Brand Identity + Word Crafting + Collateral

Arbor Associates

THE TASK…

To update their brand identity to communicate how much they care about people and relationships, bring their visuals up-to-date, and write a mission + vision statement. We wanted to capitalize on their longevity because it is a testimony to their commitment and hardwork which brings with it wisdom, confidence and trustworthiness. But we wanted to remain approachable and empathetic to their audience. Some of the key brand words were personable, warm, trustworthy, confident, wise, caring and empathetic.

They’ve been around as long as I’ve been alive, conducting surveys for healthcare providers based on solid research.

SCOPE OF WORK

+BRAND STRATEGY
+MISSION, VISION, BELIEF STATEMENTS
+TAG LINE
+DESCRIPTOR
+PRIMARY LOGO
+SECONDARY LOGO
+MARK(S)
+BRAND PATTERNS
+COLOR PALETTE
+FONT PAIRINGS
+LETTERHEAD & ENVELOPE
+BRAND GUIDELINES

ILLUSTRATION

The illustration is a canopy of leaves that form a circle. This makes sense since an arbor is a structure that creates a canopy which provides protection. This is symbolic of what Arbor does for clients. The leaves in various colors represent the different clients served, the different seasons they are at in business, as well as the seasons surrounding them in breathtaking Northern Michigan. It is also a nod to the logo that has served them well for over 40 years — a tree.

FONT PAIRINGS

We went with serif fonts because they are seen as mature, wise and trustworthy. The serif font used in the logo is casual and personal making it approachable—a good in-between. The letters are spaced out which gives a more confident impression.

WORD CRAFTING

An official mission + vision statement was needed after all these years to communicate clearly who they are and where they are going. To bring some personality to the brand we decided to include belief statements. A pithy tag line and descriptor elevates the messaging to give their audience a brief idea what they are all about—their people.