branding Archives

17/09/2021

Time for a business autumn clean?

The start of September saw the introduction of autumn goods in the shops, children going back to school and people getting back into routines. And, with a change in season coming an autumn clean is just as important as a spring clean. But, we mean a business autumn clean.

Ensure your website, branding and marketing are all up to scratch and look the way you want it to. Keep content up to date, fresh and think about if these three aspects are still aligning with your business goals.

desk with a computer, pot of pens and a mug

Website

Wondering if your website requires an update? Check if everything is still working, this could be the forms on your website, internal or external links or the customer login section.

Once you’ve done that, is there now something you think could be added to your website to make it a better experience for your customers? A feature that allows them to do more or perhaps it’s something that has been suggested by your customers.

Keep this in mind and not only will website updates improve the user experience but they will help with site security and your bounce rate.

Branding

Right this moment, would you describe your branding as fresh? Does it fit in with the 21st century?

From the colours used to the typeface, every aspect of your branding will influence how someone perceives your company.

Rebranding or a brand refresh can make you more relevant and can even help you reach and engage with a new audience. If you’re trying to tap into a new market or target audience, check if your branding is applicable to them as well as your current audience.

Marketing

Are you following trends and managing to keep up with marketing tasks?

Ensure your marketing goals still align with your overall business goals. It’s good to take a step back and look at the wider picture to see if you’re on track.

Also, if you’ve been trying a marketing method for a while and it’s not getting you anywhere or getting you the leads you expected, take time to evaluate and try something different.

When you update your marketing it will not only become more effective but it will also save you costs. It’s time to make wise marketing decisions.

billboard with different colourful words

How can 22Group help?

We’re proud to say we can offer many of your digital needs under one roof. Whether you are thinking about refreshing or creating a new website, brand or marketing we’ve got experts to help.

Want to see what we’ve done before? Our latest case study is on a financial company who came to us for a website refresh, take a look at our work - click here.

We’d be more than happy to have a chat about what you’re looking for or answer any questions you have - get in touch.

Published by twentytwo in Website Design & Build

Tags: autumn, branding, marketing, websitedesign

11/08/2021

National Tell a Joke Day

National Tell a Joke Day is coming up on Monday, 16th of August, so we’ve searched far and wide to find the digital related jokes that made us laugh the most.

Jokes about websites

Grandmothers are like websites
- They keep telling you to accept their cookies

I was placed under arrest for downloading the whole Wikipedia website
- I told the officer “Wait! I can explain everything!”

What is the most common job amongst spiders?
- Web design

How do you comfort a JavaScript bug?
- You console it

Jokes about branding

How do you deliver fonts?
- By Courier

Things aren’t always #000000 and #FFFFFF

Two fonts walk into a bar
- The bartender says “we don’t serve your type here”. They called the Serif.

I’m very font of you because you are just my type.

Jokes about marketing

Why are SEO experts always late to work?
- They love traffic

Why did the marketer get fired as a tap dancer?
- They wanted to get paid per click

Why was the SEO guru upset when she found out she was going to have twins?
- Duplicate content

I made a joke about organic reach on Facebook
- … nobody got it

Ok, they might not of all had you laughing your socks off but we hope they put a smile on your face!

Share the laughter and send on some of these jokes.

Great websites, branding and marketing are no joke to us. If you need help in creating or refreshing yours then get in touch with us today.

Published by twentytwo in Brand & Strategy, Marketing & Analytics, Website Design & Build

Tags: branding, digitalagency, jokeday, jokes, marketing, websitedesign

29/07/2021

What are the 5 rings of the Olympics?

The Olympics are in full swing and with more events coming back after the lockdowns (albeit still different) we’re taking a look at what the 5 rings of the Olympics mean.

This large scale sports event which gathers the best athletes and attracts viewers from all around the world has an instantly recognisable logo but do you know the thinking behind it?

How did it start?

Baron Pierre de Coubertin first created the design and is also the founder of the modern Olympic Games. The Olympic rings which have global representation is all thanks to him.

But it’s not quite original, he ‘borrowed’ it from another sporting body that he chaired, the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA), which had 2 interlacing rings - he adapted it to incorporate 5 rings.

The rings were first publicly used in 1913 and today there are 7 official versions of the Olympic rings.

Definition of the Olympics rings

“The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions (the Olympic rings), used alone, in one or in five different colours. When used in its five-colour version, these colours shall be, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red. The rings are interlaced from left to right; the blue, black and red rings are situated at the top, the yellow and green rings at the bottom in accordance with the following graphic reproduction.” (Olympic Charter, Rule 8).

