Overview
Setting the record straight. After years of missed attempts at outsourcing a brand refresh, we took it upon ourselves to create an updated and accurate identity. As part of the initiative, I had to fully rethink the JeffreyM brand, from our core services, all the way to our content strategy and website.
Problem
We took a long, hard look in the mirror and realized we didn't like what we saw. Aesthetically, the JeffreyM brand had become everything we hate about consulting: cheesy stock photos, nominal differentiation, platitudes and empty promises, and useless buzzwords like "on-demand" and "disruptive"—and that's just not who we are. We are an office of real, live human beings with personalities and unique offerings. Alas, I set out to shed ourselves of the stale, robotic exterior that most consultancies embody, and to better communicate why our brand of business works.
Thinking of a Master Plan
The first step: admitting we were wrong. The next step: answering the difficult question of "Who are we?" Moving forward, I kept the same goal top of mind: match the brand identity of JeffreyM with the people behind it. The look and feel needed to be both accurate and distinct from the many other marketing agencies out there. As part of the challenge, I had the unique obstacle of catering to two separate audiences: prospective employees looking for work and prospective clients looking for business. With this in mind, the brand needed to have enough personality and quirk to attract new talent, but not so much flippancy that it would turn away potential partnerships. A balance between fun energy and professionalism would be key.
Solution
After identifying a core set of challenges and an approach for moving forward, we sat down together as a company to hash out the who, what, and why. We not only defined ourselves based on our client interactions, but with what most people would consider as the mundane—day-to-day office conversations like TV shows you're watching (Below Deck: Mediterranean and Schitt's Creek), podcasts you're listening to (Dateline and Up and Vanished), happy hour drinks you're ordering (rosé), and level of disdain for long meetings (high). Listening to the people of JeffreyM helped us define a direction for the new brand.
JeffreyM is the thoughtful, trustworthy friend that loves to listen and respond. Our voice is honest, conversational, and customer-focused. We prefer 2-3 sentences over block paragraphs, layman’s terms over buzzwords, and conversations over rigid discussions. We understand the need for offbeat comments to break up the day-to-day grind. Our humor is dry, self-deprecating, and naturally placed. We’re never condescending nor exclusive—the customer is always in on the joke. It’s always better to be understood instead of entertaining. We're flexible and adaptable to different scenarios, and believe both technology and simplicity are the most important drivers for getting things done. We have the support and expertise of a large company, with the honesty and high-touch capability of a small company. Our brand is premium, but not so much that you lose the appetite for what makes our consultancy great: the people. At the core, we're not just marketers, but people. The new keywords: innovative, results-driven, and human.
In building out the new identity, I combined shapes and icons with bright colors and bold typography—injecting a renewed sense of energy and innovation into the brand. I strove to maintain clean and readable design elements that lend to feelings of reliability and professionalism. In all, we were able to create an identity that accurately reflects JeffreyM's fun and inviting nature, while still preserving our reputability.
