Posts Tagged houston
Marion Graphic Design Services for DISA, Inc.
Posted by admin in Annual Design Report, Brand Building, Brand Positioning, Graphic Design on February 25, 2010
The Marion Group had the honor of providing our graphic design services for DISA, Inc.’s 2009 Year-End Review.
DISA is a leading provider of innovative employee screening solutions and third-party administration services. So, when creating this year-end review, Marion needed to be able to take technical information and graphically represent it in a creative and attractive way.
For the cover, Marion used a textured black paper called Classic Columns XL and applied a silver foil that was stamped and embossed with their logo. The contrast of the silver on the black, combined with the texture of the paper, creates a striking juxtaposition for the reader, even before they open the year-end review.
On the inside of the year-end review, Marion used a 100# gloss paper with dull text and applied a spot ultra varnish on various images and throughout the inside of the review. Like the cover, the contrast of the dull paper with the spot UV coating created a nice distinction that is visually stimulating.
Visit Marion’s graphic design portfolio to view more of our work.
This is the second year-end review that The Marion Group has created for DISA, Inc.
About DISA, Inc.
DISA has been providing full-service employee screening solutions for over 20 years. DISA offers a comprehensive line of employee screening services that are designed through experience and innovation, delivered with today’s most advanced technologies and with workplace safety in mind, including drug and alcohol testing, background screening, occupational health screening and online safety and substance abuse training.
For more information of how The Marion Group can provide your company with creative and interesting graphic design that showcases your corporate identity and brand position, call us at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
Find Your Brand Identity, Don’t Let It Find You
Posted by admin in Brand Building, Brand Positioning, Brochure Design, Logo Design on January 27, 2010
At the root of your corporate image and corporate identity is your logo, your single symbol to the world of what your company stands for. It is the foundation and the icon for your company. When your customers see your logo, they are reminded of all their experiences with your company; what they have seen, read, heard and felt about your company. It is critical then that your logo reflects the nature and spirit of your company in a positive way, and if you don’t clearly identify who your company is, you might get an identity that you don’t necessarily want.
Recently, The Marion Group designed a campaign for Venture Cotton Cooperative. We began with their logo design. In order to determine their corporate identity, we first looked at their business plan. We needed to find out who their target audience was – who they were speaking to – and what they wanted to portray as a company. What did they want their customers to know about them? Where did they want to go, as a company, in the future? These were things that needed to be identified before the “digital paintbrush” touched the canvas.
Finding Who Your Target Audience Is
We determined that their target audience was the independent cotton farmer. Contrary to the stereotype that the cotton farmer is simple and uneducated about concepts of “finance” and “world markets” and “cooperatives,” they are, in fact, hard workers and very intelligent, especially regarding the interests of their business and the world markets for their industry. They have to be. This business is their livelihood!
We also looked at their competitors. In this case, pretty much all of their competitors, for the most part, had the same look, used the same colors and had a generic feel almost as if no thought was put into it. It seemed that they were targeting the stereotyped farmer.
Implementing Your New Brand Identity
So, for Venture Cotton Cooperative, we introduced new colors, styles and concepts for their logo design. We supplied them with various options to choose from that were unique and different and expressed what their company was about.
Once they chose the logo, we then added to their brand identity with their brochure design and trade show display. In this way, their brand identity and message is consistently showcased throughout their marketing materials.
So, how can my brand identity be showcased? View our Graphic Design Portfolio.
For more information on how The Marion Group can help your company find and develop its brand identity, give us a call at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
Champion Brochure Design Wins Award – A Case Study
Posted by admin in Brand Positioning, Brochure Design on January 12, 2010
Marion has created thousands of custom brochure designs over the past 27 years from simple and cost effective to elaborate and high-end.
The positioning brochure Marion designed for Champion Technologies is an example of a completely custom, high-end piece.
Champion Brochure Cover Design
Goals
The goal for this brochure was to create a positioning piece that would put Champion Technologies in the same playing field as other larger upstream chemical companies such as Baker Hughes, Nalco… etc. Although Champion Technologies is the world’s largest privately owned upstream chemical company, many in the industry have been unaware of Champion’s presence or have been under the impression that the company was not competitive with large, publicly traded firms.
Champion’s challenge was to position the Champion brand as one of the “Big Players” within the industry and to have their technical capabilities and global experiences stand out from their better known competitors.
