Robbins-Gioia, LLC

Visual  Corporate  Identity  Plan

Graphic Branding at Robbins-Gioia

     

Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document  are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.  

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   1  

INTRODUCTION  

This  document  outlines  proposed  plans  for  updating  the  visual  identity  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  in  accordance  with  the  2011  Brand  Management  Initiative,  the  executive  direction  of  Herb  Strauss,  and  the  formation  of  the  Brand  Transformation  &  Management  Integrated  Project  Team  lead  by  Bruce  Anich.  This  document  has  been  developed  by  the  Graphic  Design  Coordinator,  who  has  been  tasked  as  the  designer  in  the  development  of  a  connected  visual  brand  that  represents  us  and  appeals  to  our  customers.  

Robbins-­‐Gioia  has  a  proud  tradition  of  hiring  capable,  industry  leading  talent.  This  is  one  of  the  driving  forces  of  the  firm,  and  has  played  a  significant  role  in  allowing  R-­‐G  to  continuously  thrive  and  expand  into  new  markets.  The  time  has  come  for  the  visual  identity  of  the  company  to  truly  reflect  this  attribute.  Over  the  last  5  months  the  creative  team1  has  been  engaged  in  research  and  development  of  existing  resources  and  have  reached  the  determination  that  the  talent  and  ability  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia  employees  is  more  than  enough  to  perform  the  entire  visual  rebranding  in-­‐house.  This  is  reflected  within  the  Microsoft  Project  schedule  that  is  included  in  this  report.  The  ability  of  our  firm  to  attract  and  keep  cutting  edge  talent  is  one  of  the  key  reasons  that  R-­‐G  will  continue  to  endure  and  flourish  as  a  brand.  

1  The  Creative  Team  at  Robbins-­‐Gioia  consists  of  communication  professionals  leveraged  on  an  as  needed  basis  from  various  functional  areas  in  the  company.    

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   2  

PURPOSE  OF  THE  VISUAL  CORPORATE  IDENTITY  PLAN  

In  order  to  achieve  a  best-­‐practice  visual  solution  at  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  it  becomes  necessary  to  establish  certain  progressive  baselines  that  are  centered  around  appropriate  change.  The  intent  of  branding  change  agents  is  to  introduce  new  practices  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  encourage  acceptance  and  adoption  by  R-­‐G  employees,  and  enthusiasm  from  customers.  Change  management  efforts  for  this  initiative  will  utilize  the  styles  and  formats  that  were  developed  for  the  2011  Leadership  Immersion  as  a  bridge,  or  building  block,  helping  to  ease  the  transition  and  allowing  for  immediate  update  of  certain  materials.    

When  Implementing  these  changes,  the  overarching  target  and  goal  is  to  establish  a  visual  brand  that  is  competitive  with  contemporary  visual  corporate  identities  used  by  industry  leading  professionals.  Robbins-­‐Gioia  has  fallen  behind  in  brand  consistency  and  relevance.  This  is  most  apparent  on  the  corporate  website.  To  address  this,  the  plan  outlines  a  strategy  whereby  the  customer  facing  website  can  be  redesigned  early  on  in  the  rebranding  process.    

All  of  these  efforts  have  been  combined  into  a  detailed  schedule  which  presents  a  timeline  of  visual  branding  efforts,  as  well  as  necessary  personnel  resources.  These  efforts  have  been  scheduled  keeping  in  mind  the  average  existing  workload  of  the  associates  who  will  be  involved.  In  some  cases  additional  resources  or  personnel  may  be  needed.

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   3  

PROVIDE  A  BASELINE  FOR  CHANGE  

One  of  the  biggest  downfalls  of  heavily  relying  on  outsourcing  is  a  brand  that  is  disconnected.  There  are  times  that  these  resources  can  help  relieve  the  burden  of  a  heavy  workload,  but  a  firm’s  continued  reliance  on  them  will  increase  inconsistencies  in  visual  style.  In  the  graphic  communications  industry  this  is  often  referred  to  as  disconnected  branding.  

The    perception  of  graphic  communication  at  Robbins-­‐Gioia  has  also  become  problematic.  Artwork  is  currently  most  often  used  as  reusable  decoration  adorning  accompanying  content.  Successful  graphic  communication  must  be  developed  organically  alongside  the  message  itself.  This  is  most  easily  achieved  when  designers  (graphic  communicators)  are  able  to  work  alongside  other  communicators  and  develop  a  meaningful  relationship  between  the  message  and  the  design.  Stock  images  and  SmartArt  generally  do  not  aid  in  the  communication  of  messages.    

The  relationship  of  a  message  and  its  visual  representation  should  begin  as  early  as  possible.  In  this  way,  the  message  contains  the  collective  ideas  of  all  communicators  involved.  This  also  allows  the  message  to  develop  and  evolve,  organically  producing  a  cohesive  visual  style.  This  is  another  reason  to  rely  on  the  talent  within  our  company,  to  provide  consistent,  clear,  and  connected  communication.    

