"What's the beef?"

A New Identity for Hero Motocorp (form. Hero Honda)

Following last month’s news about the renaming of Hero Honda Motors to Hero Motocorp, India’s largest ‘two-wheeler maker’, the eagerly anticipated new logo identity launched today in London.

Over the past few months, Wolff-Olins have been working with the company to review the brand strategy and architecture, the system used to structure, name and design the brands within the organisation. (See my earlier post).

Brand architecture is all about coherence
The objective of brand architecture is clear: To make the relationships between the corporation and its sub-divisions, companies, products etc. easy to understand — ensuring these relationships are not only distinctive and compelling but are also relevant to the audience, and of course, the consumer.

It’s not just about creating a visual design system. Brand architecture is a key component within the overall business strategy. In this case, providing Hero Motocorp with an opportunity to define, communicate and reinforce a new identity, positioning and purpose across all their markets, whether local or international. With the latter reinforced by today’s launch event in London.

By providing the context and tools to rationalize its portfolio, and continue life without Honda’s endorsement; a strong, coherent brand architecture will enable Hero Motocorp to not only leverage its brands into new markets but also provide the framework and strategy to assimilate acquired brands, too.

(Above: Hero Motocorp’s new identity revealed today at the O2, London)

For me: Brand architecture is the most interesting and revealing of processes — amalgamating both the strategic left and creative right sides of the brain, and helping to pave the way for new ideas, innovation and growth.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a lot online about today’s launch. Hopefully, over the coming weeks, more details surrounding the rebrand will become available.

DD

Rasmussen College’s Graphic Design Blog: “The Best of the Best”

Last night, Identityworks’ Tony Spaeth forwarded an email to the Identity Forum contributors (myself included) that he had received from Rasmussen College in Minnesota:

Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011
To: forum@identityworks.com
Subject: You’re Featured on the Rasmussen College Blog

Hi there, Tony and team:

I just wanted to notify you that your awesome graphic design blog was featured in a recent article published by Rasmussen College.

The article is found here: Graphic Design Blogs: The Best of the Best.

The article was written by one of our School of Technology and Design faculty.

Congrats, and feel free to promote the article through your social networks and blog.

Well, of course, it is always nice to receive recognition, but even better to hear that our modus operandi of promoting ‘identity’ as a business tool through education channels is continuing to gain momentum.

Here is the College Blog’s accompanying introduction:

Sometimes the simplest projects are the most difficult ones. Identity design may seem simple to non-designers, but anyone within this field knows that the arduous task of capturing a brand’s entire essence within one small icon is no easy feat. This forum provides articles and thought-provoking arguments from the best in the field of logo design. Learn from the trials and tribulations of the masters.

DD