Blue Kite Marketing

Brand work during leadership changes and mergers

Nashville-based Blue Kite works with complex B2B companies that are going through a transition. The firm says it works with organizations at an inflection point, such as those facing new leadership, a combination with another company, entry into new markets or preparation for a growth phase. It starts each engagement by understanding where the company stands today and agreeing where it is going before any creative work begins. Its goal is to make the brand match where the business is heading, so that what the company shows the world reflects what it has become.

Story and style: strategy before design

Blue Kite describes its method in two parts: a close look at the business and its messaging first, then design. It digs into what makes an organization distinctive and builds a roadmap for sharing that with the outside world, addressing the story a company tells as well as the way that story looks. The firm says a clear, consistent story keeps everyone in the business telling the same thing.

Visual identity that matches the work

Once the strategy is set, Blue Kite refreshes or builds the visual identity, which covers the logo, the website and the marketing materials. The firm's view is that designs need to match the quality of the work they represent, so a company's look is treated as an extension of what it actually does. The aim, the firm says, is for the visual identity to keep pace with the direction of the business and to be easy for customers to recognize.

Deciding when a rebrand makes sense

Blue Kite also advises companies that are unsure whether they need a new name, a new logo or simply a better brand strategy. It says it helps clients judge which of those will solve the problem in front of them, and that any rebrand should follow a clear picture of where the company is going.