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Tell Your Company's Story with Visual Brand Elements

Headshot of Selective Insurance Employee

By Bryan Culler
Creative Director, Marketing

Coca-Cola’s vivid red hue.
NBCUniversal’s signature three-tone jingle.
Nike’s iconic swoosh.
KFC’s tagline, “It’s finger lickin’ good.”

Each of these brand’s hallmark attributes are ingrained in modern culture with undeniable recognition that has been building audiences for decades. Strong brands, and the stewards who manage them, aim to make their elements ubiquitous while invoking a positive response. This emotional connection is solidified with an audience when a brand’s message is directly aligned with the brand’s promise and, more importantly, what a brand can deliver upon.

Think of the brands that resonate with you and you’ll see their brand promise come to life through their taglines. Nike’s ‘Just Do It.’, McDonald’s’ ‘I’m Loving It.’ Apple’s ‘Think Different.’ These simple statements encapsulate who that business is in just a few words. All brand messages should do the same.

When Selective embarked on a brand refresh journey in 2018, we understood what our customers valued in the service we provide them, but we needed to determine how we could visually communicate it in a clear and succinct manner. And it’s more than just the message – how other elements of the brand contribute to this message is equally important.

IT STARTS WITH COLOR

Financial service firms tend to leverage blue hues in their logos because it conveys trust. But what if you want to be as unique in your branding colors as you are in your brand promise? Standing out from the competition isn’t going to happen with another shade of blue. If you can identify a color that sends the right message to your customers and differentiates your company from the pack, you are in a better position to build an emotional connection with your customers. In Selective’s case, we evolved from ‘another financial institution’ using blue, to a brand that stands out among the competition simply by using a bright, bold golden color as the focal point of our new color palette. Shades of yellow are associated with joy, happiness, intellect and energy – all positive connotations when it comes to insurance.

HONORING THE PAST

Staying true to your roots and holding onto the past can, and should, be done when developing a new brand look or logo. One way to do this is by evolving from previous designs rather than pivoting to a completely new direction. This is an approach that Google has taken with each branding update, including its 2015 switch to a sans-serif typeface and removal of shadowing to flatten the lettering by removing shadows – it was a modern evolution, but still aligned with its brand history. Introducing a complimentary color – either directly from your previous color palette or referencing one from an older palette – will also help you pay homage to your history.

SIMPLE IS STRONGER

Leveraging simple visual elements in your branding can help tell a story. FedEx has a hidden arrow in their logo that lends to their narrative of delivering packages. Amazon has one, too – it starts at the ‘A’ and ends at the ‘Z,’ hinting that they have everything from ‘A to Z’. While understated, these visuals convey the stories of these companies (and frankly, if you hadn’t already known this, you won’t be able to un-see it now!).

Selective has three dots in a triangle formation its new logo to help tell our company story. These three simple elements are symbolic of our three primary audiences – the two smaller dots, which represent our agents and employees, support and uphold the larger dot, which represents our customers. Together, they illustrate the intrinsic relationship and connectivity between employees, independent agent partners and the mutual customers we serve.

A company’s visual brand tells their story. From the selection of a color palette, to the incorporation of visual elements, the brand message should be something the organization can stand behind – not just by being ‘good looking,’ but by ensuring the organization can, and does, deliver the promise depicted in the brand.

About the Author

Bryan Culler, Creative Director at Selective, is responsible for the preservation and proliferation of Selective’s visual brand across all channels that influence Selective customers, agents and employees. He and his team are charged with developing engaging and exciting digital and social platforms and content to help tell the Selective story. Bryan joined Selective in 2008 and has held various roles within Marketing where he and his team have brought the Selective brand to new heights. In 2019, Selective launched a complete overhaul of the brand, and Bryan’s team was integral in the development of the look, feel and subsequent brand guidelines.

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