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Grape SolarProject Book

I

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have” -Margaret Mead

Grape Solar Project Book

II

Introduction

The purpose of this project is to allow Grape Solar to grow as the leader of the solar energy industry. It refl ects their core val-ues of change, growth, and caring for the world we in a strong and concise way. By creating a brand identity with a clean, modern look, it keeps the target audience from being overwhelmed by starting to use a diff erent energy source; while a friendly, welcoming feel invites that audience to start asking questions and fi nd solutions.

Grape Solar has the solutions to allow people to start an alternative energy lifestyle. This project aims to make that easier for their target market to realize.


Grape Solar Project BookIII

Table of Contents

Research3 Company Overview4 Industry Overview5 Unique Selling Point6 Key Tenets7 SWOT Analysis8 Action Plan9 Target Market10 Personas

Style Guide21-24 Logo25-26 Color Palette27 Typefaces28 Sound29 Textures30 Tone

Creative Process13-14 Moodboards15-16 Logo Developement17 Motion18 Website

Solutions33-34 Website35-36 Event Signage37 Social Media38 Videos

IVGrape Solar Project Book

Section 1

Grape Solar Project Book1

ResearchDefinition: the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

Company Overview

Industry Overview USP & Key Tenets

SWOT & Action PlanTarget Market

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Grape Solar started in 2009 with the purpose of bringing change to people “one panel at a time” (Grape Solar). They sell solar products, from solar

panels used on homes and buildings to smaller, portable products that can be taken on hikes, picnics or even used during power outages. Grape Solar has been one of the fastest growing solar companies and have a drive to, not only provide solar products, but to help people incorporate solar power into their every day lives. Having a belief in the education and knowledge of solar power and the diff erent options that are available for it’s use, has been essential to this growing company.

Company Overview


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With a rising concern of our current energy sources, solar power is more steadily growing than ever before. According to the Solar Energy

Industries Association, “the U.S. installed 1,330 MW of solar photovoltaics in the fi rst quarter of 2014 to total 14.8 GW installed capacity, enough to power 3 million homes.” Installations of solar panels had the largest year in 2013 and have become more inexpensive then ever for consumers (SEIA).

Industry Overview


Grape solar has two unique aspects of diff erentiation. In 2011, they launched a new website that introduced their consumer oriented

approach (Grape Solar). This is the beginning of their story into diff erentiation. While competition focuses on technology, information the every-day consumer might not have any interest in, Grape Solar created an approach aimed at helping consumers understand the basics of solar products and what may be the right fi t of products for them to use.

The second area of diff erentiation is their product off erings. Unlike their competitors, Grape Solar off ers portable products and appliances. This

gives an advantage as consumers can purchase these smaller products to start on a solar lifestyle.

Unique Selling Point


InnovationEducation

Change

Key Tenets



SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• Understanding of audience• Portable product off erings• Expert support

Weaknesses

• New to market• Not the manufacturer• Higher pricing

Opportunities

• International reach• Expand solar panel manufactureing in the U.S. • Growth for market sector

Threats

• Lower priced competition• Technology led sector• Commoditization of solar panels


Positioning and Value PropositionGrape Solar’s value is based in its consumer oriented approach, unlike the competition that focus more on the technology. This allows their consumers to have a better understanding of what is fi tting for their lifestyle and have a clear path of how they can help make a diff erence. The plan is to further focus this approach and diff erentiate it even more so from competitors and to create a brand identity that appeals to a more targeted market.

Sustainable Competitive AdvantageGrape Solar’s value is based in its consumer oriented approach, unlike the competition that focus more on the technology. This allows their consumers to have a better understanding of what is fi tting for their lifestyle and have a clear path of how they can help make a diff erence. The plan is to further focus this approach and diff erentiate it even more so from competitors and to create a brand identity that appeals to a more targeted market.

Strategy for Promoting the Brand in the Campaign ProjectThe strategy is to take Grape Solar’s already existing consumer based approach and making it more comprehensive throughout the brand identity. Positioning Grape Solar as not just a vendor, but also as an advocate for alternative energy sources that helps consumers to start making more eco-conscious choices and guiding them to those choices will create a brand awareness that is diff erent from competitors.

Action Plan


Target Market

The intended audience for the Grape Solar brand are homeowners, aged 30 to 54 years old. They have at least a college education and have an individual annual income of $65,000+. Beyond those specifi c demographics, these are people in suburban areas that care about the communities they live. They participate in community events as well as lead active lifestyles.

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Pete Ocot’s family is very important to him. When he’s not working at his accounting fi rm, he spends as much time with them as possible. On weekends, they attend various community events, such as bonfi res. He encourages his children to volunteer in their town as well.

Single, professional homeowners, such as Fiona Costa are part of the intended audience. She is an avid runner and hiker. Being on the publicity committee in her town, she helps spread the word about community events. As a successful sales manager, she believes it is important to contribute to society.

