

One of the key components of developing and establishing a long-lasting brand is considering your competition, your industry as a whole — and your position relative to both.

At VIA Studio, an industry competitive analysis is part of our tried and true Brand Strategy process and like other elements of our process, this one guides the work in rebranding or developing a brand.

allows us insight into similar organizations. We conduct a thorough audit of our clients’ competitors' messaging to understand how they position themselves.

Understanding the space your products and brand occupy in the market and in the mind of your consumers is critical — and studying your competitor's position helps you understand yours more clearly.

More often than not, your organization has several competitors or organizations that offer similar products. When we conduct an audit of other brands in the same industry, we get one step closer to identifying the 

 of the top players in your industry. Our audit turns into something more actionable with insights and recommendations for our clients.

in tandem with our industry competitive analysis. Similar to the industry competitive analysis, the visual brand analysis is an audit of all the current branded elements, online and offline, and allows us to analyze competitors’ usage of color, typography, design, and illustration.

, a leader in the beverage alcohol industry, through our immersive Brand Strategy process and the industry competitive analysis we conducted for them early on provides a good look into this work.

At the beginning of our Brand Strategy process, after interviewing their stakeholders, we audited the messaging and brand focus of eight of their top competitors.

After a thorough audit of each competitor one by one from a messaging and visual standpoint, we looked at them relative to Provi. This process allowed us to better understand what aspects and UVPs of Provi we wanted to elevate and lean into — and how we could separate Provi from all of their competition.

Determining the similarities and differences between your brand and your competitors’ or entire industry allows you to think more about how you can reach your consumers more effectively.

Now more than ever, brands are fighting to catch and maintain consumer attention — and all the elements of your brand together affect how users engage with or consume your brand.

Our team considers how messaging and visuals work together to establish your position. We believe that all parts of your brand must support each other and work together.

You could have the most useful product on the market, but without a solid brand positioning, messaging, and identity/design to back it up, it will be harder to see the value and cohesive, clear purpose in what you’re offering — and that’s why we see these audits as necessary. They truly allow us to map out where your brand currently is, and where your competitors are so that together we can determine where you need to go.

The biggest value in conducting these two analyses is that you gain a clearer picture of your brand, your goals and mission, and how to bring those into focus. 

This process opens the door to pivotal questions that lead you to build an impactful, long-lasting brand.

What is my position in the industry relative to my competition?

Do my messaging and visual branding materials convey my product/organization's value?

What are my UVPs and are they clearly conveyed?

What UVPs are my competitors leading with and why?

Do I want to utilize the same colors used by other brands within my industry? Why or why not?

Do the visuals and illustrations support my overall message and brand 

 if you think our approach is a match for your needs.

Positioning Your Company for Differentiation

Branding

Branding Behind the Scenes

Using the parlance of our time, Ben’s right. At its simplest understanding, the Brand Concept is your vibe. Who is your organization on an emotional level? I would ask you in our process… “What do you want your audience to 

 about you when they think about your brand?” It must be simple. It must be understandable, and it must resonate loudly with your audience.

First impressions being what they are, it is our job, once a Brand Concept is established, to develop your identity and collateral materials around this concept.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It’s really that simple, and that important. The concept rolls up all the brand strategy work we do, which is deeply understanding the following:

Your brand pillars, unique value propositions, etc

What adjustments are necessary to realign your brand with changes in the market, or your offerings

The Brand Concept is meant to entice your audience at the top of the funnel, AWARENESS, and make your brand memorable in a significant way that makes a strong impression. 

A well positioned company is not afraid of their competition 

A strong concept is a statement that only you can make, which makes a strong first impression and stakes a claim that your competition simply can’t.



When Louisville Collegiate School asked us to refresh their brand, we landed on the concept of “Limitless”. If you attend the school, or send your child to Collegiate, their world and their options become “Limitless”. Since they did not want us to redesign their logo, we used illustration, photography, and copywriting to build out the concept. The cornerstone of the concept is the photography and the design. We took photos of school kids looking out on the world from behind, out at their future and the possibilities inherent in their education. The design breaks out of their borders, and the copy is very inspirational.

"Limitless" ties Collegiate’s unique approach to education with the results it produces. Collegiate removes the limits. It allows students the freedom to explore different subjects and extracurricular activities in a way few schools can (or even attempt to) match. Collegiate also expands their worldview, and exposes them to ideas, people and cultures far beyond the confines of it’s campus. This approach helps students believe anything is possible, and gives them the foundation to make that belief a reality.




Most people remember their first school field trip to the Kentucky Center, seeing either an orchestra performance, Broadway play, or other memorable event. These are the moments that impact us most, to see, hear, and experience the arts and how they move us and impact their lives. The concept was embellished with an identity system that brought all their sub-brands together in an energizing new system.

Can you feel it? Can you hear it? There it is, thrumming through every building, street, lane, and alleyway. The restless, boundless, joyous artistic spirit in our community.

For over 30 years, Kentucky Performing Arts has been tapped into that energy, feeling the vibes, listening to the rhythms and working every day to bring Louisville and the surrounding community the best of the performing arts - from childhood to adulthood and every step in between.

We’re driven by that energy - it’s who we are.

Having a distinct brand concept brings tremendous value to your organization. It is an investment that will last years, and works to accelerate your communication objectives.

It gives your creative expressions a central theme, and guides the development of that work

It gives your internal culture a boost by giving your staff aspirational but achievable brand goals

It saves time and resources in developing ad campaigns, social media content, and other time-consuming marketing tasks

It is tuned to speak directly to your audience, their needs and motivations

It creates value for the company, as a strong brand is one consideration in business valuations

Marketing Strategy

Why Your Brand Deserves a Concept

Web Design

Accessibility

WordPress

Hubspot

Collateral

GoodMaps

Photography

Websites

Art Direction

Treyton Oak Towers

 at VIA Studio is two components: Brand Strategy and Brand Identity. 

 is a process that helps you find the unique values of your organization and your value to your audience, and defines how you can best communicate that value. 

 is the outward expression of your company, and is crafted from your logo, colors, typography, as well as the rules that govern how they are implemented. A great identity reinforces confidence in and awareness of your brand.

Branding

Branding: Case Studies

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GoodMaps

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Treyton Oak Towers

Branding: Blog Posts

Branding Behind the Scenes

Why Your Brand Deserves a Concept