There’s nothing quite so rewarding (and intimidating) than creating a new brand from scratch. How do you take imaginary concepts in your head (in this case, the client’s head) and pull them out of the ether and into reality? Well, there’s a process for that. And we put it to good use in our brand identity project for IT staffing startup, Cupalo. We worked closely with founder Lauren Hannon to create something that is truly unique, memorable, and sets them apart from their competitors in the industry.

After our initial market, competitive, and target audience research in the IT staffing space, it become clear that Cupalo needed a brand identity that radically departed from the industry norm. Competitors appeared generic, tech-heavy, and overly masculine; their messaging was self-centered and feature-focused. Consequently, we identified brand positioning and messaging as key opportunities to separate and accelerate. Our research demonstrated that Cupalo’s audience is hungry for an IT staffing solution that thinks out of box. One that cares about the person, not just the deal. And one that was honest, transparent, and approachable. Cupalo’s brand identity required a different vibe. So we got busy creating and conjured up a brand identity that felt fun, but still professional. A look that was bright and charismatic, dynamic and energetic. And with a playful nod back to tech motifs. The result was an identity that feels like a real community of amazing human beings.

Cupalo’s next priority was on-target brand messaging that married seamlessly to their visual identity. Cupalo’s audience told us they enjoyed working with real down-to-earth people — people they could just as easily grab a drink with. So Cupalo’s messaging needed to sound like talking with humans, not robots; humans who know their stuff inside and out, but have a personality too. Phrases such as: “Relentless Professionalism, Shaken Not Stirred”, “Good People Know Good People”, “Find Your Next Fit” and “Cupalo Cares” were strategically written to complement their brand personality and jive with their brand visuals.

As we tell potential job candidates, “Cupalo does the hard work to get you connected with great leaders at companies building cool $hit… and to make sure you have a blast along the way.” In other words, real talk from real people who care. Next, we took a smart-ass approach to branding Cupalo’s proprietary panel of technical domain experts, dubbing it the “Cupalo Curatorium.” By hijacking a serious word and apply it within playful context, we created just the right feel of: expert, but with character.

Finally, Cupalo’s website design and development were wholly informed by their vivacious brand attributes, helping to both build brand and generate leads. But that’s a long story for another day. Cupalo brand development project included: Brand Strategy & Research, Brand Messaging, Brand Identity Design, Website Design (UX & UI) and Website Development