With so much subjectivity around the classic car company's new look and positioning, it's worth looking at this soon-to-be-famous rebrand from a less subjective perspective. Page contents Motivation behind the rebrand What people are saying Dissecting the rebrand The brand personality In summary Motivation behind Jaguar's rebrand Jaguar's latest decision to transition to entirely electric vehicles by 2026 is bold and likely motivated by their position as the weakest performer in the Jaguar Land Rover Group. Owned by Tata Motors for over a decade, JLR currently benefits from Range Rover and Defender generating the most profit for the company. This high profile rebrand might be the final effort to rejuvenate the classic car brand, yet it shouldn't be perceived as a desperate measure. The change has not only addressed the company's bold move towards cleaner transport, but also demonstrates the ability to shed preconceptions if we have evolved past others' expectations. I personally see this rebrand as an evolution. What people are saying? The teaser advert's release has sparked significant criticism and negativity, despite Jaguar's request to "trust and reserve judgment" regarding their rebrand. With figures like Elon Musk commenting on X and journalists claiming that Jaguar has "gone woke," I can't help but smile and tip my hat to Jaguar for sparking such a provoking public conversation. Whether you love or hate the new direction, if you believe there's no such thing as bad publicity, Jaguar has certainly succeeded in capturing a vast audience ahead of their major reveal on 2nd December. The primary argument from critics seems to be that the 102-year-old classic car manufacturer should not change, even though their recent modern car designs have fallen below favour with buyers over the past fifteen years. While the beauty of the 1960s E-Type or XJ, celebrated as some of the most iconic cars ever, is undisputed, these styles have not been designed or produced in over fifty years. In the late eighties, the XJ6 became the typical vehicle for middle-class grandads and remained popular among golfing retirees of that era. However, most of them are no longer around, and with baby boomers and Gen Xers choosing smaller, more economical cars, with many leaning towards EVs, it is logical for Jaguar to revamp its design to attract new and evolving markets. Dissecting the rebrand The new Jaguar font is modern and dynamic, with characteristics that subliminally convey a brand that is modern, elite, structured and progressive. Using a mixture of upper and lowercase letters signifies a subversive nature but will likely reveal itself to have a deeper meaning than merely aesthetic. The seeming incorporation of refreshed brand values in the ad is designed to generate curiosity about the company's major unveiling, indicating that the absence of actual car images in this ad is entirely deliberate (addressing one of the main critiques of the teaser). In my view, the use of unique looking models is not particularly important; however, I believe their outfits hold greater significance than whether they appear gender-neutral. The avant-garde clothing is more symbolic of the direction the company intends to lead their customers. The brand personality I can't help but notice numerous similarities with Virgin Atlantic's branding - the colors, the brand value definitions, and even the music and performance art. The sleek, futuristic font also brings to mind the upper class and premium economy branding, which suggests to me that Jaguar has shifted from a Sage/Ruler to an Outlaw/Hero brand archetype. In summary... As a brand specialist, this is one of the most fascinating rebrands in recent times and has me excited to see what's next - the likelihood is that Jaguar are also shifting their user journey and brand experience as well. The fact of the matter is, we all love classic cars, but they haven't produced a true classic for a very long time, so why not shake things up and go out with a bang - it could be the best thing that ever happened to Jaguar. One thing's for sure, I already admire them far more today than I did two months ago when they were barely on my radar. I'm rooting for you Jaguar, the world loves a rebel even if the conformity police has you believing otherwise. If you would like to discover more about the psychology of branding and how it can shape the user experience or to work with me direct on your branding, please get in touch.

