logo which strikes a chord with its customers. With different types of logo designs available, every brand is exposed to different choices. To make a smart decision, let’s understand the 4 major types of logo design.

Word Mark

Pictorial

Abstract Imagery

Logo Systems

What’s Your Pick?

1. Word Mark

A logo made out of a word like Dell, FedEx, Coca Cola, Dubai-based make up brand Huda Beauty, etc. are all examples of Word Mark. This type looks supremely simple, outrightly clear and is a great alternative for companies with tight budgets. However simple it may seem to look at, there is a world of difference when an amateur makes a wordmark logo and when a professional creative agency makes it. That difference ultimately suggests the level of branding you are opting for your brand.

2. Pictorial

Pictorial logo is about using the image of a certain object as the entire logo. Examples of this would be Apple, Lacoste, etc. The image could either suggest the name of the brand like in case of Apple or it could be an image of something else altogether like Lacoste’s logo is that of a crocodile. Fun fact: Lacoste’s logo came to life because its founder was nicknamed as “crocodile” while he was playing tennis.

As we discussed above, a logo is built keeping a story in mind; it could be depiction of the motive behind building the brand, or the thoughts of the person building the brand or something else which is more personal to the founder(s). We, at Vowels, encourage our clients to speak their hearts out while giving us brand briefs. Based on all the experiences, thought processes, motives and vision we have gathered from the client, our creative team masterfully creates a logo which is revolutionary in itself, and one which resonates with the values of the brand and of the founding members.

3. Abstract Imagery

This is everyone’s favourite logo type in Dubai and UAE. Unlike the other two types, abstract imagery is something someone has never done before, it is fresh and unprecedented. This is about creating a unique brand logo on the design desk right from scratch. Examples of this would be The Emirates, NBC, Pepsi, AirBNB, Windows, etc.

Based on personal preference, brands go either of these logotypes or use a combination of these types. Middle-Eastern e-commerce brand, Noon features a successful mix of wordmark and abstract imagery in its logo. It is clean, abstract and doesn’t fail to grab your attention online.

4. Logo Systems

You must have noticed Google has a new logo on every special occasion. If it’s Women’s Day, the logo will suggest so. On another day, if it is the birthday of a renowned personality, the logo will feature him/her. That is Logo Systems. Likewise, MTV is another classic example of Logo Systems. The basic logo framework remains the same but the surrounding elements change depending on the theme.

Logo Systems is a growing trend across various geographies including UAE. These are different graphics which adapt to different themes, events or causes which the brand wants to promote. Having said that, this type is majorly only appropriate for online companies or channels. Also, this alternative is naturally more expensive than others.

What’s Your Pick?

Which logotype do you prefer for your brand? Which colour palette should you go for? How will your logo look on websites, apps, bills, pens and letterheads, etc.? Is it created with a futuristic approach and stay relevant or would it get outdated soon? All these parameters and more should be taken into consideration before creating that perfect logo which attracts your audiences and stands the test of time. With you having to handle your business, it is best to leave logo designing in the hands of creative agencies specialised in logo designing.

From India and the Middle East to the US in the West, our brand consultancy is spread across different countries to assist all new businesses looking for a brand new logo, a solid marketing strategy and impressive brand identity, as well as old ones looking for a holistic corporate rebranding. If there is any question you might have regarding logo designing/branding/rebranding, please feel free to contact us.

| Tagged brand building, brand logo design, Logo Designing Facts, Logo Designing Strategy, what is brand identity

Guide to Understanding Gen Z, The Generation of Digital Native

Posted on March 25, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment on Guide to Understanding Gen Z, The Generation of Digital Native

If you are working out of a cafe, posting about every moment with too much detail, and think that the tear face emoji is so in, we have news for you. You are ancient on the Internet.

With the advent of Gen Z, the first generation of digital natives, traditional and digital marketers are in for a surprise. Unlike the millennials – who came of age during the Great Recession and have witnessed the post-liberalization period– Gen Z has inherited a stable economy, a crumbling socio-political environment and degrading ecosystem.

