June 2016 - Kaizen Brand Evolution

Shebelle’s Brand Identity

Posted on June 29, 2016 by YBmMqGwLx0

Shebelle required a brand identity to reflect high end, ethically sourced hair extensions and associated beauty products. During a temple ritual in India women donate their hair to the gods. The temples used to burn this high quality human hair but now they auction it on the open market and channel the profits back into community projects. The hair is locally made into wefts and Shebelle only chooses product from companies with proven ethical standards in manufacture, employee relations and charity work, especially the education of women and girls. The products that enrich the hair are derived from andiroba oil found wild in South and Central America and in Africa. This blend of quality ingredients and ethical sourcing was the foundation for a strong branding position.

We designed a luxurious, contemporary brand identity that sets Shebelle apart from their competitors. Patterns, photography and colour play their part in telling the story with each product having a separate, localised illustration. Traditional Indian, African and South American patterns weave through the packaging and marketing materials. The product launch is set for launch in late Summer 2016.

Robert Roberts

Posted on June 16, 2016 by YBmMqGwLx0

We had the pleasure of working closely with Robert Roberts on their brand and marketing materials recently. With the launch of their new range of flavours, based on famous landmarks across Northern Ireland we designed the advertising campaigns. Using the location specific designs with contemporary photography we created some intriguing ads that spanned the province.

Most prominently the ads are featured at Belfast City Airport. Branding the airport in a blanket fashion for Robert Roberts really profiles the brand, highlighting their forward thinking brand values and setting them ahead of their competitors. We continue to work closely with Robert Roberts and with our team of avid coffee enthusiasts we are excited for the working relationships future!

Hootsuite Conference

Posted on June 13, 2016 by YBmMqGwLx0

This week Hootsuite hosted a rather interesting conference. There were exhibit stands, a networking get together and talks held in a conference room, the difference being it was all done online.

In the talks we listened on how to effectively measure ROI. Speakers came from Microsoft, Twitter and beyond to explain the effectiveness of social media marketing and how to judge its rate of return.

One of the surprising take aways was how social media marketing is overtaking email marketing. Obviously email marketing still has it’s place, but more and more customers are turning to Facebook, not only to gain information from business, but to really get under the skin of who the business is, the kind that was once sent out weekly in a newsletter, can now be found on a social site.

It easy to keep track of customer habits and judge what content they are enjoying, and what content they are ignoring, thanks to programs such as Hootsuite, and analytical tools. Social media as a marketing and selling tool is growing fast, and it’s worth doing right. We have two Hootsuite Graduates in the studio who are experts at reading and reacting to this data.

This was definitely one of the more interesting conferences we have attended, and found the ability to chat to like minded people from all over the world enlightening!

Power of Video

Posted on June 10, 2016 by YBmMqGwLx0

The Power of Video Conference was held on Monday 6th June in the newly finished Waterfront Belfast and brought together some of the internet’s biggest stars, including Casey Neistat (Youtuber of the year) and our very own Cian Twomey (Facebook superstar).

The conference kicked off in typical David Meade style, with the audience being told to get up and shake out all those Monday blues. With the crowd suitably warmed up, the conference began in earnest with the first guest speakers, Casey Neistat and Matt Hackett, creators of the new content sharing app, Beme. They highlighted some interesting facts about how social media can be all consuming and that how it has become too much about gaining the adoration of people you might not even know. Promoting the sharing of genuine content for the simple reason that sharing your experience with others is more valuable than trying to gain as many “Likes as possible”. Whether this will take off for business use is another matter, as was made clear by Facebook expert Peter McNicholl.

Peter showed the value of using video on Facebook, especially when used together with the advert promotion tool. He showed a staggering difference to the interactions of people on Facebook regarding ads with, and without video, with video being the most effective.

Next we learned the true power of affiliate links on YouTube with jack-of-all-trades Zack Nelson (YouTube channel: jerryrigeverything). Affiliate links to Amazon and eBay etc are a great way of earning continuous income from your YouTube channel, especially if you use Amazon as a reseller of any of your products. They work by tracking if a customer has come from your channel and awarding you with up to 10% of the total basket price if they go on to buy! This also means that if a customer goes from YouTube to Amazon to buy one of you’re own products, you can earn 10% additional to the sale of the actual item.

We had a great time learning the ins and outs of how video can benefit our customers, and are looking forward to putting some of the techniques into practice.

Hot night for hot design!

Posted on June 6, 2016September 15, 2020 by YBmMqGwLx0

On Friday eve our team popped down to the annual University of Ulster Degree Shows to see the latest talent emerging from Graphic Design in Belfast. It was a pleasure as always to catch up with course tutors, Richard McElveen, Liam McComish and Jill Spratt. Jill had been an excellent guide at Thursday’s preshows in walking us through the projects to help facilitate our current recruitment drive. So on the night it was great to put faces to projects and make introductions. The work was particularly well crafted this year and Ryan paid close attention to the International Society of Typographic Designers submissions that he annually scores nationally. The vibe was electric as celebrations began, we were glad to be part of the night that we remember so well when we completed the course. We definitely identified a few future design leaders and congratulate the year on such a high standard!

Sylvester’s is open

Posted on June 3, 2016September 15, 2020 by YBmMqGwLx0

Belfasts’ newest restaurant, Sylvester’s approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to create a contemporary brand identity and logo design which celebrated the owner’s late grandfather ‘Sylvester.’ They required a brand identity that reflected the close knit family atmosphere that the owners pride themselves on. This was to be a completely new venture from the entrepreneurs, who already have an established track record, owning a successful chain of restaurants across Belfast – ‘Manny’s’.

Logo Design Belfast – Restaurants and Cafes

Sylvester’s opened its doors last bank holiday weekend and it was a joy to see it doing so well on opening day. The Antrim Road has been missing a hip little establishment and Sylvester’s really stands out as a leader in the area. The design of the brand identity firmly plans the legacy of ‘Sylvester’ and it’s evident across the restaurant. His image can be seen on signage and branded products throughout, with a custom portrait created in-house.

Aside from the original logo design project, we also undertook a suite of projects including signage, promotional material and menu design.

Sylvesters Cafe, Belfast

The Sylvesters Cafe Kitchen brand has been incredibly well received in the marketplace and this is backed up by an exceptional food, drink and customer service offering. Located on the Antrim Road, Belfast this cafe has become a regular destination for diners from all across Belfast.

Pride of Ireland

Posted on June 1, 2016 by YBmMqGwLx0

Mirror Media approached Kaizen Brand Evolution to give the prestigious Pride of Ireland Awards a brand refresh. They required brand identity, strategy and direction for print, online and event material. The Awards ceremony celebrates the achievements of Ireland’s unsung heroes. It is a national event and broadcast across Irish television channels with a list of celebrities endorsing the awards and recognising the nominees on stage.

We had the pleasure of rebranding this established ceremony with a contemporary device revival and additional modern typesetting. Using powerful imagery to enhance the engagement for the voting stages and a full new colour palette. We designed all advertising for print, outdoor and online. We totally re-designed the Pride of Ireland website, introducing the new branding with a fresh, user-friendly online environment. The brand launch has seen success in engagement and spreading the awareness of the event significantly.