Tell us about Morton Ward
Morton Ward assists and advises on every aspect of branding and communications, from identity, print and digital development, to effective, distinctive marketing campaigns that get attention.
We work with innovative start-ups, university spinouts, technology leaders and organisations of all sizes to understand their industry, unique product or service and specific business goals, to allow us to develop creative, inventive solutions to suit. Since our inception in 1987, we have delivered over 10,500 successful projects.
As a small team we like to keep things simple, working closely with our clients to provide guidance, insight and expert advice on a more personal level than a typical agency. Regardless of the assignment, we apply the same creative approach to create meaningful brand and marketing communications that help our clients achieve their goals.
Why are you involved with Converge Challenge?
As a creative agency, nothing excites us more than new ideas and innovation. Being able to work with imaginative entrepreneurs, teams and start-ups early in their journey, to help them discover and develop their new brand, products and services, is constantly stimulating and rewarding.
One of the great things about working with Converge Challenge is that we get to meet lots of new people and learn about diverse industries and cutting-edge technologies, giving us a broad range of perspective, insight and understanding to draw from when we develop creative solutions for clients.
We are also big believers in the entrepreneurial spirit of Scotland, and always keen to support initiatives that encourage and build on this.
How have you supported the Converge Challenge to date?
Morton Ward has supported Converge Challenge since 2012, when we were first asked to improve the competition’s brand to create greater impact and awareness. The results of our work were dramatic, with an increase in applications after the rebrand of 86%. Since then, we have continued to develop and evolve the brand each year to keep it fresh and appealing for new audiences. You can read more about the Converge Challenge branding story here: www.convergechallenge.com/blogs/partners/2017-02-20-a-converge-creative-challenge
As an official Converge Challenge partner, we also attend yearly workshops and events to provide free wide-ranging advice on branding, design and marketing to entrants, as they refine and improve their pitch and ideas. The final winners of Converge are given £10k support towards our services, with us working with them to determine the best use of their budget and resources to realise their priorities.
Industry developments and trends in 2017
Trends in branding, design and visual identity come and go, but the fundamentals remain constant: the need for a great name, a simple logo, a strong differentiation and point of view. If you have all of these, your brand will be more resilient to change over the years and able to continually adapt and evolve to remain relevant.
Think about some of the world’s most recognised brands – Apple; Google; Coca-Cola; Nike; Amazon; McDonalds; BMW; Facebook; Disney; Virgin. All of these companies are behemoths, yet their core brand elements have remained remarkably simple and unchanged over the years, with only progressive evolutions and refinements made here and there. This is not by accident – the number one rule in building up brand awareness and recognition is consistency and discipline. That’s why it’s so important to get the basics right at the beginning.
That said, there are some current trends in branding to be aware of:
Naming
The name you choose for your company, product or service is the primary element of your brand expression and often the first thing others see or hear. You need a name that’s easy to say, easy to remember and rooted in the purpose or difference of your business. By thinking of short names that evoke what your brand ‘stands for’, not simply what it ‘is’, you can come up with more interesting ideas that transcend generic descriptions – think ‘Twitter’; ‘Innocent’; ‘Airbnb’, or ‘Slack’, rather than ‘Scitech Communications’; ‘Tizwizz Technology’ or ‘J&T Corporation’. Shorter names are better, unless every word is working hard to differentiate you.
Simplification
You can’t miss it – every brand you can think of has been refining its logo to its most simple, flat form recently – Starbucks; MasterCard; Spotify; Netflix and more. However, this is not just a short-lived trend – developing a simple, clear logo that can still convey your brand personality will provide you with a symbol that works well across all channels for the foreseeable future. Think digital first, think of animation potential, and think simplicity. Minimise your core colours and use them consistently.
Experience
Your brand is not just a name and logo. Every aspect of your business sends a message to investors, customers and users, from initial encounter to sales and after sales experience. Every single touchpoint where your brand is encountered is an opportunity to reinforce your brand. The most successful companies today understand this and spend time investing in every aspect of user and customer experience, aligning all their activities and products around them, to present a consistent, considered experience.
Authenticity
In recent years there has been a clear movement towards more natural brand identity and design, incorporating more organic shapes, softer colours and spontaneous photography, rather than contrived setups with models and cliché metaphors. Brands are being created to evoke greater emotion, embrace individuality and imperfection, and slant towards a more non-manufactured and mass-market appearance. This trend has influenced everything from fashion to illustration, photography to app design and graphic design to architecture, reflecting a growing desire for greater simplicity and truth.
What’s the one piece of advice you’d give an academic entrepreneur or new start up?
Don’t leave it too late to think about your brand! Good branding provides clarity, direction and motivation, and makes pitching to investors and acquiring new customers easier. Stay open minded, think from the outside in (customer first) and seek outside help. And please dare to be bold!
How can Morton Ward help Converge Challenge entrants?
We offer a wealth of experience in brand development, marketing, communications, advertising and more. From brand guidelines to launch and implementation across print and digital channels, Morton Ward provides a full, seamless design capability.
Some of the areas we can help Converge Challenge entrants include:
Brand identity development
Research, planning and conceptualisation; competitive and internal audit; naming and brand architecture, positioning and strategy; visual identity and logo design; tone of voice and key messaging; external and internal communications; management and evaluation; brand guidelines.
Print design and communications
Annual reports, brochures, catalogues – all types of corporate communications; infographics and illustrations; sales and marketing / promotional materials; direct marketing, packaging and posters; exhibition stands and signage; investor packs and presentations.
Digital media
Website design, build and launch; off-the-shelf and custom cms design; interactive presentations and timelines; social media setup and skins; e-newsletter templates; online advertising banners; animations.
Advertising and campaigns
Multi-channel advertising and promotional campaigns; long-term brand communications; tactical ‘one-off’ campaigns; direct marketing; billboards; print ads; posters; online, etc.
Final thoughts
No matter what your industry, product, service or market, a strong brand provides focus that aids development; recognition that propels growth and differentiation that cannot be duplicated by competitors. If you would like to talk more about your branding, Morton Ward would love to hear from you. Check out our work at www.mortonward.co.uk, call us on 0131 555 3553 or email ewan@mortonward.co.uk
