Sonoran Professional Services (parent company of our client Guard-O-Matic) came to Forty for help on a new brand of alert tools for firefighters, police, and other public safety professionals. They needed to develop their brand’s appearance and figure out how to talk about themselves in a way their customers could understand.
First, we needed a name for the umbrella brand. We wanted it to be explanatory, but creative to stand out in a sea of sameness. After some extensive research and brainstorming, we decided on Detektor to refer to the products’ benefits (with a modified spelling as a tribute to its high-tech features). The logo is an extension of this concept, with the “o” inspired by the blinking LED light on their alert devices.
Then, we started working on the identity for Detektor’s first product, FireCat. This rekindle and intrusion detection kit helps firefighters protect a property after a fire without having to stay on guard at the site. FireCat can be set up at a location after a fire has been extinguished, and it will immediately text the firefighters if the fire reignites or someone breaks in. With FireCat in place, firefighters can return to the firehouse after an exhausting job to rest and refuel without having to worry.
To prepare for their first trade show, we rallied the troops to develop a logo, color palette, and materials, including a banner, leave-behind flyer, and one-page website.
FireCat’s logo was designed as an abstract representation of a cat’s face, mixed with a strong and secure presence. The colors were inspired by fire and attention-grabbing hues.
When they debuted the new brand and products at the trade show, the Detektor team was swarmed with visitors and positive feedback.
With all the positive reaction to Detektor’s first introduction, we’re excited to see it ignite as we continue to develop the branding for their other products!
Hi, I’ve been meaning to ask you guys about this for a while, so here it goes. When you were performing market research for Detektor and other clients, what kind of budget are you alotting for primary source info, and how much do you rely on secondary sources to inform you about the intended audience. I agree 100% that marketing should appeal to our humanity, but on our company’s budget, it’s really hard to sit down with members of our audience and really talk to them about what they need and want (mostly because they’re all busy researchers and live all over the country…). So, how do you suggest to go about market research on a small budget with limited interaction with the TA?
Great question, Lauren. Since we work with lots of small businesses and companies with tight budgets, we often end up in the same situation where primary research would be ideal, but it’s just not possible. If we don’t have the budget or time to do in-depth research, we’ll often rely on secondary research or talk to people who have knowledge about the company’s audience. The sales team can be a great resource for audience insights since they talk to customers regularly and know who they are, what they’re looking for, how they make decisions, etc.