01 Nov, 2023
01 Nov, 2023
The Challenge:
UK-based family business, Solar Solve have been manufacturing Anti Glare Roller Screens for ships and airports for over 45 years. Today, Solar Solve, exports its products to more than eighty-seven countries on six continents. Last year the company was acquired by the UK-based oil and gas monitoring equipment firm, Rivertrace Ltd which supplies thousands of systems worldwide.
Following the acquisition, Solar Solve approached Wake Media to modernise and strengthen the brand identity and to raise brand awareness. One of the key challenges for Wake Media was to ensure that Solar Solve’s new brand identity reflected the business purposes and values and to distinguish the company from competitors in their key markets through style, colours and visual links.
Our Approach:
The Wake Media team followed a multi-step process for the design of a new logotype and new brand guides, this enabled the client to closely follow the progression of the project and have total visibility and creative control of the rebrand.
Logotype design
As a first step, the Wake Media creative team, in combination with Wake Media’s marketing specialists, met with Rivertrace to map out a timeline of key deliverables for the rebranding project. This included the preliminary step of logotype development, through from exploring initial logo concepts to the finalisation and logotype delivery.
Ahead of submission of several prototype logo designs to the client for review, the Wake Media creative team held a consultation session which comprised a series of questions to ascertain target audience, competitors, preferred logo type styles, the required colour palette and potential applications for the new logo type.
Following the initial consultation with the client, the Wake Media team conducted extensive research into Solar Solve’s competitors and into their key markets. This research also extended to a review of the client’s existing website.
Key aspects taken into consideration for the logotype design were that the client had a specific colour palette and that the new logo had to resemble the parent company’s (Rivertrace) logo. The client also wanted the wanted the new logo to be simple, clean and have a modern look and feel.
As part of the logo design process, Wake Media produced several logo designs and provided each design variation mocked up on various touchpoints. For example, on roll up banners, advertisements and business cards. For each prototype logo design presented to the client, Wake Media’s creative team also produced multiple variations of the logo including, horizontal, vertical, reversed, icon, reversed icon types.
Brand guidelines development
Once the logo design was confirmed and delivered to the client, the next step was the development of brand guidelines. The Wake Media team took a two-route approach to the brand guidelines creation and roll-out process. The first route encompassed the development of the overarching brand story. This route also focussed on the development of the technical specifics in the brand guidelines relating the use of the new logotype. This included developing rules around the logo application, the minimum size and scaling, colours and the typography.
The second route for the brand guidelines creation undertaken by the Wake Media team concluded more practical aspects including imagery, visuals and iconography in addition to the mocking up of the logo on various touchpoints such as banners, letterhead, stationery etc.
Impact:
The client was very happy with the re-branding project undertaken by Wake Media and proceeded to re-develop their company website using the new brand identity. Solar Solve’s brand was strengthened through the revision and modernisation of the company logotype and a complete brand identity refresh. The use of eye-catching visuals and developing a distinct visual identity through the brand ensure that it is recognised and represents the businesses’ purpose and values following the acquisition by Rivertrace.
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