Brand integration in action
In February last year we launched the new brand identity for Phillips Frith, a well established firm of accountants based in St Austell.
With a very traditional, customer-centric outlook on accountancy, which was far removed from the glass and chrome corporate nature of their competition, they were keen to be seen to be different, to be an approachable, friendly company with a sense of humour, that would encourage the kind of clients that they wanted to work with.
Being strongly traditional themselves, and working with many Cornish companies, both large and small, they didn’t want to stray too far away from their previous use of the Cornish black and gold colours, but they wanted to modernise the look. Hmmm, maintain traditional but make it more modern – an interesting challenge.
In the same way as the various tartans in Scotland or Ireland are associated with particular family names, there are a number of Cornish tartans, and by developing the traditional Cornish black and gold colours into a tartan effect logo, and emphasing the company name using these colours together with a strong typeface, we were able to bring the Phillips Frith brand bang up to date. These colours were then subtley featured throughout their website, both in the imagery that was chosen and also within the highlighting of certain key sections which worked well.
The brand mark and the logotype were also integrated into all other Phillips Frith publications, including their offline stationery, newsletters and signage, and 18 months on they are still receiving positive comments and indeed new business based on the fact that they look different from the other ‘corporate’ looking accountancy practices.
There is a lot to be said for looking different, and we consistently prove with all our clients that we make a genuine difference to everyone that we work with. On the face of it we just design a new logo, or a new website, or some corporate literature, but that’s like saying that the person who designed the Honda S2000 just designed a car, Dyson just makes vacuum cleaners, or Apple just churn out technical gadgets. There is so much more than this with good design, and you know when it just feels right. That’s what it’s like working with Slightly Different. We do things that don’t just look right, they feel right. That’s the Slightly Different experience. Enjoy.
[Footnote - Things You Didn't Know #459 - Jeremy Hurst, the Slightly Different Managing Director, is eligible to wear the Curnow Tartan as his grandmother was Annie Curnow from Nancledra in deepest, darkest Cornwall, although unlike some other business people in Cornwall who shall remain nameless, he chooses to keep his knobbly knees to himself!]
