ROCHESTER, NY: Their volleyball team is

nicknamed the Brand Bastards. When probed for

meaning, Duke Stofer, Senior Designer at

Forward, explains. “We have no brandfathers –

we’re first generation. We didn’t come into clients

by joining a successful concern. We didn’t inherit

a reputation. We create it ourselves, every day.”

The volleyball team, which regularly pits some

of Forward’s “elders” against kids half their age,

doesn’t win much. But on the branding court it’s

another story. Win they do, on a regular basis.

For the past 12 years, Forward has been winning

clients, winning awards and winning competitive

contracts with some of the world’s greatest brands.

How does this small consultancy keep billion-

dollar brands happy and healthy? “Simple. We

solve problems,” says Carlo Jannotti, VP and

often-irreverent Senior Brander at Forward. “Most

of our relationships begin with referrals from

satisfied clients. Many of these referrals have

experienced the ways of the big city branding

firms and are seasoned enough to look past the

puffery to find real value. They may have been

disappointed in studies missing the mark, in the

level of service they receive, or in the fees

they’re expected to pay. They’re looking for

something better. For passion without pretense.

For discipline and consistency. For them, we’re

a breath of fresh air.”

They are not an ad agency, a promotions firm,

or a design studio. They are unlike any marketing

communications company you’ve ever dealt

with. They are Forward, and they know how to

grow brand equity.

forward thinking.forward solutions.

Play to Your StrengthsKodak may not be number one in the

ink jet aisle, but they are number one inpictures – an ownable position that

transfers easily to ink jet photo paper.Forward’s Picture Paper strategy was

adopted after a cross-country shoot out.

To accompany the solid thinking,Forward came up with solid

packaging concepts that elicitedsuperior shelf-test results,

then executed the designs forimplementation.

Besides positioning new media, Forwardhas helped keep traditional productbrands like Kodak paper up-to-date formore than a decade, including the “TurnUp the Color” and “Behind Your BestPictures” positioning programs.

We’re Number 2! We’re Number 2!Forward helped RoseArt Industries understand that developingand implementing a valid number two strategy is more viablethan fighting a long entrenched brand to be number one.The resulting designs leveraged positive associations fromthe category while creating an extendable identity system.

Sure, there’s a lot of good design out there. Effective design is another story,

and that’s where Forward comes in. More than once they’ve been brought in

to rescue design projects that missed the mark. After reviewing the background

and conducting their own due diligence, Forward staffers often discover the

initial request was off target.

“Identifying the problem is half the battle,” says Rob Parsons, the firm's

chief communicator and master of the question “Why?”. “By its nature creativity

can move in almost any direction. You need to harness it with a sound strategy.”

Go Ahead, Enjoy!Lactose-free products traditionally looked like medicine,limiting appeal because they lost the wholesome,healthful associations of milk. Forward’s aspirationalMilk for Life positioning, naming, and identity changedthat for Upstate consumers.

if you don’t know where you’regoing, you’ll end up someplace else

Before

After

Communicate yourAdvantageIn a category they first established,InterPlak was losing share to Braunand Oral B. Forward helped themsell themselves (instead of thecategory) by branding their uniquebrush head technology – givingconsumers the TheraTwist TripleAction dentists recommend whileobsoleting the competition.

And that they can do. Through workshops and interviews, Forward

will help uncover the assets clients overlook. With insight and

creativity, they will visualize the brandscape and help identify issues

and opportunities. They have an enthusiasm that’s infectious

and a blue-collar style that helps demystify brand theories

and the creative process and at the end of the day, their

clients are better brand builders.

With the big picture and realistic objectives clearly before them,

the team proceeds to deliver the right solution for the right problem.

And since branding is so much more than just a logo, the right solution

reinforces a message that extends through all marketing communications.

“Design alone will not make you number one. If you

pursue a market leader strategy and there are five brands ahead

of you, you’re going to fail,” Parsons reasons. “Instead, craft

a sound number two strategy, or better yet, create a whole new category

and be number one in that space. Then design will really help you.”