Born between 1995-2012, Gen Z is the most educated, ethnically diverse, and truly mobile generation that has outnumbered millennials and constitutes 32% of the global population. The oldest of this generation is ready to join the workforce and quality as potential customers for many luxury and utility brands alike.

What makes catering to this new generation so challenging is their innate ability to collect, cross-reference, and analyze data from multiple sources to make a sound choice. Unlike their predecessor, Gen Z is not idealists and dreamy; they are thrifty, woke, less emotional, more analytical, and most importantly, individualistic. So, the old tricks of marketing that dazzled boomers, persuaded millennials, might not work on them.

In this article, we will learn more about this up-and-coming generation? How are they different from the others? What motivates them and what ticks them off in life? How do they connect with the media and how can you tailor your brand to cater to their taste?

But First, Who Really Is Gen Z?

Similar to the 90’s kids who have witnessed the market change, technology evolve and culture shift, Gen Z is the product of their time, however, with one key difference - unlimited access to information. Gen Z has grown up in a fractured society filled with data breaching, an overload of information, fake news, #MeToo, #BalckLivesMatter, police brutality, and the changing climate.

Along with the cons, they have also inherited a world that is more fluid in its approach to gender, and identity. Although they witnessed the horrors of fake news and data breach, they understand the importance of privacy and demand transparency.

Being the first generation of social natives, they are vocal, connected, and unafraid of being political. They are the first generation that aggressively forced society to face the environmental crisis, created pressure, and pushed them to work for the better.

In terms of brands, Gen Z is not phased by famous logos, they gravitate towards products that align with their value systems. A brand purpose is a driving factor for decision making and values like sustainability, cruelty-free and ethical business practices are popular among them.

What Is Their Relationship With The Media?

Mobile Holds A Key To Their World

The last two decades have completely reshaped the digital landscape of UAE and KSA. The upcoming policies and Vision 2030 in the case of KSA aim to create a conducive environment for digital technologies and innovation.

According to Global Media Insight 2020, the Emiratis population spends an average of 2.57 hours on social media daily. Out of the total population of 9.83 million, 9.73 are active social media users. The three most popular platforms are Youtube with 8.65 million users, Facebook with 7.77 million users, and Instagram with 6.68 million users.

In regards to KSA, the number of internet users increased by 4.3 million between 2019-2020. Today, Saudi Arabia has the largest social media presence in the world with Saudi youth making up to 75% of the total UAE population. Although millennials take 44.3% share of the pie, Gen Z closely follows them with a solid 39.5%. (Source: Talkwalker)

This data sheds light on important points like the boom of mobile social media usage and 9.7 million users access social media through their mobile devices. Also, Gen Z is closely competing with millennials and marketers can no longer afford to ignore them.

A Close But Private Relationship With Social Media

It is no secret that Gen Z lives and breathes on the Internet. They spend an average of 3 hours scrolling through social media but that doesn’t mean that they share every movement and passing thought on the platform. One of the major powers this group holds is their uncanny ability to filter, compartmentalize and distance themselves from social media images.

For example Platforms like tik-tok are used to fun dances, art, bizarre food trends but also create a snappy 15-sec video of their opinion on social/ political issues. On the other hand, Facebook, though hardly used, is seen as more appropriate for sharing with larger networks of friends and family.

The most interesting of the lot is the trend of Finsta’s, or fake Instagram accounts, set up to share raw, unfiltered moments with a select group of friends with content.

Influencer’s Influence Is Big

The upcoming trend of influencers is not out of the blue, it is created out of necessity and borderline desire. Rather than following mainstream actors and popstars, Gen Z prefers more authentic and relatable role models that align with their set of values. When the values align, Gen Z develops a sense of affection, appreciation, and a strong relationship with influencers, which is more powerful than you may think.

To put in context, what cinema and Tv were to 90s kids, influencers are to Gen Z. These influencers help empower fans through beliefs, self-expression and give them a purpose to care about, but also influence their purchasing decisions. Hence, even luxury brands like Dior and Marc & Jacobs are collaborating with YouTubers and Instagram celebrities to persuade the ever-elusive Gen Z.

