“We never really had a logo,” states Japh Miller from Buckeye Metals Sales in Frankfort, Ohio. “We were not branding ourselves well in the market.”
For years, Buckeye simply used its name with a basic metal profile above it. At small sizes, the logo quickly lost recognition. At any size, it lacked the clarity and impact to help fuel a stand-out business.
Before moving forward with other marketing goals, Buckeye needed to brand itself to stand out from the crowd.
Defining Goals
Branding identifies a product or service to attract clients and build trust with them. To prepare for effective branding, Rosewood led the Japh and the Buckeye team through an in-depth look at their company goals. Defining our goals “was really good for me personally. It helped me see where we are and where we want to go,” Japh recalls.
The Buckeye team defined its main goal as serving its clients well. The team wanted a logo that evoked both the keenness of responsive metal solutions and the warmth of empathetic customer service.
Designing Concepts
Rosewood brand designer Zach Burkholder kicked off the branding project by presenting stylescapes for Buckeye’s feedback. These collections of images, fonts, and colors helped Rosewood and Buckeye agree on what direction to go with the look and feel of the new brand.
Zach next fleshed out the stylescape concepts with three logo concepts. One initial concept contained sharp points and angles to emphasize Buckeye’s responsive service. At first, Buckeye thought this modern concept might be a winner. But through further collaboration, Zach and Buckeye agreed that the colder modern edges needed to be softened to communicate Buckeye’s down-home customer service.
Finalizing the Winner
How could sharp and cold integrate with soft and warm? To infuse the warmth of customer-centric service, Zach selected a typeface with softer edges. The angles in the logo icon retain the sharpness of metal profiles and the keenness of Buckeye’s responsiveness.
The branding colors help evoke the correct feelings. Dark blue conveys competence and expertise. Deep red warms and energizes. Tan grounds and softens the color palette.
The final concept features the perfect blend. “We thought it was the best option and so did Buckeye,” Zach recounts.
“Branding identifies a product or service to attract clients and build trust with them.”
The final logo stands out to Japh as “very professional and clean with a touch of friendliness.” “We didn’t want the logo to be ALL business but we wanted the customer to know that when they call us, the work is going to happen.”
A vibrant brand now distinguishes Buckeye Metal Sales from its competition and draws client attention to its outstanding responsiveness and service.
Time for a branding refresh? Partner with Rosewood to define your company’s goals and design a brand to help you stand out. Call 717.866.5000 today to schedule a consultation.