CASE STUDY:

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The Sunshine Boys was one of the first moving companies to implement sustainable practices, while also prioritizing ethical pricing and customer service. The founder, Richard, aimed to create a service that harkened back to simpler times.

 

The owner came to me with an established business in its early stages, but no brand. How does this even happen? 

It's not uncommon for businesses to start without a strong brand in place. Entrepreneurs sometimes prioritize core operations and services, overlooking the importance of fleshing out the full branding early on, or settling for just a logo.

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This can cause a lot of hindrances when it comes to shaping perceptions, building trust, and establishing a unique identity in the market. 

 

He knew he needed a strong brand to differentiate him from his competitors, attract the right customers, and create a sense of loyalty among its target audience.

 

He had hired a few designers before, but didn't feel they quite captured his vision. 

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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:

With that, I started by pulling it all the way back to his early vision and reason for it all.

 

Through much collaboration time to gain a thorough understanding of the values, mission, and target market, we landed on a retro-service look and feel. Like something you might see in a 1950s era diner or gas station.

 

Before that though, he was insistent on having a flag in the logo. I was worried a flag might limit the messaging and leave too much open to interpretation, which could end up skewing the perception of his mission. While a flag may have been appropriate for a political or veteran type of brand, in this case I felt it would have worked in direct opposition to what he was trying to achieve.

 

It took a while to convince him and to nurture a new vision. I was grateful he trusted me and was open to seeing the process through. That kind of trust and collaboration brings out the best work and makes the process really exciting. 

 

At one point I said to him "I feel like if I were to hire you, my moving day would feel like a dance scene in West Side Story". He laughed and said, yes! Exactly! 

 

And with that, I was able to pull the final look together much easier, and flesh it out through all the identity, environmental, and marketing pieces. 

 

 

EVOLUTION & LEGACY:

Seeing it all come together inspired a sister service; The Sunshine Girls - Packing, Unpacking & Organizing. 

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Soon after that, The Sunshine Boys was featured on the Sundance Channel, on a show called The Lazy Environmentalist, which did not disappoint when it came to featuring the brand. There were plenty of beauty shots of the trucks, uniforms, and other branding elements throughout.

 

And a few years after that, the company sold for a "pretty penny", as the client relayed to me. He also said it was made possible by the branding and all we put into it. Sure, but it started with his vision and that's where the gold is! 

 

Spinning the gold is where the right branding comes in.