news
We are excited to announce that Mark Minelli will be travelling to Mumbai in November to give a talk at the World Brand Congress. Below is a synopsis of the topics he will be discussing.
Branding provides a very specific set of tools that work together to forge perception and influence behavior. A brand must work on both an intellectual and emotional level to resonate and engage. The presentation will focus on three areas that explore the underpinnings and impact of the notion of “brand”.
Visual Integrity
An analysis of the formal design principles that bind a brand together. A great brand creates more with less and transcends the sum of its parts. The goal is to create a set of minimalist components, both visual and verbal, that complement and amplify one another.
Developing a Global Program
An overview of the process and outcomes involved in developing an institutional rebranding program for a global NGO operating in 26 countries.
Taking a Stand
An exposition on where brands go from here. A powerful brand not only shapes perception, but also influences behavior as well. Ultimately, what do we want our brands to represent? Can they do more than move products but also serve as a force for building a better, more sustainable world?
An excerpt from Mark's recent article in Sustainable Brands.
Organizations that take a stand for what they believe in create brands that are powerful, emotionally resonant, and authentic. Working over the past 20 years with a range of mission-driven organizations, many with environmental or social purposes, we developed a set of five questions designed to unlock a brand’s value.
1. Who are the people important to our future?
Identifying everyone the brand needs to reach serves as the first step toward positioning and expression. Generating insight into stakeholder perspectives can be time consuming and expensive. Efficiency is critical. For a recent engagement with Pact, a global NGO with field offices in over 25 countries, we convened three global brand workshops, issued an electronic survey, and moderated ongoing online discussions in order to capture the greatest possible share of stakeholder voice. In this way, we were able to tap into both the diversity of the organization and its deeply held shared values.
2. What do we want them to know?
Openness and honesty are the cornerstones of authentic communication. There are countless stories of consumer brands discovering this the hard way in the new social media landscape. And the most successful nonprofit brands are ones whose messaging and behavior truly reflect their core purpose. In fact, the methodologies of brand development provide a powerful lens on the broader strategic view of an organization by highlighting inconsistent, confusing, or inadvertent messages that have developed over time in the pursuit of programs or funding not aligned with the mission.
Continue reading this article.
We are excited to be participating in the HOW Conference Studio Tour this Friday. Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look at our studio and design process.
From the HOW description: "Minelli’s 10 staffers work on the fifth floor of a former chocolate factory in the Bullfinch Triangle neighborhood of downtown Boston. The building was recently renovated top to bottom and includes space for five design companies. (As you enter the building, make sure you note the lobby’s recessed art wall and both the interior and exterior signage—all designed by Minelli.) The actual studio is an open-plan loft space with exposed brick, wood floors and the original beam ceiling."
"The curious relationship between the structure of a material object and the chaotic way artists re-create it is something Mark Minelli explores in his exhibit, 'Constructed Memory,' in the Ballroom Gallery of Marblehead Arts Association, beginning May 5."
Read more: Marblehead artist Mark Minelli readies for May exhibit (Marblehead Reporter)
Take a look at photos from the installation in the grand ballroom of an old Georgian mansion that is the home of the Marblehead Arts Association.
Pact, a leader in international development, has begun implementing its new identity system designed by Minelli, Inc. With a launch earlier this month, the new brand has already helped unite a global workforce and drive culture change within the organization. See the work on our portfolio page.
Minelli, Inc. was recently hired to extend Pact's unique value to a wider range of supporters. Developing a foundation for building a powerful and memorable brand is particularly important for Pact at this stage. Clarifying the unique vision and value of the organization and giving staff relevant and tangible tools for their communications and decision-making will assure internal alignment for Pact’s strategic priorities. Creating a solid and differentiated brand position will allow Pact to define its core messaging and develop a unique visual identity to appeal to new stakeholders and supporters so critical to continued growth and success.
Now Emerson College is building a permanent home of its own in Hollywood. The world-class academic and degree programs planned for the new center will prepare students for a variety of careers through intensive study and mentoring by working professionals.
Minelli, Inc. was selected to develop and design a compelling communications package that will increase understanding, generate enthusiasm, and create forward momentum for the academic programs planned for Emerson's highly visible permanent center in Los Angeles.