Personas


Section 2


MoodboardsLogo Development

Motion

Website

Creative Process


Mood BoardsSeveral ideas for the look and feel of the rebranding campaign were fi rst developed based on key tenets and underlying ideals for the Grape Solar brand. After researched inspection, three mood boards were selected for consideration for the fi nal decision. Each mood board is diff erent and are each based on their own sets of ideals and narratives.

Mood board A took an industrial approach to the brand. The look and feel married together the ideas of old and new, growth into new technologies. The sense of strength came through in the textures of machines being juxtaposed with nature. The fonts were stenciled and mechanical looking.


Mood board C was created on a more subdued palette, really bringing in the idea of nature. Using the strategy of calming impact, it ties together the ideas of nature and innovation, which are very prevalent to this brand.

Mood board B was inspired by art deco shapes. Incorporating brighter colors, it took the idea of the sun, but in a diff erent way from competitors. This board represents “bold movement”, bringing together the themes of energy and modernism.


Logo DevelopmentThe process for creating a new logo for Grape Solar consisted of research into competitors logos and logos of other technological brands. The main goal was to create something that stood out completely from top competitors. Mainly they used pictoral images of the sun, in one form or another. Also, creating a logo that represented the brand itself instead of the industry was a main factor, as it will contribute to creating brand awareness and make for easier recognition.

These were preliminary sketches done when starting to create a new logo for Grape Solar. Some designs were inspired by logos in diff erent technological industries. Much research was done on why those logos were fi tting for that particular company.Grape Solar Project Book15

Grape Solar

Several designs were made of the strongest logo design. This one was decided on as it directly represents the brand but is also simple enough to have great longevity. One contributing factor for this choice, is the eventual option to use both pieces separately if need be. The pictoral image can be used on the corners of the panels themselves or on product stickers and tags for branding purposes.


MotionPlaying an important role for the overall campaign, motion for this campaign is fl uid and move mainly in horizontal and vertical directions, refl ecting the lines of the solar panels themselves. These movements suggest stability and power which refl ect ideals for this branding campaign. This design aspect is important to the campaign as it shows the forward movement of this brand, their products, and the industry itself. These directional movements will be used for logo animations and title sequences for commercials and video pieces for social media and events.


Website

Grape Solar’s website is an integral part of their overall business. Creating a new website and homepage for this brand was a challenge because of the content. Through a process consistting of research into competition and trends, and then drawing out ideas, a solution was found that follows the overall look and feel.


Section 3


Style GuideDefinition: set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization, or field.

Logo

FontsColors

TexturesTone


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Logo

This logo was created specifically to stand out from competition and represent the brand in an easy and literal way. Made of both a word mark and pictoral mark, this logo allows for versatility and longevity. The pictoral mark can eventually be used separate from the brand title, making it easy to use on smaller products and panels to help brand recognition.


The logo can be used with the accompanying tagline, “Knowledge. Power. Change.”. This is good for use in magazine advertising or even business colateral such as business cards and letterhead. The tagline should be placed starting at the ‘e’ and ending at the end of the title, not interfering with the pictoral mark at all. It should also be the same green color as the name.

Grape SolarKnowledge. Power. Change.

Logo with Tagline


Grape Solar’s new logo consists of the pale blue and deep purple of the created color palette. The stem of the grapes is also the same blue color. The blue and purple colors used in the logo cannot be changed but the logo can be used in all black or white if need be. Preferably, the logo should be used on a white background but if not, the black and white versions should be used.

Logo Colors


Logo Fonts

Gujurati Sangam

Gujurati Sangam is the font used for the wordmark of the logo. It was chosen because it is a clean sans serif font that is modern and easy to read. This particular font was chosen specifically for this logo and should always be used. When using the tagline with the logo, it should also be in the same font. Changing this will lose the confident and strong feel of this brand.


R: 96 G: 59 B: 114 C: 72M: 88Y: 27K: 12

R: 136 G: 162 B: 169 C: 50M: 27Y: 29K: 1

Color Palette


A pensive color palette was chosen to be more inviting to consumers while also reinforcing knowledge, change, and a feeling of natural modernity. This again, allows differentiation from competition and strays away from cliché colors.

R: 51 G: 64 B: 76

A color palette of four colors can be used in any way fitting to the medium. The purple color is the main color, being more dominant and should be used as such,for example in banner headings or important information on business cards.

C: 57M: 26Y: 52K: 3

R: 119 G: 154 B: 133 C: 79M: 65Y: 51K: 41


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Typefaces

Gujurati Sangam - Grape SolarBig Caslon - Knowledge. Power. Change.

