Categories
Business Marketing

Secrets to Successful Rebranding

Rebranding is an opportunity to revitalize a business, inspire consumers, and stimulate company growth. While many may think of a rebrand as simply updating a logo or picking new colors, it is so much more than that. The true power of rebranding is fueled by a carefully planned brand strategy. Keep reading for our secrets to successful rebranding.

A rebrand can be the best thing to ever happen to a business…or it can be the worst. The key is to be true to your company’s identity and make it about better serving and reaching your customers. A successful rebrand needs to tell a story of who you are and who you have become as a company.

Behind the Rebrand

After a year of working with our client, The Furniture Shoppe and The Patio Shop, our team at Spectruss encountered multiple challenges in operating a single store with two names. We wanted to consolidate and strengthen the brand as one to eliminate confusion from a consumer’s point of view.

We began working on a strategy to rebrand the company back to its original roots as one store, Fowler Brothers Company. Our team dove deep into the company’s rich history of 135 years to form a precise brand strategy from start to finish including a new logo, website redesign, and storefront remodel.

Logo Redesign

We wanted to create a fresh, modernized look while also using elements of the original company logo (top right picture).

Paying respect to the history of the family-owned business, we designed a new logo that reflects the vision of the founders that long-time patrons would also recognize.

Storefront Remodel

One of the challenges that Fowler Brothers faced was the physical store’s lack of presence at its own campus. Our goal was to unify the store as one showroom for both home furnishings and patio furniture. We began reimagining the exterior design of the campus to create an eye-catching storefront that passersby wouldn’t miss.

We worked very closely with the president and owner of Fowler Brothers Company, Carter Fowler, with choosing every detail for the remodeling project from interior finishes to price tag designs, and everything their name would be on. 

Before:

After:

 

New Digital Presence

Launching a seamless rebrand across all channels was crucial to the success of the new Fowler Brothers Co. Home and Patio brand.

Our team gave Fowler Brothers Co. a new digital experience by developing a new website, an e-commerce store, and a unified social media account. This resulted in one simple way of identifying the brand through all online platforms.

The new website also features an interactive style questionnaire which allows customers to select their ideal style choices and rooms they wish to furnish for a customized interior design recommendation. This was a great way to highlight the store’s interior design services as well as give a personalized feel for website visitors.

Rebrand Success

Our goal of giving Fowler Brothers Co. Home and Patio “One name, One store, One company”, has been a total success and one of the most exciting projects we’ve been a part of. Our team at Spectruss was proud to receive a Silver ADDY from the 2021 American Advertising Awards for our work on the rebranding project.

Check out Fowler Brothers Co. website here.

Need help rebranding your company? Contact us here.

Categories
Design

Q & A: Justin Aragon, Creative Director at Spectruss

Ten questions with Justin Aragon, Creative Director here at Spectruss

 

Tell us how your background in architecture has shaped your career?

“Architecture is built for permanence. My architectural training and knowledge of the classics have helped me identify and incorporate the qualities of timeless design to every project. Staying relevant over time is very important to me.”

How does working at Spectruss excite you?

“Working with an enthusiastic team, great clients, unique projects and leading the creative side of the business excites me every morning!”

In your opinion, what differentiates Spectruss?

“People usually come up to me and say… “I can tell when you guys did it.” We’ve built a more modern identity that separates us from others.”  

Describe your creative process.

“Developing a strong concept and letting that blossom effortlessly.”

During the creative process, what should others keep in mind?

“Step 1: Question everything. Step 2: Have an answer. Step 3: Slay.”

What does strategic design mean to you?

“Flawlessness. In reference to the previous question: If you have an answer or a reason for every design decision then you’ve developed a superb strategy!”

Can you give us a tip for success?

“Show… Don’t Tell.”

Do you have any inspirations?

Less is More – Mies Van Der Rohe”

Are you seeing any trends?

“I only like trends that have an ability to become a classic. But I always feel like the trendy thing to do is to not be trendy.”

Any advice?

“Give white space a chance!”

 

 

Categories
Design

Learning to Code is the New Requirement for Jobs in Design

Designers who can create beautiful and trending concepts are in high demand. Their skills can take an amazing product and make it understandable and desirable to customers. But a new wave of designers and developers have started to change jobs in design. Designers are learning to code, and developers are learning to design.

Design + Coding

Companies have started looking for designers who can also code. They want people who can come up with a concept, and be able to execute it too. People who can fill these roles are becoming highly desirable. Learning HTML, CSS, and/or JavaScript is showing to have its advantages by giving designers a better understanding of their limitations and where you can push bolder concepts. These concepts were often needed to be relayed by developers, but if a designer is already aware, time lost on project iterations may be eradicated.

With this information, designers have begun to take charge. New workshops are opening up for designers who want to learn to code. (https://generalassemb.ly/education/coding-for-designers/san-francisco) This workshop linked takes place in San Fransisco and helps get one ready for transitioning into three types of coding. These skills can also be transferred into jobs in the web development field and UX careers.

 

Recently, at SXSW in March 2017, John Maeda delivered a “Design in Tech Report” where he explored new trends on jobs in design and coding that you can watch here, https://vimeo.com/208035080

 

Coding is something worth considering for designers in the tech field. Developers are quickly becoming more style savvy and integrated into design meetings. While technical skills are a great addition to any resume, they may just be the next thing that gets you hired in the tech designer industry.