Breaking the Fourth Wall... with Sarah Turner, The Value Engineers

I n the third instalment of our Breaking the Fourth Wall interview series, Xanthe speaks with Sarah Turner, head of creative at The Value Engineers, about rebranding, the value of storytelling in design and much more.

Q. How common is it, in your experience, for a company to undergo a complete name and logo change?

There are usually a few reasons why a brand would be looking for change. For example, the business may have undergone a repositioning to fit a new product or audience and the brand no longer reflects the new direction of the business. It could also be due to the company having grown significantly since its creation and the brand no longer fully explains the business offer. Or, more simply, a company may be looking to reinvigorate its image.

Name changes are less frequent than a refresh to the look and feel of the business, as the name is generally the core element for customer or client recognition. And perhaps just a visual refresh is required, and making sure the story telling, key messages and positioning of the brand reflects its values and proposition.

In today’s world most brands are built on their ‘brand world’ which is a much more holistic presentation of themselves across all key communication touchpoints – not just the logo. This helps to reinforce brand recognition and loyalty.

Q. How do you go about the branding process? 

This would generally come down to the client brief – how much of the core identity do they wish to keep and how much can be changed? How recognisable is the brand mark?

During our design concept stages we would normally present our client with three options – a near, middle and far option of the changes that could take place. We show them how far they can push the brand and what that could look like. It often inspires businesses to reach further than they may originally have felt comfortable with.

We would do a deep dive into the competitor markets, what elements might be a given within that particular sector and what we could do to break that mould and give clients something much more individual within that industry.

It’s a careful balance – but it’s always done with the back-up of researching their core business, the sector they are in and what could become truly ownable.

There are some interesting stats on the use of blue or red within global brands. Blue appears roughly in 33% of the top 100 global brands and red around 29%. So, finding a point of difference for a brand is extremely important. And what is it in that business story that they can own?

"A brand is the sum of its parts, and storytelling is also key to this. As part of a rebrand we would also look to refresh and review the core purpose of the business, its values and key messages and incorporate those into the full story."

Sarah Turner Head of Creative at The Value Engineers

Q. What level of stakeholder involvement is required? How far would you usually carry out consultation? 

Stakeholder involvement is key to any change in the outward storytelling of a business. The look and feel of the brand must land with stakeholders, we would always include them in the discussion from the very first stage.

Depending on the size of the business, this might diminish as we proceed. But without early buy-in from the core members of the business and wider team, you are asking for trouble.

The owners of the business often have lots of insight that will help inform our creative process so the sooner we get them on board the better.

Our job as creatives is to help facilitate change, showing what great creative thinking can do for a brand, and how it can bring growth and stronger brand loyalty for both external customers and employees alike.

A brand is the sum of its parts, and storytelling is also key to this. As part of a rebrand we would also look to refresh and review the core purpose of the business, its values and key messages and incorporate those into the full story.

Q. Once a new brand goes live, how involved are you in the communications process? 

Ideally, we aim to stay connected to the brands we work with for as long as possible. It’s about developing a strong partnership and helping our clients understand how to get the most from any relaunch. It is about planning how those core touch points can be dialled up, how social media could help and what key brand communication pieces should be done first.

We also look at which partners within our extended network could bring further support to a client, via social media planning, advertising, photography or PR – it’s all important to embedding their story as well as a new look and feel.

As a multi-disciplinary agency we work across brand identity, brand communications, packaging, digital & website and trade shows as well as internal communications with employee brands.

Continuity with your agency should be front of mind. Like any good relationship, it requires nurturing and learning from both parties which helps us to truly understand the commercial challenges of the brands we work with and how we can improve that at every step.

All of course while making it look beautiful along the way!

Q. What should business leaders be aware of when carrying out a branding exercise for their organisation? 

Be mindful of your core audience, be honest in what you want to stay and to whom. Authenticity is key for brand growth and consumers will always sniff out if you are being disingenuous.

A great story, told well both verbally and visually gives you a solid base from which to grow – be consistent above all and give your brand an identity to be proud of!