 

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   4  

 A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  R-­‐G  VISUAL  BRAND  

! Robbins-­‐Gioia’s  visual  brand  sprang  from  small  business  origins  and  started  out  simple,  clean,    and  effective  

! These  elements  evolved  into  a  professionally  developed  visual  brand  using  contemporary  elements  from  2001-­‐2003  (rust  orange/sepia  made  a  comeback,  flat  geometric  designs  were  briefly  popular)  

! Almost  immediately  the  visual  brand  was  altered  (various  color  palettes,  fonts  and  formats  are    in  circulation    

! The  Accelerate  Success  campaign  was  intended  as  a  single  campaign  but  was  then  adopted  as  a  brand  refresher  which  compounded  the  color/font  issue  

! Years  of  layering  and  tacking  on  elements,  without  stripping  out  any  of  the  old  ones,  has  left  the  R-­‐G  brand  disconnected  

 

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   5  

 BRIDGING  THE  GAP  –  IMMERSION  STYLING  

Beginning  now,  we  can  update  our  visual  style  to  create  a  connected  brand.  Using  newly  developed  fonts  and  color  palettes,  along  with  the  styling  that  was  developed  for  the  2011  Leadership  Immersion  training,  we  are  able  to  begin  updating  our  materials  immediately.  This  will  give  Robbins-­‐Gioia  a  competitive  and  cohesive  brand  to  go  to  market  by  July,  and  will  allow  time  for  the    further  development  of  our  corporate  brand  over  the  course  of  2011.    

The  2011  Leadership  Immersion  style  is  a  good  example  of  a  visual  style  that  was  developed  alongside  the  content  material.  The  visuals  aid  in  the  communication  of  the  materials,  right  down  to  the  dominate  color  of  blue  which  was  selected  for  this  specific  campaign  due  to  psychological  impacts  of  the  color  blue  promoting  ideas  of  trust,  sincerity,  and  precision.  (This  is  in  contrast  to  other  colors,  such  as  red  which  can  promote  thoughts  of  danger  or  risk,  orange  which  is  a  more  friendly  but  unsure  color,  or  earth  tones  which  can  prompt  ideas  of  something  being  old  or  outdated).  

The  new  visual  brand  of  R-­‐G  will  not  be  identical  to  the  Leadership  Immersion  style.  New  fonts  and  color  palettes  are  already  in  development,  as  well  as  the  turnover  of  all  visual  materials.  But  the  two  styles  will  complement  each  other.  In  this  way,  the  immersion  styling  can  bridge  the  gap  to  the  revised  R-­‐G  brand.    

 

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   6  

   PROPOSED  WEBSITE  REDESIGN  

As  represented  on  the  included  project  schedule,  the  redesign  of  robbinsgioia.com  would  begin  upon  completion  of  the  development  of  new  fonts  and  color  palettes  (21  March,  2011).  The  look  and  feel  of  the  site,  as  well  as  navigational  functionality,  would  be  completely  overhauled.  This  plan  will  result  in  a  contemporary  look,  and  modern  functionality  by  the  first  of  May.    

This  schedule  has  been  validated  by  the  Executive  Vice  President,  Consulting  Services  and  IMO.  By  updating  the  website  immediately  it  gives  R-­‐G  a  new  opportunity  to  appeal  to  a  contemporary  customer  base  that  is  accustomed  to  seeing  sophisticated  media  and  navigation  interfaces  all  around  them.  This  redesign  will  not  only  bring  Robbins-­‐Gioia  up  to  date,  but  to  the  head  of  the  line,  leading  in  industry  standards.    

   

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   7  

 WEBSITE  EXAMPLES  

If  necessary,  or  desired,  sample  customer  facing  websites  of  other  industry  leading  companies  are  available  in  the  accompanying  PowerPoint  document.  Click  on  any  of  the  screenshots  (when  in  presentation  mode)  to  visit  the  website  and  explore  the  design  techniques  used  and  the  contemporary  navigation.  Robbins-­‐Gioia  will  soon  have  a  website  that  rivals  these  examples.        

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   8  

 PRESENT  AN  ACHIEVABLE  SCHEDULE  

This  plan  has  briefly  outlined  the  objectives  of  the  leveraged  creative  team  in  updating  the  visual  identity  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia.  Included  with  this  plan  is  a  detailed  schedule,  laying  out  the  specific  efforts  involved  in  the  larger  visual  rebranding  initiative.  As  outlined  in  the  schedule,  each  visual  branding  effort  will  utilize  certain  leveraged  personnel  who  have  offered  to  add  to  their  workload  to  assist  in  the  initiative.  As  each  task  is  undertaken,  a  record  will  be  kept  of  brand  development.  This  brand  journal  will  form  the  basis  for  the  Creative  Services  Workflow  and  will  be  a  key  part  in  developing  the  brand  playbooks  for  the  January  2012  rollout.  Please  refer  to  the  schedule2  to  view  proposed  dates  of  completion,  and  projected  necessary  personnel  involvement.  Additional  personnel  and  resources  may  be  needed,  as  determined  by  the  branding  IPT  and  executive  directive.  

