Straight Biz Brand Guide by Designs of MP

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

Brand Guide

Table of Contents 01 This book is intended as a style guide for the handling and maintenance of the Straight Biz brand. The content of this book will guide the reader through the design decisions taken, and will provide a rationale for those decisions. The italicized information on the margins of this book will help give further information to the contents on the page.

Research 3 4 5 6 7 11 13

Research Paper Abstract Mission Statement Marketing Position SWOT Analysis Competitive Analysis Voice & Tone Strategy

Media Mix

Vision for the Future

45 47 49 51 53 54 55

Poster Magazine Brochure Website Social Media Car Decal Office Supplies

Vision

Demographics

Branding

17 21 22

User Persona Target Audience Action Plan

06 Conclusion 63

Conclusion

25 31 37

Color Palette Typography Logo

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 RESEARCH

Every journey starts with a single step. Before any good decision is made, proper research is necessary. The information gathered in this section will provide insight into who Straight Biz markets to, and how to best reach them, as well as who the competition is, and how they compare to Straight Biz.

Mission Statement Abstract Awareness of Marketing Position SWOT Analysis Competitive Analysis Voice & Tone

traight Biz shares the same market space with other companies that have their own shortcomings. some of the biggest problems with the competition is a lack of marketing, and an interface that looks old and dated. Sraight Biz will break this mould by employing content that is more engaging, fun, and professional.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

Abstract The abstract summarizes the content of this brand guide. This will help to provide for a quick understanding of the design direction as well as the content contained in this book.

As a company, Straight Biz provides educational training through the use of video games that are specially designed to boost skills that pertain to the workplace. In their marketing campaign to raise awareness for their brand, Straight Biz wants to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that has had such an impact on their business, as well as maintaining a fun, but professional aesthetic. For many people, ‘video games’ and a ‘professional workplace’ do not mix. Straight Biz has been confronted with

the unique challenge of turning this idea on its head. Through the following proposed identity package, Straight Biz will be redefined as a leader in corporate educational training. The proposed media mix of billboards, a website, a magazine, and a brochure will use gathered research from the target audience in order to deliver the most effective campaign. The conclusion to this proposal will help Straight Biz continue to grow financially as it looks towards a future of expansion.

64 62

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

Mission Statement The mission statement helps define what the Straight Biz brand is. This helps to align future directions for the company. With all of the decisions that the company makes every day, all of those decisions stem from the mission statement in order to keep the company consistently aligned with its values.

Straight Biz wants to show the world how fun business success can be.

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STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

Awareness of Marketing Position The proposed marketing direction stems directly from the awareness of marketing position. Without knowledge of where one is in the market, it is hard to know how to best take advantage of their position. Through an extensive understanding of the market and how they compare, Straight Biz can position itself to capitalize on future opportunities.

As a company, Straight Biz is in the business of developing employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skills in: teamwork, competition, problem-solving, customer relations, etc. Because Straight Biz has to win over the support of business owners, they have to cater directly to the needs of said companies. With competition in the same space, Straight Biz sets itself apart by its broad range of skills it seeks to develop in employees. While other competitors focus on select areas in the work environment, Straight Biz defines itself by the appeal that it has to companies who are seeking to develop several skills in their employees in a fun and engaging way. Because of how diverse the gaming

community is, a key strategy for Straight Biz would be to align themselves with select gaming channels (i.e. Twitch, gaming blogs, etc.). Through the established pipeline, Straight Biz ensures a broader reach of its customers and can start to form a community. With the growing demand for better gameplay, storyline, and graphics, Straight Biz seeks to set itself apart by being heavily involved in fan feedback, and creating the games that are current to the community. Some additional campaigns may also include: hosting LAN events, sponsoring professional e-sport teams, and immersive VR expositions at I/O events to attract attention from users and investors alike.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

SWOT Analysis Strengths Through this SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Areas of Opportunites, and Threats) Analysis, we can understand the Straight Biz brand objectively. Looking at the company objectively can provide valuable insight into key decisions moving forward.