Brands are complex entities that cannot be fully understood from one perspective. The crucial role of psychology in branding should be viewed from the perspective of the corporation that owns it, and from that of the consumer. Branding psychology is the tool that connects these two worlds, creating a unified and lasting brand experience.  Page contents What is brand psychology? From the perspective of the company From the perspective of the consumer Brand psychology methodologies Brand archetypes The sequence of cognition Brand alchemy What is a brand expert? What is a brand psychology? Psychological connections define the human condition; our senses, memories and perceptions significantly influence decision-making before our conscious preferences are revealed. Advertising and marketing firms have dedicated decades to perfecting a mix of memorable jingles, enticing products, dopamine-triggering strategies, and hypnotic anchoring, but brand psychology starts prior to these marketing efforts, drawing inspiration from the brand concept before any other materials are developed. Therefore, it is crucial and imperative to establish it correctly before embarking on the building of a brand. A brand expert is a creative brand specialist who understands the importance and value of brand psychology, along with the ethical obligations associated with its application. By employing brand psychology techniques, professionals like myself can harness the power of visual language to make lasting impressions on the intended target audience. From the perspective of the company The brand is not the company itself; rather, it serves as a tool for the company to compete in the market. It is an outward-facing entity that helps the business create a favourable image with its customers. Through intellectual property like logos, taglines, slogans, and distinctive product designs, it distinguishes itself from competitors. It also provides distinctive value that goes beyond the functionality of the product or service and contributes to enhancing the brand perception when compared to others. Brand psychology becomes a crucial role when the company wishes to appeal to the consumers. From the perspective of the consumer To the consumer, a brand is a set of automatic associations from the semantic to the emotional. Semantic associations refer to the connections we make cognitively based on a brand's unique attributes, values and our own subconscious preferences. Emotional associations are based on how a brand makes us feel. Brands that truly excel in consumer loyalty are those that focus on establishing strong connections with users beyond the utility, function or advantages of their product or service. These brands tend to have honest and authentic values, an interesting, ethical or purposeful origin story and a clear understanding of their user experience. They then use these to shape the brand image using brand psychology as the visual tool with which to communicate. Brand psychology methodologies There are a number of tools and techniques that brand experts use to communicate the essence of a brand's personality but chiefly it begins by selecting a brand archetype to reflect the brand's values, strengths and weaknesses. From here, a personality will start to emerge, with key traits being used to inform shape, colour palette, typography, graphics and image style. In design terms we refer to this as brand theory and the sequence of cognition. Brand archetypes Beginning with brand personality, a primary archetype can be selected that embodies the brand, it's voice and it's motivations. These archetypes were conceptualised by Carl Jung, the eminent psychologist and colleague of Freud. By identifying with one of these archetypes as a business, brands can communicate with their intended audience with clarity, creating a common and strong thread that holds together the brand story, message, tone, intonation, aesthetic and values. Thus fostering a deeper connection with audiences beyond mere transactions. This gives customers an expectation of who they understand you to be and this makes them feel safe. The sequence of cognition The sequence of cognition refers to the three foundational elements of a logo and how the mind unifies them to form a whole, conveying significantly more meaning than the sum of it's parts. Understanding the sequence of cognition is the difference between using a homemade or stock bought logo versus a thoughtfully crafted, impactful symbolic design that subconsciously conveys a brand's personality and values. These three foundational elements are shape (logo mark or icon), colour and content (brand name and font). Shape - we associate different shapes with unique meanings, for example circles convey community, partnerships and endurance while straight edged shapes convey strength, stability and balance. Colour - we associate tints, tones, shades and hues with unique personality traits. Youthful brands that wish to convey imagination and insight are best represented with light and bright colours while dominant brands that are market leaders should utilise strong pure hues to convey these attributes. Content - when deciding on a brand name, it should be brief, impactful and unique. Popular brands often opt for single-word names with positive psychological associations. The choice of typography can also impact how the audience perceives the brand. Selecting a font that reflects desired personality traits will reinforce the subconscious impression of the logo and brand identity. Brand alchemy Brand alchemy refers to the culmination of the personality, tone of voice, vision and values using the application of brand theory to the brand identity. When all these elements are perfectly in sync, the brand identity is whole, and every aspect of its creation should strengthen our subconscious associations with the brand. What is a brand expert? A designer's job is to take a creative brief and work within a set of existing brand guidelines to deliver an "on brand" solution that sits comfortably alongside other brand collateral. While many designers excel at creating beautiful logo concepts and identities, they may lack the brand psychology expertise needed to form subconscious connections that reinforce a brand 's personality with its intended audience. A brand expert is a creative or designer who has acquired the knowledge of captivating the subconscious mind through the visual language of brand alchemy. If you are a designer, wishing to learn more about brand psychology and how to apply the strategies mentioned in this article, feel free to explore the courses page or visit the brand resources page for free templates and brand tools. If you are a business wishing to work with a brand expert to rebrand your business or conceptualise your new venture, please get in touch to book an appointment today.

