We are often approached by companies looking to re-design their logo.
This leads to conversations surrounding brands and what the business is looking to achieve. Having identifiable tags for your business is beneficial but there’s more to creating a fashionable brand than cutting-edge symbolism.
We had the pleasure of holding this discussion with Lisa-Marie and her business “Smart Cookie Tutoring”. Here’s a look at the problems she faced as a business and how we helped her fill her timetable.
Who are Smart Cookie Tutoring?
When Lisa-Marie approached us, she had been privately tutoring for a couple of years. Using her own-name and recommendations, she was beginning to build a substantial customer base. Like many new business owners she decided it was time to take the leap and focus on using her hobby to make a living.
The challenges
Start-Ups are exciting for us as it’s an opportunity to build from scratch. Lisa-Marie was open-minded to the processes of building a brand and gave us a platform on which to build. She had a long list of requirements which we filtered to create the most cost efficient package. We worked on a three-stage basis of set-up, design and promotion. This allowed us to get the business on the market in minimal time.
Setting up (stage one)
Lisa-Marie has won a lot of business using her name alone. By implementing a business title we have helped her reach a wider audience. Her name will still carry value, but having a brand in place allows her proposition to appear more professional. After research into similar business names we settled on “Smart Cookie Tutoring”. A play on the phrase used to describe intelligence.
With the business name established and registered, we worked on a logo. The business targets parents of children so we wanted something that appealed to both whilst professional in appearance. We achieved this through the application of our cartoon “Barnie”. The company mascot uses a small owl derived from AA Milnes’ tales of Christopher Robin. We coupled this with an artistic handwritten font to add the personal touch.
With the logo finalised we created a set of brand guidelines. This allows Lisa-Marie to take her brand away and apply it anywhere. Inside, the document illustrates colour schemes, logo positioning, tone of voice and more to aid in consistency moving forward.
Design (stage two)
We prioritised the website in stage two as this was to replace a Facebook homepage. To keep the process simple, we handled the domain, server and social media. This allowed her to focus on other elements of the business, whilst the site was created.
The design pulls in our favourite parts of the brand. Providing a platform for testimonials and price information as you can see here.
Marketing (stage three)
Many companies fail to manage their expectations with regards to marketing. Sending out leaflets is great until you direct your prospect to a dated website. By directing follow-ups to poorly constructed domains you risk damaging your new identity. We are able to produce stationary that provides a snippet of information.
From there, we guide prospects who want more information to the website. Immersing prospects in the brand means they recognise any marketing collateral and are more likely to engage.
The outcome
With marketing, website and a well planned brand, Smart Cookie Tutoring has gone from strength to strength. Lisa-Marie now regularly fills her time slots and is preparing to expand the business. By applying a strong brand to an excellent reputation we have built a business that has bolstered her credibility.
If you are in a similar situation or have a design project you wish to discuss, you can contact us here.
I got in touch with Attribute Design and they exceeded all my expectations. I was a new business and wanted my ideas put into practice. It turns out not all ideas are feasible and Craig gave achievable options. All without having to change what I felt was my business. Craig was friendly, understanding and really helped take the nerves away from such a big step. With his help Smart Cookie was branded and we’ve had such a response from that. Thank you Attribute! We love it!
