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Branding

When Branding A Speedloader…It Was Important to Not Jump the Gun.

February 7, 2018 By Valerie Bickley

In collaboration with graphic designer Janice Antley of Mighty Mouse Productions, Bickley Creative was awarded our favorite type of project: a brand identity opportunity to name and develop a tagline and logo for a new product.

Our client, an engineering mastermind and gun enthusiast, had developed a “better mousetrap” in the revolver category of gun accessory products known as speedloaders. Speedloaders are handy little tools utilized by revolver owners to make it easier to load and reload bullets. Tom’s invention worked more efficiently, was easier to load, and less expensive than that of the major competition.

When reviewing our final execution for QuickLoad Revolver Speedloader Systems, one might assume…”That’s an obvious solution.  How hard could that have been?” Ahh…well…sometimes the end result belies the effort it takes to get to that place.

Naming a product or company is always a creative challenge of the greatest kind, one we embrace and love, yet take very seriously. Here’s why:

1) The product or company is the client’s “baby.” It’s difficult enough coming up with a name for your own children, much less naming somebody else’s, right? Whether its a conscious realization or not, most stakeholders have preconceived notions of what they personally like (and dislike) or expect a name to be. Sometimes this is good. Sometimes not.

2) Then there’s the research that’s involved in developing a name (and tagline.) What competitive products are out there and what are their names? Which is considered a trademarked name and what words or phrases are off limits? If the product is a commodity as it was in this case, then the task becomes that much more challenging as the creative team faces more limitations.

To help us get past hurdles 1) and 2) Bickley Creative conducts an in-depth discovery meeting with the client to gain insight on the overall market, details on the product itself and its competition, the products benefits, unique selling points, and who the potential buyers are and their expectations.

Then, we’l develop a list of names that typically can take many creative directions. We’ll explore names that are descriptive….names that convey a benefit…names that imply better performance…or evoke a personality…all the while checking our list against what’s already out there to avoid any type of copyright infringement.

Once a shortlist of names has been selected by the client, we face another critical checkpoint.

3) Is a name-compatible URL even available? In many instances, coming up with an available domain name that incorporates the product name is as big a creative challenge as developing the name itself. Often, we’ll have to explore many variations of a web address in order to find one that is available and marketing-worthy.

As a result of our disciplined creative process, along with back and forth discussions on the 40+ names we presented, our client ultimately was guided to abandon names that were too “cutesy” or ambiguous. He came full circle and chose a name that was descriptive and implied a benefit.

Granted, what makes this brand memorable isn’t so much the name itself…but the overall execution. The logo expertly illustrates the benefit of the product. The tagline “Shoot Faster” further drives home the key benefit of why a revolver owner would want to give it a shot.

It’s the creative synergy of all the elements that go into developing a brand identity….the name….the logo…and the tagline…that gives this great new product the strong positioning it needs to be successfully introduced into a highly competitive marketplace.

Mission accomplished.

front of package design

Filed Under: Bickley Creative phone: 864-729-2978, Branding

Thinking Back. Looking Forward.

November 28, 2017 By Valerie Bickley

Thanksgiving is a time of year when we count our blessings and express our thanks to those in our lives who are important to us.  This year, in particular, I’ve had the opportunity to work on many challenging projects for a variety of new clients and have reconnected with valued colleagues from years’ past.  Looking back, I’d like to acknowledge several individuals who helped to make this a successful and transformative year for Bickley Creative.

Judy Benedict of Giraffe Web Development & Design…thank you for including me on many of your website projects and recommending me to clients for other creative work. I especially appreciate you starting 2017 off to a great start  by including me with your clients Millard Insurance & Financial Associates and Haynsworth Private School to write the copy for their websites.

 

Plus: a big shout-out to Judy also for developing this SEO rockstar of a website that has me showing up on Google as number one for Copywriter Greenville SC. Woot Woot.

To Curt Westlake, of Infinity Marketing…..thank you for keeping me crazy-busy during October, November, December, and January by giving me freelance copywriting work for your agency for several consumer clients. I rediscovered my creative energy thanks to your tight deadlines…and fun projects!

To Brian Erkins of Reel Video & Stills,..thank you for being a great referral source. This year, you came through with another great client –TechHomePro – that gave me the opportunity to write and provide creative direction for their company’s launch-to-market video. And, thank you for choosing Bickley Creative to write your website content (rvstills.com) this year –which was another collaborative project with Giraffe Web.

Then there’s Ted Durham of IDP, Elizabeth Yarbrough of Link360 and Cheryl Carpenter of C3 Creative….thank you all for including me on key projects as your writer and getting me through the slow lull of this summer. Your friendship and support mean so much and you’re all a joy to work with.

And finally, I’d like to thank Janice Antley of Mighty Mouse Productions, my creative partner on so many cool projects this year. I’m proud of our hard work and brand development efforts for Chastine Property Management, Pure Logic Sanitizer and Stain Remover, My Talking Spoon, Quick Load Speed Loader, Evans-Weirick Consulting, Haywood Road Animal Hospital and Woodruff Federal Savings & Loan.  We’ve been working together for 18 years now and our collaborations just keep getting better!

If this is sounding more like an acceptance speech, well…I’ll accept that. I’ll accept that this year, in particular, Bickley Creative has helped to create a big, highly diverse body of work thanks to the support of a lot of great people. Loyal colleagues and friends….clients. both new and old…..and trusted vendor partners…..you have renewed my creative spirit and have all helped make this a full year for Bickley Creative.

Creative copywriting and brand development have always been my passion. To be able to make a living doing what I love is a blessing for which I am truly thankful.

Filed Under: Bickley Creative phone: 864-729-2978, Branding

America: One of the Greatest Ideas in Human History.

