in property of

Access to Information for Influence in Coastal Environments

This book is a kind gesture of Queen Street Studios. In response to the request for proposal re: rebranding and marketing COIN Atlantic. Please use this information to help direct your future endevours and goals while our team can help take you there.

COINAtlantic

A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.

Al Reis and Laura Rei

COINAtlantic
Request for Proposal
Marketing and Brand Identity
queen street studios
febuary 14, 2008 first edition

50 QUEEN ST DARTMOUTH, NS SUITE 201 B2Y 1G1 (902) 463-2665 www.qsstudios.ca

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Queen Street Studios

Queen Street Studios, located in the heart of downtown Dartmouth, opened its doors on October 24, 2006. Fondly known as QSS, its genesis emerged from the personal and professional background of its creative director Julia Rivard. Her vision was to create a place for creatives to meet, work and share ideas. Together with her husband Trevor, Julia purchased the historic Union Protection Company property, built in 1895 at 50 Queen Street in Dartmouth. In the summer of 2006, the interior of the building was transformed into a unique space and Julias dream became a reality. Today it is a vibrant space nurturing the creative energies of its members, and reaching out to the HRM community and beyond, to further the growth of the profession. The QSS creative department is rich with experience and knowledge. Our expertise in developing creative, intrusive, distinctive and relevant messaging is well matched to our broad list of services in areas such as: Graphic Design Art Direction Creative and technical writing Photography Video production Audio production Animation Web development Online advertising Search Engine Optimization Direct Marketing Queen Street Studios has been recognized in Nova Scotia as one of the top emerging young companies in the region focused on delivering creative excellence to meet their client objectives. They use a unique business structure that harnesses the creative talent of top professionals in the region to offer clients a custom team designed to target project needs. Queen Street Studios is a recent Nova Scotia Come to Life Charter Member which is a reflection on their commitment to the economic development and growth of the region.

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A brand is the embodiment of an idea.

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Our View on a Brand

Before a brand can be built, everyone must look to use the same definition for the term brand. From our perspective, we do not see it as a:

01 Product/Service 02 Name 03Tagline

A brand is the embodiment of an idea. Its a thought process that consumers buy into. Imagine a brand as if it were a person. Then ask, is this the kind of person you would like to meet, spend time with, and look forward to meeting again? And when you meet them again are they the same person you remember meeting the last time? Building a successful brand takes time. Its a long-term commitment that pays off the longer you remain true to it. In a fast-paced world where everything seems to change faster than anyone possibly can keep up, a brand is that consistent area of comfort. Once the brand is defined, it needs to be established in the minds of the audience. We look to summarize a brands position in a creative strategy. This summary needs to place our brand in an ownable or distinctivespace. This format allows people to quickly get their heads around it and in turn make it meaningful to them. We look to tap into human truths in this strategy, as well as what we develop in the creative development process. At both stages, we source and tap into strong emotional connections people have with the brand. As we know, many make decisions with their hearts and rationalize the decision with their head later. Finally, a brand cannot be developed without considering the current makeup of an organization. A successful brand will always build on inherent strengths. This will ensure that the brand will ring true to anyone who comes in contact with it. In the case of COINAtlantic, we recognize the need to elevate the recognition of the brand, design an embodiment of what it is, and ensure relevance to all your audiences.

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The Project Scope 1 Category analysis 2 Audience Understanding 3 The COINAtlantic Brand 4 Core Benefits 5 Creative Strategy 6 Investigation and Discovery 7 Concept Development 8 Choosing a Solution 9 Testing and Evaluating

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The Qss Brand Development Process

While we recognize the need for a new brand identity, we would hope to go through a very condensed exercise to ensure we develop something that is distinctive and relevant. The following outlines our process in understanding and refining the COINAtlantic brand.

Category analysis This stage would review the category and brands

connected and unconnected to the market. We would also look to highlight similar organizations that are doing things well, who isnt, and outline learnings.

Audience understanding Wed look to put ourselves in the mind of your

audience. Wed look to clearly define what theyre thinking and highlight any relevant insights. Understanding current perceptions and recognizing expectations is key to this exercise. Also, we would want to understand and highlight the means of their interaction with the organization. Lastly, if theres an opportunity to segment our audiences, it will allow COINAtlantic to be more effective with your marketing.