What do the rings mean?

“The Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.” (Olympic Charter, Rule 8).

The 5 rings originally represented the five participating continents at the time, these were Africa, Asia, America, Europe and Oceania. Also, the colours of the five rings, together with the white background of the flag could compose the colours of every nation’s flag at the time.

Circles are a strong symbol, it represents unity, inclusivity and infinity. It could be said it symbolises bringing together all the countries and finest athletes in the world.

Like other brands, the Olympics have gone through variations of the 5 rings. Still keeping the original colours but ever so slight tweaks here and there.

How’s your brand? Is it winning gold?

22Group have a team filled with talented designers who can advise, guide and create a brand identity that will get you seen, be on-trend and represent you and your business.

Take a look at our previous work here.

Ready to get started or have some questions? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to have a chat.

Published by twentytwo in Brand & Strategy

Tags: branding, logo, olympicrings, olympics

18/06/2021

UEFA Euro logos

There’s a small amount of logos out there that would last a lifetime. Like fashion trends, design trends change resulting in updates of logos. Think about the big brands you know, have they come out with new logo looks over the years? Starbucks, Mastercard, Pepsi, Apple and many more have changed their logos as time has gone by.

The UEFA Euro logo is no different. The Euros, more formally known as UEFA European Football Championship, was founded in 1955 and rebranded in 1992. Since then, the logo has gone through several logo updates.

Let's take a look:

SVG created by Christian Bier

1960 - 1992

The logos are all similar throughout these years, they all look like the above 1968 logo but the flag and year changes. The flag depends on which country was hosting the championship, in this case, it was Italy.

The design at the time was on-trend and modern but we now see it as vintage and is very recognisable as a vintage logo design.

1996

The 10th UEFA European Championship was hosted in England in 1996. The logo took a different look from previous years with a playful vibe with the majority of it using a primary colour palette.

ref="https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/sports">Sports Vectors by Vecteezy

2000

This championship was held in the Netherlands and Belgium, which explains the mix of flag colours in the logo. In addition the typography used is completely different from the previous logos, it’s more sophisticated, clean and neat.

Euro 2004 logo | source = http://rpmedia.ask.com/ts?u=/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/39/UEFA_Euro_2004_logo.svg/180px-UEFA_Euro_2004_logo.svg.png | author = UEFA

2004

Held in sunny Portugal, the Euro 2004 logo represented the location very well with the sunny, warm vibes. The “Euro 2004” part of the logo takes a different approach on the typography again going back to the fun and casual feel.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33901048

2008

The Euro 2008 was hosted in Austria and Switzerland. Paying homage to their flags in the logo, the red and white are very prominent. In addition, known for their mountains and peaks in the landscape, you can also see this being represented in the logo with the 3 peaks.

Typography in the 2008 logo changes again, using a simple sans-serif in several weights they went for a more minimalistic, clean look.

Logo of the European Football Championship 2012 | Source = The logo is from the UEFA.com website.

2012

Held in Poland and Ukraine the Euro 2012 logo was once again very different from previous logos, incorporating flowers and the main one being a football. The colours also incorporated the Polish and Ukrainian flag.

Logo of the European Football Championship 2016 | Source =The logo is from the UEFA.

2016

For the first time, the trophy features in the UEFA logo. The Euro 2016 was in France and the colours of the French flag can be seen throughout the trophy and background. This is more artistic with symbols and minimalistic shapes dotted around the logo.

2020 (2021)

Having been postponed a year due to the outbreak of COVID-19 the Euro 2020, for the first time ever, will be held across the continent by 11 host cities instead of 1. Once again, the trophy is the centrepiece of the logo with celebrating fans behind it. The green bridge represents connections and unity, football brings people together.

Who do you think is going to win this year? With the past year being uncertain, training and sports were restricted so could we see a surprise win this year?

22Group can help!

Our talented designers have worked with many great brands and can get your message across through your logo. If you’re looking to have one designed, refreshed or updated we can help.

From creating your logo to applying it across different assets including car vinyl, business cards or email signatures - keep it all consistent and have the work done under one roof.

Ready to get started or want to learn more? Get in touch.

Published by twentytwo in Brand & Strategy

Tags: branding, football, logo, uefa

15/04/2021

Top brands on social media

Social media doesn't just keep us connected with friends and family, but it also keeps us connected to all walks of businesses and brands.

The top brands on social media have a powerful impact, authentic engagement from their followers and clearly showcase their brand identity.

