Seven clients on the impact of great branding

In my line of work, invariably I talk a lot about what great branding needs to do. The principles of strategy, positioning, visual systems and in particular catering to audience needs and intelligence. These are the concepts we work with every day and obviously I believe in them deeply. But the most honest account of the impact of the branding work we do doesn’t come from us. It comes from the people who commissioned the work, lived through the process and watched what happened next.

Today I am looking at seven projects with seven clients, asking seven questions that get to the heart of the impact of branding, which outlines the change it effects.

Does your positioning actually say what makes you different?

Strategy and positioning based in the real world is where every project begins for us. Before a single design decision on a new project is made, we spend time on a simple question: what does this firm deliver to its market that its competitors do not? For Will Butterwick, a venture capital fundraiser, belief in the power of a great rebrand was not only justified but evidenced in profound business growth.

Does your visual identity reflect where your business is today?

A brand that was right at launch is not necessarily right five years later. When L&O came to us to create a new website for central London real estate development Buckingham Green, the substantial property had evolved into something its creators had hoped for but couldn’t guarantee: a genuine community, with expanding businesses and residents who had truly bought into the vision. The refreshed design needed to reflect that, one that draws on the architectural detail of the façade itself to create a graphic language that was unmistakably specific to the address.

Does your brand give clients the confidence to trust you with what matters most?

When ICON Corporate Finance came to us for a rebrand and new website, from the start we knew we had to accurately convey the depth and sophistication of a firm that had spent twenty-five years building its reputation in M&A and fundraising advisory. One of the things that mattered most to the team at ICON was that we understood the world they worked in. In particular we discussed the conventions and what ICON would adopt and what they’d look to re-frame.

Does your brand speak to the specific people you are trying to reach?

So much of the early part of any project is about agreeing the real world business needs and future growth aspirations of the firm and how they should be applied to a people-first strategy, ensuring the right audience is convinced. For Outliers VC, a Gulf-based venture capital firm targeting diverse founders, the challenge was to create a new, unique visual appearance that struck an authentic note which would catch the eye of their backers and the firms they invest in. This project required a balancing act between brand visibility and stylish credibility. Working with dynamic founders and entrepreneurs within the VC and professional services world who are looking for something stand-out and special, this kind of challenge is one we relish.

Does your digital presence work as hard as the rest of your brand?

It’s fascinating to see the creative work we’ve completed for a business make the jump from online to the physical world. In an era of AI and remote working, connections and selling in your business in person to investors requires elegant design that feels at home on the web as in the hand. When NorthWall Capital asked us to design the branded materials and print collateral for their investor day, at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, the brief extended across every touchpoint of the event and the standard had to be consistent throughout. The success of the event and its polished feel meant NorthWall’s branding backed up the presentations being made on stage, in front of the people who mattered most.

Does your agency actually understand the world you operate in?

Collaboration between client and designer is seriously underrated. Breaking down those barriers allows knowledge-sharing, discovery of great ideas together and evolution to the right answer with full transparency of what we’re doing. For Saudi entrepreneur Ammar Alali, CEO of geothermal cooling innovator Strataphy, facing a crucial business crossroads of a major investment and business expansion, we posed fundamental questions to understand where he wanted his business to go and the impression he wanted to be making now and in the future. We believe in asking these deeper questions, applying genuine curiosity about our client’s market.

Does your brand tell the story of who you actually are?

Culture and narrative is the dimension most often underestimated in a branding brief. The story a firm tells about itself, such as its founding logic, values and view of their market, is one that travels deeper than a simple marketing exercise. When we worked with Freddie Hamilton at Your VC, we discussed a different sort of consumer-first investment firm, one that chose companies to work with that offered a personal as well as financial investment. Our work was intended to offer clarity and a sense of style, a statement of ambition and a source of confidence for the team behind it.

What the work is really for

Inevitably across all seven of these projects, the briefs were different. Sector, audience as well as challenge. But the underlying question was always the same: does this brand reflect the way this business actually works? Then the principles with which we approached each had a consistency of mindset.
When the visual system, the positioning, the digital experience and the narrative all cohere around something true about the firm, we believe the impression is both tangible and invariably measurable.

That is what we are here to produce. Not beautiful work for its own sake, but design that makes a difference to the teams and businesses behind it and truly connects with the people they work with.

Work with us and deploy the impact of branding

Richard Chapman Studio is a specialist branding and web design agency with over twenty years of experience across financial services, venture capital, legal, real estate, hospitality and beyond. To work with us, get in touch: 020 7351 4083 or email us directly.