At sixth form college, I bought a dark pink beret in a charity shop. Inspired by that Prince song, I decided it would be my signature item. I would wear it every day, communicating to the world that a) I had impeccable music taste, b) I shopped vintage, c) I was aware of French new wave. Similarly, a friend decided they would only wear black and another always wore skinny ties.     

Yes, these teenage grabs at notoriety are retrospectively cringeworthy  – we were 17, it was 2001 – but I would argue the motivation behind it was valid. We were exploring how we wanted to be perceived. 

I have been thinking about this a lot on recent Flying Object projects, branding start-ups and scale-ups.  In essence, a branding project is also about exploring how you, or rather a company, want to be perceived. Taking all of the things that a company does and is, and finding a way to package it up and communicate it outwardly, in a way that will resonate with your intended audience. A pleasing brand identity aimed squarely at the right people is not just a nice-to-have: according to one study by Zippia, 60% of consumers will avoid a brand with a logo they find odd, ugly, or unappealing, whilst Forbes found that presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.

Accordingly, before the shiny new logo and razor sharp copy, comes a process of discovery. A period within which a company must interrogate and define their identity, gaining clarity on what they are doing, why they are doing it and who they are doing it for. In short, companies must decide on what their true priorities are. This can be a tricky terrain to navigate, particularly as this understanding must be collective.

At Flying Object we have developed a roadmap to navigate this journey, including interviews with internal and external stakeholders, competitor analysis, workshops and tissue sessions. We have found the right questions to ignite the right conversations. Most people grin when we ask things like if your brand was a person, how would they behave at parties? But in practice, that question in particular has proved wildly revealing. Would Patagonia be pulling shapes or preparing hot nibbles? Would Ikea be dancing in the kitchen, or deep in hallway conversations? (I think we all know the answer to that one.)

Some companies have been immediately aligned, whilst others – perhaps those just starting out – have been less so. To me, these are the fascinating ones. What happens when one person views the company one way and is surprised to discover their colleague sees it very differently? In the process of taking something that is often fluid and making it concrete, there is no longer any room for ambiguity: everyone must find common ground. The process has frequently proved to be a key catalyst for important discussions internally and, importantly, the process has provided the framework for that dialogue. In these circumstances an exercise in branding becomes more than the sum of its parts. It’s not simply producing an identity for a company, it’s cementing its foundations. It’s making it stronger.

Though each route is invariably different, the destination is the same: the tools to communicate who you are to the world. A unique, memorable verbal and visual identity, built on a cohesive vision and an established mission. These informed and considered foundations are key. If you skip straight to the logos and taglines you risk misrepresenting your company, and ultimately failing to connect with your target audience. You are telling a story, but before you start, you have to figure out the plot and the language to speak in.

Thankfully the Flying Object framework for self-discovery precludes berets, black dylon or spelunking ebay for skinny ties. Thankfully my era of self-discovery pre-dated instagram.

For the end results of two recent projects, please see below:

• A bold and confident identity for scientific and technological pioneers, Universal Quantum.
• A rebrand for salary sacrifice benefit provider Gogeta, centered around the idea same dough, more bread and featuring a (we think) genuinely delightful bread-based mascot.