As your business grows, your brand naturally matures too. We spoke with some of the creative minds behind Intercom’s branding and our recent brand refresh project.
You wouldn’t expect most tech startups to have a Brand Studio, but Intercom does things differently. At Intercom, our Brand Studio team, which includes creative directors, copywriters, designers, illustrators, and animators, works tirelessly to make business-customer communication more personal and human.
Lately, the team has been busy with our brand refresh project. Creative Director Scott Smith emphasizes that as a business grows, its brand should mature too. Collaborating with other teams, onboarding new agencies, and adding freelancers introduces new variables to maintain brand consistency. It’s crucial to evolve the brand to appeal to an enterprise audience without losing the unique qualities that set it apart initially.
In this episode of Inside Intercom, we chat with members of the brand team:
– Scott Smith, Creative Director
– Kira Bundlie, Creative Copywriting Manager
– Kyle Benson, Brand Design Lead
– Kristin Raymaker, Brand Design Manager
They discuss their work, how it’s evolving, and how Intercom continues to use friendly, personal design to communicate strong ideas even after a decade.
Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion:
1. Involving key stakeholders from the beginning of creative projects avoids overkill and ensures the project aligns with business needs.
2. Branding is always evolving. Regularly reassess if your communication reflects your brand foundations and growth.
3. Know your audience. Intercom’s communication is simple and personal because it’s humans talking to humans, not businesses talking to businesses.
4. Moving upmarket usually involves rebranding to appear more enterprise-ready, but it’s important not to lose the quirks that make your business unique.
Now, let’s dive into our conversation with the team:
At Intercom’s Brand Studio, we have a mix of designers, copywriters, illustrators, animators, and operations folks acting as the creative hub for everything Intercom does. Our branding aims to personalize internet business communication.
Branding is crucial as it affects perception, generates new business, and increases brand value. The Brand Studio manages everything from voice and tone to visual identity. Scott, the Creative Director, explains that branding involves a lot of research and collaboration with key company stakeholders.
Recently, we’ve worked on the brand refresh project, documented meticulously in our brand guidelines. These guidelines ensure consistency across the brand, whether it’s voice and tone or visual elements like illustration style and color palette.
One major branding element is our voice and tone. Kira Bundlie, our Creative Copywriting Manager, emphasizes maintaining a conversational, friendly, and personal tone. We aim to write with a smile, reflecting our conversational and relationship-oriented approach. Our language is clear and concise, respecting our customers’ time and maintaining a human-to-human connection.
Apart from the voice, the Brand Studio is responsible for visual identity. Kristin Raymaker discusses how the smiley face in our logo, or “squinge,” symbolizes our commitment to maintaining a personal touch. As we grow, we need to balance maintaining our unique identity while appealing to enterprise clients.
Working on branding projects at Intercom involves a collaborative process where creative minds come together to ensure the brand stays true to its core yet evolves as needed. Kyle Benson, our Brand Design Lead, likens this to tweaking a recipe – maintaining core ingredients while making adjustments as needed.
Intercom’s brand strategy involves continuous reflection and adaptation, ensuring we convey our intended message and grow with our audience. The creative team plays a pivotal role in making sure the brand remains consistent and appealing through all its evolutions. This includes managing outside vendors, agencies, and freelancers to maintain brand integrity amidst rapid growth.
As Intercom grows and moves upmarket, the Brand Studio adapts. Scott Smith points out the challenge of keeping up with the fast pace but emphasizes the importance of not becoming complacent. The future looks bright for Intercom’s Brand Studio, with plans for growth and continued excellence in creative output.
For more about our refreshed brand, check out the Inside Intercom blog where Scott has written extensively on the topic. If you enjoyed this episode, let us know on Twitter or leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Stay tuned for more engaging episodes from Inside Intercom.