The current South Shore Library Brand To gain clarity, you need to define

yourself in ways you normally wouldnt. Tough questions need to asked, and your answers need to be real. Other questions we would pose are who are you?, how do you want to be perceived?, and what are your brand attributes?. A key element that needs to be clarified is your differentiator. This links to what your offering is, but needs to be distinctive and ownable.

Core benefits Since most brands have emotional and functional benefits, this
stage is all about translating your attributes into benefits. Defining what we want the audience to take-away from the brand is key to developing effective marketing and messaging.

Creative strategy This stage is all about defining the brands position, as

well as giving guidance and direction to the development of the brands visual identity. This strategy also ensures an appropriate tone and manner in whats developed. We also outline the key message we wish to convey and potentially give guidance to all marketing material.

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The creative process must always be evolving to stay relevant.

Additional review and approval cycles, more design iterations, and frequent user testing all may be inserted anywhere into this process. Even after the case is closed and the solution is active, awareness of evolution continues.

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Investigation and discovery Once we have reviewed the creative strategy, we

go through a research stage of development. The stage that will make sure that the outcome is one that the client will love. At this stage we examine function, appearance, materials, and production. The more time spent in this stage not only saves time in the design stage but assures that the client is clear on the reasons why recommendations are made. Another helpful task in the process involves looking at pre-existing ideas and executions created by peers, mentors, heros, and/or related organizations. Competitive analysis identifies the strengths and weaknesses of those existing designs. It can reveal gaps which still need to be filled and shortcomings which should be met. The ability to study what others have designed for the same (or similar) problem lends a sizeable advantage, since a great deal can be learned from their successes and failures.

Concept development At this point we are ready to create solutions. Several

solutions are explored. They are not detailed solutions and they dont often look pretty, but they are the conceptual foundations to a successful design. The more solutions that you have the more likely you are to find that perfect solution.

Choosing a solution Clients may find that they like many of the
solutions but eventually will have to choose one. Usually careful comparison with the original creative strategy will help clients in their selection.

Once the client has made a selection, that solution is explored further. This will be the development of the solution. At this point considerations will be made in the areas of composition, typography, imagery, and more. This process can involve several consultations with the client to evaluate the modifications to the solution, each time getting closer to the desired outcome. This stage ends with a solution in its final form ready for testing.

Testing and evaluating - Depending on the type of project, different methods

of testing and evaluation are required. The outcome of this stage can lead to modifications of the solution or the final launch of the solution to the users.

Our Team
Julia Rivard, Creative Director - Julia Rivard is a co-founder and Creative Director
at Queen Street Studios. Julia is a graduate of Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Recreation Administration and NSCAD University with a Bachelor of Design. In 2000 she competed at the Sydney Olympic Games in the Sport of Sprint Canoe/Kayak. She retired from competition in 2001 when she had the first of her two boys, Oscar. She has continued her involvement in sport by sitting on various committees including (among others) the Executive Committee for CanoeKayak Canada, and Olympians Canada of the Canadian Olympic Committee. She has been part of the development of the National Canoe program that led the organization to be chosen as the top amateur sport in Canada by the Canadian Sport Review Panel. Julia is a member of the North Bay Sport Hall of Fame, and in 2006 Julia was nominated and selected as a finalist for the Globe and Mails Top 40 Under 40 contest. Julia dreams of making the HRM the hub of creative excellence worldwide, and continues working to support the local independent creative industry through programs and facilities at Queen Street Studios. Julia has been successful is developping over 100 brands for various typey of business and organizations. She will lend her experience and creativity to make your project a succcess for your organization and users.

Harry Olson, Designer- Harry Olson is a graphic designer at Queen Street Studios

who brings experience of branding and advertising. Originally from the west coast, he brings creative energy to each project. Finishing up his last year at NSCAD University Harry is a great addition to the QSS team.

