Traction
Traction is the preferred growth partner for small and medium businesses in Nigeria when it comes to payment, business loans and business management tools.
Project
Brand Strategy, Identity, Print, Launch
Client
Traction
Year
2022
Creating improved business experiences for African SMEs:
Traction Apps is a one-stop platform for MSMEs to accept payments, run their businesses and access capital for growth. Traction is building the operating system for MSMEs in Africa! The brand is driven by its quest to help power the growth and operations of businesses and MSMEs in Africa.
Traction is crossing its 3rd year, but the “brand” is still in its nascent stage. Of course with every brand, the logo is one of the first visible features. Traction started off with a logo but it lacked definition, and uniqueness as the icon was quite identical to that of a multinational tech corporation. There is a need for a visual identity system that consistently communicates the brand’s personality, speaks to its audience, and strengthens the brand’s message as a growth partner for MSMEs.
Building upon a foundation
During an initial survey and brand audit we conducted of the employees on the current state of the brand, it was revealed that even internally, the perception of the Traction brand was polarized as they compared the brand with several different personalities. Asides from this, we discovered that several wrong versions of the logo had been created and had been in circulation prior to our engagement with the brand, giving a wrong impression about the brand. Assessing the damage gave us an idea of how much needed to be done and how best to approach the problem.
Research has shown that companies with stronger brands have better reach, brand trust, awareness, and equity and experience better engagement and product trials amongst customers. Hence, the need to develop a brand identity for Traction that is well-defined, unique and built to last and resonate with the target audience and general public.
Our Solution
Brand name: Traction (formerly Traction Apps)
Traction Apps has been misinterpreted as a software company, because of the word “Apps” in the current brand name. We decided to let the 'Apps' go because it was limiting the vision and expansion of the company, hence, we will be adopting the solo word “Traction” across all brand-facing materials.
Our Promise:
Based on the results from our initial survey of both employees and customers while determining the brand archetypes, we discovered Traction fits into the archetypical mix of “caregiver” and “sage”. Hence the need to create an identity that shows that we are the go-to for knowledge, information, customer care and a partner. We know we want to be the “Growth Partner for every business in Africa” and that is the new positioning for the Traction brand.
Changing The Logo
As a financial solutions brand gradually gaining trust and equity amongst its audience, the team agreed to gradually phase out the brand's old visual identity and apply a soft approach to introducing the new identity. We focused on finding opportunities within the current logo that simply made the mark more meaningful and unique.
The old logo mark comprised four squares which we thought lacked definition or meaning creating to the brand.
The solution was to develop something that wasn't too far off; there were 4 blocks in the current mark, we then altered these squares by applying the rounded corners effect and carefully created a butterfly-looking icon, emphasizing that the brand is growth-centric. A butterfly seemed perfect as an identifier for the brand as it is characterized by growth and transformation. With growth and innovation being in the DNA of Traction, this makes it a suitable symbol for the brand.
We also added a tile to the logo mark as there used to be a problem regarding usage and application where the areas of the logo coloured blue were often lost in contrasting backgrounds. This helped us solve the problem of versatility due to the colouring of the four squares that make up the mark and increased the curves on the edges to increase the appeal and overall friendliness.
Typography
Typography is also a key aspect of the brand identity. The previous typeface was changed into a much more simple, modern typeface with one colour.
After some months of testing several typefaces, we discovered 'Satoshi and Axiforma', two typefaces that solved our problems. A pair of fonts that fits in perfectly as the new type, as we were looking for certain characteristics for the new identity as well as the product design phase. We also agreed on a full small casing to help the brand’s simplicity and friendliness. The logo reads ‘traction’, used as ‘Traction’ in writing, and is no longer ‘Traction Apps’.
Unlocking colour
While the previous primary hue was widely accepted, it seemed overwhelming because of its saturation and so, there was a need for a colour system that represented a calmer, modern, relatable and friendlier palette that welcomes the viewer and also inspires them to trust and take action with the brand across all channels including social media, print and merchandise.
The blue—now tweaked to a slightly brighter hue which we named 'Epic Blue'—remains the official colour, there's also a darker hue, and green as a result of the brand's growth-centredness to compliment primary colours as opposed to the yellow colour previously used. The advent of the green hue was a result of our discovery that some of our major competitors use the yellow colour.
The new colour system embraces more colours in the patterns and elements that will feature in ads and posters. The new colour system also brings some more vibrancy to the overall look and feel.
Touching every point
Most brand icons, custom-drawn or bought as a graphics pack—don’t stand out as identifiable on their own, and while this isn’t a crime, we had a unique graphic style that could influence elements as basic as icons and buttons. The elements we created were designed to have at least one visibly curved edge based on the logo, bearing a combination of rounded edges,
A brand-centric user interface
The team collaborated with the in-house Product Design team on a new website and mobile app interface for the brand. The design of this new look aligned with the new visual style across the board. The objective was to make it aesthetically pleasing, functional, and brand-centric.
Delivering the Brand Guidelines
At the beginning of the project, the task was largely about delivering a system of standards that can help deliver consistency over time with the brand’s expressions across ads, interface and more. Different versions were created and updated upon prototyping and application for different purposes. In the end, a detailed brand guide was delivered that encapsulates results from the entire process; from the brand’s key statements to the signature colour scheme, typography, visual style, elements, and best practices in using them.
We also developed a comprehensible print process document with an overview of the brand and best practices for employees as well as print vendors to achieve consistency on all prints and merchandize.
Brand Launch
As we rounded off the project, after several months, it was finally time to take the refreshed brand to market. We developed a launch strategy, both internally and externally over the course of 8 weeks collaborating with the team to create engaging activities around the brand. We also selected and trained key influencers (known as 'Brand Champions') within the organization with resources to champion the brand and drive adoption both internally and externally.
We also developed a strategy for branding to be included in the employee onboarding curriculum to foster early adoption of the brand as new employees join the company.
Result
While we will need to observe the long-term effect on current and potential users since the launch. We are excited about the improvement we have achieved with the amazing team from point of engagement till now and we look forward to a successful launch.