Bright minds grow together

EMERALD GROUP | BRAND CREATION

Brand reputation and goodwill are hard won over time. So when the time comes (and strategy demands) that a business change its name, transferring its reputation to a new brand takes care. When this applies to two established businesses as they come together under one name, the approach must be thoroughly robust.

Good Practice - a well respected and growing L&D resources business had been working with its sister business, Towards Maturity - L&D research and benchmark consultancy, for some time. Both were subsidiaries of academic publisher Emerald Publishing and part of the global Emerald Group. Collectively, they set out to change lives through learning and coordinate their approach to growth. 

Brand Insiders got started the way we always do, with research. This helped us understand the experiences, perceptions and reputation attached to each brand from internal, industry stakeholders and client perspectives. A strategic workshop followed to get clear on the future relationship between the businesses and the parent Group brand and find it a name.

We found synergies between the Group positioning and culture, and those of each independent business. A brand strategy, proposition and priorities emerged. With a tone of voice that is spirited, authoritative and down to earth we penned the brand story and gave the organisation its name - Emerald Works.

Creative workshops established the brief and character for a new identity. We collaborated (almost daily, acting as Creative Director) with the inhouse design team to define a vibrant illustrative design style that provides a wealth of opportunity to animate. We commissioned a sonic identity (big thanks to composer Chris Bradley) to capture the brand’s personality in music and provide that distinctive audio hallmark across marketing and online video-based learning materials.

A programme of copywriting brought the brand’s character and proposition to life through its colleague and customer communications. ‘Reality? Check’  ‘Fresh food for hungry minds’  ‘Hit new strides in learning’. Brand messaging reflected the engaging nature of the learning experience. 

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Over a period of three years we supported Emerald Works leaders and managers through announcements, brand migration, colleague engagement, brand launch and promotion to customers and the market, worldwide. 

Our work included:

  • Qualitative research

  • Strategic and creative workshops

  • Brand architecture and migration strategy

  • Name generation

  • Brand strategy

  • Brand Identity and design framework 

  • Consultant Creative Direction

  • Brand guidelines

  • Commissioned illustration

  • Commissioned sonic identity

  • Animation / animated idents

  • Video and art direction

  • Tone of voice guidelines and training

  • Copywriting

  • Internal communication, facilitation and engagement

  • Brand messaging and positioning content

  • Website UX, planning and user interface Design

  • Product video suite

  • Signage and and interiors

  • Exhibition and merchandise.

  • Multi-channel launch campaign and activation, offline and online

  • Employee engagement: event session facilitations, communications,
    CEO and brand explainer videos, internal brand launch

Fiona Burnett