A freelance designer’s working life if one of feast or famine, we adapt to demand, moving fluidly between busy times and quiet, trying to remain calm when projects are scarce. Our pricing structure is based on the nature of freelance work, yet it can be challenging to justify these rates to clients who perceive us as expensive. What if you could increase how much you earn, without having to raise your daily rate? Page contents The freelance life Does this scenario sound familiar? Enhance the discovery phase using the brand alchemy method What is the brand alchemy method? The results Time to up-skill to expert level Expertise behind the course The freelance life Freelancing can be a rollercoaster - we love the busy times, working from anywhere, choosing which clients to work with, we hate the unpredictability of demand and having to do the boring admin jobs. But what if there was a way to create a safety net for slower periods without raising our daily rate and even boost demand among existing and new clients as a result? Does this scenario sound familiar? You receive an enquiry for a brand project and if you're free to take on the job, you might send a brief sheet or form to complete, or the client might send you a summary of what they need via email. Then, you go back and forth with questions and answers about the project before providing a fee estimate. Once the quote is accepted, there may be additional time spent requesting files, guidelines, fonts and any other assets relevant to the project you will be working on. None of this back and forth feels chargeable, despite it's time consuming nature, we're not lawyers after all! Typically, the costs you recover tend to be equivalent to the design time invested in the project. While the estimate can be accurate at times, there are instances where it falls short or feels less than appropriate, occasionally resulting in a loss if projects drag out. However, imagine a scenario where you could be compensated for all the time spent during the briefing period and also secure additional work as a result. Enhancing the discovery phase using the brand alchemy method For many freelance designers, a significant portion of the discovery phase goes unpaid for, introducing clients to the brand alchemy method allows them to recognise your specialised skill set, expert guidance and the value these bring to the process. The brand alchemy approach emphasises the importance of blending a designer's expertise with the client's knowledge of their brand to ensure that the project brief becomes a collaborative endeavour. This is achieved through a detailed brand audit that harnesses the power of brand psychology. As a result, designing effective solutions becomes easier, hitting brand briefs first time, preventing lukewarm, uncertain responses from clients or numerous revision requests and re-dos. What is the brand alchemy method? The brand alchemy method is the missing link between a client's brief and the designer's solution. It provides the foundation that supports all brand creation thereafter. Based in psychology and used by the biggest agencies for decades, it begins with identifying your clients brand personality or archetype. Together you can help them to discover their attributes while reviewing their brand values to ensure all is in alignment. The result of this informs the tone of voice, the most appropriate colour palette and even the font choices that you as the designer can interpret using the brand alchemy method. The results Clients become eager for this approach to be used across all brand touch-points, providing the freelancer with more work. Clients receive positive feedback and praise for their new brand image, leading to a higher referral rate - I have been told many times by clients that I am the only designer that's ever "got them"! This may sound like a fantasy, but it has been my experience since developing the brand alchemy method. I have been implementing it for 7 years now with a 100% success rate and I am excited to share it with other freelance designers who are either experiencing a lull in demand or who are ready to take their brand knowledge to the next level. Time to up-skill to expert level By taking the brand alchemy course, designers can learn how to utilise this approach to effectively engage clients right from the start, establishing yourself as a brand expert and persuading clients to follow your guidance during a brand audit. This assessment offers crucial perspectives that clients might overlook, making it the key element that empowers designers to successfully meet the project requirements without the need for multiple design options and/or edits. The magic of brand alchemy lies in your ability to utilise the audit findings to create brand solutions that consistently nail the brief! Expertise behind the course The Brand Alchemy course for designers is packed full of industry experience that you won't find online - participants will learn brand psychology techniques and a unique method of applying them to a brand brief. My expertise as a brand specialist comes from working with, and freelancing for; Wimbledon AELTC, Ralph Lauren, Warner Bros, The Golf Open, Links of London, Vodafone, Creative Assembly, Schwarzkopf, Sony Music and Honda (to name a few). To learn more about the transformative power of brand alchemy and enrol in the designer course, visit the website . The Brand Alchemy for businesses program will launch in the upcoming year. If you are a business looking to grasp this method and implement it in your own brand, sign up now to express your interest and enjoy a discount on the Brand Alchemy for businesses course. You can also work with me direct on your brand project by getting in touch today.

