Major Project: Rebranding

22.04.2024 - 02/08/2024 Week 01 - Week 15

Chung Jia Xuan (Emeline) / 0346630

Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

Major Project / Rebranding YS Parts

INSTRUCTIONS

Week 1: Major Project Briefing

For our Major Project, we had the option to choose our topic base on our dissertation that we've done or explore a completely new topic. I chose to explore a new direction because I wasn't passionate enough about my previous dissertation topic.

After considering several options, I decided to undertake the rebranding of a car parts shop owned by a friend's friend, YS Parts. It is an automotive parts store known for their high quality and affordable new and used car parts, the shop also offers car servicing making it a convenient one stop automotive solution to their customer. However, their current social media presence was uninspiring and lacked a cohesive brand strategy. Additionally, with increasing competition in the automotive industry, YS parts requires effective advertising strategies to attract new customers and to retain existing customers. 

My goal was to revitalize their brand identity, making it more engaging and appealing to their target audience. Through this project, I aim to rebrand YS Parts and expand its market presence by developing a vibrant and energetic brand identity to attract new customers and retain existing ones through marketing initiatives and effective branding.

At first, I have identified the current unique selling points of YS Parts and suggested additional unique selling points to enhance their market position.

Figure 1.0 Current USP

Figure 1.1 Suggested USP

The tactics used are by developing visual identity, implementing marketing strategies and improving on customer engagement. To build a solid visual identity, I'll develop a modern, vibrant and cohesive design for every touchpoint. While for marketing strategy implementation, the loyalty program and promotional campaigns will be implemented across multiple channels. To improve customer engagement, interactive quizzes, festival promotions and exclusive deals will be implemented to foster a deeper engagement with customers.

I also proposed a minimalist design for YS Parts, incorporating a lively color palette with neutral tones. However, after receiving feedback from Mr. Asrizal, he mentioned that the design was too muted and encouraged me to explore further.

Figure 1.2 Initial proposed design

Figure 1.3 Initial proposed design (2)

I then explore into a more modern and vibrant design style. The revised color palette conveys a vibrant and energetic new brand identity for YS Parts. For font selection, I chose the font Brushield, a stylish brush-style font to add a sense of movement and excitement. This font conveys authenticity and individuality, capturing the adventurous spirit of car enthusiasts. For body text and subheadings, I selected SFUI, a versatile sans-serif font for a clean and modern aesthetic. This balance ensures that while the headings are engaging and dynamic, the overall communication remains clear and professional.

Figure 1.4 Colour Palette

Figure 1.5 Font Selected

In my rebranding project for YS Parts, the client has expressed a strong preference to retain their current logo. This decision is because YS Parts has already established a certain level of brand recognition with their existing logo, and changing it could disrupt this recognition among their existing customer base leading to potential confusion and a loss of brand value that has been built up over time. Besides that, their customers have also developed a sense of loyalty and trust towards the current logo. Retaining the logo is important for them to maintain their established trust to ensure that the brand continues to convey the same credibility it has built over time.

However, during the presentation with all the supervisors in week 11, I was advised to design a logo to progress with my major project based on the new brand identity. This advice was given to ensure that the rebranding effort is comprehensive and aligns with the overall new visual identity. 

For the logo, I’ve design it with a modern and minimalist touch, aligning with contemporary design trends. The new logo embodies simplicity and modernity, which makes it easily recognizable and versatile across various mediums.

Figure 1.6 Logo

Figure 1.7 Logo (White)

Figure 1.8 Logo with tagline

Figure 1.9 Logo space rationalisation

I've also came up a brand tagline which is "Your one stop auto parts solutions". It conveys the brand comprehensive offerings, and position it as the ultimate destination for all automotive solutions, ensuring customer finds everything they need in one place.

Brand Campaign

One of my marketing strategies is to create a campaign that aims to increase brand visibility and build a strong reputation in line with the brand communication goals. The "Revive & Drive" campaign is designed to promote YS Parts' comprehensive car servicing, which was introduced last year and many customers are still unaware of this service offering. 

The primary objectives of this campaign is to raise awareness about YS Part's top-notch car servicing using high quality OWS products, a renowned German brand, to promote YS Parts accessible door-to-door servicing and to build trust and loyalty with customers through reliable and professional services. I've made a user journey map to provide a better understanding of how customer interact with the campaign.

During awareness stage, customer begin to discover about YS Parts servicing campaign through instagram and Facebook ads, they might also discover about the campaign through banners in real life. The touchpoint will be instagram ads, Facebook ads, banners, social media postings or knowing this campaign from friends and family. 

Figure 2.0 Awareness stage

Figure 2.1 Instagram Ads

Figure 2.2 Facebook Ads

Figure 2.3 Banner mockup

During the consideration stage, customer begin to explore more information about the campaign and starting to compare different servicing options The touchpoint will be social media postings and promotional offerings.

