Link Soluzioni SpA, founded in September 2003, is a company that distributes/coordinates mortgages for home purchase, loans for debt consolidation and for purchase of durable goods.
These funds have a single interlocutor who is the individual customer (not a corporation) and his family.
Link operates through a network of brokers (salespeople) located throughout the country.
Link works with leading banking partners to offer its customers the best opportunities available on the market.
Link proposes itself as a partner to the bank, as a highly skilled group in managing such activities.
One of Link's strengths is having a highly specialized internal back-office, able to assist its sales network as well as the customer in the financial application process, acting as the sole mediator between the customer and the Bank.
These seven years of activity have been devoted to the construction of the organizational machine, the perfection of the business model and implementation of training programs for the sales network with the objective of creating sales agreements with banks and insurance companies.
Up until the end of 2009, Link worked mainly in Triveneto and only in 2010 decided to further develop throughout the entire country.
For a description of our corporate vision, we refer to the following link: http://www.linkmutui.it/partne rfin/104_vision_e_valori.asp-m enu=105.htm
Market positioning:
- Dynamism, innovation, use of new media and the web (in the long term the brand will be the reference point for a community in its market)
- Strong customer orientation, service, ability to listen to their needs
- High profile, distinguished compared to the competition
- Elegant, with a touch of fashion.
Our change of position can be summarized as follows: from our vendors to the end consumers.
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 :)
In anticipation of this development, we are looking for a name, logo and corporate image to be applied to all our communication media, including those present at sales locations.
A) Name: constraints and suggestions
Binding legislation for the sector
The advertising on behalf of credit agents is governed by the law as follows:
Words or phrases such as "bank""banker", "credit", "savings", "finance" etc. (..), even in a foreign language, may not be used in the name or in any distinctive markings or communications intended for the public, as they could misleadingly represent the business as a banking institution.
In essence, the terms listed above cannot be used in the naming nor in the slogan.
Features of the new name:
Brevity
- Easy to decode and comprehend, also by foreigners (i.e. preferential use of English or Italian phonemes that are universally recognized)
- Recognition and identification
- Reassurance (particularly important given the industry)
- Convey the values of the company mission
- Strong impact in the communication at sales location
- Considering the names of our vendors, it should pair easily with musicality.
- Easy to understand, even in poor reproduction (i.e., radio commercial, store speakers, telephone conversation, etc.).
Avoid:
- Using suffixes or prefixes referring to the sector, such as "Fin", "Bank", etc..
- Use of geographical locations (i.e. "Italy", "Euro", etc.).
- Use of acronyms
Additional specifications:
- Availability of web domains .com and .it
B) Logo: suggestions
For the visual appearance, the company has established a set of parameters of particular importance:
- Easy web applicability and integration.
The application process of the new project will be almost entirely web-based, and therefore, the logo must be readable.
- Flexibility of logo
Merchandising, forms and customizable products carrying the brand/logo will be used, including reduced sizes or difficult materials. The company also intends to furnish the sales locations that do not currently have Link brand styling, which implies the logo may be used in architectural and layout features. Readability and flexibility are therefore once again a must.
- Distinction
The sector and segment are already very crowded, so a particularly powerful graphic layout is a necessity.
- Refined tone
The strategic marketing placement will be at an exclusive level, therefore requiring a high profile visual impact.
- Innovative treatment
The company's innovative business processes must be immediately perceived, while maintaining the basic criteria of readability and applicability expressed above.
- Reassurance:
The name must also be visually reassuring, conveying a positive and solid feeling about the company.
For the proposed new name and logo, we ask some prototypes be provided upon:
- letterhead
- business cards
- notepads
- presentation folder
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 !
There are two target customers we would like to reach:
- End customer in need of financing.
In 80% of cases, this customer turns to his/her own bank or to the Internet, where he tries to find the best deals and purchases based solely upon the interest rates (lowest rate offered).
Our client ranges in age from 25 to 60.
Usually we finance the entire family.
Employed worker and/or self-employed
Mostly Italian (80% of clients)
Lower-middle social class (we hope to raise it)
Not particularly educated and with very little financial literacy
Today, he comes to us only for financial necessity and thanks to the work of our sales team, so he does not know our brand, nor could he find our website (to be changed).
- Vendors in the industry (brokers) who, beginning next year, will be obligated to work for organized companies such as ours, as a result of Law 141 of 13/08/2010.
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 !
The new law will impose a major revision in the brokerage business: our target must abandon the disreputable image acquired by the sector in recent years and understand that our company is distinguished by its professionalism.
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 we have developed a strong customer focus, which we manage in person with fairness, consistency and transparency.
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!
- Simple
- Captivating
- Recognizable
- Reliable
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 !
On all of our corporate images and in our offices throughout the country.
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 !
We would like – although not an obligatory request to follow – if our new color was green.
It might be useful to take a look at the images of our major competitors:
- Mutui online http://www.mutuionline.it
- Kiron http://www.kiron.it/site/it/kiron.html
- Credit Pass http://www.credipass.it/index.html?r=1
- Capital Money http://www.capitalmoney.it/
- Tree Finance http://www.treegroup.it/tree-finance.aspx
We accept the proposals in .jpeg or .pdf file formats. The winner will be asked to provide professional formats.
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) !