In a world where it's never been easier to start your own business, the frequency in which brands evolve (and fall) has become remarkably fast-paced. This can happen with start-ups but also large companies that fail to maintain relevance and loyalty. Let's look at what the most common causes of failure and how to guard against it. Page contents Lack of engaging brand story Unkown or confused brand personality Ineffective communication Failure to adapt Poor user experience Value misalinment Dated visual identity Lack of engaging brand story Your story is what differentiates you from competitors, it's your reason for existing, not just to make money but the purpose of your brand, the driving force behind its inception, the problem you aimed to address, and the significance it held for you. Whether it encompasses your personal journey or that of someone else, these narratives offer insight into who you are. By sharing these stories, you allow your audience to understand you more deeply, fostering recognition, curiosity, and connection. Unknown or confused brand personality Understanding your brand's personality type, including its character traits and brand voice, plays a crucial role in shaping the creative decisions you make later on. Elements such as tone of voice, colour scheme, design style, and typography are all influenced by your brand's personality, making this the foundation for building you brand. Brand psychology has long been utilised by leading brands to maintain customer loyalty, even when competing products are similar. Consistency through messaging and the services or products you provide across multiple communication channels will foster a sense of comfort and loyalty with your audience. Ineffective communication Communication goes hand in hand with numbers one and two, if you know who you are (personality) and what drives you (story) then you can communicate clearly, effectively and with a style and tone that reflect and reinforce the story and personality. The key message should not focus on the features of your product or service, but rather what sets you apart and the reasons people should choose you, using compelling narratives that resonate. Failure to adapt Part of a brand's strategy needs to be adaptability. Any business can launch, believing that they are one thing to one audience but they may end up being something entirely different to a group they never envisaged as their target market. Adaptability is essential in a world where everything moves so fast and the key to adapting is knowing and understanding your users. This can be achieved through regular user testing, competitor/trend analysis, feedback and regular market reviews. Poor user experience The user experience starts from the initial encounter your audience has with your brand, encompassing your visual identity, website UX design, product or service presentation, ease of selection and purchase, communication and confirmation of expectations, user engagement, and post-interaction satisfaction. When strategising your user journey, it's important to map out the entire experience to ensure every touchpoint and channel is considered, maintaining a high level of excellence and consistency to maintain a memorable connection with your brand. Value misalignment Your core values are your authentic essence and what makes you special and different from competitors. These values can certainly adapt over time but should never oppose the original values that you set out with. Unethical behaviour or failure to practice the values you originally stood for can alienate your audience and damage your reputation. It's important to maintain integrity and authenticity to ensure your audience sees you as credible and trustworthy. Visit my resources page and download the brand development tool to review and align your values. Dated visual identity Visual identity encompasses a brand's logo, typography, colour palette, icons, graphics, and image style. While other elements on the list may be well-executed, if the visual identity does not align with the rest of the brand identity, a chance to establish a visual and psychological connection is lost. Shapes, fonts, and colours play a crucial role in conveying specific attributes of a brand's personality. When these elements are not in harmony, the visual aspect of the brand may appear disjointed. Could it be time to consider a redesign? If you would like to discover more about the magic of branding and how it can shape your user experience or to work with me direct on your brand projects, please get in touch today.

When positioning yourself as a purpose-driven or impactful brand, it is crucial to prioritise thoughtful design and branding in order to establish meaningful connections with your audience. What is your legacy? Businesses that identify as purpose-driven or impact-oriented typically operate within a sustainable and ethical business framework. This may involve adopting a circular economy approach, adhering to B-Corp standards, or maintaining transparency regarding business practices and supply chains. Such enterprises often tackle significant global challenges and play a key role in driving transformation within the business sector. By establishing new economic standards and encouraging others to follow suit, they contribute to phasing out obsolete and unsustainable practices. Using sustainable or ethical keywords without integrating authentic sustainable and ethical business practices across your business and supply chain can lead to greenwashing or bluewashing. Conversely, if you run a genuinely sustainable operation with ethical practices at its core, but fail to convey this through your branding, you could be overlooking the chance to engage with like-minded individuals. Communicating your values to your brand audience Having a well-thought-out and impactful symbolic brand identity that effectively conveys your values and personality enables you to engage with users authentically and confidently, inspiring them to trust your business to meet their evolving ethical requirements and conscious perspective. Although many businesses begin with good intentions, the combination of busy periods and the need to attract new customers can sometimes lead to a loss of focus on values. It's therefore essential to regularly review your mission statement and business plan to stay true to your brand identity and original purpose, assessing whether any of your values have changed. It is also important to decide whether your overall brand identity and tone of voice are working hard enough for you or if they require an update to reflect any changes. If you decide a brand refresh is in order, talking to a branding agency that work with sustainable and ethical businesses like Roccoco UK  with a track record for aligning values with sustainable business goals can have huge advantages. Likewise partnering with sustainability consultants like Earthkind Consulting  for B2C or Terrafiniti  for B2B can ensure your business processes and policies are in alignment. Take a look at my portfolio of work with impact brands and purpose led lifestyle businesses to see if Roccoco is the right fit for your rebrand.