Figure 2.4 Consideration Stage

Figure 2.5 Social media postings (campaign promoting)

Figure 2.6 Social media postings (campaign promoting)

Figure 2.7 Social media postings (campaign promoting)

Figure 2.8 Social media postings (product highlights)

Figure 2.9 Social media postings (product highlights)

Figure 3.0 Social media postings (product highlights)

Figure 3.1 Social media postings (lifestyle theme)

Figure 3.2 Social media postings (lifestyle theme)

Figure 3.3 Social media postings (lifestyle theme)

During the decision stage, customer acknowledged that YS Parts uses high quality products of OWS brand from Germany for car servicing. They started to contact YS Parts for any last minute questions and begin scheduling their appointment. The touchpoint will be social media postings and direct messaging.

Figure 3.4 Decision stage

Figure 3.5 Social media postings (unique selling point)

Figure 3.6 Social media postings (unique selling point)

Figure 3.7 Social media postings (unique selling point)

Figure 3.8 Social media postings (unique selling point)

Figure 3.9 Social media postings (unique selling point)

Figure 4.0 Social media postings (unique selling point)

During the service stage, customer begin their car service by dropping off their car or scheduling a door-to-door service. The touchpoint here will be their servicing experience, the loyalty card and free merchandise. Customer will get a cash voucher after completing three car servicing at YS Parts with their loyalty card (completed 3 chops). The number of servicing will be recorded by chopping on the loyalty card.

Figure 4.1 Service stage

Loyalty Card

• Size: 5.1 cm x 8.9cm
• Double Sided Print
• 250gsm Ivory Card
• Fit perfectly in any standard holder or wallet
• Provides a good balance between thickness and flexibility, ensuring durability as customers will need to hold the card up to one year for 3 car servicing

Figure 4.2 Loyalty card mockup

Tote bag

• Size: 44cm x 36cm
• Double Sided Print
• Cotton Material
• Soft and lightweight, suitable for everyday use
• Designed to look modern and stylish while being eco-friendly

Figure 4.3 Tote bag mockup

Figure 4.4 Tote bag mockup (2)

Business Card

• Size: 5.1 cm x 8.9cm
• Double Sided Print
• 250gsm Ivory Card
• Fit perfectly in any standard holder or wallet

Figure 4.5 Business Card

Figure 4.6 Business Card

During the loyalty stage, customer participated in the loyalty program to redeem rewards and regularly returns to YS Parts for their car servicing. They also make their next purchases at YS Parts with the gift voucher they received. The touchpoint here will be loyalty card, gift voucher and social media postings.

Figure 4.7 Loyalty stage

Cash Voucher

• Size: 13cm x 5cm
• Double Sided Print
• 200gsm matte coated paper

Figure 4.8 Gift voucher mockup (front)

Figure 4.9 Gift voucher mockup (front)

Figure 5.0 Social media postings (interactive quizes)

Figure 5.1 Social media postings (interactive quizes)

Figure 5.2 Social media postings (carousel - educational content)

Figure 5.3 Social media postings (carousel - educational content)

Figure 5.4 Social media postings (educational content)

Figure 5.5 Social media postings (carousel - educational content)

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Figure 5.6 Social media postings (carousel - educational content)

Figure 5.7 Social media postings (educational content)

Figure 5.8 Whole view of revive & drive campaign design

I've also made a social media content planning sheet and social media calendar as part of my marketing strategy as these tools are essential for managing and executing a successful campaign. 

Insights

• Accounts Reached: Increased by 683%
• Engagement: Gained 229 new audience interactions
• New Followers: Up by 7.8%

Since implementing the new branding on Instagram 14 days ago, there is an substantial increase in engagement and new followers, demonstrating that the refreshed visual identity is successfully engaging the audience and attracting new followers.

Submission Links

Presentation Slides:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGLqPhZFIU/VmUW32R6PAwZ8owSr28r8w/view?utm_content=DAGLqPhZFIU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jl1kuaMhlmGDZ1NqyjAZm-U9SA5w5uVr?usp=share_link

Reflection

Experience

Working on the rebranding project for YS Parts has been a transformative experience. The journey began with brainstorming and ideating, which allowed me to explore a wide range of creative concepts. I particularly enjoyed developing a consistent brand identity and seeing them come to life across various touchpoints. The moment when the mockups were finalized and reflected exactly what I had imagined was really satisfying. Implementing the new design elements into YS Parts’ branding, from the logo to social media posts, provided a great sense of accomplishment. Each step, from conceptualization to execution was filled with learning and growth, making the project both challenging and rewarding.

Observation

Throughout the rebranding process, I observed that the consistency in design elements is important. Maintaining a cohesive visual identity across all touchpoint was crucial to reinforce the brand's image and increase brand recognition. This consistency helped to create a professional and unified look that resonated with the audience. 

Findings

One of the key findings from this project is that successful brand campaigns rely heavily on attractive and consistent key visuals. These visuals should be adaptable for use across different touchpoints while maintaining the core identity of the campaign. The development of a versatile color palette and the selection of appropriate fonts were also essential in creating a dynamic and engaging brand image. Additionally, the strategic use of social media content planning and calendar helped in organizing and executing the campaign effectively.