http://churchwardmelhuish.com Branding: Churchward Melhuish Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:30:26 +0000 http://churchwardmelhuish.com en http://churchwardmelhuish.com/What-is-branding http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/What-is-branding Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:30:26 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 5134695 Tough question, but we’ll have a go at providing a definition from our viewpoint as brand designers. The answer lies in firstly defining branding, and then explaining brand identity. 1. Branding isn’t new. It has been around for centuries. Cave paintings, cattle marking, flags and pot stamps are all ancient examples of branding. 2. A brand is shorthand for a promise. The customer has expectations about a product, the branding device differentiates to make choice easier. A brand provides trust, clarity, reassurance and consistency. 3. “Products are created in the factory. Brands are created in the mind”. Walter Landor. A strong brand is retained in the mind. The mind and heart are the new battlefields in a world of similar products. 4. Products are much the same. As products become indistinguishable, differentiation through brand becomes more important. 5. The logo is just the entry point into the brand itself. Brand identity is the visual and verbal expression of a brand. 6. Brand identity is not just for big business. At Churchward/Melhuish we have created brand identities for private, non-profit, government and arts organisations. 7. Recognised not read. The most effective brand identities memorable and authentic. Ideally the end game is for the brand to be recognised, without necessarily being read. 8. Brand identity must be authentic. This is even more important in the digital age of transparency. The brand identity must be true and appropriate to the company. 9. A strong brand builds internal culture. When staff hand over their business card they want to be proud of their organisation. Internal branding is becoming increasingly important in staff retention. 10. Branding should not be boring! This is more of personal campaign of Churchward/Melhuish. The words ‘Corporate Branding’ do sound dull, but branding can be inspiring and fun, if it’s boring what does that say about the company? ©Churchward/Melhuish 2013 Additional research : Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler - the best book on branding we’ve ever read. Tough question, but we’ll have a go at providing a definition from our viewpoint as brand designers. The answer lies in firstly defining branding, and then... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/10-ways-to-humanise-your-brand http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/10-ways-to-humanise-your-brand Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:38:45 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 5125353 Churchward/Melhuish is a brand consultancy in Sydney who believe in humanising brands. We didn’t always say this about our work, but rather we recognised it later within our work. It was an approach we adopted intuitively, it made sense, and just felt right. We’re not industry gurus or self-appointed experts, we’re just brand designers who have noticed a process that works, and think it should be shared. The world of marketing and branding is at a crossroads, nothing is going to be quite the same again. Somewhere in the last century corporations forgot how they started. They forgot they once offered a better service, they forgot they once valued customers, and even took to calling them ‘consumers’. Big ad campaigns were the preferred method of ‘communication’, thankfully that doesn’t work so well any more. This development is good for society, the power has shifted. So, here’s few steps to humanise your brand - this can’t be faked, you have to actually believe it. Common sense most of it, but sometimes corporations don’t have that in abundance. 1. Talk like a real person, not the big brand corporation. Jargon and really long words don’t impress anyone. People who promote themselves all the time become boring quickly - the same is true for brands. Be brief. 2. If you’re going to open your mouth, say something interesting. Be witty if it comes naturally. We can’t do stand up comedy, so we don’t try. Saying something interesting is the foundation for all marketing communication. If this part isn’t right, stop what you’re doing and have a lie down. 3. Be honest, we all make mistakes. Admitting them is endearing. Making fun of yourself shows you’re well....human. Brands can struggle with this, the evidence may be overwhelming, but they still stick to the ‘official story’. 4. Converse, don’t lecture. Twitter, facebook etc are the places for conversations with customers, but it needs real people (with real names) to represent the brand. 5. Authenticity is the new duplicity. If your brand has something to hide, you will be found out. Brands that only care about profit, will be found out. The only brands that will be valued in the future, are friendly and honest ones - see, just like real humans again. Be who you really are. 6. Be confident. Brands sometimes behave nervously, too worried what people (usually the boss) may think. A brand can’t live like that. Humans are naturally intuitive, it’s OK to trust your intuition rather than rely on research. 7. Be a generous brand. We like generous friends. Try to help people, they’ll thank you for it. Think about purpose rather than just product. Share stuff, give stuff away - it will all come back to you. 8. Listen. Brands that keep their ear to the ground and hear the signals in social media first, can react faster. 9. Brands can become media companies. The most loved brands will capture attention by being entertaining or useful. 10. Support creative work. This point is last for a reason. It’s dear to our hearts, and often overlooked by the media industry gurus. Support brave creative work that builds emotional connections. Emotional work beats the rational product points. ©Churchward/Melhuish 2013 Churchward/Melhuish is a brand consultancy in Sydney who believe in humanising brands. We didn’t always say this about our work, but rather we recognised it... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/Every-business-card-tells-a-story http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/Every-business-card-tells-a-story Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:18:38 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 4981584 Three very short videos for corporate and branding print specialists, Huxbury. A business card can tell the history of a brand or a person's career. Huxbury have seen a lot of brands come and go, and a lot of business cards too. Some brands have disappeared, some careers soared, others gone forever. Three very short videos for corporate and branding print specialists, Huxbury. A business card can tell the history of a brand or a person's career. Huxbury have... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/Too-much-to-Dream http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/Too-much-to-Dream Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:07:23 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 4817666 Just because we're brand consultants, doesn't mean we can't be artists too. Well, we can try anyway. A short film of words projected onto the city at night. Lots of late night drives around town, all done for real without post production techniques. If you are Charles Saatchi or Larry Gagosian please call now. Just because we're brand consultants, doesn't mean we can't be artists too. Well, we can try anyway. A short film of words projected onto the city at night. Lots... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/St-George-OpenAir-Cinema http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/St-George-OpenAir-Cinema Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:05:48 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 4473853 An advertising campaign for the OpenAir Cinema. Remarkably they sold a record breaking 37,000 tickets on the first day. The OpenAir experience is a liberating one. Released from the office, it’s an opportunity to dress up, and let your hair down. The event itself is much more than a cinema and includes socialising, fine dining and bars. Not surprisingly, it's a popular corporate entertainment venue. Our brief was to re-position the brand to reflect its prestige and move it upmarket, more towards the Opera House and distance itself from mainstream movie providers. Media included outdoor, press & digital. <img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir.jpg" width="658" height="652" width_o="658" height_o="652" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir_o.jpg" data-mid="23732836" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir JCD.jpg" width="661" height="450" width_o="661" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir JCD_o.jpg" data-mid="24515608" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Program.jpg" width="661" height="450" width_o="661" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Program_o.jpg" data-mid="24515618" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Bus Side 1.jpg" width="661" height="450" width_o="661" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Bus Side 1_o.jpg" data-mid="24515610" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Bus Side 2.jpg" width="661" height="450" width_o="661" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Bus Side 2_o.jpg" data-mid="24515614" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Ad.jpg" width="338" height="450" width_o="338" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload108.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4473853/OpenAir Ad_o.jpg" data-mid="24515620" border="0" align="left"/> An advertising campaign for the OpenAir Cinema. Remarkably they sold a record breaking 37,000 tickets on the first day. The OpenAir experience is a liberating one.... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/Australian-Government-Austrade http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/Australian-Government-Austrade Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:10:34 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 4390835 It's the Asian Century, and for the first time ever it looks like Australia is in the right place, at the right time. This infographic explains the grants available to business organisations. It brings some warmth and wit to what is a fairly conventional business message. Video infographics are the perfect tool for humanising a brand, they're more engaging than a spoken presentation, and more believable than a slick advertising campaign. What does the world think of Australians? And what has Australia Unlimited got to do with it? This 2 minute video, produced and directed by us, tells a complex story concisely, and hopefully entertainingly. It's the Asian Century, and for the first time ever it looks like Australia is in the right place, at the right time. This infographic explains the grants... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/Kingsgrove http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/Kingsgrove Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:42:08 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 4119014 How were your school reports? At Churchward/Melhuish, Joe was an exemplary student, Tim was described as that old cliché ‘the class clown’. Jules once received a ‘U’ (Unclassified) in a physics exam - a result so low, it defied categorisation. We’ve just produced a brochure for Kingsgrove, the academic printing specialist. It shows school reports of the famous, some amusing, some just plain mean. The project demonstrates our belief in generous brands - to get attention you have to give something back to the audience. Delivered in a warm, conversational, human tone. Give everything away, it will all come back to you. <img src="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Front Cover_860.jpg" width="781" height="578" width_o="781" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Front Cover_o.jpg" data-mid="21622898" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 1_860.jpg" width="781" height="578" width_o="781" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 1_o.jpg" data-mid="21622901" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 2_860.jpg" width="781" height="578" width_o="781" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 2_o.jpg" data-mid="21622903" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 3_860.jpg" width="781" height="578" width_o="781" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 3_o.jpg" data-mid="21622906" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 4_860.jpg" width="781" height="578" width_o="781" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 4_o.jpg" data-mid="21622924" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 5_860.jpg" width="781" height="578" width_o="781" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 5_o.jpg" data-mid="21622931" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 6_860.jpg" width="781" height="578" width_o="781" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload90.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/4119014/Page 6_o.jpg" data-mid="21623318" border="0" align="left"/> How were your school reports? At Churchward/Melhuish, Joe was an exemplary student, Tim was described as that old cliché ‘the class clown’. Jules once received... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/Property-Industry http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/Property-Industry Sun, 05 Aug 2012 21:17:19 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 3696235 We have one rule when in to comes to Property marketing - our work has to be different. Actually that's the rule for any industry, but Property brands do seem to be particularly uninspiring. We produced a pitch submission that bears no relation to a conventional pitch submission. A document that speaks to the audience as if they were intelligent friends, without jargon or cliché. A brand's tone of voice is often overlooked, in favour of shots of beautiful models. Yawn. <img src="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8720 copy.jpg" width="670" height="447" width_o="866" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8720 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="19191587" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8722.jpg" width="670" height="447" width_o="866" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8722_o.jpg" data-mid="19191589" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8728.jpg" width="670" height="447" width_o="866" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8728_o.jpg" data-mid="19191591" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8730 copy.jpg" width="670" height="447" width_o="866" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8730 copy_o.jpg" data-mid="19191592" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8738.jpg" width="670" height="447" width_o="866" height_o="578" src_o="http://payload69.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3696235/IMG_8738_o.jpg" data-mid="19191596" border="0" align="left"/> We have one rule when in to comes to Property marketing - our work has to be different. Actually that's the rule for any industry, but Property brands do seem to be... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/Australian-Government-Austrade-1 http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/Australian-Government-Austrade-1 Sun, 05 Aug 2012 20:57:29 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 3857074 Poster for Brand Australia encouraging high achieving Australians to share their success stories. We show the world Austraiians are not just beautiful, but we're all smart too! Produced specifically for the Architectural and Creative industries. In a world where every marketing campaign is in full colour, minimalism stands out, particularly for online campaigns. Unusually for designers we also write, in this case, all the copy not just the headline. Tim makes his modelling debut - well, his back does anyway. And (drum-roll) our first full page in the SMH. Media: Print, press and online. <img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/AustradeA_860.jpg" width="800" height="450" width_o="800" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/AustradeA_o.jpg" data-mid="20183906" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/AustradeB_860.jpg" width="800" height="450" width_o="800" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/AustradeB_o.jpg" data-mid="20183910" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/SMH Full Page.jpg" width="661" height="450" width_o="661" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/SMH Full Page_o.jpg" data-mid="22604872" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/austrade digital.jpg" width="661" height="450" width_o="661" height_o="450" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857074/austrade digital_o.jpg" data-mid="29692700" border="0" align="left"/> Poster for Brand Australia encouraging high achieving Australians to share their success stories. We show the world Austraiians are not just beautiful, but we're... http://churchwardmelhuish.com/Really-olde-archived-work http://churchwardmelhuish.com/following/churchwardmelhuish.com/Really-olde-archived-work Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:26:54 +0000 Branding: Churchward Melhuish 3857900 <img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/Blue copy.jpg" width="550" height="670" width_o="550" height_o="670" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/Blue copy_o.jpg" data-mid="20182961" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/Green copy.jpg" width="550" height="671" width_o="550" height_o="671" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/Green copy_o.jpg" data-mid="20182963" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/Orange copy.jpg" width="550" height="669" width_o="550" height_o="669" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/Orange copy_o.jpg" data-mid="20182964" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_02_SF.jpg" width="658" height="641" width_o="658" height_o="641" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_02_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113633" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_03a_SF.jpg" width="658" height="434" width_o="658" height_o="434" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_03a_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113637" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_04_SF.jpg" width="658" height="520" width_o="658" height_o="520" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_04_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113643" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_06_SF.jpg" width="658" height="403" width_o="658" height_o="403" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_06_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113645" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_07_SF.jpg" width="658" height="527" width_o="658" height_o="527" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_07_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113647" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_08b_SF.jpg" width="658" height="424" width_o="658" height_o="424" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_08b_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113650" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_09_SF.jpg" width="658" height="456" width_o="658" height_o="456" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_09_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113656" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_10_SF.jpg" width="658" height="343" width_o="658" height_o="343" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_10_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113660" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_11_SF.jpg" width="658" height="585" width_o="658" height_o="585" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_11_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113662" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_12_SF.jpg" width="658" height="465" width_o="658" height_o="465" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/GLX 0587_12_SF_o.jpg" data-mid="20113666" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/calendar 8_860.jpg" width="860" height="648" width_o="945" height_o="713" src_o="http://payload77.cargocollective.com/1/2/67629/3857900/calendar 8_o.jpg" data-mid="20222618" border="0" align="left"/>