- Entertaining and Educational - Fun - Builds productivity in office - Strengthens business practices and skills - Promotes team building - Increases business performance

Areas of Opportunities - Partnering with gaming platforms (Oculus VR, PS4, Xbox 360, etc.) - Ability to develop games that could be very financially successful mainstream - Philanthropic events to get kids engaged - Can educate and reach people - Can host events with gaming community to build audience

Weaknesses

Threats

- New idea - Some may not like gaming - May have pushback from some employees - Learning curve for new users - Time-consuming

- Consumers with different taste in video games - Budget with game releases - Other companies creating a competitive market - Stigma of playing games while at work. - Competition may create divides between employees in workplace environment

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

Competitive Analysis The competitive analysis is a crucial step in understanding one's position in the market. This competitive analysis takes a deeper look at the competition in order to briefly understand their brand elements and how they position themselves in the market.

Because Straight Biz is directly involved in the gaming industry, there are several key competitors in this field. Not only is Straight Biz competing with a new business model for companies, but they also have to compete with other gaming companies and titles. The gaming community is diverse and niche. While there are several different consoles and types of games, Straight Biz focuses on creating games that

appeal directly to furthering and development of business practices and skills that will improve overall productivity and encourage a stronger work environment. Through the competitive analysis, Straight Biz can look at its competition from an objective stance. This gives the company the ability to make decisions that are based on context, and therefore, relevant.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COMPETITOR

01 Research

Logo

Tycoon Online This business simulator allows users to own and run their own company. Players begin by building factories, producing goods, selling those goods on the market, and transport goods to other players. Tycoon Online spends little expense on marketing. Pros: Online and easy Cons: Very niche business training usa.tycoononline.com

Colors

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COMPETITOR

01 Research

Logo

Gazillionaire Deluxe Gazillionaire Deluxe is an online game that brings users in to learn about basic business practices. Not only do the gamers learn about business, but they are introduced to math, economics, and supply and demand. This tool is already being used in select colleges. When the game starts, the player is required to learn about trade and work his/her way up as a tycoon by building their own company. Pros: Online and easy Cons: Poor graphics, niche training No marketing could be found for this company. www.gazillionaire.com

Colors

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COMPETITOR

01 Research

Logo

Business Training Works This company specializes in providing onsite training for different industries. This instructor-led training experience covers topics which include: - Business Etiquette - Communication - Creativity and Critical Thinking - Cross-Cultural Communication - Customer Service - Diversity - Human Resources - Leadership, Management, and Supervisory Skills - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution - Presentation and Facilitation Skills - Productivity and Time Management - Sales - Training for Trainers - Workplace Writing

Other than a web presence, marketing relies on word of mouth. Pros: Trusted and well-established Cons: Short trainings and on-site only www.businesstrainingworks.com

Colors

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

Voice and Tone

'Voice' and 'Tone' is how the audience perceives the brand. In order to capitalize on how a company can market, voice and tone must be considered.

Above all, Straight Biz aims to provide sound business results through gaming software that directly focuses on strengthening employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skillsets, communication, teamwork, and overall performance. Through this initiative and narrative, the culture of Straight Biz focuses on just that. When people think of Straight Biz, they should be reminded of an innovative company that is professionally bridging the gaming community with the working professional in a fun and educational way. The aesthetics are professional in nature, but also explore a sense of grandeur, and innovation. One of Straight Biz's appeal over the competition is the design. When

expressing the brand, colors play a critical role in bringing attention to certain elements.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

â&#x20AC;&#x153;...an innovative company that is professionally bridging the gaming community with the working professional...â&#x20AC;?

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

Strategy

With the proper research in place, the strategy helps define the best course of action. A maketing strategy can include: guerilla marketing, billboard ads, radio ads, tv ads, magazine ads, social media, etc.

Even though there are other companies that share the same market space as Straight Biz, the companies are vastly different from one another. Straight Biz provides multiple gaming titles in order to address key business skills, whereas much of the competition only features one game. On top of marginalizing the market, the competition of Straight Biz has handicapped their potential for growth. Straight Biz will capitalize on the variety of games that it features, but will do so with better graphics and a more immersive gameplay that really teaches employees how to excel at work. Furthermore, along with a word-of-mouth marketing, Straight Biz will have key partnerships to promote their online presence. Marketing Chars (2014) tells us that â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śroughly two-

thirds or more marketers are planning to increase their budgets for: - Social advertising (71%) - Online Video (71%) - Social media (non-ad campaigns; 69%) - Retargeting (67%) - Search Engine Marketing (66%)" To stay current, Straight Biz will create their own Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram page. On these websites, users will be able to upload images of themselves or others enjoying the games. Other collateral will include a brochure (to be used at tradeshows). a corporate magazine, billboards, and a website.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

01 Research

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

DEMOGRAPHICS Now that the competition has been established and a marketing plan is in place, it is important to understand who the brand is targeting. This section defines the target audience and goes into the life of one of these potential customers, or personas. After reviewing this information, an action plan is proposed to best target this group.