Minelli, Inc. partnered with Orton leaders across the country to create a positioning statement and messaging matrix that clearly expresses the organization’s unique value and resonates both rationally and emotionally with its key stakeholders.
Approaching its 75th anniversary and armed with bold, new curatorial leadership, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston has arrived at a critical juncture. With the opening of its iconic new building, the institution succeeded in launching Boston’s waterfront revitalization while reshaping how the city and the world think about contemporary art and architecture in Boston.
Realizing that there is still much work to do to reach their goals, the ICA hired Minelli, Inc. to refresh its brand position and visual identity in order to bring the institution to the next level of recognition and engagement. Guiding the institution to becoming as creative in their approach to communications as they are in their selection and presentation of contemporary art and artists will require new ways of thinking and behaving that will appeal to a wider group of audiences.
Minelli Inc. was included in the mix of very talented designers who submitted their logo designs to be published in "Recycling + Redesigning Logos- A designer's guide to refreshing + rethinking design".
The book's introduction states that "A logo is just the start of the story. A good logo is visually arresting and symbolically potent. It sums up the company or organization it represents, which is exactly why it's just the start. A brand is the sum of all the connections and shared experience, feelings + associations. The evolution of brands' logos is often for strategic purposes, rather than just for the sake of change.”
Our work for WUMB-FM was highlighted as a case study. To see more: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boston-MA/Minelli-Inc/72630874803
Consistently ranked #1 in entrepreneurship education, Babson College is nationally recognized for educating leaders who create economic and social value whether they start new businesses or apply entrepreneurial thinking within existing organizations. Guided by a new growth strategy developed around this competitive advantage, Babson is accelerating its efforts to strengthen the College in order to attract the most talented and diverse entrepreneurial students, faculty, and staff. Communicating what makes a Babson education so distinctive requires clarity and consistency of messaging around the College’s unique value in the higher education marketplace.
In order to better leverage the positioning work the College had already done, Babson hired Minelli, Inc. to design a new visual identity system. An important first step will be to clarify the key elements of Babson’s overall vision and what this means to newly defined audience segments identified by Minelli. Two of the central tenets of Babson’s mission are that entrepreneurial behavior extends beyond the boundaries of traditional business organizations and that entrepreneurial thought and action can be used to create a better world. Expressing this unique, global perspective in language and imagery will play an important role in the success of the new graphic identity.
Based on the strength of its leaders, staff, renowned collection, and innovative exhibitions and programming, The Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) has emerged as an important mid-sized American museum of modern and contemporary art. As OCMA prepares to break ground for a new facility, the museum recognizes the need to clarify its unique value and reconsider its institutional name in order to build clearer expectations to existing and prospective audiences.
To accomplish this goal and to raise the visibility of OCMA as a center for modern and contemporary art, increase visitation and financial support, and connect with audiences in more meaningful and lasting ways, OCMA hired Minelli, Inc. These goals can all be achieved through the creation of a brand strategy that will institutionalize the vision across the organization, and through a visually compelling brand identity that will make the Museum’s vision tangible and relevant.
CRICO is the patient safety and medical malpractice company serving the Harvard medical community. CRICO combines insurance protection and legal services to protect and defend providers during medical malpractice claims. In addition, CRICO is an internationally renowned leader in evidence-based risk management, providing nearly 12,000 physicians and over 250 hospitals and other healthcare organizations with innovative patient safety guidelines and training.
CRICO selected Minelli, Inc. to develop a comprehensive brand identity, including a major website redesign, and an integrated communications strategy to bring the brand to life. Creating a more consistent and visually compelling presence and clearly articulating the brand architecture of this complex organization will make it easier for CRICO’s time-starved audiences to engage with CRICO’s wealth of expert services and the impact these services have on creating the safest health care system in the world.
With a bold vision to reshape the cultural landscape in Boston, Emerson College is developing plans for exciting new performing arts programs. The plans call for creating public programs for the Cutler Majestic Theater and the newly renovated Paramount Center, a venue that includes a 500-seat theater, 200-seat screening room, and 125-seat Black Box.