Strategy/Tactics
The strategies used to accomplish the objectives were to:
- Determine an overall structure and layout for the text and images, showcasing an overview of company capabilities
- Illustrate each page layout by hand to create unique imagery and diagrams of processes
- Select images that capture Champion’s brand and capabilities
- Lead a custom photography session with hired models and selected props for additional original imagery that would enhance Champion’s new positioning within the industry
- Showcase Champion’s high level of sophistication, technical know-how and global reach to again enhance their positioning, by utilizing high-end printing and binding techniques including:
- Spot dull varnish
- UV coating throughout
- Custom die cut pocket
Results
The end result showcased a full-color, 8-page brochure that encompassed the company image and qualities of leadership and innovation.
Once the brochure was delivered to its intended audience, the awareness of those unfamiliar with Champion Technologies rose significantly. This was determined by an increase in the unaided recognition rating measured from a pre- and post-brochure survey. This positioning brochure has proven to have played a part in the new recognition and awareness of the Champion brand and capabilities.
Additionally, through the use of the selected photography and illustrations, the piece successfully conveyed that Champion is a worldwide player, a technology pioneer, a proactive leader and a people- and service-oriented company in the upstream chemical industry.
The Champion brochure received the Communicator Awards Gold Award of Excellence.
To see other examples of recent brochure designs, check out Marion’s portfolio.
When is it time to redesign my company’s logo?
Posted by admin in Logo Design on January 7, 2010
Logo design is one of the first building blocks in constructing your corporate identity, image and brand. But what about logo redesign? At what point should a company redesign their logo? Simply put, it might be time to take a look at a redesign when your company’s logo no longer represents the company, its mission and its identity.
But changing your company’s logo isn’t as easy as answering a simple question. It takes time to analyze where the company is and where the company wants to go and what strategies it is going to take to get there. This is where The Marion Group can help.
Example
The Marion Group redesigned the logo for McKenzie Equipment. McKenzie wanted to position themselves as a modern company that not only provided compressed air equipment and products, but compressed air solutions that meet their customer’s needs.
First off, we dropped the “Equipment” from the logo and added “Compressed Air Solutions” to get the point across that McKenzie was about more than just “equipment.” In addition to dropping “Equipment,” Marion needed to somehow illustrate “compressed air” in the logo. We gave the logo a feel of “flowing air” with the red and gray “swooshes” and used a font that reflected the more modern look that McKenzie was searching for.
Revive Your Logo
Depending upon your needs and whether or not you want a complete overhaul, you don’t necessarily have to change your logo completely. Your logo can evolve from your previous logo to retain the branding that is already in place. You could simply update your company’s logo with a new, fresh look.
If you’re not sure where to start or if you’re not sure that your company even needs a logo redesign, contact us at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com
The Marion Group Breaks Ground with Traditional & Interactive Catalog Design
Posted by admin in Catalog Design, Search Engine Optimization, Web Design on December 14, 2009
The Marion Group breaks ground by providing traditional and interactive catalog design and production services for Total Safety, a leading global provider of integrated industrial safety solutions and services. This combination of start-to-finish services is a rarity among advertising, graphic design and marketing firms.
Traditional Catalog Design: The Printed Book
Earlier this year, The Marion Group helped produce Total Safety’s first printed catalog in 10 years. We were responsible for the overall project coordination, as well as the content development including writing, editing, gathering product images, proofing and communicating with suppliers on behalf of Total Safety for the book (It won an award too!).
We also provided graphic design services that included the development the page template and cover design to reflect Total Safety’s graphic standards and brand identity. We produced the page layouts and electronic production of the catalog. To complete the project, Marion also handled the printing of the catalog.
Interactive Catalog Design: The Online Catalog
A few months after the release of the printed catalog, Marion launched an all-new E-Catalog for Total Safety by transitioning the print catalog into an online catalog that allows their customers to:
- Browse safety products from the nation’s top manufacturers
- View product details & images to learn more information
- Request a quote online for rent or purchase
The Marion Group provided custom web design services for Total Safety including:
- Database design
- Custom front end design
- Content management system that allows Total Safety to update the E-Catalog as needed
- Data entry & integration
- Shopping cart
- Robust search capabilities
- Search engine optimization for all the product pages
For more information on the services The Marion Group can provide your company, call us at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
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