Persona Target Audience Action Plan

he target audience for Straight Biz includes the working professional aged 25-45. The average income for this group would be 35-65k/yr, and college educated. More specifically, Straight Biz wants to grab the attention of the decision makers for businesses. To satisfy this demographic, the collateral for Straight Biz is professional, fun, engaging, and modern with a timeless aesthetic.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

02 Demographics

PERSONA

Developing a persona helps to gain a better understanding of the real people that make up a target audience.

Persona: Phoebe Gents Age: 28

Ethnicity: Irish American Relationship: Single, No Kids

Phoebe was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Growing up in the Midwest, she gained an appreciation for the beauty in nature. When she was eight years old, she got her first camera. Even though it was disposable, she had it filled in a single day. She grew passionate about photography, and she later carried that into her profession.

keep in constant contact through her adventures taking pictures.

Now an adult, Phoebe Gents works as a professional photographer for National Geographic. Her position allows her to travel often and enjoy being outdoors. Due to her strong work ethic, she is also very close to her hiring manager, and they

Through Instagram (a social networking site), she has gained over 4,000 followers. She prides herself in the authenticity of each photo, and never uses a filter on any pictures of nature. Her commitment to capturing unaltered moments is

Being on the road constantly has also put a time-out on a lot of her personal commitments. Even though she is far from home most days out of the year, she tries to connect with family and friends through social media.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

02 Demographics something that wholeheartedly.

PERSONA

Even though Phoebe is not directly involved in the training of employees, she has the opportunity to voice her opinions, making her a great target audience.

18 she

stands

behind

When Phoebe does get a chance to make it back home, she meets with a lot of the directors within National Geographic, and they discuss new directions for the publications. In these meetings, Phoebe has an opportunity to share her concerns about the upcoming work. In the near future, Phoebe wants to get promoted to a senior editor position, so that she can spend more time at home. Even though she loves the road, Phoebe loves the thought of being able to work closer to home.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

02 Demographics

PERSONA

Chad is a prime example of a real person that Straight Biz wants to market to. Even with his rough upbringing, Chad still makes a great candidate due to his position.

Persona: Chad Zerfoss Age: 31

Chad is rough around the edges. Until he was 28, he would play bass guitar in a blues band. He drinks, smokes, and has a loud mouth when he finds a conversation worth getting wound up about. Growing up on the south side of Nebraska, Chad was very fond of hockey at a young age. When he matured into high school, he started getting into music. At first, he was drawn to punk rock bands like The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Bad Brains, etc. As he grew older, however, Chad’s appreciation for the rhythm of the songs moved him in a different direction. Being the only child in a single parent house, Chad found himself with a lot of free

Ethnicity: European American Relationship: Single, No Kids

time as a child. Consequently, this had a detrimental impact on his behavior, and Chad found himself always brushing up against authorities. When it was time to move away to college, Chad didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. At this time in his life, he had started playing pretty regularly in bars and pubs that would have open mic nights. He was an okay singer, but his talent really shone through his skill with the bass guitar. He wasn’t very practiced at this time in front of bigger crowds, so Chad would still get a little nervous on stage from time to time. Chad eventually completed the first two

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

PERSONA

Gaining a deep understanding of the persona's interests helps to provide marketing strategies.

02 Demographics years of his bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s before dropping out. His musical influence shifted from punk rock into blues, where he started appreciating artists like B.B. King, Albert King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. No matter where he goes in his travels, Chad always has a habit of keeping his smartphone on him at all times. His constant fascination with technology and its limitations eventually brought Chad back to college, where he majored in Information Technology. Being caught up in the tech world is what brought Chad to his current job as a Geek Squad Manager. His schedule still allows him the freedom to play concerts at night, while holding down a position that he has grown very fond of.

