Branding and Design for the Financial Industry: Woodstock Corporation
The Value of Branding
Research shows that compelling and consistent brand development is a primary vehicle for business growth. Your brand expresses who you are to your audience. Done well, your brand should permeate all of your communications. Great Island has developed a powerful program of branding and design for the financial industry.
Who is Woodstock?
Woodstock Corporation is one of Boston’s oldest and most esteemed private wealth management firms. Founded in 1929 as a family office to manage the financial affairs of William A. Paine of Paine Webber, Woodstock counsels high-net-worth individuals and families across generations.
Great Island Design worked with Woodstock to develop their brand strategy and articulate the firm’s purpose, values, personality, and voice.
We began with a logo.
The Woodstock corporate identity suggests the bold geometry of Art Deco, a movement that was defining at the time of Woodstock’s founding in 1929. History and longevity are attributes that separate Woodstock from its competition. Creating a mark that honors Woodstock’s heritage, yet is versatile, clean, and contemporary was a strategic decision.
Branding and Woodstock’s office environment
The logo’s versatility is apparent in this application to Woodstock’s conference room. A grand scale, frosted, white “W” spans floor to ceiling glass panels. This bold expression of the visual brand is the first thing visitors see upon entering Woodstock’s corporate offices.
Branding and websites
We integrated the brand throughout the website by:
- Using a distinctive photographic metaphor for growth. Dramatic black and white images of trees and forests accented with vivid green highlights complement the firm’s name and suggest financial growth.
- Employing language that reinforces the brand promise. Throughout the website, we emphasize the integrity, clarity, and commitment to serving clients that are the hallmark of a fiduciary and distinguish Woodstock.
- Incorporating the logo throughout. The logo appears repeated like a watermark in the photos.
Branding and video
We introduced the people behind the brand.
Research shows that allowing personality into a brand story ensures a greater connection with clients and creates differentiation in the marketplace. Great Island Design produced three custom videos that introduce Woodstock’s services, philosophy, and its people. The videos reveal important intangibles in an industry where trust is paramount.
Branding and Woodstock’s online newsletter
In addition to the printed version of Woodstock’s newsletter, the same content resides digitally in the “News” section of the Woodstock website. Frequently adding content to their website supports Woodstock’s position as an industry authority for search engines. Newsletter summaries appearing in Woodstock’s social media and digital marketing platforms link back to this web-based content and drive readers to their website.
Branding and Woodstock’s print newsletter
Woodstock’s team of investment experts write a comprehensive quarterly newsletter that offers an in-depth analysis of economic topics and positions Woodstock as industry leaders. The content is provided to clients as a print newsletter.
Branding email marketing
Evergreen is a monthly email version of Woodstock’s quarterly newsletter. It offers summaries of the full-length newsletter content and is distributed widely to clients and prospects. The benefits are numerous:
- The easy sharing of digital content expands the network of readers.
- The monthly distribution of this original content offers regular, frequent contact with clients and prospects alike.
- Repurposing content is a good use of a marketing budget.
Branding and LinkedIn
We update Woodstock’s LinkedIn page with the content derived from Woodstock’s quarterly newsletter—another good use of existing content.
“Great Island Design has advised Woodstock over the last fifteen years, first as we redesigned our logo and then as we moved through three upgrades to our website. We’ve found Great Island offers a wonderful combination of technical expertise and creative, artistic expression. They listened to what we wanted to accomplish and then showed us how to do it. Great Island has helped us manage the complexity of moving to new forms of client engagement.”
— William H. Darling, President and Chairman of the Board, Woodstock Corp.
Services for the Woodstock marketing program include:
Branding Strategy • Logo Design • Marketing Research • Copywriting • Website Design & Programming • Script Writing • Video Production • Environmental Graphics • E-Newsletter • Social Media Integration • Photography