If you're familiar with the concept of brand personality, you might have a general idea of its meaning. In this article, we will explore the origins of brand personalities, how to identify yours, and how to leverage it effectively to enhance customer recognition and loyalty. Page contents What is brand personality? Where do I start? How do I know which personality my brand is? What do I do once I know my brand personality? Could it be time for a rebrand? What is a brand personality? Many brand specialists including myself use the theories of Carl Jung, the eminent psychologist and colleague of Freud. He discovered there were a limited quantity of unique personalities that every individual aligns with. We use twelve of these archetypes to describe the most common brand personalities that mirror our own values, strengths and weaknesses. These archetypes are called; the innocent, the sage, the explorer, the outlaw, the magician, the hero, the lover, the jester, the everyman, the caregiver, the ruler and the creator. By identifying with one of these archetypes as a business, you can communicate with your intended audience with clarity, creating a common and strong thread that holds together your brand story, message, tone, intonation, aesthetic and values more effectively. This fosters a deeper connection with your clients, customers or users beyond mere transactions. From a psychological perspective, this gives customers an expectation of who they understand you to be which makes them feel safe. Where do I start? The diagram shows the twelve archetypes split into four quadrants. These are a good place to start to help you identify your brand's purpose and drive. Once you have read through the archetypes, you can note down which brand voice you most resonate with for you own brand. Review the values to see which overlap with your own. Full descriptions and more detail of the psychological links can be found at iconicfox.com.au How do I know which personality my brand is? Try to rule out obvious choices for your industry and focus on simply picking the archetypes that most align with your brand's mission, voice and values. It's important to narrow it down to one or two as a maximum to avoid a confusing brand voice. If you select two archetypes, one should become your primary personality and the other a secondary or supporting role. For more guidance on the archetypes, how to select yours and what they represent in more detail, consider viewing our mini course on the basics of branding . What do I do once I know my archetype? Once you have established your brand archetype, you can begin to apply the attributes or personality characteristics to all parts of your brand identity. Starting with your brand story, writing it in such a way that it sounds like the brand voice of your chosen archetype. You may even wish to rewrite your mission statement and refine your brand values to make sure they are all in alignment with your personality. You can start to create a distinct tone of voice that represents your personality, this helps to reinforce resonating traits with your audience. Could it be time for a rebrand? If you have never done this work before, discovering your brand personality can highlight that the current visual identity may no longer align with your direction. In such cases, it can be challenging to integrate your new personality into an outdated version of your branding. Just as it is difficult for us to revert to our previous selves after evolving, it is essential to approach your brand in the same manner. Let go of old perceptions of your brand that no longer reflect your personality. Realign everything, and be open to a brand refresh that will bring the identity together, enabling you to operate from a position of strength and confidence. If you would like to discover more about the magic of branding and how it can shape your customer experience or to work with me direct on your branding, please get in touch.