Connect at a Higher LevelMoving past functional benefits, Forward helpedgive new life to Almaden table wine bypositioning a relatively minor packaginginnovation in a new and unique way – as aninstant party. This was not just another box ofwine. It was fun, and it was a major success.

Be First In YourOwn CategoryThe crowded table wine and cooler categories leftlittle room for new products. Forward’s positioningand design recommendations helped ConstellationBrands establish Arbor Mist as the first in a completelynew category – varietal wines with a splash of fruit.Arbor Mist is now hailed as one of the industry’smost successful product launches.

“Once we know what makes your brand special, we’ve got to

make it tangible to your audiences. It’s got to have impact and meaning,

people need to remember it, and you’ve got to be able to

protect it. That’s asking a lot of a logo,” explains Jim Forward,

President & Creative Director.

“Instead, you should leverage all the tools at your disposal:

colors, typefaces, image styles, graphics, symbols, tag lines, even

Forward does not have their own “style”. They do not create fanciful

designs just to please the eye or themselves. In their world,

design walks in lock step with strategy. They do this

through a proven process that turns brand equity theories

into actionable objectives. Those are met through a

combination of visual and associative elements.

Come AgainIf there’s one rule in retail, it’s that you can’t stand still.Being category leader has its advantages, but it also has itsobligations. To help the Sensitive Eyes franchise stay onestep ahead of the competition, Forward has twice helpedBausch & Lomb use graphics, colors and messaging to refreshpackaging and restage the brand.

Maximum Return on InvestmentForward helps Kodak make the most of ongoing brandinvestments by consolidating the company’s many graphicguidelines into a single coherent volume, along with programsto keep the information up-to-date and easy to use.

Traditional Equities,Advanced ProductsWith a mix of colors, graphics, and typography,Forward helped Kodak marry the advanced structuralcues of its Picture Maker kiosk to its traditionalposition of trust, quality, and ease of use. The result?A new product consumers weren’t afraid to try, andnow a category in its own right.

it takes more than a logo

packaging structures. Unfortunately, many organizations lack the

discipline and mechanisms to take full advantage of their identity.”

Too often, companies manage a stable of logos and call it branding.

New problem? New logo! Soon they’re holding a handful

of pebbles, instead of the boulder they need to smash through

the competitive clutter. So they alter designs, introduce new

symbols, new names and sub-brands, never focusing on the real source

of the problem. Never finding a solution.

Got Fresh Milk?Helping Upstate Farms see that the only relevant, ownableposition was based on their location, Forward crafted arobust identity to express a “Taste Upstate Freshness” position.The visuals enhanced shelf impact and memorability, andgave what was previously a commodity product new accessto vital retail accounts.

“You can’t noodle your way to impact,” contends Dillon

Constable, one of the firm’s outspoken and talented brand

implementors. “What you can do is manage all the elements of your

identity. Make them work together to more effectively

communicate what makes your brand different and why

that difference is important. Turn them into a great

symphony, with meaning, power and longevity. Don’t create a logo.

Create a brand identity that’s impactful, memorable and relevant.”

House-branded, Well-brandedRetailers are rapidly moving to extend their brands as theyexpand their businesses. Forward developed unique graphicalapproaches to help retailing innovator Wegmans Food Marketsimprove the image, and the sales, of its pasta offering. Forwardalso developed a new name, tag line, and color palette to createthe right associations for Wegmans’ expansion into a newcategory with its Trenditions line of “accessories for food lovers”.

As Jannotti regularly proclaims, what you do with the design

can be more important than the design itself. “Is the Nike swoop

really that impressive?” he queries. “No, the consistency is

the real power. The symbol serves as a mnemonic linking

new generations of images, icons and colors with the brand

to refresh and revitalize it. And the message never really changes.

In the end, that’s what makes it impressive.”

This level of excellence is achieved with commitment – to

Sure, they know all the theories, and have a few of their own, but

staffers at Forward have a certain savvy about them too –

an intimate knowledge of the dirty details you acquire only

after you’ve worked in the trenches. It’s this intimacy with

reality that ensures solutions offered by the team will actually work

– a failing of more than one big consultancy they’ve been hired to

clean up after.