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Our Clients
Atlantic Caterpillar Canoe Kayak Canada Canadian Cancer Society Mining Association of Nova Scotia Royal Roads Mining Corp. NovaKnowledge Ella Floral Kelsey Business Centre Dalhousie University Nova Scotia Heart and Stroke Foundation Konica Minolta Acosta Captial Health WellWithin Chiropractic

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Our Work
The following samples are selected projects that have successfully branded our client organizations.

The Mining Association of Nova Scotia

The problem: The re-structuring of the organization and the negative public perception of the industry led to the exploration of a new brand identity for the Mining Association of Nova Scotia. The client expressed the need to represent themselves as a forward thinking, new and trusted organization embedded in the mining industry with a focus on excellent environmental practices. Deliverable: logo design and brand standards package. The solution: A logo was created that represents the action of mining/drilling into the core (in this case a stylized form representing a rock). The lines reference both the idea of core drilling that is familiar in the industry and the visual reference of veins through a stone that is familiar to anyone both inside and outside the industry. Lines have been extended to the text to add visual interest and strengthen the visual affiliation of the organization to the industry. The colour used in the divisions of the stone represent elements of the environment to lend a quality of responsibility to the visual identity.

Rejuvanex
The problem: To create a logo to represent a beauty clinic focused on staying young. The solution: The repeated use of the letter r for the company name built with different weights to symbolize the fountain of youth.

World Wise Media Services

Problem: To create a logo to represent a group of aboriginal writers. Solution: A graphic of the owl to symbolize the idea if wisdom was illustrated in a style that reflects aboriginal art. The type that was used was a rough hand drawn font to reference the art of writing.

Canoe 09
The problem: To create a visual identity for a the 2009 World Canoe Championships that represented the sport, the country and thee region. The solution: This logo uses Canadas most recognized icon, the maple leaf, as the backdrop for the multi-tiered design. The leaf has been divided by four diagonal lines which act as a representation of the Nova Scotian cross found on the provincial flag. It also serves as a division of the horizon and the water. This division is emphasized by the use of colour; a red to orange gradient for the sky and blue for thee water. The stem of the leaf is represented by the placement of the canoe/kayak which is designed to look as though it is traveling down the lane of the race course. It is an elegant, direct design that serves as an obvious representation of the event. The text of the event title can be removed and the graphic of the boat joined together for applications that call for the image alone.

68 Robie Street,Truro, NS B2N 1L2

Dr.Mike Spence B.Sc.K.,RRT,D.C. Dr.Celina Spence B.P.E.,D.C. 68 Robie Street Truro, NS B2N 1L2 P 902-843-3445 F 902-843-3301 www.wellwithinchiropractic.net

WellWithin Chiropractic
The problem: To brand a young chiropractic clinic focused on holistic healing and moving to a business model that will include service providers in various disciplines in the health industry. The solution: A modern and clean design. The name WellWithin has been represented by placing the word Well within the circle and the circle that has been used to reference the holistic approach the client takes in their practice. The colour green separates their business from others in the area and stands out in applications such as sign-age. The green also references a fresh young look and reflects the clients personalities perfectly.

Proposed Budget
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stage one: RESEARCH AND BRAND STRATEGY
Audience Understanding (4 hrs) Current Brand Analysis and Creative Brief (6 hrs) Project Management (2 hrs) Total $510.00 $150.00 $1000.00 $340.00

COST

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stage two: DESIGN
(1) Concept Development (2) Logo Design and Revisions (3) Design of Collateral (4) Brand Standards Document (5) Project Management Incidentals Total $600.oo $700.00 $550.00 $375.00 $350.00 $250.00 $2825.00

stage three: ADDITIONAL DESIGN

(1) Web concept development and skin design (2) Brochure/collateral piece (3) Project Management Incedentals Total Total budget $2000.oo $2500.00 $500.00 $250.00 $5250.00 $9075.00

Additional Options Writing Photography Printing $75.00/hr $1000.00/day TBD

*Stage one clearly identifies the clients current state, competition, and desired outcomes. The information gathered in this stage is used to develop a creative brief that will guide the concept development of stage two and to assure that the visual identity clearly reflects the desired outcomes of the client.

A brand that captures your mind gains behavior. A brand that captures your heart gains commitment.
Scott Talgo

Let us make history for you

Queen Street Studios