You may have come to realise that a rebrand of your business is necessary, but where do you start when you don't have the budget for a full and strategic rebrand? Let's explore the small but effective tweaks that can be made in the interim to elevate your brand on a budget. Page contents Simplify Avoid using panic offers Review your colour palette Review your typography Haromonise imagery Simplify High end brands are never messy or confused, they are clear and simple. Evaluate your website, marketing and social media - are you trying to cram in too many messages? Simplify your communications and keep designs clean. Embrace more white space, as it provides viewers with visually relaxing areas that allow them to absorb the messages you are conveying. Avoid the excessive use of graphics, patterns, filigrees, and clip art unless they have been designed professionally for your brand and matches your aesthetic. These elements can clutter the visual appeal, potentially undermining your credibility. Eliminating them can significantly enhance the overall look and feel of your website and communications. Avoid using panic offers This happens a lot in the hospitality sector but can also be an issue in other industries. Quiet times can make business owners anxious so they reduce prices, put on multiple offers and competitions to try and engage customers, but this can in fact cheapen your brand. To maintain a premium image, aim to offer seasonal and relevant promotions only, avoiding running multiple offers simultaneously. Review your colour palette Is your colour scheme out of control? Do you have a defined palette that you stick to? Brands may get lost in the crowd if there is an overload of visual elements - the world is full of colour and chaos, which is why using a monochromatic, duotone, or limited colour palette in our communications can actually boost visibility. There's a reason why many of us believe we look better in black and white photographs! If you are confident in doing it yourself, you can refresh your colour scheme by utilising the colour and brand tools available on our resources page and seeking inspiration from platforms like Pinterest. Alternatively, consider enrolling in our brand basics mini course for £10 to kickstart your rebranding efforts. Review your typography Fonts can date, especially if we restrict ourselves with system fonts. Gone are the days where we all had to conform to Arial or Times - Google fonts, Canva and Adobe have opened up a world of typography that can be viewed online - meaning we can choose the typography that best suits our brand. When updating your fonts, consider what vibe they communicate and whether that is in alignment with your brand personality and values. To achieve a high end look, a designers hack is to expand the leading of body copy (the space between lines) and the tracking for titles (the space between the letters). Check out the typography tools on our resources page for help in understanding font psychology. Harmonise imagery Amateur or inconsistent image style can give a lower end brand away. Even if we believe our own photography is great, it's always worth reviewing images with similar content on platforms like Pinterest to see how others conceptualise the same themes. I like to start with a mood board, gathering visually related images that share similarities in tone, filter, colour scheme, or composition style. Ensuring that your chosen images complement each other and appear cohesive as a collection is crucial for enhancing and elevating the overall aesthetic of your designs. Check out my mood board mini masterclass to learn the best ways to create a mood board. If you've decided it's time to elevate your brand and would like to work with me direct, please get in touch with fiona@roccoco.uk . Or, if you are interested in working on your brand identity yourself and would like the skills to do so, register your interest for our entrepreneur's course on Brand Alchemy for your Business.

Are your vision, values and customer engagement in alignment? Is your brand identity working hard enough for you? Do your customers understand you, respond to you and engage with you? Does getting your brand noticed feel like an impossible task? It may be time to take stock and consider a rebrand. A rebrand addresses all the missing links to button up a brand identity so tightly that audiences will be able to connect immediately. Elevating your brand using techniques employed by brand experts like Fiona from Roccoco UK makes a lasting impression in the unconscious minds of your potential customers. A trusted name in the branding industry with over 17 years of experience, Fiona developed the Brand Alchemy Method to address the missing link between business brand briefs and a designer's creative response. With a solid track record spanning 8 years, Fiona offers a wealth of resources and services to help you master your branding strategy. From comprehensive courses and workshops to customisable templates and personalised creative services, Roccoco UK has everything you need to take your brand to the next level. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, our brand elevation techniques can help you stand out in a crowded market and attract your ideal target audience. The Brand Alchemy Method helps clients leverage brand psychology to produce meaningful and cohesive branding concepts that connects with their intended users. With Fiona's expert guidance, you can develop a unique approach that sets you apart from competition and really resonates with your customers. By partnering with Roccoco UK, you can showcase your products and services with confidence, knowing that your brand is in expert hands. Our dedication to excellence and passion for creativity make us the perfect ally in your branding journey. Don't miss this opportunity to work with a leader in the industry and unlock the full potential of your brand. Take the first step towards success with the Brand Alchemist Fiona Hamilton from Roccoco UK and watch your brand flourish.

