Visual Communications-A BRAND REFRESH

​So, you want to do a refresh of your brand as a part of your marketing strategy. It is a great way to communicate to others what your company stands for and create a recognizable thread in all your communications through a consistent look and feel.
 
Holland Management Services has been in business for over 20 years and has gone through several iterations. Primarily, it was an association management, consulting, and freelance writing company. The focus was primarily equine and education. In recent years, HMS has added data analytics and outcomes research to our services with the addition of Dr. Rob Holland, DVM, PhD. We expanded into animal health and brought the communications focus to our work there as well. The company was looking very different as it grew, so we felt some visioning and rebranding was in order.
 
Rebranding is an opportunity to focus in on who you are and what you want to be as a company. The imagery of your corporate brand communicates a lot about you. It is a good time to revisit and update your mission and vision. Making sure you are aligned in your focus moving forward will help you to make better decisions. One of the challenges of a small company is the temptation to accept projects that are outside of the scope of what you really do well. Having this lens at the forefront can keep you focused on your ultimate goals and avoid distractions.
 
In our case, we wanted to focus on a tagline of Integrity, Quality, and Innovation. Developing our logo, we chose a lighthouse, as it provides direction in a storm, and a castle to represent security and standing the test of time. We used Bulloch Harbour in Ireland as our inspiration, as it is one of our favorite places to be. I had taken a photo of the little lighthouse there with the castle in the background. Our daughter, Sofia, took the first stab at the design after hearing about the thought process. Her logo is the basis of what we present today. You never know where your assets are and, in this case, it means more to us to have her talents be a part of our new look. My friend and amazing graphic designer, Nicole Miller of Millermark Creations took the design and perfected it, helping us to add the color scheme and making it usable in all those marvelous formats. You will be surprised how many different versions you might need for various applications.
 
As we developed advertising posts and website backgrounds, we have kept with the ocean and lighthouse themes. The images themselves communicate a certain feel. For example, in our ad for difficult conversations, I chose a turbulent sea for the background. For clear communications, I chose a calm sea to give the feel of crystal-clear waters, reinforcing the feeling of clear communications. Our detail sheets describing what our services are include images of the internal staircases of lighthouses. The visual underscores the steps we take in solving problems, communicating a concept, or evaluating data.
 
We hope you enjoy our new look!