Chad had always enjoyed a good challenge, and when his store sales performance started to decline, Chad was left puzzled. With everything else going on in his life, Chad needed more consistency at work.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

02 Demographics

Target Audience Knowing the target audience is critical to the success of any media campaign. The target audience here is broken up into two groups: Employers (primary) and Employees (secondary). Having more than one target audience allows Straight Biz to employ a more diverse and wellrounded media campaign.

Growth for Straight Biz can only happen when other businesses start to invest in the trianing of their own employees. Because the success of Straight Biz is so closely tied with customer acquisition, the target audience is comprised of those within companies that have the buying power and position to make training decisions within their companies. Consequently, the average person holding this position in companies is aged 25-45, college educated, and white. Having this information in place can help Straight Biz to better position itself within the market in order to maximize on its potential. With Straight Biz appealing to employees just as employers, employees make up the secondary target audience. This group is very diverse. The age for this group

can vary greatly as well. In order to best market to this diverse group, Straight Biz has to use imagery that invokes emotion that relates to the working professional. Throughout this brand guide, we explore imagery that the working professional can relate to, while maintaining a position that caters to the primary target audience. In order to best understand the buying habits of this group, we started by creating a persona profile.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

02 Demographics

Action Plan Having an action plan gives companies a calculated foresight into their marketing efforts. A proper action plan takes the research of the market and target audience in order to create a deliverable that will attract said customers.

With the defined target audience and research considered, Straight Biz can start to start defining brand elements that will entice this group. In order to increase efficiency, the company needs to target this group aggressively in a deliverable that is familiar to them. While maintaining a competitive marketing strategy, Straight Biz will focus on reaching this demographic through the use of billboards, a magazine, brochures, a car decal, social media presence, and a website. Before we get into the type of marketing deliverables (media mix), the branding for Straight Biz must be defined. Management of the brand is critical in ensuring that the company has control over how it is perceived by the audience. This next

chapter will dive into the aesthetics of the Straight Biz brand, and how the Voice and Tone of the company is formed.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 BRANDING

Branding is the cornerstone for marketing. Every company has different elements that constitute their branding that includes any method of portraying their brand. This area for a company can be very meticulous. We will take a further look into the gears that grind in order for Straight Biz to uphold its image consistently.

Color Palette Typography Logo

randing for Straight Biz originates from the mission statement. In pursuit of showing the world how fun success in business can be, Straight Biz employs a repertoire of imagery that is engaging, fun, and alluringly professional. Colors are bold while the typography is timeless and clear.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COLOR PALETTE

White is easily one of the friendliest colors. By itself, white is closely associated with light, goodness, innocence, and purity - Often associated with perfection. This color was chosen for its redeeming qualities. The cleanliness and simplicity of it in combination with content, allows Straight Biz to market complex ideas and technology in a clean and simple manner.

CMYK

0, 0, 0, 0

RGB

255, 255, 255

03 Branding

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STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COLOR PALETTE

Black is normally associated with power, elegance, formality, and mystery. This color provides an incredible contrast to any bright color. It was specifically chosen in order to provide that relationship.

CMYK

75, 68, 67, 90

RGB

0, 0, 0

03 Branding

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STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COLOR PALETTE By itself, gray is not a flattering color. It traditionally does not offer much substance by itself. Because of its stagnant and emotionless aesthetic, the color gray also represents a sense of calm and composure, or solid and stable. This color was chosen for Straight Biz because of its innate ability to provide a timeless and calming finish to any design. Gray should never be used by itself on any collateral or imagery, and should always be partnered with a color.

CMYK

64, 57, 44, 19

RGB

96, 95, 107

03 Branding

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STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COLOR PALETTE

Red is one of the most controversial colors. Historically, red grabs people's attention because of the emotional value that it has. It is the same color as fire and blood, so people have associated feelings of energy, war, danger, strength, power, and passion with it. This color was specifically chosen for its ability to grab attention. This color is not as prevalent as the other colors, due to its mixed (and sometimes offputting) qualities.

