[Project Complete] Franchise Sherpas - Logo - $200

[sherpascott]

Admin code added by Abby - 0LG0445708558142S



<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p>Franchise Sherpas Inc.<o:p></o:p>
Design Outpost Creative Brief for New Logo

Project Summary:
What text should be included in the main part of the logo?<o:p></o:p>
Please include the name of the company ”Franchise Sherpas”<o:p></o:p>
Also consider concepts with and without a tagline “taking great brands to new heights”<o:p></o:p>

What type of product or service do you offer?<o:p></o:p>
We are a franchise incubator and development company. We design, build, own and operate a portfolio of global, franchise systems based on our partners’ successful retail concepts.

How long have you been in business?<o:p></o:p>
We are a new company, but with an experienced, veteran team that has built a large, global franchise system with over 600 units.

What do you hope to accomplish with your new identity?<o:p></o:p>
1) Establish our new company. Who we are & what we do.<o:p></o:p>
2) We want to convince our target markets that they should partner with us, because we are the expert guides to the franchising world. We lead our partners to achieve their grand goals.<o:p></o:p>

What are your long term goals?<o:p></o:p>
To own and operate a portfolio of 10-15 global franchise systems<o:p></o:p>

When is the deadline for final entries before choosing a designer?<o:p></o:p>
Friday, 10 April 2009<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Audience Profile:
Please describe your existing audience (our 4 target audiences in priority order):<o:p></o:p>
1) Small retail store owner/operators who are interested in growing<o:p></o:p>
* Mom & Pop retail folks, with unsophisticated business skills<o:p></o:p>
* Lack knowledge and experience to build a franchise system<o:p></o:p>
* We want them to partner with us<o:p></o:p>
2) Investor/financial community<o:p></o:p>
* Sophisticated, knowledgeable & financially savvy<o:p></o:p>
* Private equity, venture capital, commercial & investment banks<o:p></o:p>
* We want them to invest in us
3) Small business entrepreneurs interested in buying a franchise<o:p></o:p>
* Confident and capable, willing to take a risk<o:p></o:p>
* Already work for themselves<o:p></o:p>
* We want them to buy a franchise from us<o:p></o:p>
4) Potential entrepreneurs interested in buying a franchise<o:p></o:p>
* Corporate escapees seeking more control and freedom<o:p></o:p>
* Tentative and hesitant to take a risk<o:p></o:p>
* We want them to buy a franchise from us<o:p></o:p>

Perception/Tone/Guidelines:
What type of logo would you like?<o:p></o:p>
We want a clean, simple logo that communicates: strength, partnership, confidence, experience, growth, movement, working together, achievement, etc.

Do you have any colors in mind for your logo? (if so, why?)<o:p></o:p>
We are considering natural colors including tones of blue, green, rust, or gray. Branding look & feel ties into sherpa theme: outdoors, mountains, w/ a touch of zen.

<o:p></o:p>
Do you have any specific images or icons in mind that you would definitely like to see incorporated into your logo?<o:p></o:p>
At least 1 approach must include the idea of 2 different (yet complimentary) colored carabiners (aka D-rings used for climbing) hooked together. Please see image attached for some initial direction. Please make sure to depict “lockable” carabiners (they have a twisting mechanism which makes them more safe). Perhaps another approach could spin off the idea/icon of a sherpa, or their heavy/loaded pack. Or maybe, a mountaineering team on an expedition/ascent.<o:p></o:p>

Communication Strategy:
What attributes would you like your logo to reflect about your business?<o:p></o:p>
Here’s our brand “personality” to give you an idea of who we are…<o:p></o:p>
* Knowledgeable, expert guides<o:p></o:p>
* Professional, but not too corporate or buttoned-up<o:p></o:p>
* Strong, secure and trusted<o:p></o:p>
* A bit irreverent & not afraid to poke fun at ourselves<o:p></o:p>
* Capable & confident<o:p></o:p>
* Approachable<o:p></o:p>
* Grounded and natural – love the outdoors<o:p></o:p>
* Strong work ethic<o:p></o:p>
* Fun and out-going<o:p></o:p>
* Harmony & sustainability – in touch with the environment, etc
* A touch of Zen
* Balanced…in life, approach, how we deal with people, community<o:p></o:p>
* No socks! But we have suits just in case the bankers show up<o:p></o:p>
* Like to help others<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
What is your tagline or slogan?<o:p></o:p>
Taking great brands to new heights<o:p></o:p>

What is the overall message you are trying to convey to your target audience?<o:p></o:p>
We want to convince our target markets that they should partner with us, because we are the expert guides to the franchising world. We lead our partners to achieve their grand goals.

Where will your new logo be used?<o:p></o:p>
Website, letterhead, biz cards, advertising, promotions, print materials, brochures and other collateral. May also be used on give-aways, hats, shirts, etc.