Going onto a brand’s social media, whether that’s Instagram, Facebook or the other platforms, has become part of the shopping experience. People look for validation through pictures, posts, videos and even comments from other customers.

With social media being a necessity for any business these days, getting some strategy inspiration from the brands that are doing it right is always a good place to start.

Let’s take a look at the top brands on social media:

GoPro

Making the world’s most versatile cameras, GoPro not only showcases their products and how great their cameras are, but they also interact a lot with their followers. They use user-generated content to show the quality of their cameras, it acts as a review for potential customers.

Nike

Nike focuses a lot on people and athletes on their social media channels. They have attracted the audience’s attention by showing the people who make the brand rather than constantly plugging their products. Nike is also very good at jumping on current affairs and sharing their thoughts, from Black Lives Matter to recognising frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic.

Starbucks

Starbucks has managed to grab the attention of its audience by using engaging and colourful visual imagery. Another great brand for voicing and creating campaigns around current topics, they create a lot of relevant content and create products in line with trends.

Screenshot of Greggs twitter post with a girl running on a treadmill.

Greggs

Greggs is a well-established brand and often uses humour through its social media. Whether retweeting with a witty comment or using a punny one-liner, Greggs has managed to maintain their image and actively engage with their audience.

Etsy

Selling a variety of handmade and unique items, Etsy uses its social media to display the work by independent, creative designers. The pandemic increased the message to support small businesses and local independent shops, Etsy’s platform allows customers to do exactly this. The visuals and content posted shows off Etsy’s very warm, welcoming and authentic branding.

screenshot of Farrow & Ball Facebook post

Farrow & Ball

A brand inspiring people to use eco-friendly water based paint and handcrafted wallpaper, Farrow & Ball have become well-known. They create a lot of content that is useful, inspiring and gives their individual paint colours personality.

Did having a look at these top brands help inspire some new and unique content for yourself?

Adding value is very important through social media, don’t just push products and promotions. Give them information that is useful and relevant - connect with your audience, relate to them and create relationships. You want to create a lasting impression.

Are you using your social media to showcase and build up your brand image?

man on phone browsing through a business' instagram

22Group can help if you’re looking for branding, marketing or web design services. Make a splash! Get in touch, we’d love to help.

Published by twentytwo in Brand & Strategy, Marketing & Analytics

Tags: branding, building, Social Media

04/03/2021

Recognising International Women’s Day: Women who influenced branding, marketing and the web.

In recognition of International Women’s Day we’re exploring the women who have influenced and shaped the branding, marketing and web industry.

There’s no doubt future generations will influence and change the way we market products and services, use the web or create brands. Here are only a handful of influential women who have made a major impact:

Ada Lovelace

"Ada Lovelace, 1838" by Nefi is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Back in the middle of the 1800s Ada invented computer programming when she wrote the algorithm for the first computer machine. Her contribution has made the internet and today’s web possible, thanks Ada!

Carolyn Davidson

What brand do you associate a tick with? Carolyn Davidson, graphic designer, created the all so famous Nike Swoosh logo and originally contracted it for just $35 back then.

Ann Handley

"Ann Handley - Keynote" by TopRankMarketing is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A digital marketing pioneer, she’s an inspiration to create better marketing that delivers results. ClickZ, her previous company, is one of the first sources of digital marketing information in the world and IBM named her as one of the 7 people shaping modern marketing with a mention by Forbes as being a top thought leader.

Susan Kare

Susan Kare is a very influential computer iconographer, she has designed thousands of software icons which are recognisible to anyone who uses a computer. Her most notable icons are Apple, Microsoft and PayPal.

Kim Krause Berg

In 1998 Kim founded Cre8siteForums.org which is a forum for SEO, UX and web design. It’s a great place for advice and talking with other SEOs on different topics. Kim, from the start of SEO, provided guidance on balancing usability with SEO.

Carol H. Williams

Creator of many famous advertising campaigns, Carol has worked with several big companies and one of the most memorable is The Walt Disney Company where she created the groundbreaking “Imagination” campaign.

Here at 22 Group, we’re really pleased to have welcomed a number of women to our team over the last 6 months, and we couldn’t be more proud to have a balanced, talented team.

But let’s be clear, when recruiting we of course search for the best person for the job, irrespective of gender. Running a small to medium-sized agency with a wide range of clients and industries, we find real value in having a balanced team to work on branding, design, web-build and marketing.

Published by twentytwo in Company updates

Tags: branding, inspirational women, marketing, websitebuild