Aug 13, 2009

BRAND BEAUTIES :: LISA LEFKOWITZ

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lisalefkowitzbranding

Welcome to our new series, Branding Beauties!  Lara and I (Emily, for those of you I’ve yet to meet!) are thrilled to introduce this insightful series of posts on the whys and hows of integrated branding across multiple platforms.  Since branding – whether in the form of business cards, a blog, or even an email message signature – is usually the first way a potential client or collaborator encounters you, it is the most important investment you can make.  Yes, branding can make or break you. Your brand is essentially everything that is visible to the world that reflects who you are as an artist or business.  Great branding has the potential to tell your unique story and set you apart in the market.  We will be asking this question a lot in the coming series and I challenge you to ask yourself this right now:  what does your current brand really say about you?

Our first guest in the series is photographer extraordinaire Lisa Lefkowitz, who blew it out of the water on her recent re-branding collaboration with the fabulously talented Melanie Halim of Collective Lines.  Lisa and Melanie were kind enough to answer a few questions about the re-branding process.

What was the impetus for changing your company’s branding?

Lisa: After almost ten years in business, I was ready to overhaul the look and feel of my brand, collateral, website, and blog.  (Lisa’s old brand look below)

ll_brand_before

I felt that my business had outgrown it and my images had moved in a different direction from my old brand.  I wanted to take my business to the next level, and felt strongly that a new brand could support the vision I have for where I want to be.  I had never worked with a branding agency before, and while I knew it would be costly, I also knew it was the right thing for me to do at the right time.

What inspired the design elements, look, and feel of your new branding?
llinspirationboard


Lisa: Melanie and I worked closely in many meetings to get to a moodboard {shown above}.  I wanted a new brand that captured the feel of my images and my approach to wedding photography.  Some of the key words we wanted to resonate visually were fine art, artisan, classic, elegant, exquisite, feminine, and high end.  I knew I wanted to work with letterpress for much of the collateral, and Melanie suggested using gold throughout the pieces to evoke an old-world, artisan feel.  I am thrilled with the results and LOVE the gold — it is so distinctive and elevates all of the paper goods.

Melanie: The inspiration started from Lisa herself as an artist, a person, and a business, from her exquisite, classic, and beautiful photographs.  When she showed them to me at one of our first meetings and talked about her work and business so passionately, I was inspired.  We were determined to translate that passion into a brand that would truly represent her.

llnewbrandsystem

Do you keep your company’s “look” cohesive across multiple branding platforms (i.e. your blog, website, business cards, stationery)?  How?

Lisa: Yes, definitely — that was very important.  It was great working with Melanie.  From the start she saw this branding project from the big picture perspective, as one vision.  I was blown away when, at one of our meetings, she laid out mock-ups of the entire system on my studio table.  It was so consistent across all platforms and so beautiful — I think I even shed a tear! She had that consistency planned out in advance — another benefit of working with an experienced agency.

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Do you feel your physical branding echoes your or your company’s in-person and/or written persona?  How?

Lisa: Yes.  Working so closely with Melanie, I felt that she got to know me well, and was very concerned with essentializing not only my images but my personality into my brand.  I am a low-key person both in the way that I shoot and the way that I do business.  I think the look and feel reflects that.  It’s not flashy — it’s simple, classic, and lovely.

Melanie also pushed me to express my written voice in the collateral, something I had never really done.  We have a postcard that goes on top of my promo cards that has just my logo and a statement from me in the first person.  She felt that having my voice heard would personalize my business, which I think it did.  We carried this voice into the bio sections of the website and journal, as well.

llbrand2

Melanie: The brand uniquely reflects Lisa’s personality which includes her voice (personable and professional), her approach (high quality craftsmanship with attention to the finest details), and her character (simple, sweet, and elegant).

What advice would you give to another wedding professional looking to improve their branding experience?

Lisa: Bite the bullet and hire a branding agency.  Find the right agency, one with a vision that is in line with yours.  Trust and respect each other’s expertise.

ll_brand1

Thank you so much, Lisa!  We are in love with your branding and your work, and we couldn’t have picked a more fitting individual with which to start our series.  See more of Lisa’s beautiful work on her website and blog.

ll_brand_journal

Wedding professionals: Would you like to be featured as a Branding Beauty or know someone who should be?  Don’t be shy!  Email me to nominate yourself or someone you know for a future feature.

All images c/o Collective Lines.

8 Comments

  1. Kallie Buckmaster on August 13, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    Incredible. I’m quite inspired to redo everything now. Oh dear.

  2. Lindsey @ Fresh LiME Events on August 14, 2009 at 6:01 am

    What an awesome series! As I go through the process now, it’s amazing to see how others just get it.

  3. LIsa Green on August 14, 2009 at 7:09 am

    So incredibly helpful and precisely on the money. Branding especially in this incredibly visual industry is not only smart, its imperative. Thank you so much for this new series, keep up the excellent work!

  4. Catherine Saunders on August 19, 2009 at 4:23 pm

    Thank you for the post! I love the new look of Lisa’s website, blog, etc. As a graphic designer and entrepreneur, I truly appreciate this very essential process of asking oneself : At a glance, does my audience know I am of high quality? Great series. I look forward to reading more!

  5. Lydia on August 28, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    Beautiful! I think Lisa’s new branding reflects her personality so much better than the old branding. It’s inspiration for me to go out, bite the bullet, and get it done myself.

  6. Cherin on August 31, 2009 at 7:24 pm

    I keep coming back to this blog posting. I just love this look and it has inspired me to redo mine. It’s in the works and thanks to you, Lara, will be amazing!

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