DESIGN AND EXECUTION
This report's design and execution sections aim to expand on the findings and conclusions drawn from the research.
THE BRAND
CAS is a successful business, despite not having defined a direction or targeted approach. CAS opted instead for organically shifting with the markets and trends over time. The brand currently consists of a well-designed identity that communicates little about the brand, a mediocre website, and a great portfolio. Neither the website nor the portfolio has a defined and consistent personality or tone of voice. There is a disconnect between myself (Storm), the passionate and enthusiastic individual and the brand in its current state.
BRAND NAME
Creating a Storm
The brand name is strong, but not memorable. Client research revealed that clients do not know the company name and instead refer to Storm, the designer. The name Storm is authentic, distinct and memorable; it should form the foundation of the brand naming process.
The following brand names were explored:
- By Storm
- Storm Designs
- Just Storm
- Storm Rising
- The Perfect Storm
- Ginger Storm
PROPOSED BRAND NAME
Ginger Storm
I drew on the memorable, somewhat emotional trigger and correlation that exists between redheads and the moniker “Ginger”. The name was selected as it is both memorable, evokes an emotional trigger with the audience, and captures the essence of Storm the redhead as the company owner.
“Ginger Storm is a rare and marvellous event when a formidable reputation for innovation, creativity and world-class execution is forged with blazing passion, flaming intensity and red-hot focus.”
Ginger Storm is a distinct, authentic, memorable option that ties into the positioning of Storm the designer, Storm the redhead or Ginger, and Storm the flamingly intense, blazingly passionate, enthusiastic, red-hot focused creative force.
CURRENT POSITIONING STATEMENT
It was confirmed through discussions with clients and industry experts that CAS does not currently have a defined positioning or positioning statement. Rather, it has fortuitously arrived at a position through a mix of trial, opportunism, and error.
From its inception, CAS targeted large, profitable companies in the retail food and pharmaceutical categories. Early success in these sectors resulted in growth specific to those categories and an extensive portfolio and accompanying reputation. Small-scale bespoke projects have been executed, and have benefited the CAS portfolio, but these types of projects are generally not profitable as such CAS has not positioned itself in this niche.
Research inspired the following possible positioning directions:
1. Positioning CAS as a service that provides large agency output with small studio speed, efficiency, and focus. The positioning is unique and distinctive, playing to CAS's strength as a sole entity that produces world-class design output at competitive rates, with individualised attention.
2. Building the positioning around myself, as the business, follows the research outcomes that clients remember Storm/me, as opposed to the business. This identity allows CAS to occupy a unique place in the global design market.
Positioning Storm as the brand effortlessly translates my enthusiastic, passionate, professional, and energetic character into the brand personality, narrative and tone of voice. It also serves the ultimate goal of communicating the brand's core competencies so that the brand is seen as irreplaceable.
PROPOSED BRAND POSITIONING
Brand target audience
The target audience for CAS must revolve around the current and envisioned business position, and support CAS’s success to date. The following have been identified as target audiences for the brand:
- Large Supermarkets
- Small to Medium Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Fast Moving Consumer Packaged Goods (FMCG) Companies
- Agencies for Collaboration
- Start-ups, New Brands, and Rebrands
- Food, Drinks, Own Brand, and Pharmaceuticals
- Brand needs analysis
Successful brands satisfy specific customer needs, therefore the following have been identified:
- Creative and Unique Brand and Packaging Design
- Reputable Industry Specialist
- Trust and Reliability
- World-Class Quality
- Speed and Efficiency
Delivery
Ultimately a brand should deliver on the target audience's identified needs. The delivery aims of the brand should hinge on a the ability to deliver. Delivery is based on:
- Distinctive Brand and Packaging Design
- Strategic Brand Architecture
- Industry Knowledge and Specialisation in Packaging Design and Legislation
- Creative Output
- Technical knowledge in Print Production and Materials
- World-Class Execution
- Selective projects, so that all clients are served directly by Storm
Brand reinforcement through evidence of delivery
Building on the existing success of CAS, and building on the feedback received from clients, CAS will continue to nurture aspects of the business. The following aspects will be incorporated into the re-design and reinvigoration of the brand:
- Current stellar reputation
- Current and proposed future portfolio
- Strategic Brand Architecture leadership
- Consistent World-Class quality
- Creative Execution and Output
Proposed Brand Personality
- Witty
- Enthusiastic
- Energetic
- Neutral (as opposed to formal or casual)
Proposed Brand Tone of Voice
- Humorous
- Quirky
- Smart
- Passionate
PROPOSED POSITIONING STATEMENT
The proposed positioning statement for the rebrand is:
Ginger Storm is a leading independent creative studio. It specialises in strategic brand and package design architecture for local and global CPG and FMCG clients in the food, beverage, own brand and pharmaceutical sectors. I, Storm, am well known for my blazing passion, flaming intensity, and red-hot focus. Ginger Storm is a creative force of nature that has given new life to brands for over fifteen years, with a formidable reputation for innovation, creativity and world-class quality. Working exclusively on selected projects, from developing distinctive bespoke brands to rolling out 200 SKUs, it’s the perfect storm of big-agency execution converging with small-studio speed and efficiency.
