Why Redesign?
Launching Labs is a branding company and there are many reasons to take that on, like a business direction change or new service offerings. We don’t always support a rebrand, though. Companies put years into establishing themselves and a rebrand can undo some of that unless there is a real need. Garland Heart had a real need.
Their logo, though beautiful, was getting confused with cardiologists and non-profits. It also had tiny details that were hard to embroider on hats and shirts. Since Garland Heart attended many tradeshows every year, branded merchandise was important. They felt they needed a new name, logo, and brand guideline. In this case, we agreed. Your name and logo should underscore your core business and certainly not bring up images of a different industry altogether.
The New Brand
Launching Labs worked with the principals on a new name first. We held two in-depth brainstorming sessions, first to get general ideas of direction and values.
The sessions created a roadmap.
They wanted their customers to feel:
- In Control
- Safe
- Secure
- Protected
Vala = Oath
ValaSecure was the name they decided on. Vala is based on a Nordic myth and Secure was important to show both strength and the security industry.
With that decision confirmed, Launching Labs went to work on the logo. We worked with the team on the color scheme and ideas. The idea was to create a stronger look and feel which supported the idea of security, completely removing both Garland and heart from the brand. The new logo combined the V for Vala and a Shield reinforcing Security.
Their customers are now “ValaSecure”!
From Vala Secure
We worked with Launching Labs for a complete rebrand from the ground up using some existing elements. Mary and Alison conducted structured sessions to develop a new name and tagline, which was very helpful for helping us understand who we were and where we were going. This question and answer method got all of us what we needed to move forward. They also developed our logo designs and presented a dozen options until we narrowed to two, then one, then a few minor changes.
The process took several months and the Launching Labs team kept moving the process in the right direction so we were able to hit our deadline. In the end we received the assets in a style guide and a logo kit which we use nearly every day for different sizes, web, digital, print, etc. They listened to our concerns about positioning and incorporated them in the name, tagline and logo. Overall great value for a full rebrand and company naming strategy sessions!
Jesse Barlow – Vala Secure – ValaSecure.com