Seeking to gain recognition as a distinctive performing arts nexus known for innovative productions, Emerson's Office of the Arts has selected Minelli, Inc. to design a visual identity system that will express the unique promise of this thrilling new addition to Boston's theater scene.
We may not fill these positions today or tomorrow, but we are definitely looking for talented and passionate individuals with the following areas of expertise:
Graphic Design
Individuals with formal design training and 5-8 years experience working in the field. Must be able to solve problems and work collaboratively with our creative team as we create robust, multifaceted design systems. Individuals must possess a broad base of skills with experience in designing for print, web, and environmental applications.
Social Media
Individuals with experience planning and implementing social media programs. Must be actively participating in a wide variety of social media activities such as blogging, community development and management, etc and display a working knowledge of the current and emerging tools and metrics available. Must possess real world experience in successfully implementing social media programs to increase visibility, membership, and traffic for organizatons and intiatives.
In anticipation of its 50th anniversary, the Amon Carter Museum is embarking on a bold campaign to clarify its vision and value to all of its audiences in order to secure its reputation as a premier museum of American art.
To accomplish this goal, the Carter (located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District) hired Minelli, Inc. to create a strategic communications platform. This initiative will form the basis for the design and implementation of a public awareness campaign that reflects the unique experience promised by the museum, and inspires visitors to engage more deeply with it.
In September 2009, Mark Minelli was elected to sit on the Board of Directors at Pact, a global, non-profit, mission-driven organization delivering support to those in need while building the skills and capacity among those people to help themselves. Pact provides top-level technical assistance in multiple fields such as HIV/AIDS, economic opportunity, the environment, democracy/governance, and peace building. Last year Pact assisted more than 12,000 organizations in 62 countries around the world—with those groups reaching millions more with vital support.
Pact began in 1971 as a membership organization for private and voluntary organizations (PVOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). In 1992 Pact revised its bylaws, dissolved its membership, and established itself as an independent international nonprofit corporation. It is registered in Washington, D.C. as a 501(c)(3) organization and currently operates 18 field offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Learn more at pactworld.org.
The YMCA of Greater Boston's new website is now live at www.ymcaboston.org. The new site, designed by Minelli, Inc. with development support from Fresh Jones, incorporates a freshly designed visual identity system that uses a series of rotating word ending in "y" to express the reach and impact of the Y's programming. This system was also implemented in print and outdoor advertising and across all of the YMCA’s integrated marketing materials.
The YMCA of Greater Boston, the first YMCA in America, selected Minelli, Inc. to revitalize their brand image as part of a five-year strategic planning process that includes building a new facility on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.
In this current economic climate, organizations may not be positioned to undertake a full institutional rebranding initiative. However, this may be a perfect time to investigate one key aspect surrounding your brand.
A Minelli Inc. Dynamic Audit © can help organizations:
- Gain clarity around your vision and mission
- Identify critical current and prospective audiences
- Clearly articulate the unique institutional value that differentiates you from the competition
- Assess current communications
- Refine messaging, or
- Learn to make decisions that strengthen and support the brand identity and the bottom line
WHAT IS A DYNAMIC AUDIT?
A dynamic audit is a highly targeted set of consulting services tailored to help organizations quickly and effectively make better decisions regarding one key aspect of their brand.
HOW IS THE AUDIT CONDUCTED AND WHAT IS DELIVERED?
We will work with you to clarify target issues, gather data, facilitate focus groups or information sessions, synthesize findings, and create recommendations that offer actionable ideas to help you stay focused on one of your organization's most valuable assets...the brand.
We would be happy to discuss with you how a Dynamic Audit can help your organization reinvigorate its identity and stay on brand, without blowing the budget.
Contact us at vision@minelli.com for more information.
The American Repertory Theater ushers in a period of change and excitement with a new graphic identity that visually demonstrates the transformational mission of its new artistic director, Diane Paulus. Building on the legacy of the A.R.T. as one of the most exciting and innovative theaters in America, Paulus seeks to redefine and revitalize theater for twenty-first-century audiences. Bringing her creative vision to life includes attracting and engaging new audiences that will become active participants in A.R.T. productions.This effort will be critical to achieving the vision and revitalizing an established institution.