CMYK

27, 92, 69, 19

RGB

157, 48, 64

03 Branding

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COLOR PALETTE

Teal is often associated with: emotional healing, creative expression, devotion, self-awareness, and initiative. This humble and unique perspective allows teal to be used to convey more emotion than most colors. This shade of teal was chosen because of the contrast it has to other colors sharing the same space. Teal gives a sense of wonderment in nature, and (when taken out of context) gives the audience pause.

CMYK

80, 22, 38, 1

RGB

22, 150, 158

03 Branding

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

COLOR PALETTE

As mentioned before, teal has a wide range of applications stemming from its emotional connection to its audience. This shade of teal was created for Straight Biz in order to offer a midway color between grey and the brighter teal. By itself, this color offers a serene aesthetic in order to contrast from the other bright colors in the brand palette.

CMYK

76, 46, 41, 12

RGB

70, 111, 125

03 Branding

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

MONTSERRAT

HEADER FONT Montserrat

DESIGNER

65 pt.

Julieta Ulanovsky

ABCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXY a b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y ABCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXY a b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y ABCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXY a b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y ABCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXY a b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y ABCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXY a b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y

Z z Z z Z z Z z Z z

15 pt.

Numbers

15 pt.

Special Characters

! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . / 0 0 0 : ; < = > ? @ [ \

Black

RATIONALE Montserrat was selected as the header font because of its unique legibility and full-bodied weight. The low X-Height on the font gives the type a top-heavy aesthetic which gives a sense of grandeur while maintaining legibility. The lack of serifs allows the font to direct the audience's attention to its vertical properties. This helps to direct the viewer to the top and bottom of the content that this type is placed onto.

Bold Regular Light Hairline

ABOUT THE FONT "The old posters and signs in the traditional neighborhood of Buenos Aires called Montserrat inspired me to design a typeface that rescues the beauty of urban typography from the first half of the twentieth century. The goal is to rescue what is in Montserrat and set it free, under a free, libre and open source license, the SIL Open Font License." Julieta Ulanovsky

] ^ _ ` { | } ~ ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § ¨ © ® ¯ ± µ ¶ × ÷ ˆ ˇ ˉ ˘ ˙ ˚ ˛ ˜ ˝ ̦ Δ π † ‡ • … ⁄ € ™ Ω ∑ √ ∞ ∫ ≈ ≠ ≤ ≥ ◊ 15 pt.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

legible

friendly

bold

MONTSERRAT MONTSERRAT MONTSERRAT MONTSERRAT MONTSERRAT MONTSERRAT

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

SUBHEAD FONT

ITC AVANT GARDE GOTHIC PRO

ITC Avant Garde Gothic Pro

65 pt.

DESIGNER Herb Lubalin Tom Carnase

Bold

RATIONALE Avant Garde Gothic Pro is most noticeable for its circular counters and straight lines. When applied to the imagery for Straight Biz, this typeface offers context without obstructing the imagery. The type's lighter weights offer a modern aesthetic that is also trending among contemporary graphic artists. This, in turn, reflects the company's target audience.

Demi Medium Book Extra Light

ABOUT THE FONT "ITC Avant Garde Gothic design has become a solid staple in the repertoire of today’s graphic designer. The lowercase x-height and open counters help to make this family ideal for display copy and short blocks of text content."

A a A a A a A a A a

BCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXY b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y B C D E F GH I J K L M O P Q R S T U V W X Y b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y B C D E F G H I J K L M O P Q R ST UVW XY b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y BCDEFGHIJKLMOPQRSTUVWXY b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y B C D E F G H I J K L M O P Q R ST UVW XY b c d e f g h i j k l m o p q r s t u v w x y 1

Z z Z z Z z Z z Z z

15 pt.

Numbers

Special Characters

! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . / 0 0 0 : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~ ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § ¨ © ® ¯ ± µ ¶ × ÷ ˆ ˇ ˉ ˘ ˙ ˚ ˛ ˜ ˝ , Δ π † ‡ • … ⁄ € ™ Ω ∑ √ ∞ ∫ ≈ ≠ ≤ ≥ ◊

15 pt.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

straight

modern

clean

AVANTGARDEGOTHIC AVANTGARDEGOTHIC AVANTGARDEGOTHIC AVANTGARDEGOTHIC AVANTGARDEGOTHIC

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

DESIGNER

HELVETICA NEUE

RATIONALE

Condensed Black

BODY COPY Helvetica Neue

Max Miedinger

Helvetica Neue is one of the most universal typefaces. Its simple legibility allows the reader to understand the message effortlessly. This typeface was chosen as the body copy type for Straight Biz, because it allows the reader to be engaged with any content, in a typeface that is already familiar and comfortable to them.

