Brand Identity Guide 1

Running head: BRAND IDENTITY GUIDE

Brand Identity Guide

Isiah Baldwin

Full Sail University

Business Storytelling and Brand Development

MAR 628

Professor Ken DeGilio and Professor Ginger Palmisano

October 12, 2012

Brand Identity Guide

1.

Halo is my company name. Synonymous with the name, are terms like pure and high

quality. This description is the strength, essence and core of Halo. Because I believe that what is

done with any Halo product comes in a higher quality in concept and production. The products

provided by Halo are marketable and products consumers will need. The name also gives way to

the incredible psychological autonomy that is associated with the word. Above the norm, this is

what people will embrace with this name.

The strengths of Halo are the well thought out strategies surrounding the product line

giving the edge to the product in the market place. My biggest concern is applying the correct

hammer. If the brand and hammer are strong enough and, the consumer receives the image, my

concerns will need no further thought.

The brand name Halo is in the suggestive category. HALO, A STEP HIGHER, suggest

that when you are with Halo, business is going to be better than imaginable. The brand name and

visual design for Halo are original and eligible for protection (Van Hoosear, Evans & Knobbe

Marten and Olson & Bear LLP, 2009) (p. 2).

The strategy for this brand is to apply product to learning institutions with e-books,

musical videos and music cd’s. These products carry a visual message and a strong moral

learning platform for all age groups. The product also provides an entertaining component with

quality production, an affordable price and professional delivery response time.

2.

The company Halo presents the following logo reading, HALO, A STEP HIGHER. The

design and name are original and has the traditional circular halo pattern. A horizontal setup is

used for the wording, which coordinates with the laws of shape creating maximum impact (Ries

& Ries, 2002).

All of the words in the visual are in reddish lettering. There is a blue halo underneath the

lettering in a smaller dimension compared to the blue halo above the lettering that is larger in

area. The second elevated halo is highlighted with the yellow sunbeam ornamentation depicting

an illusion of a deity persona. Three colors are in use and the focus is on the wording although

the surrounding elements are in touch with the design for a proper visual impact. The simplicity

of the design is cost effective and equally as effective among consumers.

3.

The tagline is short and positive, easy to read. The message of the tagline is clear and the

logo is reflective of the message. Below the wording is a halo and above the wording is a halo;

with one view and reading the message is conveyed. Respectfully, the higher halo is larger,

reflecting a greater change from the lower halo with the larger halo reflecting luminous yellow

beams. This is a unique tagline design and compliments the brands message. Halo has a

superlative tagline because it positions the company as best in class, a step higher.

4.

Zappo’s has the corporate climate of not just reverencing the customer but the staff. This

is a good method of applying an engaging corporate climate. I can agree with that philosophy.

The type of climate that Halo is poised to portray in climate culture is similar to the Zappo

corporate climate. A stiff corporate climate is not what I would embrace because I would want

the employees to know that they are valued as well as my customer base (Mickiewicz, 2009).

Having a quarterly cool down session with the staff is a good way to share a people

friendly company climate. During this one or two hour period, refreshments, at the expense of

the company, would be brought in and soft music would be playing to induce a non- working

atmosphere. This would be in line with what the company is reflecting, stepping higher with

Halo.

5.

The mantra for Halo is HALO, A STEP HIGHER. This would be conveyed to every

client and the staff. I would want this philosophy to ring throughput the existence of the

company. For this principal to adhere to people’s lives and the Halo products, I believe that that

is what helps make products and brand, circulate into society becoming a household name.

6.

The following images are product package designs for Halo. cd face image and

packaging are represented. The cover designs are original and represent a human heart, exposed

beneath the human flesh, to coincide with the tile cd track, “Open my Heart”.

7.

The Hallmark crown was designed by Andrew Szoeke and was installed as part of the

logo in 1949 ("Hallmark," 2012). Their tagline reads, “When you want to send the very best.”

This has long been a very favorite line of advertisement for what Hallmark is selling. When

people have something special that they want to say and, someone special they want to say it to,

they will look for a Hallmark card.

What I like about the product is that they have what they say they have, the best way to

say something, in most cases. The crown affect is a royalty concept that psychologically

expresses the idea of the highest order of thought with a royal symbol, hence, the very best.

Hallmark is my selection for a favorite trademark brand.

These three companies are a portion of Halo’s competition, Capitol Records, Verity

Record Group and Warner Music Group. Their logo is black and white and uses the dome of the

U.S. Capitol Building. All three are very successful in their business as music companies.

Capitol Records boasting generations of the most legendary artist in the music business

internationally. Johnny Mercer was the founder of Capitol Records and from a $15,000.00

investment; it is one of the most prominent companies in the music world ("Capitol records,"

2012).

Capitol Records has recorded a huge category of artist but most impressive is their

longevity and diversity of business. Their catalogue of business consists of the music for major

TV series such as the Hanna-Barbera series, The Donna Reed Show and David and Goliath.

They also include some of the most successful Broadway musical soundtracks like Carousel and

The King and I. One last note, Nat King Cole was one of Capitols most successful artist.

Included in the Wikipedia article is the fact that earnings under Nat King Cole built the

legendary Los Angeles spiral shaped Capitol Records building ("Capitol records," 2012).

Warner music is a worldwide publisher and is one of the largest record companies in the

world. Their logo has always looked peculiar and is not hard to distinguish in a crowd. Their use

of a two-color scheme logo is good and there is no tagline that I could locate but with a track

record like theirs, they may not really need one ("Warner music group," 2012).

The Verity Music Group uses the horizontal lettering approach to their brand. Connected

to the 1st letter of the Verity there appears to be a dove on the top right section of the “V”. Their

color scheme is basically lavender with a dark purple lettering contrast. The golden gradient

color is the backdrop adorned with short yellow sunbeam lines centered on a sunset kind of

setting. That picture sort of creates a serene mindset ("Verity music group," 2012).

Verity host the most influential line up of singing and musician artist in contemporary gospel up

to date. There is no tagline or a positioning statement to be located with this company. If I were

to analyze their name as a type of tagline, they make a statement of absoluteness, without a doubt

in other words. Most of their acts are very strong, so, that is probably why they use the word

Verity ("Verity music group," 2012).

The competition of the three company brands is strong because they seem to be

professionally done and they have longevity. My focus for Halo’s brand is to put it out into the

marketplace with product and see how the average person responds to the brand and the product.

I am prepared if need be to redesign the brand if needed.

Halo’s corporate vision statement: Take those to the top that would do business with

Halo. We believe in going a step higher in everything that we do and, in what we do for you.

References

Capitol records. (2012, October 6). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Records

Hallmark. (2012, jULY 15). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hallmark_logo.svg

Mickiewicz, M. (2009, March 30). How zappos does customer service and company culture.

Retrieved from http://www.sitepoint.com/how-zappos-does-customer-service-and-

company-culture/

Ries, A., & Ries, L. (2002). Te 22 immutable laws of branding. New York, NY: HarperCollins

Publishers Inc.

Van Hoosear, J., Evans, J., & Knobbe Marten and Olson & Bear LLP (2009, March 30).

Pursuing strong brand. Retrieved from

http://media.online.fullsail.edu/2010/11/pursuing_strong_brandef24b36d-6c7c-4352-

8c53-df9efdba8213.pdf

Verity music group. (2012, AUGUST 18). Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verity_Gospel_Music_Group

Warner music group. (2012, October 13). Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Music_Group