The Studio Filippini & Associati is a Certified Public Accountants' Office comprising about ten people (half of which are professionals and half administrative personnel and bookkeepers)
The firm provides the following services
- tax consultancy for domestic and international companies
- tax representation
- reorganization of business groups
- company valuations
- audits
- ratings and feasibility studies
- processing of accounting data
The practice was founded in 1987 by Aldo Filippini, who left the auditing firm for which he had worked for four years to open his own business.
Initial work included basic accounting for small and mid-sized businesses, and professional training. Over time, the firm expanded, in terms of personnel and type of clientele, as well as in the importance of the work it handled.
Today, even with its contained dimensions, the firm handles clients often in competition (or together) with large consulting companies or international professional firms.
In other words, it can be considered a boutique firm: small, yet providing a high quality product (service).
Domestic and international customers benefit from a complete service: from full bookkeeping services (often requested by multinational companies investing in Italy) to the compilation of contracts, fiscal planning studies, etc.
The firm's partners and the majority of its collaborators speak English fluently, and some speak French.
While seeking to offer a high quality service and maintaining an extreme attention to the presentation of their work, the firm's internal environment and its relationships with colleagues and clients remain rather casual, preferring to emphasize substance over form. Slipshod behaviour is not tolerated under any circumstances. In other words, the firm's look is simple yet well groomed.
Professionals and collaborators at the firm are aged on average between 30 and 51
The Studio Filippini & Associati has always been in the vanguard in the use of technology and telecommunications (definitely above average for the sector), even while currently not lending too much importance to its website.
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
We need to create a logo and the relative corporate image for "Studio Filippini & Associati" to be applied on the materials listed at step 7.
The logo must be perceived by customers as simultaneously representing seriousness and "fresh creativity," (our most important work entails a high degree of creativity, especially in the reorganization of business groups; obviously this sort of creativity is expressed in a rather formal and serious environment).
Our work requires that we combine an extreme and rigorous methodology and data analysis with a sound dose of imagination.
At the same time, it would be nice if the corporate image on the documents and the logo helped the firm's employees (professionals first and administrative personnel as well) to feel that they are part of an integrated environment, a compact team.
We don't want to excessively stand out from other professionals: we offer a very specific service, belong to an official order of professionals and we feel we're also part of a broader team (Accounting and Legal professionals) who normally appears in a formal manner externally.
However, we're convinced that formalism should not stand for dreariness or a lack of colour.
Whoever sees our logo or picks up our letterhead paper should have an impression of "dynamic" seriousness. The logo should capture people's attention in a discrete and pleasant manner, like an elegant well-toned necktie
!!!Update as of December 7!!!
1. Our color preferences are blue/light blue, gray/silver and, at most, gold (these are the ones in the various solutions that seemed more in line with the message we want to convey: lively and elegant)
2. In the logo, use the letters FA (Filippini e Associati) because the combination seems to provide better results than SFA (Studio Filippini e Associati); the name could even remain Studio Filippini & Associati, it's just that initials with the two letters are better esthetically; at least, based on what we've seen so far. In addition, FA are the initials of my name, even if reversed.
3. The materials to be provided in executive format (better if also included in the presentations because the logo alone is not enough to form an opinion):
Letterhead
Letterhead second sheet (the ones with just the name and without the address and names of the partners, which wasn't requested in the previous brief)
Paper for notes (the colors I prefer are a very light gray with white lines (not squares) or a light pastel yellow with gray lines
Normal envelopes (letter)
Large envelopes
Business cards
Promotional items
Web page
Complimentary cards (not in the previous brief)
4. Request the positioning of the names and address, etc., on the letterhead. Would it be useful to list the precise names of the offices partners (Aldo Filippini, Massimo Impeciati and Alessandra Razzi, all three with the title Dottore Commercialista) or not? Also specify the positioning of both the names of future partners of the office and non-partners (which should, thus, be distinct)
!!!The end of update!!!
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
Managing Directors and Managers of mid to large sized companies.
Entrepreneurs and professionals.
Institutions (our work requires us to establish relationships with financial and public offices in general, as well as with associations within our own sector).
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
Belive that affairs will be handled by serious, intellectually dynamic people.
Whoever sees or uses one of our documents should have a great first impression of our studio.
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
Because in all these years of work we know that the level of service we provide is extremely high compared to what the competition is offering.
Obviously, there can be competitors who are better prepared or better equipped than us, but we're certainly positioned in the highest bracket.
We want to make sure that the quality of our work is reflected right from the start in the form of our business cards, letterhead paper and so on.
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
Meticulous attention to details
Sensitivity to the needs of customers
Intellectual dynamism
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
- Headed paper
- Note paper
- Business cards
- Coloured folders (we use different colours for different types of work, e.g. green for opinions and ratings, grey for legal arguments, blue for financial statements, etc.)
- Gift items (pens, USB keys, other gadgets)
- The logo will also be inserted on our website
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
Brand's take for the note paper, not to be considered as binding:
- first possibility: light grey paper with white lines
- second possibility: light yellow paper (visually more relaxing)
The following formats will be good for the presentation of solutions:
- .jpeg
- .doc
The winner will have to provide the executive format of the Solution.
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