The A.R.T.’s new look—designed by Minelli, Inc—includes a bold and powerful new logo, an energetic and vibrant color palette, and lush photography capturing the audience’s experience of the A.R.T. The main message conveyed by the identity system is that the focus is always on the audience’s participation. “Experience the A.R.T.” is not just a headline, but is also locked up with the logo. The new brand identity will be integrated into all of the A.R.T.’s communications including the season brochure, window graphics, show posters, and a new website scheduled to launch in May 2009.
Minelli, Inc.’s work for the Currier Museum of Art was named one of the world’s most effective rebrands in the fifth annual ReBrand 100® Global Awards. ReBrand 100 is the highest recognition for brand rebuilding and redesign, and is the only global, juried program of its kind.
In 2006, the Currier began a 33,000 square-foot expansion to include additional galleries, classrooms, and amenities that would dramatically transform the museum. A distinguished museum with a loyal core audience, the Currier suffered from a general lack of awareness among potential new visitors. Minelli, Inc. was hired to help the Currier clarify their vision in order to attract new audiences and extend their reach. Armed with a clear brand strategy, new messaging, and a dynamic visual identity system, the Currier welcomed 25,000 visitors and doubled the number of new memberships sold within two weeks of reopening in the spring of 2008.
In addition to the prestigious ReBrand 100 award, the American Association of Museums recognized Minelli’s redesign of the Currier Museum of Art’s membership magazine.
Established in 1983, Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) provides social, educational and employment services to Alaska Natives and Native Americans living in the Cook Inlet region of Alaska. These programs serve an average of 12,000 Alaska Natives and Native Americans annually.
Following a period of phenomenal organizational growth, CITC recognized the need to begin a broad-based planning process with the goal of developing a compelling vision and a set of institutional priorities to meet new challenges and ensure continued success. Focusing on a long-term strategy and identifying a more balanced and sustainable base of support to advance CITC’s mission will require operational and organizational shifts. CITC selected Minelli, Inc. to develop and implement an institutional brand strategy. This strategy will play an integral role in clarifying, expressing, and promoting these shifts both within the organization and among participants, allied community agencies, community partners, and funders.
The YMCA of Greater Boston, the first YMCA in America, selected Minelli, Inc. to revitalize their brand image as part of a five-year strategic planning process that includes building a new facility on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.
Possessing a high level of name recognition and respect, the organization is mainly associated in the public’s mind as a “swim-and-gym” facility. This association overlooks the YMCA’s critical work in youth development and community building. The YMCA of Greater Boston was seeking to build a brand identity that would more fully communicate the breadth of their offerings and depth of their impact while garnering support for an extensive capital campaign.
Minelli, Inc.brought the brand strategy to life with a simple and compelling visual identity system that uses a series of rotating words with a tagline. The creative system strikes a balance between the practical and emotional reasons to consider the YMCA of Greater Boston. This system was implemented in print and outdoor advertising and across all of the YMCA’s integrated marketing materials.
The Newark Museum, New Jersey’s largest museum, is a world-class art, culture and educational institution that draws thousands of visitors every year. With 80 galleries of collections including American, Asian, African and Classical art, the Museum also owns the Ballantine House, a restored Victorian mansion and National Historic Landmark.
Approaching its centennial anniversary, and energized by a future building expansion project, the Newark Museum was seeking to dramatically raise its profile to one of national and international significance. To achieve this goal, Minelli, Inc.developed an overall brand strategy and designed and implemented a new visual identity. The increased awareness surrounding their 100-year anniversary offers a perfect opportunity to raise the Museum’s overall visibility and increase visitation among current and new audiences.
In 2003, the Appalachian Mountain Club launched its Maine Woods Initiative, a strategy for land conservation combining outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships. AMC is seeking to brand and promote the Maine Woods Initiative as a world-class vacation destination for hiking, paddling, fly-fishing, and winter sports. Promoting the area as a world-class destination meets AMC’s mission goals of public enjoyment, protection, and wise use of this region.
AMC has hired Minelli, Inc. to raise awareness of and increase visitation to this four-season destination through the creation and implementation of a destination brand strategy and redesign.