Problem:
Dr. Zeenia Junkeer needed brand assets that would improve her credibility with her new business. She needed Brand Coherence. Her brand needed to walk, talk, and look the same across all digital platforms. I established the brand foundations across three core pillars:
The Walk. Positioning defined her white-space and blue ocean in the market, identified competitors and collaborators, and defined her target audience.
The Talk. Messaging provided a guideline of how to approach different audiences: from email to social media to press releases. What her brand sounds like if personified.
The Look. The visual brand assets needed to solve three problems: be instantly recognizable to clients; distinguishable from competitors and collaborators; and, infuse her roots and her brand’s personality.
Why it mattered:
This is a strategic, high-impact solution. When brands are seen and understood as coherent, they become trustworthy to potential clients, a real competitor on the industry stage, a credible collaborator in adjacent industries, and a mature brand that will become a pillar in society. All of these factors can also lead to a shorter marketing and sales pipeline. For example, when a potential client (a lead) sees a brand, recognizes it, then is reached out to, they’re closer to a warm lead than a complete cold lead. Warm leads are easier to sell to than cold leads.
- Early-stage startups compete on perceived credibility and maturity.
- High-expertise founders are less likely to pursue personal branding pursuits than influencers.
- Brand coherence is critical for brand trust (correct placement for mental schemas).
- Repositioning is costly.
- “Faceless” brands are still successful.
Exploration
1 positioning workbook
6 market research qualitative surveys
2 Brand Strategy workshops
4 hours synchronous stakeholder interviews
3 personas developed
Aspects of the initial draft I chose to maintain:
- Motif of whale fin emerging from the water
- Primary color similar to Sri Lankan flag
- Some women may not know they are in perimenopause, and when they do, they want the right information to continue their lives how they want to live
- Some women are age-adverse, swaying neutral-to-negative to the term “midlife”
- Most women are joyous to be relieved of menstruation
This information influenced all visual identity choices.
Failed versions
These colors failed because ideal clients did not want to be reminded of their period (color red, and shades thereof).
These versions contained tangents that discouraged a strong silhouette, thereby disturbing memorability.