We use a five-phase plan to power up your brand.
Our skilled team of experts craft smart strategy and design solutions for businesses just like yours—businesses with a great product or service they passionately believe in.
1
Discovery
First, we listen. And ask. Tell us about your organization, your goals, your frustrations, your dreams, your team, your customers, and your competitors. Tell us what worries you and what drives you. In our Discovery Phase, we gather the critical insights we’ll need to guide the development of a successful branding and marketing strategy.
What is your brand doing well? Where is there room to improve? What are your competitors doing? How can you differentiate? Our thorough analysis will provide a solid starting point.
Having detailed insights into your industry, competitors, and customers is a must for building a strong brand. If you haven’t done one recently, this analysis should be undertaken as part of our Discovery Phase.
How is your site being experienced by customers? How is it representing your brand? Once we have a clear understanding of your current site, we can develop a plan to update or rebuild for a better user experience.
“64% of consumers say that sharing the same values with a brand is the primary reason they have a relationship in the first place.”
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
2
Strategy
Our strategic process varies, depending on whether we’re working on a rebrand or a marketing campaign—but this phase is critical to the performance of your brand.
What’s the singular idea that’s shaping the story of your organization? How do customers experience you? What’s your DNA? In this phase, we help you identify the intangibles that define who you are and what your customers want. We’ll work with you to develop a clear, cohesive strategy and brand platform, including a positioning statement, a statement of your brand purpose, a personality for your brand, and a framework that defines your brand’s voice and key messaging. This strategic work is critical. It supports your long-term goals and drives everything else we do.
Once you have your brand, how do you plan to reach your customers and persuade them to act? Do you know exactly who—and where—they are? Are you clear on the market trends, technologies, and competitors that are shaping your industry? Do you know how to stand out while also staying on budget? We work closely with you to build a strategy that will leverage your brand platform to meet your business goals.
Markets change. Technologies evolve. Opportunities come knocking. It’s easy for companies to lose focus along the way.
Having a sound brand strategy and platform provides clarity and certainty in an everchanging world. It helps keep companies focused on the path to future success...making decisions easier, paths clearer and commitment stronger. It's not only smart—it’s crucial to a company’s long-term success.
JODI ECKES | FOUNDER + CEO, DRIVE
3
Creative Concepting
Now comes the exciting part. Like building a house, the first few steps are about drawing up the plans and setting the foundation. Next we create the look, feel, and voice of your brand (and your marketing campaigns)—based on your brand platform and your marketing strategy. These will be the building blocks for your ongoing marketing initiatives. Get ready to see your ideas come to life.
Sometimes you only need a refresh to stay competitive. Other times a completely new brand or rebrand is needed to position your brand within the market. Either way, we’ve got you.
Whether you have a new product or a whole new business, you need a name that works hard for you—something that conveys your personality, fits your product, inspires your customers, and separates you from competitors. Our writers have been developing winning names for decades, and we’re excited to bring you our strategic approach to naming.
A brand is so much more than a logo. We build you a sophisticated visual identity system that looks and feels like you—and that will communicate powerfully and consistently across a wide range of applications. We also equip you with the tools and guidelines you’ll need to launch your brand well and keep it strong for years to come.
Any project or campaign we do starts with concepting first, execution second. We make sure every single project has a solid strategy, driven by your brand platform.
4
Creative Execution
Some agencies start their work at Phase Four but, at DRIVE, we make sure we’ve got all the nuts and bolts in place before sending your marketing vehicles out into the world. Whatever your objective—to launch a product, promote a service, announce an event, recruit subscribers, or anything else—we’ll start with Phases One through Three to ensure we can deliver tools that deliver results.
Simply put, we meet your audience where they live and make it hard to resist your message. We can provide any tactic in any format you need, big or small, local or global, physical or virtual:
corporate + promotional materials
print/digital marketing campaigns
social media + content marketing
packaging
environmental design
videos
and more
“Consistent branding across all channels increases revenue by up to 23%.”