Omnichannel Experience Is The Way To Go

Although Gen Z relies on the Internet for everything, it is important to understand that there is a method to their madness.

They follow influencers for empowerment and inspiration.

Instagram, youtube, and tik-tok are great platforms to discover brands and products that are up their alley.

Their purchasing decisions heavily rely on feedback, word-of-mouth from a trusted source, and recommendations from friends and family.

Compared to other generations, they might be less likely to shop in physical stores but that doesn’t mean you underestimate the power of motor and brick stores. One of the key traits of Gen Z’s personality is thriftiness, they are careful with their money and are likely to cross-reference the product on different sources. They appreciate the good experience, so consistency in both online and offline channels is the way to go.

Digital Platform They Heart

Social media has become a lifeline for Gen Z and Millennials alike. Especially in these times when you are stuck at home, quarantining and social distancing to connect, distract, and comfort. While several platforms are popular among the sub-groups of Gen Z including clubhouse, Spotify, Twitch, and Tumblr. There are 4 platforms almost everyone loves.

Youtube is their platform of choice for either knowledge or entertainment. Since the influencer trend is big with this generation, the youtube format helps them gain deeper insight into their idol’s life and connect with them.

Instagram operates as a platform catching up with pop culture, daily updates on friends, and all things lifestyle. Unlike the millennials who are big on oversharing, Gen Z uses this platform to find something new and interesting.

Snapchat: In 2020, Snapchat, in partnership with Kantar, shared that it reaches some 90% of 13-24 year-olds, essentially gen z, across the US, more than Facebook, Instagram and Messenger combined. Gen Z uses Snapchat to connect with friends, fun filters, immersive content, nuggets of content, and transparency between users and the platform.

Tik Tok: Tik-Tok, is immensely popular among the gen z. They can solely be credited for the platform’s initial success. Long gone are the days we used to ridicule tik-tok dances and skits. Today they are all the rage, and in the lockdown, even the celebrities joined in.

Tips To Connect With Gen Z Better:

Talk about your brand values and purpose, not just your product and brand. Gen Z wishes to invest and promote brands with meaningful stories or missions.

Representation and diversity are important to them in a brand but stray away from the trap of tokenism. They are digital natives; they know a facade when they see one.

One of the best strategies in this complex, and polarised is to be positive. Gen Z might not have faced recession but they are the generation grappling with unemployment, climate change, and mental health crisis. Acknowledge the challenges but focus on celebrating as a community.

Be real. The younger generation is okay with imperfection and even relates better to brands that have the strength to be vulnerable. Growing up in a hyper-commercialized world brimming with ads and branded content, they appreciate originality, realness, and especially - individualism.

Conclusion

To be honest, most companies aspire to cater to the younger generation but aren’t ready to market to do so. The generation divide is huge and ‘winging as you go’ won’t work in this case. So, it’s time you get in touch with people who actually understand them and help you guide the way to the future.

Vowels Branding Agency with its team of expert strategists and designers, will help you with customer persona to help you target and strategize better. Along with that, the agency can help you create unique and original visual and verbal brand identity to stand out among the competition.

Some of our other services are logo design, and a complete brand makeover. We specialize in brand consultancy, strategy, brand guidelines, CI manual, brand presentation, and corporate branding.

Extended across multiple countries like the USA, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, we believe in providing exclusive solutions to all your brand problems.

Contact Us

Check out our work at Vowels

We are always available at [email protected].

| Tagged brand building, branding agency, what is Gen Z, Who Really Is Gen Z

Find Your Brand Voice- Choose a Style!

Posted on March 24, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment on Find Your Brand Voice- Choose a Style!

Ever felt like your brand could do with some attitude? Well, then that’s a good start, and this article is written to address you. Building a brand personality all starts by asking the big question: what you would like to represent to your audience.