Lucida Grande - Slate Portable Device Charger

A clean, modern sans-serif typeface is used as the main font to be appealing and clear to read. The Gujarati Sangam should be used for main headings or titles such as on event banners. Subsidiary typefaces are Lucida Grande and Big Caslon. Big Caslon typeface is used for the taglines, website copy and any other complimenting copy. Lucida Grande is for product names in catalogs, tags, and on the website.


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Sound

Sound choices are modern and revitalizing. Taking infl uence from instrumental ambientgenres that have a mid-tempo upbeat rhythm, such as Tycho and Boards of Canada, keep the vibe fresh and stay in line with the idea of moving forward. Adding a whimsical pin drop or tick sound during the drop of the stem in the logo animation will keep with the lighthearted, inviting feel of the brand.


Textures


Textures used for this campaign are circular, smooth surfaces and glossy textures with linear movement that resemble solar panels. These textures also keep in line with modern, clean feel while representing the Grape Solar identity.

easy

modern

Tone

The tone will be easy yet confi dent. Instead of overwhelming consumers with technological and statistical information which can be off -putting, using a lighter and more inviting vocabulary will help solidify Grape Solar’s ideal of directing consumers on how to incorporate alternative energy into their lifestyle. Even though there will not be lots of technological information, the tone will still be confi dent to let consumers know that Grape Solar has all the information and answers they may need.


confi dent

welcoming

light

simplistic

Section 4


SolutionsDefinition: a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation.

WebsiteSocial Media

Event Signage

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Grape Solar’s website is essential to company growth. As depending mainly on e-commerce for sales, it is imperative that the website be highly user friendly and inviting to the target audience. It will also follow along the same designs explained in the style guide. With a modern look, and the use of shape to direct viewers to where they need to go, it is simplistic and pleasing to the eye.

Seen here on an iPad, the new Grape Solar website will be accessible on all platforms, granting bigger reach with it’s consumers.

Website


One of the most important features of the new website homepage, is the video. These videos will demonstrate the part Grape Solar plays in making changes to the way we use energy and live our lives. It also shows the options consumers have in starting this new lifestyle.

The new design removes clutter, leaving this homepage easy to navigate to the items most needed by users. Designed as a scrolling site, the modern design and layout will contribute to bigger revenue and growth.


Playing the main role in the media mix for this brand, outside events will be set up in communities to bring awareness to the brand and the industry. These events will consist of picnics where people can come out and try the portable products and the smaller appliances off ered by Grape Solar. There will also be signage with facts about the industry and how Grape Solar provides solutions for consumer needs.

Event Signage


In today’s world, social media can not be left out of the media mix. This rebranding campaign builds on the already existing presence of Grape Solar in social media such as Twitter and Facebook, by creating post templates and a coherent look across all of those platforms. This helps to reinforce their strength as a company and show confi dence in the solutions they provide.

Social Media


Working hand in hand with social media outlets, videos will also be created, again highlighting how Grape Solar can provide solutions to consumer needs. Above is an example on YouTube, which demonstrates how there are solutions during power outages. These concepts will also be used for television commercials, only in a shortened form.

Video Opening


References:Grape Solar (n.d). About Us. Retrieved from: http://www.grapesolar.com/company/about-us.html

Solar Energy Industries Association (5/29/2014). U.S Solar Market Insights. Retrieved from: http://www.seia.org/research-resources/us-solar-market-insight


Image Credits:Page 3: Grape Solar. Retrieved from: http://www.grapesolar.comPage 4: Solar Energy Industries Association. Retrieved from: http://www.seia.org/research-re-sources/us-solar-market-insightPage 9: Grape Solar. Retrieved from: http://www.grapesolar.comPage 10: Page 28: Tycho. Awake album cover. Retrieved from: http://shop.iso50.com/collections/awake Boards of Canada. The Campfire Headphase album cover. Retrieved from: http:// boardsofcanada.com/vinyl-reissues/#the-campfire-headphasePage 29: Solar Panel retrieved from: http://completesolar.com/top-5-myths-about-home-solar- panels Gray texture downloaded from Pixeden.com Grapes image retrieved from: Page 35: Image retrieved from: http://www.birmingham365.org/event/detail/441552669/Picnic_ for_Earth



Conclusion:Grape Solar was chosen for this rebranding project because they believe in something very important....change. They believe that change is possible, even in the smallest of ways, a different decision can make a difference. They believe in the products they sell and they stand behind them. Educating their consumers on how they can incorporate solar energy into their lives shows how much they care about their audience, their business, and the world that surrounds us all.

Through a coherent campaign look that people can understand, this brand will grow to become leaders of the alternative energy industry. More importantly, they will be contributing to the necessary changes our environment needs.

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Knowledge. Power. Change.

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Documents

lsjdfsgrape solar

time grape solar

solar energy industry

knowledge of solar power

basics of solar products

installations of solar

mw of solar photovoltaics

grape solarproject bookinever