With typography, symbols, and a productdescriptor that left behind the negative equitiesof extended wear, Forward helped presentPureVision lenses as the revolutionarybreakthrough they represent.

A robust identity system, condensedonto a single package – a look sodistinctive that it served as the brandsignature as often as the logo.

Wake Up to a Robust IdentityEnhancing the identity with a distinctive color palette,unique graphics, a strong use of type, and the universalbenefit of “Wake Up and See”, Forward created acoherent, multilevel launch program that spoke simplyand powerfully to patients and practitioners alike.

By managing the elements of theidentity, Forward was able to use newimagery to refresh PureVision collateralto match up with new advertisingmessages while staying true toprevious efforts and equities.

keep it simple, keep it consistent

simplicity and to consistency. The KISS principle applies to

branding, just as it applies to everything else. Complex solutions

are hard to execute. They leave too much room for

interpretation, making it easier to deviate, inevitably into

the weeds. But like a catchy tune, the repetitive beat of a

consistently managed identity supporting a sound strategy will

eventually find a comfortable place in the public mind.

“You can be consistent without being dull,” Brenda Benedict,

Say CheeseSorrento brought innovation to the string cheesecategory, but the new products were no longerstring cheese. Forward updated the identity andcreated a simple naming system that helpedthe company introduce unique offerings withinthe context of the overall franchise.

Senior Designer, rushes to point out. “It doesn’t have to be boring.

Any designer with a passion for branding can create fresh new looks

from an existing set of visual tools, as long as they understand

the essence of the brand. That’s the key to successful branding

– passion and understanding, not gimmicks or trendy

techniques.” That’s why Forward’s success will continue. Their

passion is for the brand, not just the design.

Next ComponentsThis maker of next-generation digital printingpresses doesn’t sell at retail, but awareness is stillan issue. Thanks to branded operator replaceablecomponents that play off the product identity,Forward helps the NexPress brand stay top ofmind as parts move from plants around the worldto their destinations.

Complex Problems DemandSimple SolutionsFrom dealers to developers to distributors, everyone wantsto leverage their association with the Kodak brand.Unfortunately, there often were not adequate systems inplace for third-party business-to-business applications –it was a management challenge, and a squanderedopportunity to lever these many positive exposures. Forwardhelped clarify the true scope of the problem, then cameup with a deceptively simple solution that offered flexibilityand consistency in one neat bundle.

looking for goliath…

Make no mistake; these are business

professionals who have thrived for more than

a decade, and plan on being here for the long

haul. They know that in today’s business climate,

you had better provide superior value. Their’s

is the role of the underdog – a role they love to

play. Just ask Dean Faklaris, Account Executive

and project manager extraordinaire. “We

consistently deliver more for less, especially

when you stack us up against the big boys from

the big cities.”

With a well-defined workflow, streamlined

processes, and disciplined resource allocation,

they deliver the double-digit cost savings clients

are now demanding. And they do this with an

unmatched level of strategic accuracy, design

excellence, and speed. It’s a well-oiled machine,

and it’s a sight to see if you’ve ever been let

down by missed deadlines, surprise rush charges,

and half-finished presentations.

Go ahead and give them a call, and try a little

Forward Thinking for yourself. Once you’ve

experienced the responsiveness, results, and value,

you’ll come back for more.

Forward is a full-service brand and identity developmentfirm specializing in strategic design and integrated brandcommunications.

Their services include:

Strategy• Essence/value proposition• Positioning/repositioning• Brand architecture• Executive brand workshop facilitation

Identity• Naming and nomenclature• Logos and symbols• Color studies & systems• Tag Lines• Graphics and imagery

Communications• Package design• Marketing collateral• Launch kits• Marketing toolkits• Print advertising• Sales promotion• Sales presentation• Point-of-sale

Controls• Brand identity audit• Standards & Guidelines• Research concept development

For more information call Carlo Jannotti at585-872-9222 or cjannotti@forwardbranding.com

34 May StreetWebster, NY 14580www.forwardbranding.com.

Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.