A FEW OF THE BRANDS WE HAVE WORKED WITH:
Over our 30 years in business, we’ve undertaken successful projects with many large national and international companies. And we’re happy to share our thoughts on what works and what doesn’t when you’re a corporate marketing manager looking for the right design team.
Our clients have included big names such as NAB, Heinz, Leggos, Don Smallgoods, ANZ, Cadbury, Weight Watchers, Goodman Fielder, Greenseas, Simplot Australia, Berri, Blackhawk, Marathon Foods, Ballantyne Butter, Peters Ice Cream, Cricket Australia, BankVic, McKenzie’s, Fowlers Vacola, CSR and Cobs. Each has had a designated project team, defined outcomes, realistic budget and achievable timelines. But that’s all they have in common.
At Watts Design, we don’t design to a template and we don’t have a studio style. Every client has different needs and we approach each project in that way – drawing out the essence of what each organisation stands for.
There are several key pieces of advice we always give our corporate clients.
A FEW OF THE BRANDS WE HAVE WORKED WITH:
IDENTIFY YOUR POINT OF DIFFERENCE
For your business or product to connect in the market, you need to clearly define what your value is to your customer. That’s why articulating your point of difference is essential. If you don’t have one, you need to create one.
The way we help our clients do this is by working with you to build a unique story, demonstrating what sets you apart from your competitors. What makes your business or product different? How do you turn from a ‘me too’ into something that stands on its own? The basis of our creative process is the branding story we develop, which becomes the catalyst for future client communications and provides us with the basis for creative action.
Our comprehensive Q&A session – where we ask all the right questions – results in a succinct story that is unique to you and provides a focus for your future marketing, branding, packaging, advertising, online presence and more. It ensures that you’re clear about what you offer and provides an emotive and engaging descriptor to buyers, customers and others. It also provides designers with a basis for their creative work.
INVEST IN YOUR BRAND
Your brand should make it clear to a customer that they’ll benefit from dealing with your business rather than that of a competitor. Developing a well-considered brand and strategy is a key part in building your business. From the colours, typography and graphic elements used through to the language and tone of voice you choose to adopt for your collateral, these all tell your customers who you are and what you represent.
When it’s done well, a brand identity can help you hit the ground running. And contrary to popular belief, it’s more than just a logo (although a logo is important). It’s about creating visual guidelines that cover fonts and colour – and it’s also about creating emotional parameters for copywriting, social media, advertising campaigns and more. It’s strategic, it’s planned well and it’s designed to continually connect with your target markets.
CHOOSE EFFECTIVE CREATIVE DESIGN
Design automatically tells your customer what type of business they’re dealing with – young, on-trend, dynamic, professional, confident, classic, adaptable, talented, energetic, calm, fearless, cooperative, friendly, thoughtful, discreet, fun, trustworthy, modern and more.
In the same way, if it’s done well, creative design can also define the users and become a way to express their personality. Think Nike, Chanel and Harley Davidson! If you invest in a great brand and put it to work for your business, you’ll lift performance, connect with your customers, create a memorable experience and drive positive business results.
Customers care about what things look like, and smart businesses recognise it. Creative and effective graphic design is a great way to achieve your objectives and attract attention. Visuals are the best way to leave a lasting impression because they make an immediate connection. That’s where we come in. We can help you create a professional and contemporary brand that brings your business, product or service to life. We’ll give it a personality and a character that people will remember and will want to engage with.
GIVE US A GREAT BRIEF
Your design brief should tell us exactly what you want to achieve from the project. A detailed brief will give your designer the information they need and describe the results you want from your design project. It’s important to provide as much detail as possible about your business, your service or product, and your future plans, including all specifications and a descriptor of your target market.
THINK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS
A design project can encompass much more than just branding. To optimise your results it’s good to have all of the elements listed before we begin a project. You might initially want a logo and a website. But don’t forget about things like environmental signage, indoor and outdoor displays, social media, advertising of all types, packaging and everything else you might need to present your products and services to their best advantage. If your designer knows your current and future needs upfront, they’re more likely to design a brand that can easily accommodate them.
REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE
The tone and style of language use across all points of contact with the customer (friendly, professional, informative, chatty, instructive) is also important and should be treated as a key part of your brand, to ensure that connections are maintained and strengthened.
PREPARE TO BE CHALLENGED
Sometimes, you’ll have an idea in the back of your mind and the design presented to you will be something completely different. So it’s important to keep an open mind. If you’ve chosen a good designer, they’ll have done comprehensive research. They’ll know your competitors, understand current trends and have developed a design that meets your brief in every way. A design doesn’t have to be in your favourite colour to be effective! (A note here – one of the worst things you can do is ask lots of people for their opinions and ask us to take it all on board. If you dilute the essence of a great design in a piecemeal fashion, you’ll end up with an inferior result.)
AND THERE’S MORE
Apart from creating a brand, our highly experienced team can also assist with naming development, packaging, web design, social media, advertising, publications, environmental design, shop and office fit-out, expo design, product/business launches and any other design and marketing that you may need. We also work with trusted, quality printers and other suppliers who can work with our team to meet your requirements and get the best results, every time.
We understand that each business and brand is different,
and that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. So let’s chat.
Fill out the form and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Alternatively, give us a call or send us an email.
Level 2, 66 Albert Road
South Melbourne, Victoria 3205
+61(3) 9696 4116
info@wattsdesign.com.au