The way a designer tackles a brief greatly depends on the amount and significance of the information supplied by the client in relation to the brand's personality, values and aesthetic. Page contents Know your brand personality, not just your products or services Have a clear direction when briefing a designer Explain the motivation behind your project Give examples of your expectations Provide any brand rules, guidelines or necessary information regarding your visual identity for the designer to follow Provide approved, edited and copy-read content to avoid costly amends later Discuss upfront if budget is avalable for stock imagery and/or image editing time Know your brand personality, not just your products or services Before you brief a new designer, they need to know as much about your brand as possible - it helps hugely to have a clear idea of your brand personality as this equips the designer with all they need to know in terms of the type of brand you are, how you like to communicate and what you stand for. These valuable insights greatly assist the designer in grasping your brand and its purpose, meaning their designs are much more likely to hit the mark first time. Have a clear direction when briefing a designer Sometimes business owners get excited about a new campaign or project and rush to brief a designer prematurely. Half baked ideas can result in expensive design concepts that fail to fully capture the essence of the original vision, often requiring further refinement. Many of my clients have discovered the value of creating mind maps to streamline their ideas, focusing on the most substantial concepts and ensuring that their messaging and tone are perfected before providing me with a brief for design interpretation. Explain the motivation behind your project It is crucial for the designer to grasp the purpose of your campaign, rebrand, or design request in order to skilfully develop solutions that incorporate any important factors driving the concept's creation. This often involves using design and psychology techniques to enhance and strengthen the brand's core message. Give examples of your expectations Offering a designer a reference point for your expectations is really beneficial. You can achieve this by creating a mood board, sending an email with screenshots, or verbally sharing examples that you find appealing or wish to emulate for your project. You can also offer examples that do not resonate with your brand to help the designer grasp which concept styles to steer clear of. Ensure that the examples you provide are relevant to your brand and align with the brand personality, it will confuse the brief if examples are provided that represent a brand with opposing traits to your own. Provide any brand rules, guidelines or necessary information regarding the visual identity for the designer to follow Together with the creative brief, make sure to supply your designer with all the assets related to the visual identity required to finalise the project. This typically encompasses logos, icons, colours, fonts, and images you want to incorporate, along with a brand guide detailing their usage. Provide approved, edited and copy-read content to avoid costly amends later Having a design created with incorrect, incomplete or unapproved content can result in significant additional expenses. The quantity of copy will influence the design style created by the designer; adding more copy can disrupt the design, diminishing its effectiveness and aesthetic appeal. Supplying the accurate content before starting the design process can prevent the necessity for redesigning or reformatting in the future, ultimately saving time and money for you and your project. Discuss upfront if budget is available for stock imagery, bespoke illustrations and/or image editing time Should you lack sufficient imagery for your project, you may need to use stock imagery or the designer may need to create an image or illustration for you that works with your concept. It's important to discuss early on if this is something that may be required to avoid unexpected costs later. If you have specific imagery you wish to use, but it's not in a compatible format with the design, extensive image editing may be necessary. For instance, converting a portrait image to a landscape format can be a challenge and is not always a simple crop. While some images can be extended using Photoshop, it is a time-consuming process, and the designer should be informed of such assets before providing a quote. If you would like to discover more about the magic of branding and how it can shape your user experience or to work with me direct on your brand projects, please get in touch.

In today's competitive market, establishing a strong and recognisable brand is essential for any business looking to stand out from the crowd. That's where Brand Alchemy comes in, using the brand's personality to help unlock brand potential. Implementing techniques to grow and future proof your business has never been more important. Roccoco UK have put together some useful tips to get your business back on track. Businesses are adapting to the new normal of a saturated market with everyone trying their hand at entrepreneurship, it can be tough realising that positive results are getting harder to achieve. There is evidence to show that online business activity has never been busier so finding a way to make your business stand out is one of the best solutions for todays market. Tip one Performing a brand audit can help to realign your core values with your business aspirations. The process involves assessing your business plan and brand archetype, reviewing the current market and competitors and making appropriate changes or updates. Use our resources to help or consider taking one of our courses . Here’s how: Review your business plan and note what's changed and/or what needs to change Understand your brand archetype or personality so you can better position yourself, if you need help with us, our basics of branding mini course talks you through the archetypes and how to identify yours. Review your current colours and typography to assess whether your current brand identity is working hard enough for you - could it do with a refresh? Use our colour psychology freebies to get started. Identify your closest competitors and discover what they're doing differently. Speak to a brand specialist like me to perform a professional brand audit and help you create a strategic branding plan. Tip two Think about refreshing or rebranding. Giving your brand a facelift can work wonders for increasing customer visibility as well as giving you something current to be proud of. Learn how to approach a rebrand using our mini courses . Here’s how: Find a brand creative to assess your requirements. Start a Pinterest or mood board of other logos and design styles you like. Create customer profiles based on insights, so you know you're demographic. Make sure that all your social profiles are up to date and beautifully branded. Refine your tone of voice, define how do you want to speak to your audience. Tip three Discover the social platforms that work best for your business and post on them with quality content that uses your brand personality and tone of voice. Retail and creative industries work best with Instagram and Pinterest, corporates will benefit from LinkedIn and Twitter while hospitality and local services should use Facebook. Here’s how: Give your social pages an updated look by refreshing your post style. Use a scheduling app for low maintenance posting but don't forget to engage with other users to boost your activity. Allow a small budget for targeted advertising or post boosting. Create a content strategy that focuses on generating unique, branded content. Aim for quality over quantity. Offer extras in addition to your current services to help drive engagement with a call to action, this could be in the form of a coupon in exchange for email signup, a free consultation or pricing packages.

