How to Build a Sub-Brand: 3 Key Questions to Ask

GCNLF_SketchProcess

When a new idea, product or service shows big promise, but doesn’t quite fit in with the brand you’ve built, a well-designed sub-brand can give it the unique identity it needs while staying connected to a brand people know and trust.

But achieving the right balance of freshness and familiarity can be difficult, especially if it’s the first time you’re expanding on your brand.

On the heels of one of our latest projects, we decided to tell the story of our own sub-branding process by breaking down the three key questions that make up the core of any good creative brief––the crucial resource designers rely on to bring an idea to life.

A little backstory 

Before we jump in, let’s give the story a little context.

Earlier this year, we were approached by PCNA––a leading nursing organization and returning client––to discuss a sub-brand for their newest project, the Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum (GCNLF). 

Collaborating

The reason behind the sub-brand was simple. The GCNLF had grown to take on different goals and a new message separate from PCNA. It needed a brand that could communicate those differences to a specific audience while staying in tune with PCNA’s mission.

The deliverables for the sub-brand were as follows: 

  1. A branded color palette
  2. A logo, and
  3. An online brand presence using a microsite

Let’s briefly explore the three biggest questions that powered our creative process:

1. How will the sub-brand differ from its parent brand?

Before designing anything, it’s important to have a clear idea of the similarities and differences between the new branding and the existing one.

PCNA_Logo_board

In this project, the GCNLF sub-brand needed to be used alongside the PCNA logo in certain applications and live completely on its own in others. To accomplish this, we struck a delicate balance between color and font.

Color

In order to work together with the larger PCNA brand, we created a branded color palette that fit with PNCA’s brand colors while embodying the GCNLF’s unique identity.

GCNLF_Colors

Specifically, strength and stability and a sense of global scale were conveyed in dark blues. This complimented the strong reds within the PCNA logo while a gold accent communicated wisdom and a sense of achievement.

Typography

To make the sub-brand easily recognizable as a project of PCNA, we used the same font and weight styles, creating an implicit sense of connectedness and consistency between them.

GCNLF_Logo_TypeOnly

Of course, these aren’t the only ways the two brands relate to one another––as we’ll see in a second.

2. Which audience is this sub-brand targeting?

Sub-brands are most effective when they’re used to target an audience, which is separate, yet related to that of the parent brand. 

While the strong red colors within the PCNA’s logo resonate well with female nurses, part of the goal of the new brand was targeting the growing number of male nurses without alienating females with something overtly masculine. 

Rather than the traditional red and white color combination we associate with the nursing field in general, stronger blue, gray and gold tones played to a more male sensibility while the design’s delicate simplicity retained a feminine aesthetic.

3. Which elements are key to conveying the sub-brand’s message?

This is where things get specific. 

Typically when a company comes to us with a branding project, they bring a list of design elements with them. While all good brands are built on great ideas, it’s critically important to ensure each design element relates directly to the core messages you want to communicate. Everything else simply gets in the way. 

With that in mind, it was up to us to decide which parts of the design were most important to delivering three key messages:

  1. A sense of global scale
  2. Human connectedness
  3. Relevance to cardiovascular health

Global scale

To convey global scale without using explicit identifiers like longitude or latitude, we stepped back and used an abstract lens.  

Our solution? A combination of recognizable shapes, negative space and blue color which came together to embody both the stability and strength of a global initiative through a simple, straightforward design element. 

Human connectedness and cardiovascular health 

When simplicity is the goal, being able to communicate multiple messages through a single part of the logo goes a long way. In this case, we had an opportunity to combine the human element with the heart––the international symbol of cardiovascular health.

Heart_Icon_Transition

Taking inspiration from PCNA’s heart logo, we created a similar, yet original globe icon to resemble the wrapped arms of a human embrace––keeping the brand fresh and visually consistent simultaneously. 

In addition, this heart and globe icon could be used as a standalone element, making the logo quickly recognizable without the need of accompanying text.

The result

The sub-brand achieves a global scale, human connectedness and cardiovascular health identity.  PCNA received a complete catalog of logo variations for use in a variety of mediums, as well as a defined color palette to reference for all GCNLF initiatives.

LogoPresentation_GCNLF

A microsite employing these guidelines was created to launch the new sub-brand.

GCNLF_Microsite_Mock_5

Unlike just another tab on the PCNA website, this new online space gives the brand the independence it needs to target a specific audience with its own message.

To help you organize your ideas and better communicate with your creative team we have produced a downloadable creative brief template. Click here to download it now!

Interested in collaborating with our creative team? 

Contact us to discuss your next creative project

About the author

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Chrissy Knaak

Chrissy Knaak

As the former Marketing Director at Suttle-Straus, Chrissy oversaw all marketing projects, including website initiatives, print campaigns, conferences, and market research.
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Topics: Brand Management, Design

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