CURRENT BRAND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
CAS is a single-entity packaging and graphic design studio based in Cape Town. Though small, I offer a full creative service, carrying jobs from client brief to concept, production and delivery. I am a perfectionist at heart, and my work is tailor-made to your target audience. I approach any job like the lifespan of a storm.
First a subtle shifting of air molecules: this essential market research is needed to guide my strategic thinking. Then a gathering of elemental forces: a combination of clever concepts, beautiful or memorable copy, and arresting design. And finally, the heart of the storm in all its glory: the end product.
My process isn’t simply about creating a design that will compete for consumer attention, it’s about creating an authentic experience. This authentic experience will guarantee brand ambassadors for life. Ultimately, my role is to help grow your business.
CAS’s current external brand communication is strong in that it cleverly combines elements of a storm with the brand name and service provided. However, client research reveals that clients don’t find the communication memorable, despite its strength.
Ginger Storms’ outward communication will be written to speak directly to the target audience keeping the positioning, personality, and tone of voice in mind. It should be easily adapted to specific outlets including the website, LinkedIn page, press releases, and social media.
PROPOSED BRAND STORY - EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
The proposed narrative or brand story is:
The story of Ginger Storm arose out of my rebellious spirit and a mission to help businesses. I want your businesses to grow by dazzling and captivating your customers with magnificent brand and packaging design.
As with trees, brands with a solid root foundation can weather any storm. For your brand to be successful in today’s landscape, it needs to stand out from the noise. How do you stand out from the noise? You do this by being distinctive, attention-grabbing, and memorable. Too many brands are being ignored or drowning in the sea of sameness. In short, brands have become bland.
The problem is simple - big agencies churn out large volumes of work that tend to be generic or safe. They do all of this for the price of a small island. Smaller studios produce distinctive, high-quality work at affordable rates, but may struggle with larger execution or lack experience, technical print, and legislative knowledge.
But, every once in a while, the laws of nature reverse themselves, and an extraordinary event occurs when all the elements and perfect conditions align. Ginger Storm is that rare creative force in strategic brand and packaging design.
Ginger Storm has become the stuff of legend by working exclusively on selected projects for over fifteen years. Through this time I have developed distinctive bespoke brands, breathed new life into brands, and rolled out multiple product lines and categories.
What do you get when you combine a formidable reputation for innovation, creativity and world-class quality with blazing passion, flaming intensity and red-hot focus? You get that beautiful moment when a perfect storm of big-agency execution is met with small-studio precision. Successful brands around the world call it Ginger Storm.
And for those of you who are fortunate enough to experience it, you won´t soon forget it.
Wouldn’t you want the same for your brand?
PROPOSED BRAND ELEVATOR PITCH
Ginger Storm is a rare, creative force specialising in strategic brand and packaging design architecture for local and global CPG and FMCG companies in the food, beverage, own brand and pharmaceutical sectors.
By working exclusively on selected projects for over fifteen years, from developing distinctive bespoke brands to rolling out 200 SKUs, Ginger Storm is the stuff of legend.
When a magnificent reputation for innovation, creativity and world-class quality converges with blazing passion, flaming intensity and red-hot focus, you get a perfect storm of big-agency execution with small-studio precision.
CURRENT LOGO
The CAS brand has evolved over the years. Although the current logo is a beautifully crafted, classical typographical execution in conjunction with three storm etchings, it doesn’t reflect or communicate the brand. The storm etchings are akin to drawings that do not scale easily or translate into an icon and are therefore not featured in conjunction with the logo.
Various icons and conceptual directions were workshopped to encompass the new positioning and brand name.
Fig. 1. Wiggett, 2022a. Creating a Storm Logo.
PROPOSED LOGO (The logo development is detailed in the blogs to follow)
Logos are a point of identification. They are symbols that at first glance convey the essence of a brand and its capabilities. Recent industry trends are for simplistic typographical logos. Icons tend to be minimalistic and designed for digital mediums. They appear to dilute creativity, detail and craft, and ironically are counterintuitive for brands that sell design as a service.
The Ginger Storm logo design strategy was to create a toolbox of interchangeable, combination elements that seamlessly adjust to digital and print mediums. Furthermore, portrait or landscape executions showcase the studio's extensive design capabilities.
The toolbox elements include various typographical iterations, a monogram, a symbol, and vibrant orange colour that conveys the brand's passion, intensity and energy.