ABOUT THE FONT

"This typeface, designed by Max Miedinger and other project members at the Haas’sche Schriftgiesserei, has become one of the most famous and popular typefaces in the world, thanks to the marketing strategy of Stempel and Linotype. It forms an integral part of many printers and operating systems. The original letterforms of Helvetica had to be modified for the Linotype system. Over the years, Helvetica was expanded to include many different weights, but these were not coordinated with each other."

Bold Regular Light UltraLight

A a A a A a A a A a

B b B b B b B b B b

C c C c C c C c C c 1

D d D d D d D d D d

E F e f EF e f EF e f EF e f E F e f 2

G g G g G g G g G g

H h H h H h H h H h 3

I J K L M O P Q R i j k l m o p q r IJKLMOPQR i j k l m o p q r IJKLMOPQR i j k l m o p q r IJKLMOPQR i j k l m o p q r I J K L M O P Q R i j k l m o p q r 4

S T U V W X Y s t u v w x y STUVWXY s t u v w x y STUVWXY s t u v w x y STUVWXY s t u v w x y S T U V W X Y s t u v w x y

Z z Z z Z z Z z Z z

Numbers

Special Characters

! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . / 0 0 0 : ; <

54 pt.

15 pt.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

timeless

legible

simple

H E LV E T I C A N E U E H E LV E T I C A N E U E H E LV E T I C A N E U E H E LV E T I C A N E U E HELVETICANEUE H E LV E T I C A N E U E

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

SKETCHES

Logo The logo for Straight Biz was founded around a few key words. Some key words include: - entrepreneurial - innovative - inclusive - excellence - personal - organized - engaging - directing

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

SKETCHES

Logo To create a sense of grandeur or entrepreneurial spirit, scale and line width was adjusted on many ideas. Ideas for the logo ranged from the abstract to the literal interpretations of some of the key words.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

FEEDBACK

Logo After the creation of some logo sketches, getting feedback was an important step for iteration. The top 5 sketches were cleaned and presented to a group of anonymous surveyors. Based on feedback, #2 proved to resonate the company's values most. Image #3, however, was favored most by surveyors.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

REVISED The final revision took elements of #2 and #3 that polled so well in the previous step.

Logo

The difference in the line weights of Image A and Image B show a stark contrast, and make the elements stand out. This ties back to the keywords 'entrepreneurial' and 'innovative'. Image C and Image D show how the softer terminals and rounded characters give a 'personal' and 'inclusive' look. The imagery depicted inside the logo is a power symbol, with people being centralized. This eludes to feelings of 'excellence' and 'engaging'.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

03 Branding

COLORS / USAGE

Logo Straight Biz Logo comes in 4 variants: - Full color - Black - White - Transparent

A Avoid changing colors inside logo. B Avoid changing the typeface of logo. C Avoid wrong bold placement.

STRAIGHTBIZ

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 MEDIA MIX

In order to market effectively, one must have an audience. A media mix allows a brand to deliver its message. Billboards, e-mails, posters, brochures, and guerilla marketing are just a few examples of the types of marketing that could comprise a media mix. With so much clutter in marketing in the world, an effective media mix is critical for success.

