By Bryan Mann-Entzel
Creative Lead and Strategist at >Greater Thought Design+Marketing
As we cross the 3-year mark, we have decided to take a look back at what we’ve built with >Greater Thought.
What was the initial inspiration?
>Greater Thought was started on the notion of being a mindful partner for those that we work with. We want the work that we do to have purpose and function behind it. It should be the right size budget, the right tactics, and the right time when someone engages us. And the work that we do should be built around solving problems and reaching our client’s goals. To look back at the name we chose, >Greater Thought is about being more intentional about the work.
Why the chevron as a symbol?
The chevron, or > greater-than symbol, was a natural fit for many reasons. It pairs well with our name and is a keyboard symbol that has been used in our writing to brand our work. We also resonated with the implied meanings of an arrow. For example, an arrow naturally activates what you attach it to. Thus giving our branding an active forward movement.
The use of the greater-than symbol also allows us to emphasize causes and topics we feel passionate about, they are part of the core of who we are and what we do. >Greater Impact, >Greater Purpose, and >Greater Inclusion are just a few that we have used as titles for the subject matters we get into.
Do the colors of the brand have significance?
We chose black and yellow because we wanted to create a high-contrast brand experience. The black is like a tuxedo. It is classic, mysterious, and commands authority. The yellow is sunshine. It is an energetic color and works hard whether it is a small touch of yellow or a solid background of it. When you put the two together, they make up a powerful combination.
It is a color combo found in nature with bees, flowers, and birds. In business, brands like CAT, Stanley Tool, Post-It, and Best Buy have made their way by building off of a similar palette. In contemporary society, black and yellow are found in signage on the highway, in work zones, and in superheroes like Batman. There is a lot of power to command in this combo and we saw an opportunity to leverage it for telling our stories as well.
What is something meaningful that >Greater Thought can convey?
The work we do for our clients should always look like them. Creating a brand for ourselves, that is distinctive and easy to identify, enables us to show our range of abilities. We are chameleons in our work. We want our brand to look like us, and our client’s brand to look like them. If we were vague about what our brand looks like and sounds like, it leaves too much open for interpretation. We are not canned, and we are not a one-trick pony. Every project and every brand should be unique and that applies to our own work too.
At the end of the day, we are creating work that identifies with people and companies. Looking back over what we have built for ourselves over the past 3 years, and the clients it has helped to attract… we really are proud and feel the brand represents us well.
What is a goal >Greater Thought has for the next year?
Our goal for the coming year is to grow the team. We have continued to grow our client list and we hope to be able to continue that trend and get to a place where we can add some additional team members too.