Photo Courtesy DBusiness
Creating a unique brand, identity and content strategy for the German American Business Council of Michigan
The German American Business Council of Michigan was established in 1994 in Detroit and previously operated as part of the German American Chamber of Commerce Midwest, Michigan Chapter.
Challenge:
With its transition to an independent non-profit organization as of 2020, the Council, governed by a Board of Directors to represent over 200 of its members and companies, reached out to Blended Collective to develop its new brand and name identity. This included a content strategy and content development for its new online platforms: the website and social media. The challenge was to create a new and unique brand that would continue to connect both cultures in a business setting while indicating a new direction for the Council, yet resonating with existing and future members.
Solution:
To understand the goals and direction of repositioning the Council, Blended Collective started the creative process by conducting interviews with the board of directors, project managers and operations staff. In creating the name, the Blended Collective team learned the importance of complementing the name with the addition “of Michigan” to emphasize the importance of its core mission: to foster investment and trade relations while cultivating business between Germany and the state of Michigan through a network of members, corporate partners, companies and business professionals to improve and encourage German-American business relations.
After conducting brand name validation research and acquiring the domain name, the positioning was brought to life through the refreshed logo and identity system, using traditional color combinations. To reflect the cultural, dynamic and inclusive strategic brand, the logo displays a blend and stylized motion of the German and US flag alongside simple and professional typography. Through the addition of “Est. Detroit 1994”, the legacy of the Council is highlighted in smaller detail as the main focus remains on the new name and visual identity. Brand guidelines were also developed to ensure consistent execution of the brand identity.
Results:
The German American Business Council is positioned with a new brand and visual identity to be implemented for a global presence: the official launch of the German Haus, the annual signature event in partnership with and during the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2020.
“Blended Collective came to our rescue! Shortly before the holidays, our organization chose to become a standalone entity by January 1. Blended Collective jumped in immediately to identify who we are and what we stand for as an organization, creating our new identity. Research was completed, and the website content & strategy were being developed alongside our social media platforms. We could not have successfully launched an entirely new brand by the first of the year without the team at Blended Collective. I highly recommend!
– Meredith Upward, Board of Directors, German American Business Council of Michigan