Goals
Gabriella Plants has been a family business for three generations. They recently began significantly scaling operations and found that they needed a brand that could meet the needs of their expansion.
Results
After the launch of their new brand and collateral, Gabriella Plants has all the tools they need to better foster community among their customers. They continue to grow rapidly while turning their customers into fans.
Getting Started
A brand project is more than a list of deliverables. It is important to get as deep an understanding of the company’s stakeholders as its customers. We started this project by interviewing stakeholders at Gabriella Plants to get a feel for their values and where they wanted to take their business. We also explored their physical space, from the plant nurseries to the shipping department. Besides helping us get a more intimate feel for the company’s operations, touring the facilities helps us find future opportunities for brand projection, from door signage locations to possible wall graphic or mural locations and more.
Building a Language
After these interviews, we usually begin research into the company and customer. At the outset, we develop an initial Brand Lexicon which will develop during the course of the project, expressing the feel of the company as well as planting the seeds of future branded terminology, slogans, and more.
A brand encompasses more than what you see. It is what you feel about a product, how you interact with it, and more. As we build a new brand, we use the initial Brand Lexicon to inform the creation of a brand language. Over time, everyone who interats with Gabriella Plants will begin utilizing certain phrases or even manners of speaking due to Gabriella Plants’ slogans, copywriting style, and tone.
Understanding the Customer
During the research phase, we spent some time researching Gabriella Plants’ customers. We researched the way their brand is presently projected, their key competitors, their key customers, and put it all together into a confidential report which would become part of the Gabriella Plants Brand Book. We also began looking at style inspiration based on what Gabriella Plants’ customers would better respond to.
Finally, transitioning from research to design, we put together a mood board or style scape with several styles which would connect with Gabriella Plants’ customers while evoking their values and fitting the company and its culture.
A Robust, Organic Identity
Gabriella Plants is growing quickly. When they came to us, they were using a variety of print materials which needed more than their existing logo could offer. While we developed a primary logo, we focused on a brand aesthetic which would allow for a variety of evolving logos, symbols, and patterns. A complete brand family allows Gabriella Plants to adapt and grow their look as they themselves grow.
Monograms
Color Palette
Fonts
Plant-based Patterns
We wanted to make the plants the centerpiece of the brand even when appearing in the background. To that end, we are creating different illustrations and patterns based on the plants which are trending with Gabriella Plants customers. This will keep elements fresh and adaptive, since they will change with the current trends, while remaining true to the brand’s aesthetic.
Growing Fast!
We continue to work with Gabriella Plants today, as they continue their rapid expansion. In the 12 months since we built the brand, Gabriella Plants has expanded to encompass a separate office headquarters facility, a second greenhouse location, and their first ever retail location, the Gabriella Plants Shop.
Merchandise
Plants aren’t the only part of plant-growing! Gabriella Plants has a constant need for new merchandise for its customers. These are just a few of the early merchandise items we developed.
Now it’s Your Turn
If you’re growing your business like Gabriella Plants, you may need the deep, holistic branding we provide. We can help you better connect with your customers even as you grow your sales or scale to a national brand.