While the visual identity is very important, you also need to be aware of the tone and voice in which you address your consumers. How would you like to deliver your message to them? Would you like to humour them? Or impress them? Would you like to motivate them? Or inspire them towards the greater things of life? Or would you just like to sound very businesslike and sophisticated as you describe what you have to offer to them? Well, we shall have a look at each of these by taking a look at some of the best brands that have implemented these tones here:

Table of Content

Ever Appealing, Like Lego

Command Sophistication and Class Like Alfa Romeo and Mercedes

Or Be Sweet and Innocent Like a Dove

But If You Have To, Inspire Like Nike

Get the Young to Laugh Like Lynx

Touch Hearts Like Toms

Celebrate Like Coca Cola

Or Get Serious Like IKEA

Finally, Play It Down Like Apple

Final Words

Ever Appealing, Like Lego

If you were once a child, you will probably remember one of those brands that went a long way in encouraging motor coordination and creativity. Created in 1932, today even after almost nine decades, this is a brand that touches a number of cultures, thus connecting to people, with themes that can vary greatly. Overall the brand communicates in a youthful, fun loving way.

Command Sophistication and Class Like Alfa Romeo and Mercedes

Style and sophistication are their characteristics of communication so needed to impress someone buying a car. The images used here are what set this brand of cars apart.

Now, another automobile company you have is the famous Mercedes Benz. Now, how could we exclude that? Prestige, success are status and this is what you need to join our club is the message communicated here. Refined and authority, the message is all about success here. Now, you may like this or you may not, if it’s more of the latter, then let’s move on to the next one.

Or Be Sweet and Innocent Like a Dove

Here is a style that is more innocent, we give you the favourite of girls and women: Dove. The very name states us this, right? The tone is one of appreciation of beauty that can be found in all women. Now, where can you find a tone and a brand that can get more humane than this? Optimism and honesty are the tones used here, which we all know is normally so hard to find in a feminine product.

But If You Have To, Inspire Like Nike

The famous brand of shoes can’t be left out of the list of big brand personalities, can it? So, there you go. Inspiration is the key word here with its very tagline Just do it. The brand highlights a winning mentality. Nike, in fact, more like an athlete’s second coach, motivating every athlete on the way.

Get the Young to Laugh Like Lynx

Humour and jokes are good as long as your jokes connect to the audience and not simply make them laugh and then forget about you the next minute. So, as a joker, you first understand the people you are going to humour and what their needs are.

Now, while they are humorous, they are also serious about the message they want to communicate, they know who their audiences are. This is a brand that acts as a big brother to teens going into adulthood, giving them a message of confidence.

Touch Hearts Like Toms

And if you are a brand with a purpose behind it, you know the one who is not there to just sell but plays a role in helping humanity, an example you could use in communicating your message is Toms. The communication style here is warm, supportive and reassuring with an aim to bring all people together, from their customers to humanity and large, giving everyone hearing about them that feel good which is so encouraging for the promotion of charity and brotherhood. Warm, caring and helpful are the keys here.

Celebrate Like Coca Cola

Thirsty already? Now, this is one brand that celebrates happiness, linking itself to all the happy occasions of life. Recall the ads you have been watching from your childhood days. Vacations, outings, friends are probably some of the central themes that could come to mind, right? The message communicated is forget everything, have Coke and be happy.

Or Get Serious Like IKEA

Opposite to that is IKEA, no nonsense in tone, they mean business, as they talk about providing solutions to people with specific needs and requirements. While the language is simple, let’s not judge them as downright boring, there is a bit of humour here and there. So, while it is serious, it is also light hearted with a tagline that focuses on the brighter side of life.

Finally, Play It Down Like Apple

Another example of a brand that is minimalistic is Apple. A simple language and a quiet tone, they have managed to communicate their message of innovation and creativity to the world. Now, that’s an achievement, isn’t it?

Final Words

Developing a brand voice is not as easy as it looks to be. There are several factors to consider in order to arrive at that brand voice that goes best with what you have to offer as a brand. That being said, we at Vowels are here to walk with you and help you come up with just the right voice that is perfect for your brand. Here, we show you how to think out of the box, to come out as a brand that is unique with a tone and voice and style of your own.

