Strategic brand design helping a specialist company to go global

Griffin has a strong vision of a cleaner future that can be reached by tackling the global waste challenges. In order to gain more credibility in the international markets, it was necessary to redesign the brand identity. Griffin wanted to express the brand core and unique competitive advantages with enthusiasm and in a localised manner, without forgetting the appreciation of Finnish environmental expertise.

The information obtained through marketing, target group and competitor analyses allowed Redland to examine the factors differentiating the brand from competitors and draw up a driving idea, followed by the new communication tone of voice, brand main messages and look.

A positive and accessible way of communication is the cornerstone of the new strategy. The idea of waste was reversed from negative to positive by describing the waste to the target groups as a valuable future resource. Waste is no longer seen as a burden but, properly handled, a treasure.

Instead of putting pressure and relying on rules and regulations, the strategy serves as an inspiration for waste treatment and recycling, benefitting both nature and the economy. The driving force in overcoming even the biggest waste problems is the cooperation between individuals and communities, assisted by experts.

In the light of the strategy, we created a logo in a rotating form that delivers, at first sight, the idea of circular economy and a Griffin, a mythical creature. The brand colour palette was further diversified, paying great attention to cultural adaptability. The clarity of the design and the rotating form are an easily identifiable combination throughout the marketing material.

The driving idea, formed during the brand sprint, and strategic planning provided an excellent starting point for the website design. We began the user experience design by specifying different target groups’ website needs. This allowed us to design the content and structure in a way that they responded to real customer needs.

This way, we also got the content creation well underway in good time. This was essential against the set timetable, in particular as the new site was going to be much more complex than the old one.

The structural design main objective was to create a clear and accessible range of services. During the process, we identified a need for photography and video production, which were scheduled for a further development phase.

When designing the web service visual interface, it was very important to call on the new brand identity consistently, but without compromising usability. The basic requirement of a modern website is to take into consideration the accessibility and smooth usability on different user devices.

As for website technical infrastructure, open-source WordPress was the natural choice as the content management system (CMS) for the site. From the customer point of view, the possibility to update content easily, without any specific technical knowledge, is one of the WordPress key features.

The brand redesign was the best starting point for producing sales support material, which included the web service, launched in April 2021.

The company internationalisation has got off to a brisk start, which has reflected already in an increase in sales. The first Griffin, modern technology-based Refuse Derived Fuel plant was opened in the UAE area in October 2020. The plant converts waste into low-carbon alternative fuel.