Strategic Branding for a Colorado Photographer
The WildHive Client:
Catherine Norwood is a Colorado-based photographer for brands and couples. But when she came to me last year looking for a rebrand, she was in the middle of a big transition from being based in Kansas City to being based in Denver, Colorado. As a photographer with a lot of local connections, this move would mean building a new client base and business network. She wanted to take this opportunity to invest in brand strategy and design that reflects her services as well as her down-to-earth and joyous spirit.
In this post, I'm taking you behind the scenes of the strategic branding process for this lovely Colorado photographer!
Catherine Norwood Photo
Why I was buzzing to get started:
Catherine Norwood is an amazing photographer with a magnetic personality. We've known each other since our college days and it has been inspiring to watch her journey as a fellow creative and friend. So, when she reached out to me asking for a brand refresh I was honored to say the least!
The Goal:
The goal of this project was to create a captivating brand identity that appealed to Catherine’s new target audience. In order to do this, we started with a brand strategy kick-off call where we uncovered the root of her brand’s personality, message, and unique positioning in the Colorado photography industry.
Once we finalized her brand strategy, we used the information to create a color palette and logo suite.
Brand Strategy for Catherine Norwood Photo
The Journey:
Before diving into the brand design itself, Catherine and I started with her brand strategy. During our 1:1 strategy session, we covered everything from her brand's mission and target audience to her unique positioning and action steps as a brand.
Deliverables:
Brand Strategy
Brand Design
Business Card Design
Target Audience:
Catherine Norwood is a Denver, Colorado-based photography service for brands and couples that focuses on capturing the full story and human in front of the camera.
Pain Points:
Catherine’s target audience has a strong desire to be seen fully and share their authentic story through the photos they have taken. However, they need someone they can trust to guide them through the process and help them feel comfortable.
Brand Design for Catherine Norwood Photo
Design Solutions:
Once the brand strategy was complete, I used the insights we uncovered to create a visual identity designed to appeal to her target audience and communicate her brand's personality. Her visual identity included her logo suite, font suites, and color palette.
We merged Catherine’s bright signature green with soft, muted modern tones. The
modern tones will help her appeal to both brands and weddings evoking a gentle, romantic, and down-to-earth mood. The pop of bright green will evoke the energy of their joy-filled and fun interactions with Catherine while the grey, tan, and off-white tones represent the transparency and honesty of her brand values.
Lastly, we used her visual identity to design a memorable business card for Catherine to use as she grows her network!
Business Card Design for Catherine Norwood Photo
The Final Results!
In the end, our strategy, design, and collaboration created a unique and powerful brand that will set Catherine apart from other photographers in the Denver, CO area.
Here's what Catherine had to say:
“The amount of peace & strategy you’ve brought to my life with this work is mind-blowing. It’s priceless.”
"I’m literally overwhelmed in such a good way. I’ve felt so overwhelmed (in not a great way) by doing my own brand, and you’ve literally created exactly what I needed and more."