Vowels, The Branding Agency, give you all the inputs you need to decide on the style of your brand and what you want to communicate, or you could get a whole new tone created for you if you want to.

We are available for you in different parts of the world. So, if you are located in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait Oman or Bahrain, reach out to us for all your brand needs and we will make your brand needs ours too. Apart from this, we also have our centres in India and the US.

From packaging design to corporate rebranding, our services are varied. We also help you build your brand identity and your brand as a whole with the right brand strategy. So, if you think your brand needs help in areas like these, remember that we are just an email away.

Also read - Logo Design: Its Place In Brand Strategy

| Tagged brand building, brand consulting, branding agency, know about brand value, know about your brand voice, what is brand voice

Logo Design: Its Place In Brand Strategy

Posted on March 22, 2021 | by admin | Leave a Comment on Logo Design: Its Place In Brand Strategy

In a world of brand strategy and brand marketing techniques, let’s not forget that a good logo still has a place in determining the look of your business, and is in fact, one of the important parts of brand strategy. We shall thus, in this write-up provide a little more focus on this part of brand strategy.

As we would already be aware, a good logo design is far from being a beautiful representation of a symbol or monogram of company. A logo, on the other hand, is one of the most important parts of visual design as it takes the big role in conveying the message of your business.

So, creating a logo is not just about coming up with a mix of many ideas that have resulted from all the research that I, as a designer have created in my excitement. A good logo, in fact, is one with more of quality, and not quantity.

Place of Logo Design in Your Brand Identity

In fact, brand identity today, to put it in easily understandable terms, can be looked at from the scene of a man trying to propose to a woman.

Marketing Strategy

He walks up to her, invites her for dinner, during which he puts forward his best foot to win her over. The same way a brand does it’s best to highlight its best features to its clients.

Internet Marketing

He could call her up and during the conversation keep sounding like the nice guy, all the while trying to impress her. For a brand, this is internet marketing. That takes the form of social media posts, Instagram and so on.

Public Relations

Sometimes a man could get friends to help. He tells them to build his identity before her by saying good things about him. For a brand, this is public relations, where the best talent is hired to spread the word.

Advertising

And then there are some men who never miss a chance to tell the girl how lucky she will be to have him. For a brand, this is advertising, like brands that pay TV shows to come in between their breaks and present themselves to viewers of soaps and reality programs.

And finally, the woman feels she likes him. In the same way, a brand succeeds when the client is convinced. Now this is what branding, that all the above steps have led to. In other words, branding is nothing but this gut feeling that a customer has about a company he hears about.

But of course, we are all aware of the importance of this today. What’s important to note is that in the sea of new concepts and ideas and strategies, let’s not forget that visual design still has a role to play, though functioning as a very small concept in this overall process called branding.

Perhaps visual designing can be compared to those men, who while all along putting in their best, also take the same care to look their best, because they don’t want this to be a factor to lose the woman they are trying to win. So, you see, visual design still has a place of its own in this vast world of branding, though it can’t be considered an end in itself

This could include various things like the graphics on the brand website, and the consumer experience and staff behaviour in a brick and mortar store, and then, most importantly, the logo design: the emblem that provides a visual or a graphic design that defines a company.

Why Are We Telling You This?

Because, with us, you are not going to have a design simply created for you. Because, here we understand the fact a good brand strategist is one who thinks more, and more importantly, discusses more, taking down points as you express what you have in mind and in the process, and then, finally comes up with an end product on the lines of the conversation that you had.

Because here, we do not forget that it is going to be your logo, and do all we can in making you a part of the whole process of creating. Here, we believe that the objective reality presented should always be in line with the subjective expectation of our clients.

And we now hope that this gives you a clear picture of what could be your expectation when you look for a design from our brand consultancy.

From India and the Middle East to the US in the West, our brand consultancy is spread over various countries to assist all new businesses looking for a marketing strategy and brand identity, as well as old ones looking for a corporate rebranding. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

| Tagged brand identity guidelines, logo design agency, logo design strategy, what is logo design

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