Competitive Positioning:
Who are your competitors and what do you think about their logos?<o:p></o:p>
1) Kahala Brands – don’t like their logo. It’s a bit bland and staid. They do a better job with their individual concept branding though. These guys are real competition and have their act together.<o:p></o:p>
2) Focus Brands – lousy logo, it’s just their name. These guys are also real competition.<o:p></o:p>
3) Raving Brands – nice logo. They have their act together. Corporate marketing/branding/messaging is much better than Focus Brands.<o:p></o:p>
4) Franchising Ventures Group – their logo (or lack thereof) is awful. Lacks sophistication and marketing savvy. Looks like a kid put their website together. Would you trust them with your business?<o:p></o:p>
5) Franchise Development & Marketing Group – logo sucks. Way too corporate and overly slick & techy. These guys look like boring accountants/lawyers/consultants and nerds to boot.<o:p></o:p>

List competitive URLs if possible<o:p></o:p>
www.kahalacorp.com (http://www.kahalacorp.com/)<o:p></o:p>
www.focusbrands.com (http://www.focusbrands.com/)<o:p></o:p>
www.ravingbrands.com (http://www.ravingbrands.com/)<o:p></o:p>
www.franchisingventures.com (http://www.franchisingventures.com/)<o:p></o:p>
www.duplicateyourbusiness.com (http://www.duplicateyourbusiness.com/)<o:p></o:p>

What sets you apart from your competitors?<o:p></o:p>
Most of our competitors are franchising “consultants” and “service providers”. They are many, and they are a dime-a-dozen. We are not consultants and we do not work on projects or for fees. We are not looking for new “clients.” We only partner with our retail concepts to build a new business together (i.e. we both own the company). We have already done it (i.e. we’ve built a 600 unit franchise system). We have the deep experience, resources and team capable of doing it for your concept too. Our logo, branding, messaging, etc must cut thru the clutter of all these “consultants” and “one-man shops” looking for new “clients.” It also needs to set us apart from the big guys as a partner they can trust and count on.<o:p></o:p>

Targeted Message:
State a single-minded word or phrase that will appropriately describe your company:<o:p></o:p>
Sherpas = knowledgeable, expert guides

Other:<o:p></o:p>
Definition of Sherpa<o:p></o:p>
n. pl. Sherpa or Sher·pas <o:p></o:p>
A member of a traditionally Buddhist people of Tibetan descent living on the southern slopes of the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal. Sherpas have achieved world renown as expert guides on Himalayan mountaineering expeditions. They are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local terrain.

<o:p></o:p>
Carabiner Image Idea Starter</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
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[QuirkDesign]

One from me. :)

http://quirk-design.com/do/fs-logo1.jpg

[sherpascott]

Quirk Design,

Thanks for the submission. We like the initial direction you posted. Do you also have some concepts/ideas of your own that you think might be better than our initial idea of the carabiners???

[pracus]

Hello Scott!

I was thinking a lot of your new logo and I hope you'll like this idea :)

[pracus]

:)

[pracus]

. :)

[Tyler]

right...

[QuirkDesign]

:)

http://quirk-design.com/do/fs-logo2.jpg

[sherpascott]

Thank you everyone for your submissions. Our team needs to review and provide feedback. We hope to do so by early next week. Thanks!

[sherpascott]

Quirk Design, we like your initial thoughts, but we would like to see some changes if possible. The logo is a bit soft, both in color and in the style/size of the D-rings. Can you strengthen/darken the colors a bit and the beef up the D-rings? The D-rings look like the cheap key ring holders, not real carabiners. We are trying to bring a little more masculinity to the overall logo. Make sense? If not, please let me know your questions. Thanks so much.

[sherpascott]

Pracus, your design is also being considered. Do you have some thoughts on logo without the mountains? It's turning into a bit of REI or an outdoor equipment company. We'd like to leverage our name, but still keep in mind that we are a corporation building franchise systems, not selling backpacks or travel adventures. Any thoughts on toning the outdoorsyness down?

[nvoke]

here's one from me :)

let me know your thoughts, enjoy!

[QuirkDesign]

Hello - let me know if this works better for you. :)

http://quirk-design.com/do/fs-logo3.jpg

[LutFi]

Version # 1

[sherpascott]

Nvoke, thank you for your submission. There is much we like about your design, but we would like to see a few changes if possible.
1) The colors are too muted and lack energy. Can you give it some more life?
2) The D-rings are not recognizable as such. Can you modify a bit to increase the idea they are carabiners?
3) The name of the company does not work in b/w (it becomes one smushed word). Can you do something to make the name/font work in b/w? Maybe more space between the words Franchise and Sherpa, and/or maybe making the first letter in each word taller?
4) Please make the tagline one color and change to "carrying great brands to greater heights"

We like your direction for reasons that it is strong, more masculine, has a harder edge, is corporate and not too outdoorsy. We think it has good potential.

Thanks.

[sherpascott]

QuirkDesign, thank you very much for continuing to work with us! Your design still has much that we like, but it's not quite there for us. Some further comments/suggestions:
1) It's still too soft & friendly. Seems more like a consumer logo than a corporate (i.e business to business) logo. Can we strengthen it further and make it more masculine?
2) Perhaps the colors can be pushed stronger still? It has life and energy, but maybe it's too primary? We're trying to give you a good description of our feeling.
3) Maybe the angles in the biners are too soft and coule be sharpened?
4) Perhaps the font is also a bit too soft and round? Maybe try something with a little sharper angle.
5) Please edit the tagline to "carrying great brands to greater heights"

We like your design because the biners are clearly such. They are intertwined (communicates working together) and are both stylized yet distiguishable. The logo is working in b/w. We think it also has potential if we can just beef it up and make it stronger and more masculine in tone/energy.

