24 September 2024
Continue to surprise within consistent brands and client-agency relationships
Wanting to be surprised is human nature, especially in today’s spirit of the times. This is also true within brand identities. Creative agencies are often asked because people want something “new”. And that is exactly where it sometimes rubs in our profession. Because strong brands are built precisely on the basis of consistency, but on the other hand, you have to keep innovating. A meaningful client-agency relationship leads to better results. The trick is to find the balance between surprise and familiarity. Something that is central to our profession every day, and takes various forms.
Premeditated freedom
When developing a strong visual identity, we believe it is important to build in flexibility. By not setting everything in stone. And not being afraid of a visual identity that is constantly changing. But how do you ensure this? From the very beginning, we take into consideration that there is room for development and surprise. For example, by creating very strong primary and secondary building blocks that create room to play.
In short, you design a clean foundation of primary building blocks that carry the brand identity. And you supplement that with secondary building blocks that can be deployed temporarily or varied as needed. Of course, all are carefully dosed in quantity and time range. This way you create enough dynamics to show customers and target groups a different side of the brand each time, and there remains enough surprise. All this together creates a sustainable brand identity. And if we establish this, we don’t do it in a corporate identity manual with rules, but in an inspiration book that shows what is possible. This often prevents the need for third parties to color outside the lines. After all, there is already enough freedom.
When a client has a goal, ambition, or even a dream, it is the job of our design team to fully embrace it. From that moment on, everything is done: development, alignment, and review, with the end goal of achieving that goal or realizing that dream. Finally, the client and brand designer share the same mission: achieving or exceeding the common goal.
Ruud Temmink, Creative Director Zuiderlicht
Bi-directional
After establishing a brand identity, many see it as finished. But we think of this as the moment when it really begins. Because once the foundation has been set, it’s time to really bring the brand to life. To test all that has been thought out at every imaginable touchpoint, and execute it in a consistent manner. From tiny surfaces like a pen to billboards that need to grab attention in seconds. That offers the chance to fine-tune where necessary. Because in advance you can never foresee what situations you will encounter in practice. This process is at least as important as the initial design phase.
However, in our opinion, a creative agency not only builds a brand, but also a relationship. You involve the client right from the style development and empower them through co-creation. For example, with so-called sneak peeks or brainstorming sessions. Because co-creation ensures deeper involvement, increased satisfaction, trust, and ultimately more room for creativity. Because design is a vulnerable profession. If there is trust, you dare to pitch the most daring ideas. And that is often precisely where the creativity and surprise lies. But the relationship is also important because we like to stay on top of what is going on within an organization in the broadest sense. Because as an outsider who often works for multiple departments or sectors, as a creative agency we need to be able to connect separate dots in surprising ways, or combine multiple objectives within a single tool. As we sometimes say: the work becomes as good as the relationship allows.
A client-agency relationship is like any other relationship. You have to put effort into it, but it also brings you pleasure and trust. By talking to each other more broadly than just about the assignment, you can offer a helicopter view and surprise the client with resources or messages the client didn’t yet know he needed. Or initiate cross-pollination. That way, even relationships that have been around for years remain interesting.
Melianthe Wouters, Designer Zuiderlicht
Seeing with fresh eyes
After the roll-out, a more practical phase begins, in which predominantly on-demand resources are created within the guidelines. From a complete campaign to magazine or Canva templates for social media stories. This is where – especially with long-term relationships – the pitfall lurks that every assignment becomes a fill-in-the-blank exercise. That’s why we always try to look at a question with new eyes. Of course, based on variables such as deadlines and budget, we have to flawlessly sense when there is room for surprise or specialization.
Of course, as a designer, you have a creation mode and a production mode. Still, I approach each repeat assignment as a new assignment. I ask myself if it is still what it should be. And play again with composition, color, and form.
Ivo Straetmans, Designer Zuiderlicht
We take a moment to consider the question behind the question. We believe it’s important to challenge whether the requested solution is the right one. Does it really need to be a brochure? Or would a one-pager or giveaway be more effective? And do you simply want a trade show stand with a counter and a backdrop, or could it be a performance that might require more effort but will also create a greater impact?
In my view, a brand identity is a means, not an end. Ultimately, it’s about conveying the message to the target audience, with recognizability as a prerequisite. Besides the output we deliver, it’s also about how you build the relationship with the client, because this work is, and always will be, about people.
Bert van der Veur, Designer Zuiderlicht
Circular
A strong brand is never truly finished. It evolves with the organization, external developments, products, services, and messages, and with the target audience. We believe that’s a good thing. While clients want to be positively surprised, it’s in the nature of a creative agency to explore and push boundaries—always maintaining enough recognizability. Where these two elements clash, they also strengthen each other. It’s where familiarity and innovation are balanced that you create a dynamic and sustainable brand identity.