“What is Bell at its best?” -- This is the essential question we asked during an intensive brand assessment and planning project begun
in 2011. Numerous management and ownership changes, competing internal
priorities and transactionally focused business practices left the brand
without a clear sense of direction. While still profitable, the signs of erosion became more evident as
market share and brand perception slowly declined. Add an increase in competition,
a fragmented internal structure and a complex distribution model to the mix and
you can see why some soul searching was in order.
A small, strategic strike force assembled to delve into the brand history and DNA; identify the pinnacle moments, people, products and ideas; and translate it all into a strategic trajectory. With backing from the company’s highest level, the Bell Bran Plan is not just a marketing play, but a far-reaching blueprint to refocus, tune and revamp everything from the core mission to product development to the way we do business from the ground up.
The first deliverables from the project were the Bell Shop Manual and Field Guide excerpted below. These rich collateral pieces help articulate the company's origins, identify brand truths, and point to a purposeful future trajectory. Subsequent visual guides and brand foundation documents serve as the tactical manuals for executing the plan. Finally, prescriptive industrial design language guidelines were put into place to drive product creation.
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| The Bell Shop Manual and Field Guide both articulated the brand plan and serve as the visual archetype for other collateral. |