FORBES MAGAZINE
5
Brand Growth
A brand can build your business in significant ways—but only if it’s used consistently and strategically, through every customer interaction. Unfortunately, this is where some businesses make the fatal mistake of taking their hand off the wheel. As your ongoing partner, we help ensure the power of your brand stays strong even while you care for your other business concerns.
Strong brands aren’t built in a day. Building a fire is just the first step. Keeping it burning requires ongoing commitment and focus.
That’s why we stay engaged after your brand launches—to make sure the work we’ve done together keeps on working. We help ensure your entire team, across all departments, not only understands the brand, but reflects it in every project and interaction—from how your phones are answered by staff to how your products are unboxed by customers.
We help identify ongoing opportunities to strengthen your brand through customer service, marketing, and sponsorship opportunities that align with your business goals. And we can also monitor and evaluate campaign results, site traffic, and other KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
Is your company ready to DRIVE?
Ready
not quite ready
You want a powerful brand, and you realize brand-building is a marathon—not a sprint.
You only want a new logo design—not a visual identity system.
CONSIDER THIS:
At DRIVE, we can’t design effectively in a vacuum. All of our creative is driven by strategy, and each brand is developed as an entire visual system — not simply a logo. If you decide you’re ready to build a consistent, distinct look for your organization, we’re here to help.
You view branding as a key strategic asset to your business growth.
Your leadership/key stakeholders are unable to devote time to a brand initiative.
CONSIDER THIS:
Without the input and commitment of business leaders, the success of a brand can be seriously compromised. If you’re a marketing professional needing support in that discussion with leadership, we’re happy to help you navigate those waters.
You understand that investing in your brand often won’t produce an immediate or traditional ROI. Instead you care about Key Performance Indicators.
You must show traditional ROI on any of the brand work you do.
CONSIDER THIS:
Increasing brand strength and awareness has to be measured differently. Together, we’ll define what success would look like for you (greater consistency across materials, more followers, increased site traffic, more email engagements, higher employee engagement, etc.).
You’re looking for a trusted partner—not simply an order-taker.
You just want a new brochure and aren’t looking to invest in your brand at this time.
CONSIDER THIS:
Any marketing materials we develop will be driven by your brand strategy and visual identity system. If you already have those in place to guide us, let’s talk! If not, we can’t effectively market your business. But don’t worry. We can help develop your brand—and we’ll be here whenever you’re ready!
READY
NOT QUITE READY
You want a powerful brand, and you realize brand-building is a marathon—not a sprint.
You only want a new logo design—not a visual identity system.
CONSIDER THIS:
At DRIVE, we can’t design effectively in a vacuum. All of our creative is driven by strategy, and each brand is developed as an entire visual system — not simply a logo. If you decide you’re ready to build a consistent, distinct look for your organization, we’re here to help.
You view branding as a key strategic asset to your business growth.
Your leadership/key stakeholders are unable to devote time to a brand initiative.
CONSIDER THIS:
Without the input and commitment of business leaders, the success of a brand can be seriously compromised. If you’re a marketing professional needing support in that discussion with leadership, we’re happy to help you navigate those waters.
You understand that investing in your brand often won’t produce an immediate or traditional ROI. Instead you care about Key Performance Indicators.
You must show traditional ROI on any of the brand work you do.
CONSIDER THIS:
Increasing brand strength and awareness has to be measured differently. Together, we’ll define what success would look like for you (greater consistency across materials, more followers, increased site traffic, more email engagements, higher employee engagement, etc.).
You’re looking for a trusted partner—not simply an order-taker.
You just want a new brochure and aren’t looking to invest in your brand at this time.
CONSIDER THIS:
Any marketing materials we develop will be driven by your brand strategy and visual identity system. If you already have those in place to guide us, let’s talk! If not, we can’t effectively market your business. But don’t worry. We can help develop your brand—and we’ll be here whenever you’re ready!
Do you have a great product or service you passionately believe in?
Do you want to stand out from your competitors? Are you ready to drive growth through more meaningful connections with customers and employees? Are you committed to building and growing your brand long-term?