   

2  The  Microsoft  Project  file  has  been  included  with  this  plan.  

 

2011  Non-­‐Disclosure  Statement:  All  materials  contained  in  this  document    are  the  confidential  and  proprietary  property  of  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  LLC.   9  

 

CONNECTING  THE  DOTS    

There  has  not  been  a  complete  Corporate  Identity  Standards  Manual  published  by  Robbins-­‐Gioia  since  1999.  Once  the  standards  manual  is  redeveloped,  brand  playbooks  can  be  issued  to  instruct  employees  on  proper  implementation  and  procedures.  The  Standards  Manual  will  be  the  go-­‐to  guide  for  the  development  of  all  collateral  for  the  company.    

Part  of  the  effort  to  connect  our  brand  is  to  identify  all  R-­‐G  developers.  Developers  at  Robbins-­‐Gioia,  as  well  as  most  members  of  the  branding  IPT,  most  likely  will  not  have  any  formal  graphic  design  training.  These  individuals  must  be  continuously  trained  and  checked  using  brand  management  methods  to  ensure  visual  consistency  and  standards  for  all  content,  both  internal  and  external.    

The  two  main  roles  in  brand  management  are:  Visual  Identity  Manager,  &  Communications  Identity  Manager.  These  two  areas  of  brand  training  must  be  effectively,  and  permanently  introduced  to  the  company  in  order  to  keep  the  brand  connected.  For  the  time  being  the  IPT  will  fill  this  role  with  myself  providing  the  graphic  design  knowledge  and  experience.    

Visual  branding  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  poignant  ways  Robbins-­‐Gioia  has  to  instantly  communicate  expertise  and  relevance  in  a  sea  of  competition.  Leading  visual  solutions  are  crucial  in  the  support  of  the  overall  mission  of  this  company.    

ID Task Mode

Task Name Duration Start Finish

1 CORP IDENTITY STANDARDS

2 Corporate Color Palette 57 days Mon 3/14/11 Tue 5/31/113 Corporate Fonts & Styles 57 days Mon 3/14/11 Tue 5/31/114 www.robbinsgioia.com

Redesign64 days Mon 4/4/11 Thu 6/30/11

5 Communication Channels Lead

15 days Mon 6/6/11 Fri 6/24/11

6 Corporate Website Rollout

1 day Fri 6/24/11 Fri 6/24/11

7 Corporate Communication MaterialsGuide

66 days Mon 8/1/11 Mon 10/31/11

8 Corporate Identity Standards Manual

81 days Fri 7/1/11 Fri 10/21/11

9 Communication Channels Lead

24 days Mon 10/31/11

Thu 12/1/11

10 Brand Portfolio - Executive Release

11 days Thu 12/1/11 Thu 12/15/11

11 CONCEPTS

12 Development of 2012 CIP Plan

44 days Sat 10/1/11 Wed 11/30/11

13 Development of 2012 Communication Design Workflow

44 days Sat 10/1/11 Wed 11/30/11

14 Begin Research & Methodology Development for 2012

67 days Sat 10/1/11 Sat 12/31/11

15 IMAGERY16 Rebuild Website

Sub-Pages120 days Fri 7/1/11 Thu 12/15/11

17 SYNRG Redesign 83 days Mon 5/9/11 Wed 8/31/1118 Communication Channels

Lead24 days Tue 7/19/11 Fri 8/19/11

19 SYNRG Technical Implementation

0 days Sat 10/15/11 Sat 10/15/11

20 Rebranded SYNRG Rollout 1 day Sat 10/15/11 Sat 10/15/11

21 BRAND POLICIES22 PM Boulevard/Bistro

Workgroup56 days Wed 6/15/11 Wed 8/31/11

23 Retire PM Bistro (2012) 1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/1124 PM Boulevard Transition

(2012)1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11

25 Corporate Logo Workgroup

63 days Mon 6/6/11 Wed 8/31/11

6/24

12/15

10/15

10/15

12/31

12/31

M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M EFebruary March April May June July August September October November December January February

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Page 1

Project: VCIP 2011 v1.mppDate: Mon 11/7/11

ID Task Mode

Task Name Duration Start Finish

26 FACTS27 Brand Management and

Design Methodologies20 days Mon 10/3/11 Fri 10/28/11

28 Communication Channels Lead

24 days Tue 10/4/11 Fri 11/4/11

29 Brand Management Training (2012)

1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11

30 COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS

31 Corporate Review, Revision and Socialization (Ongoing)

1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11

32 Phase II Rebranding Rollout

20 days Mon 1/2/12 Fri 1/27/12

33 Communication Channels Lead

23 days Sat 12/31/11 Tue 1/31/12

34 2012 Brand Implementation

1 day Tue 1/31/12 Tue 1/31/12

35 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

36 Copyright, Trademark, & Patent Registration (Ongoing)

1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11

37 RELATIONSHIPS

38 Partner & Client Reference Usage (Ongoing)

1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11

12/31

12/31

1/31

12/31

12/31

M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M EFebruary March April May June July August September October November December January February

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Project: VCIP 2011 v1.mppDate: Mon 11/7/11