Thanks so much. We really appreciate all the effort.

[sherpascott]

Hi Pracus, we are wondering if you had another submission/revision after seeing our comments on your logo idea, as well as our comments on the others? We would be interested in seeing your revised thoughts. Thanks!

[nvoke]

revised :)

[QuirkDesign]

:)

http://quirk-design.com/do/fs-logo4.jpg

[sherpascott]

Thank you both for your revisions! They are both really good. Let me circle back with my team. Thanks.

[pracus]

Hi Scott!

I will post my revision today.

[pracus]

Hi Scott!

I tried some and the best thing I made is this simplified version. But to be honest I think that placing mountains doesn't really suggest that you sell an equipment.
If it would then we could say that the carabiners image suggest the same. I believe that even company name tells clearly that you are building franchise systems :)

[sherpascott]

nvoke,

We'd like to work with you further to refine your design Version 2, as right now it's making the most positive impact on us all around. A few questions and comments:

1) What was your thinking behind changing the coloring to a gradation of one color vs. two colors (i.e. 1 for each word in the name)? We ask, because while we like the new green color with life and energy, the company name is still not quite working. We think with both the change in font and the change in color it differentiated the words better. We are concerned that the name becomes "franchises" "herpas" which sounds like an STD. The name is particularly not working in the B/W version of the logo. Any thoughts on how to improve this in both color and B/W? Would stacking the name work?

2) The carabiners look great in color. Love them. But again in B/W it's not quite there as they seem to look like a pretzel, or butterfly. Do you have an idea to improve here as well? Don't know if it's because it is symetrical? Maybe offset carabiners...just a thought...interested in yours.

3) Couple other tweaks, the small color logo with the light gray tagline - it's really hard to read the tag. Maybe making it black/darker.

4) And one final change on our tagline. Please edit "Carrying" to "Taking". Thanks - we won't change the words on this again.

Thanks. We love where this is going, if we can just tighten up these last couple items.

[pracus]

Hi Scott!

Does it mean that you chose nvoke's design to finalize?

[sherpascott]

Hi Studio Minuta 8, I'm not totally sure on the process here as it's my first time on the site. But we are getting close with nvoke. We'd like to see if we can get their design dialed in at this point, but there's still a couple fixes that need to be resolved.

We appreciate your time and revision. Thanks so much!

Scott

[nvoke]

hello scott! thanks for choosing my design and hopefully we can make you entirely happy!

okay so i changed it up a bit...let me know your thoughts on the revisions and i'll be glad to try other variations :)

i like the symmetry of the carabiners and the fact that they look like mountain peaks...so i'd like to keep this if at all possible...it is pretty rare to have your logo in all black these days but hopefully by adding white clasps i have made it look less like a pretzel?

enjoy!

[sherpascott]

I like the changes you've made & they seem to solve the issues. Let me & my partners "live" with it a day or two. I will get back to you by Thursday 5/14. Thanks!

[nvoke]

sounds great! i will be out of town for a week and a half starting the 15th, so it would be wonderful to get the files to you before then :) thanks for the update!

[sherpascott]

Nvoke, sorrry for the delay as I am travelling also.

We love the last revision! The only question we have is the legibility of the tagline. It's still a tad difficult to read, particularly in the small logos. Is this a file resolution thing? (i.e. the files I'm seeing here aren't full resolution, but the final images will be?) Or, is it something else that you might tweak?

We love the design and are prepared to close out the project upon your response.

Also, it's no problem if you are travelling and this needs to wait until your return. We can wait.

Thanks!

Scott

[sherpascott]

Thank you to everyone who submitted a concept. We really appreciate all your effort and enjoyed the process.

Franchise Sherpas will finalize the logo design with Nvoke.

Thanks again!!!

[BlueCherryGraphics]

PROJECT UPDATE: moved to Revisions forum

[nvoke]

thanks scott!

the tagline looked great in illustrator so i think this a resolution problem...but i will make sure when i can look at the files again...which i'm sorry but will be the 27th...in the meantime if you want to message me your email address i can send you the logo files as soon as i get back, thanks so much and enjoy!

[sherpascott]

I'm also traveling, so we'll figure it out after you get back. No worries.

My email is scott@franchisesherpas.com and my phone is (303) 898-1987.

Thanks,

Scott

[nvoke]

hey scott, i'm back and ready to send the files...i checked them out and the slogan looks fine in illustrator so i think it's just a resolution, do you want me to just send you these to your email?

[nvoke]

files sent :)

[sherpascott]

Thanks Amanda!

Design Outpost moderator, I have received the logo files. Please release payment to nvoke. Thank you.

[BlueCherryGraphics]

PROJECT UPDATE: moved to archives