The combination of the icon of a girl riding a phoenix with her arms outstretched, with the varied typographical executions of the Ginger Storm copy showcases this vision.
The name Ginger Storm has both physical and symbolic connotations. The first and most obvious is that it is my name. I am a fiery redhead or “ginger”, known for my blazing passion, flaming intensity, and red-hot focus.
The young girl with outstretched arms represents my playfulness, imagination and creativity. I also want to highlight my fearless free spirit, and convey the fact that I’m unafraid of taking risks and pushing boundaries. Symbolically, Ginger Storm is an uncommon but magnificent event or force of nature, arising from a rare combination of elements. A perfect storm, something magical, perhaps even supernatural.
The phoenix is a magical firebird creature that symbolises fire and passion - the flames of true inspiration and creativity. Apart from the usual symbology of rising from the ashes with renewed youth, the phoenix also represents a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence. Phoenixes are, regarded as uniquely remarkable, legends in their own right.
This supports the positioning of the rare occurrence or combination of big-agency expertise with small-studio precision.
Fig. 2. Wiggett, 2022b. Proposed Ginger Storm Logo Option.
CURRENT BRAND TAGLINE
The CAS current brand tagline is Graphic and Packaging Design.
A brand requires a short, catchy, all-encompassing tagline in order to stand out amongst competitors and stick in a potential client's mind. CAS's original tagline merely stated what service the company provided.
The following taglines were considered:
- A Creative Force of Nature
- Bringing Brand Design Back to Life
- Some Legends Are True
- Passion Never Fades
- Design that can weather the storm
- Giving New Life to Brands
PROPOSED BRAND TAGLINE
Ginger Storm’s proposed brand tagline is Giving New Life to Brands.
We live in a fast-paced society that continuously changes and grows. Without change, we stagnate, and to stagnate is to become irrelevant. The tagline ‘Giving New Life To Brands’, seeks to reinspire, reignite, and create excitement. I also wanted to draw attention to Ginger Storm’s focus on helping clients and brands evolve. The tagline also ties into the fire and passion symbology of a phoenix rising from the ashes with renewed youth.
CURRENT BRAND THEME SONG
Currently, CAS does not have a theme song.
PROPOSED BRAND THEME SONG
Ginger Storm’s brand theme song is Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys.
Lyrics
“Looks like a girl, but she's a flame
So bright, she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try, but you'll never forget her name
Everybody stares as she goes by
Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes
Watch her as she's lighting up the night”
The song lyrics and title reflect the brand name and logo. It also seeks to cement further the brand identity, personality and tone of voice in a memorable manner across Ginger Storm’s marketing avenues.
CURRENT UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION (UVP)
CAS’s current unique value proposition is Graphic and Packaging Design Studio.
CAS has evolved from a broad graphic design offering to specialising in packaging design.
The majority of UVP statements for a sole entity and packaging design studios include ‘brand and packaging design,’ ‘luxury bespoke packaging,’ and ‘strategic packaging design.’
Ginger Storm provides not only brand and packaging design, but also a strategic direction for packaging across multiple lines and categories for years to come. This makes Ginger Storm similar to a design studio. This strategic approach is referred to as the brand architecture and will become Ginger Storm's unique value proposition.
PROPOSED UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION
CAS’s proposed unique value proposition is Strategic Brand and Packaging Design Architecture.
Ginger Storm offers strategic brand design across the full-scale business spectrum. The architecture forms the foundations that allow for executions across multiple lines and categories, individual personality, continuity, and brand longevity.
CURRENT UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP)
- CAS’s current USP is strong, but not refined or defined and includes:
- Being a single entity design studio means CAS offers a full creative service, carrying a job from concept to production and delivery.
- Packaging structures for multiple categories and product lines.
- Accepting only a few selected projects, means all clients get individualised attention.
- Technical knowledge of print, production and legislation.
PROPOSED UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
Ginger Storms's proposed USP includes:
- Large agency output, with small studio precision.
- Reputation for world-class quality.
- Personality, enthusiasm, passion, and creativity.
- Only a few select projects are accepted so that all clients are served directly by me.
- A brand design partner who can think strategically and execute creatively.
CONCLUSION
The new logo and name change were met with positive humour, and lauded for being “just the right amount of offbeat and quirky”. Furthermore, individuals responded to the intrigue and expressed admiration for the craft and creativity. The new branding is more aligned with the spirit of the business and forms the keystone of the new corporate identity.
List of Figures
Figure 1. Wiggett, S. (2022a). Creating a Storm Business Cards. [Online Image] Creating a Storm. Available at: https://creatingastorm.co.za/portfolio/creating-a-storm-business-cards.
Figure 2. Wiggett, S. (2022b). One of the Proposed Ginger Storm Logos. [Image Archive] Storm’s Image Archive.