Anatomy of brand development Part 3: Sult Mine Creative Group designs brands for new star
Updated: Apr 14, 2021
A few months ago I was happy to get a call from Perry Watson III, President of the Lexus of Mishawaka dealership who is currently rebranding the company to represent a number of automotive brands in Indiana and Southwestern Michigan. Perry and I became familiar a few years ago at a benefit concert I helped produce and was a featured speaker on behalf of the 100 Black Men Group. He liked the brand strategy and supporting advertising, marketing and publicity that I spearheaded and was impressed with the direction Sult Mine took to help companies build brands to establish market leadership.
Our initial meeting proved very collaborative. We spoke of building a brand foundation that rests on the pillars of core brand values and a clear sense of purpose. Perry was an admirer of brands knowing what they stood for and wanted to convey a Watson welcome in unexpected ways. In communicating the brand, Perry wanted to develop a distinct voice with an unmistakable visual presence for a new dealership in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
Initially, the assignment included naming, slogan development and logo design. We constructed a name that would fit with the category positioning, resonates with the company's core values, and worked very hard to reflect the brand personality. The decision was made to use Watson Automotive Group.
Once the company naming had been concluded, we moved to brand identity development. This starts with the primary visual expression of the brand – the business logo design. Logo design projects are rounded out with a complete graphic brand identity of color, type, symbols and shapes. We arrived at the final name and logo design below.
The initial assignment included extending the identity of the new holding company and applying it to a visual branding scheme that included corporate correspondence, environmental design, and departmental apparel. Whether you’re knowingly influencing it or not, we needed to be aware of a new audience who would define their new ownership. The brand would have to introduce their philosophy of values in order not disappoint, confuse, and alienate an audience that has walked across the portals for over 25 years with the prior dealership.
The new brand identity reinforces the transformation underway in Watson Automotive Group's business. Sult Mine Creative Group provided a platform to build the company legacy as the most comprehensive automotive experience by expanding on strengths, stretching into new territory that aligns with with Watson Automotive Group's mission and created an emotionally engaging experience for buyers.
We're looking forward to the next few months as we develop the launch of this very fun and professional group of automotive professionals. Stay tuned!
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