When it comes to branding, it's essential to think creatively in order to stand out in the market. Whether it's your brand name or your approach, a unique perspective is key. This can be awakened through a brand audit where your personality, vision, values and tone of voice is developed to give you a completely one of a kind look, sound and approach. Starting with a name There are two excellent ways to name your business that will help customers find you as well as keeping you high on search engines, the first is the artisan's approach where the name explains the business for example, "The Sustainable Catering Co." The second is to use a completely unique name which can be made up, sounds like another word but spelled unusually or a combination of words, for example, "Ecosia", "Nudj" or "TikTok". Once you have a shortlist of favourite names, ensure to check domain availability on sites like 123-reg  to guarantee a URL that works for your business - .com and co.uk are still the most popular but there are also industry related suffixes that can even help boost your SEO, such as .boutique or .farm for example. What is a brand personality? Large businesses have understood brand personality for decades, however this is now just as important for small and medium sized organisations as well, especially when creating content and marketing in a digital world where there is so much noise. The brand personality is about creating an identity and experience that resonates and connects with your intended audience. It leverages personality traits and values unique to your business to engage with customers on a subconscious level. When contemplating your brand personality, you first need to understand your audience inside and out, here are some great places to start; Identify your demographic, why are they the most suited to your product or services? Create customer profiles or personas of people that suit your audience stereotype so that you can better understand what they are interested in Understand through customer personas what the best marketing techniques are for them and experiment using different platforms Create focus groups in your target demographic in order to test brand concepts and designs - try not to use family, online focus group sites are great Engage with a brand specialist like Roccoco UK  and ensure they understand the brand personality and core values before collaborating on the brief for design concepts - if possible go through the brand auditing process together using brand alchemy so that the foundational work is complete before any visual work begins Mood board ideas to inspire the creative direction ahead of visual identity work Test designs and sit with your preferred options for a few days to make sure it's the right fit Always measure your engagement to see what platforms work best for your brand

All hospitality brands have quiet spells but why do some always seem to capture the hearts and minds of their guests time and time again? The difference is all about the brand experience. Page contents It's not just about what you offer, it's about who you are How does the brand audit make a difference? What difference does colour make? How deep does the guest experience go? It's not just about what you offer as a hospitality brand, it's about who you are. The difference between a hospitality brand using their in-house team or a logo designer for their branding and an agency specialising in branding, is the discovery phase that's performed prior to any creative work commencing. In branding terms, we call this the brand audit, I like to call it brand alchemy as this is the moment that all the magical ingredients of your brand's essence comes together to give your brand life. The purpose of the brand audit is to reveal your hospitality brand's personality, the values and mission statement as well any key attributes that you wish to be remembered for by your guests. With this information a brand alchemist can interpret the results into the perfect choices for colour palette, fonts and marketing communications, the overall design style, the tone of voice and the guest experience. How does the brand audit make a difference? An audit provides the branding agency with all the information they need to use brand psychology techniques that reformulate the identity so that it connects with intended audiences through the subconscious mind. The difference is an end-to-end experience that consistently reinforces the values and qualities of the brand, versus a nice meal at a nice restaurant that you may not remember later. What difference does colour make? Colour has very strong psychological connections to the subconscious, particularly with regards to food - red for example increases appetite, where blue suppresses it. There is a reason so many fast food chains use bright red. Branding experts can be better interpreted for hospitality brands that are not in the fast food market and that comes in the form of seasonal colour palettes. A brand's seasonal palette will depend entirely on their values and attributes. A branding agency will be able to interpret these subtleties to formulate the ideal colour palette that will subconsciously reinforce the tone of voice which is also shaped by these characteristics. How deep does guest experience go? The user experience begins the moment your brand first interacts with a guest. If the message and tone of voice align with the logo and design of your communications, it will capture their interest. When the guest clicks to learn more and finds that the website and content are in harmony with what they have already encountered, their perception of your brand will be strengthened. This sentiment is further reinforced when they visit your establishment and encounter a consistent experience, from well-trained staff to interior ambiance designed to subtly emphasise key attributes. This continuity in messaging across various channels and touch-points ensures that customers feel reassured and develop trust in your brand. It is not just about delivering a consistent visual identity, but also about experiential consistency. If you would like to discover more about the magic of brand alchemy and how it can shape the guest experience or to work with me direct on your hospitality branding, please get in touch.