Last week we spent some time in Anderson, SC in a two day kick start meeting with New Spring Church. East Gate, a production company, has brought us in on the project to develop a brand identity for the new Children’s Ministry, including the brand development and environment design of the new facility. I want to share two key take-aways from my trip to Anderson.

My first is thinking of environments as a brand building tool. Physical space, an office, gallery, loft, store front, or house, might be the biggest touch point for your brand. I’ve seen huge disconnects between collateral, websites, and print materials with the physical operating environment. If a brand is simply boiled down to a perception in the mind, an environment carries just as much weight, if not more, than a business card. I’m really encouraged by East Gate and New Spring Church to invest into their environment as a brand identity building tool. They realize that creating irresistible environments starts with strategically designing the experience, from form to function, and using that to develop a remarkable, standout, identity.

My second takeaway is too always be prepared for payback when you leave the office for two days. Click here to see what I mean.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 10:07 am and is filed under Design, brand. You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.