Poster Design Magazine Brochure Website Social Media Car Decal Office Supplies

fter extensive research on the competition, the brand elements, and the demographics, the media mix that seemed most effective included: posters, brochures, magazines, social media presence, and custom office supplies.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Poster Design The poster design takes the colors in the Straight Biz palette and uses a well-defined grid system to control content. Aesthetic is clean, professional, but heavy on imagery to peak interest.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Poster Design Posters and billboards are great ways to get a brand's name on the street. This poster will be displayed in a heavily populated, and visible location to gain awareness.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Magazine - Cover This magazine design will serve as a collateral piece that can be given away. Magazines help the audience gain a deeper understanding of the workings of the brand and are very popular in tradeshows.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Magazine - Inside The contents of the magazine includes information of the company, and up-to-date events for the reader to feel involved. The contents of the magazine are also heavy on imagery to provide context for the content. The full magazine can be viewed on Issuu HERE.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Brochure - Outside Brochures are very popular at tradeshows. This trifold brochure folds on itself and features the working professionals sitting on a cityscape background. Visually captivating and intriguing. Bite-size information allows the reader to absorb content at their own pace.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Brochure - Inside The inside of the brochure features a spread of a conference room to highlight the professional aspect. Bite-size information allows the reader to absorb the information at their own pace.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Website For more information, the website layout was created for a portal where customers can get what they need to know. The website features a one-page design that is growing in popularity online.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Website The website uses parallax scrolling to show information as the user scrolls down. This provides an intriguing and personalized feel. The imagery is soft, but professional, and typography sits comfortably on image copy space.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Social Media There's no denying that social media has taken the marketing world by storm. Social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram will allow users to post their experiences. This will also help Straight Biz expand their brand name by word-of-mouth.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Car Decal To help support the image of Straight Biz when traveling to tradeshows, this car decal will help to gain awareness. The decal colors play off of the color palette. Clean and vibrand patterns draw interest as they play with the logo.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Office Supplies Being that Straight Biz deals with companies, a nice package is a great way to establish a presence. In order to not clutter the imagery, the logo is only used in black or white. The logo helps calm the mood for any content placed with it.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

04 Media Mix

RATIONALE

Office Supplies Business cards, pencils, CDs, and notebooks will also be included in the package. The pencils serve as a subtle reminder for any user. The notebook can also be handed out at training sessions.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

05 VISION

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." â&#x20AC;&#x201D; T.E. Lawrence

Vision for the Future

nce all of the marketing has been put in place, Straight Biz needs to continue their momentum and build on its success. The marketing thus far has served to bring awareness to the brand. Once that has been established, Straight Biz needs to look to creating partnerships that will propel the company into expanding.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

05 Vision

Vision for the Future

The Vision of any company must be aligned with their core values.

Equipped with a solid branding package and knowledge of the market, Straight Biz is poised to look at the future with anticipation. Corporate training is not a new concept, but it has been tackled very differently through Straight Biz. With their unique aesthetic and marketing plan in place, the next step for Straight Biz is strategic partnerships for continued exposure, as well as expansion. The gaming industry is as prevalent today as it will be in the next five to ten years. There is always going to be a demand for entertainment, and if that entertainment is also partnered with tools to improve professional development, then that has even more value.

Fortunately, there are several platforms for marketing and giving video games more exposure. Of these platforms, Twitch and IGN are just two examples. Twitch is geared more toward video hosting for gaming, while IGN focuses more on publicizing articles that go into more detail of said gameplay, as well as reviews and interviews. Once Straight Biz has been established as a professional and entertaining business, then next step would be to look into partnering with these channels in order to gain additional exposure. With the growing popularity of e-sports, Straight Biz is on the precipice of taking advantage of more than just the professional development market.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

05 Vision

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

06 CONCLUSION

The conclusion summarizes the content in this guide and provides a look into the future. Here we will explore the decisions that were made, and how it will impact Straight Biz moving forward.

Conclusion

traight Biz was in need of an identity package. Through careful and thoughtful research, an identity was created to propel Straight Biz in their market. The proposed direction will enable the brand to set itself apart and begin looking at plans for the future.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

06 Conclusion

Conclusion

The conclusion helps tie all of the contents in this book together.

Through careful research and intentional design, Straight Biz will have the desired direction for their branding and marketing strategy. This technology company now has a clear sense of who they are, and how they are visually represented. Initially, Straight Biz was in need of a strong identity in order to make itself stand out from the competition. After further research, a target audience was established. With that target audience in mind, the marketing campaign was designed specifically with them in mind. The branding qualities of Straight Biz include a voice and tone that is professional, engaging, innovative, and fun. When considering a new design

direction, the mission statement was considered and emphasized. The proposed media mix and branding elements were created with the vision in mind as well. Going into the future, Straight Biz has positioned itself in such a way that it can start to think about expanding the brand and building on the branding that was established in this book.

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide

06 Conclusion

STRAIGHTBIZ Brand Guide