June 12, 2017 By Valerie Bickley

 

 

International superstar Bono, the lead singer for U2, gave a speech in 2012 at the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.  The speech touched upon the mission of the initiative, which is to encourage business leaders to make responsible decisions that offer both economic and social value.  During it,  Bono coined a great description of the concept of the American Ideal:

“….it’s not a right/left issue. It’s a right/wrong issue, and America has constantly been on the side of what’s right. Because when it comes down to it, this is about keeping faith with the idea of America. Because America’s an idea, isn’t it? I mean, Ireland’s a great country, but it’s not an idea. Great Britain’s a great country, it’s not an idea. That’s how we see you around the world, as one of the greatest ideas in human history, right up there with the Renaissance, right up there with crop rotations and the Beatles’ White album.

The idea, the American idea—it’s an idea—the idea is that you and me are created equal, and will ensure that an economic recession need not become an equality recession. The idea that life is not meant to be endured but enjoyed. The idea that if we have dignity, if we have justice then leave it to us, and we’ll do the rest. This country was the first to claw its way out of darkness and put that on paper.

And God love you for it, because these aren’t just American ideas anymore. There’s no copyright on them. You brought them into the world. It’s a wide world now. I know Americans say they have a bit of the world in them, and you do, the family tree has lots of branches. But the thing is, the world has a bit of America in it, too. These truths, your truths, they’re self-evident in us.”

It’s especially interesting to me that this bit of wisdom comes from an Irishman–an outsider if you will. In marketing, when a company or individuals seek to define their unique selling points…it is difficult for them to position themselves. Stakeholders are often too close to the situation —they “can’t see the forest for the trees” analogy. As in this case, it takes someone from the outside looking in to help people focus on those key elements or strengths that separate them from the rest of the world. Thanks Bono for helping to brand the concept of the US for us Americans. We needed to hear it –and maybe, today in 2017,  more than ever.

Filed Under: Branding

Why A Tagline is A Great Idea.

May 10, 2017 By Valerie Bickley

Does a new business or product have to have a tagline? No, your brand can live and yes, even thrive without a tagline. But if you’ve got a great logo and you are investing in your brand, let us borrow from one of the greatest taglines of all time…

Just Do It.®

A really spot-on tagline adds dimension to your brand by speaking directly to your target audience. It works synergistically with your logo to create a powerful message that registers consciously or subconsciously with anyone seeing or hearing it in a positive, beneficial or educational way.

Some of our current favorites:  Walgreens: At The Corner of Happy And Healthy®.  Snickers: You’re Not You When You’re Hungry®.  Dos Equis: Stay Thirsty My Friends.®

The very best taglines are timeless and as a result, many are still alive and well decades later. Morton Salt: When it Rains It Pours.® Maxwell House: Good to the Last Drop®. DeBeers: A Diamond Is Forever.®  The Marines: The Few. The Proud. The Marines.® Lay’s Potato Chips: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One®.

Often, the best taglines become the “big idea” for full-scale advertising campaigns that can be utilized for years and years. Like Energizer Batteries…They Keep Going and Going.®.

Just as the designing of a logo is to the graphic designer, crafting a tagline is the ultimate creative art form for a professional copywriter. A great tagline writer understands that a tagline isn’t there just “for grins” or to make you sound important or official.

Far more, it’s a writer’s opportunity to combine a few choice words into something that has the power to evoke a connection, state a benefit, and set the tone or personality for your brand. For the professional tagline writer, it is a huge responsibility and a true test of creativity, talent and experience.

Can you tell we love a great tagline?

Some of our all-time favorite Bickley Creative-created taglines:   Closing Deals.Opening Doors®  – The Capital Corporation.  Waterlicious®. -Aqua Blue Pools. Play A Better Ball®. – Srixon Golf Balls.    Think Brand. Not Bland®. – Our Mantra and Blog.  Wired To Exceed Expectations®.- DRI Electrical Contractors. Check them out.

Filed Under: Branding Tagged With: Bickley Creative taglines, great taglines, professional copywriter, professional tagline writer, tagline witer

Look Established Instantly: Get A Logo.

May 1, 2017 By Valerie Bickley

Without a decent logo, it’s very difficult to build your brand. Seriously, if you don’t do anything else to get your new venture going, invest in a professionally designed logo and business card. At Bickley Creative, we work with graphic designers who are specialists in creating logos that showcase your business or product’s name to its best advantage.

A great logo is never over-designed and because of this, it looks so deceptively simple! Warning: Attempting to design your logo yourself or asking your niece who’s an art major to create it, could prove hazardous to your marketing image.

Creative wisdom is so important in logo design. Because beyond the beauty of its simplicity, a logo must work in both color and in black & white, and be adaptable to vertical and horizontal formats and all kinds of graphic applications. A logo and business card are offered together at a one-time flat creative development fee agreed upon in advance.

The design process involved in developing a logo requires creativity and many hours of time…conceptualizing, refining ideas and making decisions on key graphic elements like the right font in the right color in the right size…all placed and spaced just so.

It is a labor of love by experts who love the challenge of producing a great design in one of its most abbreviated forms. Can you tell we love a great logo  (Almost has much as we love a great tagline.)

 

 

Filed Under: Branding Tagged With: awardwinning logo design, brand development: logos, branding: logos, creative logo designs, great logo designer, logos

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309 West Stone Ave.
Greenville SC 29609

864-729-2978

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Recent Posts

  • Don’t Rehash The Hash: Custom-Written Website Content Matters. November 23, 2018
  • We All Know Pitch Perfect Marketing When We See It May 22, 2018
  • When Branding A Speedloader…It Was Important to Not Jump the Gun. February 7, 2018
  • Thinking Back. Looking Forward. November 28, 2017
  • TechHomePro Video —It Takes A Village To Get It Right October 8, 2017

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