Introduction
I worked at Herbivore Garden Centre for about 6 months, learning about organic farming, indoor plants and running the online sales and inventory for the business. Despite it being only a year old, Herbivore had earned its reputation as a source of quality garden products and accessories, as well as a reference point for any organic farming questions. Having developed an appreciation for what it takes to run a successful plant store, I came up with a proposal for the Herbivore Garden Centre rebrand.
Objectives
- Promote new and available products.
- Streamline visual identity across platforms.
- Incorporate partnerships.
- Engage the online audience
Rebrand Process
The brand has relied heavily on the logo as its main identifier. However as the store diversified its services and products, bringing other known partners in the field in, there was a need to develop clear branding and marketing collateral. The rebrand needed to portray authority, versatility with the coming expansions and a commitment to small-space farmers and sustainability practices.
Logo, Colour and Typography
The logo design was created to reflect a modern and geometric outlook, denoting structure and simplicity of purpose. It was specifically chosen for its contrast to the organic shapes often found in nature. The simplified leaf design is combined with the wordmark, sometimes shortned for legibility. The logo was also converted to various versions depending on the context for which they are required. The idea is to present information in a easy-to-understand manner, showing Herbivore’s expertise and commitment to expanding the practices associated with organic farming and permaculture.
The colour choices were made as a result of the versatility of the combination for representing everything from the plants and accessories above-ground; the greens, as well as everything it takes for a garden to thrive below-ground; the browns.
Poppins’ simplicity and legibility provide enough contrast with the roundness of the characters to stand on its own as a wordmark, while also aligning with the geometrical nature of the logo and associated imagery.
Social Media
Facebook and Instagram were the primary market, requiring short-form content that is primarily visual. The posts need to be colourful, respecting the branding guidelines, and always paired with a clear call-to-action to drive sales.
Objectives
- Promote products
- Inform and engage the audience
Email was used primarily as a way to answer queries about orders and potential partnerships. The owner wanted to introduce monthly newsletters to inform the audience on more involving activities e.g. gardening classes, auctions and collaborations with other organisations like the Kenya Horticultural Society.
Objectives
- Promote new product deals
- Inform audience
Website
This being the main collection of information on the business, and a strong source of online sales, the website needed to clearly direct potential customers to making a purchase as efficiently as possible.
Objectives
- Promote new product deals
- Optimise online purchases
- Consolidate all information and make it accessible
Though the most traditional of media, print media here is used to add to the aesthetic of the business, as well as directly offering specific value to the customer. Items like business cards would give contact information, tote bags for packaging, pamphlets and brochures for easily-digestible gardening information, and even stickers to show support for the business and gardeners' pride.