Case Studies
The Branding of Hieronymus IV
MY CHALLENGE
The brand objective for this alternative rock band is to increase ROI on digital advertising, increase fans, followers, and their visibility, boost their streaming numbers on both Spotify and YouTube.
The band faces the universal challenge of every up-and-coming artist: expanding their audience and securing more show bookings. The pressure to build a brand that converts a listener into a fan is of the greatest struggle that musicians face today.
Background:
Hieronymus IV an alternative rock band from New York City, seeking to promote their first album release, "στίγματα" ancient Greek for "Stigmata".
BRAND STRATEGY
Branding for a normal business is different than that of music. The reason behind this is, music is something that connects emotionally and that is very personal to an individual.
Since Hieronymus IV is a new artist, I have decided to forego the offline mode due to the expense. The digital mode is more affordable with low maintenance costs. First up is a Spotify marketing campaign. The solutions include creative and design work, a diverse digital advertising strategy, and engaging social media content.
Scrolling through my Discover Weekly Spotify playlist that’s updated each week with recommendations their algorithm believes I’d like, but it is devoid of hints that tell me what a song or an artist is about. Do I give it a listen or do I pass over it? It is usually the latter.
I am creating branding visuals with this in mind to do the heavy lifting of pursuing potential fans. Visuals add the much-required layer of context to the sounds the listener hears, taking the audible message of the song and creating imagery that conveys its emotion and message. This in turn provides a stronger affiliation to Hieronymus IV’s music.
Visual memory is more powerful than our audible memory. When people see a song, not just hear it, their ability to recall the song is stronger so promoting music with visuals will enhance the memorability, thus helping Hieronymus IV stand out from the thousands of other songs uploaded to Spotify every day.
Secondarily, social media are visual platforms that depend on graphics. Strong graphics will grab people's attention by striking a curious connection with new and existing fans.
BRAND ASSETS
Visuals: (1st Leg of Branding Campaign)
Album Artwork
Single Artwork
Press Photo Shoot
Logo
Icons
Typography
Color Palette
Promotion: (2nd Leg of Branding Campaign)
Promo Artwork for Live Performances
T-Shirt Artwork
Theme Artwork for Spotify
Promo Video for Merchandise and Spotify
Copywriting
Marketing: (3rd Leg of Branding Campaign)
Social Media Content
Social Media Schedule
Organic Marketing Schedule
Merchandise
Collaboration with Content Creators
LEGAL PROTECTION
Band Name and Iconography Trademark Search
Trademark Registration
PROJECTED RESULTS
6 Months After Launch
Total social media followers increase 30-40%
Total social media impressions increase 40-50%
Total engagement increase 20%
Total Spotify listener increase 20-40%
Total YouTube subscriptions increase 10-15%
The Toy Association Rebrand
MY CHALLENGE
Creating a Unified Brand. The original Toy Industry Association logo featured clip art with dull colors and an out dated typeface. The organization has 14 divisions and there was no formal branding. Each division and event had logos that were multiple colors and fonts. The was no consistency that bound the divisions.
LOGO DESIGN
My goal was to modernize this 100 year old organization by attaining a distinctive lock up. Studies have proven that 90% of the US population can identify an iconic logo on sight. This kind of brand recognition is vital for a company’s growth and success. I created a logo which included a ball representing the “o” in the word toy that could stand on it’s own after a few years of brand recognition and loyalty has been established. I used the font Museo to give the logo type a weightiness and the colors I chose is a call-to-action red and, the playfulness of a bright blue and yellow with a corporate gray. This color palette and font is incorporated in to all 14 brands.
BRAND BUILDING
The logo is only part of the brand experience. I also considered the brand's messaging, collateral, photography, social media by creating The Toy Association style guide containing all facets of the new brand – messaging, visual storytelling, and design elements. I introduced a more vibrant color palette, established typography, and integrated new artwork. I also designed and worked closely with architects for the design of the interior walls, conference rooms and decor of the corporate headquarters to be consistent with the new brand guidelines.
Garmin Perks Program and Social Media Campaign
MY CHALLENGE
In a highly competitive market, Garmin International wanted to further differentiate their loyal customer experience. The company engaged me to create a comprehensive advertising and social media program. They wanted to spark the interest of millennials to participate in offers and incentives.
MY SOLUTION
I created ads that included imagery of people and animals in the wrong environment. Such as a penguin walking through the desert and a surfer boogie boarding during a blizzard. Combining with these print ads was a Perks program and social media campaign. I developed a perk that if you find yourself lost to upload an image of yourself and friends to the Garmin app. Posting "Why you are glad you bought a Garmin nüvi." Doing so one will receive membership perks resulting from how many views and likes. I also created a promotion that between a certain time frame, followers of the brand on Twitter can tweet @GarminNüvi about why they are most thankful for owning a Garmin product. By using the hashtag #GarminPerksSweeps in their tweet, followers will have a chance to win a $1,000 weekly cash prize.
Perks also included points and discounts on Garmin products and Amazon gift cards with every purchase of a Garmin product. I worked closely with web and mobile application developers to create this Perks App. Monitoring the UX/UI design to make sure it is visually appealing and user friendly by creating all the graphics and initial layouts.
THE RESULTS
More than 6 million customers had enrolled in Garmin Perks Program since the program’s inception. Average year-over-year spend for new program members have increased 30%. And member discounts are driving both increased visits and higher average weekly sales. With mobile devices accounting for nearly 50% of enrollments, the program’s frequent digital messages and email campaigns are playing a key role in helping Garmin stay connected to customers and nurture brand loyalty.