Building a Craveworthy Brand for Brassy Bird
If you’ve kept a finger on the pulse of the Columbia food scene, you’ve undoubtedly heard of a little thing called Brassy Bird. The genius concept was inspired by the dominant industry trend of chicken sandwiches, plus some uncanny timing of a pandemic—you know the one—that changed the dining experience as we knew it.
The Coley’s American Bistro team came to us in July of 2020 to share their idea behind the new concept. Brassy Bird, which back then was still nameless, would be a virtual kitchen—a creative pivot from the traditional restaurant with a dine-in space. This concept would have its own name and menu, and only offer carryout and delivery. Before introducing the idea to the public, they needed some of the basic building blocks of a new brand: a logo, photography, and a user-friendly website.
Brand Inspiration & Styled Photography
Owner Brian Coley knew he wanted to create menu items that give customers bang for their buck. These weren’t going to be your average drive-thru chicken sandwiches, after all. The Lift Division team discussed Brian’s target audience (think Millennials and Gen Z), desired brand aesthetic (relaxed vibe but with an attitude) and overall marketing strategy. Together, we decided the very first order of business was a food photoshoot.
Although it’s not hard to make Brassy Bird chicken look appetizing, there’s more to a Lift Division photoshoot than a simple point-and-shoot approach. A prior consultation, complete shot list and detailed schedule go into every photoshoot. Creative Director Sarah Carnes and Photographer Kyla Phillips set out to create a visual landscape complete with fresh, authentic ingredients and elements like backdrops, metal trays and cutting boards. From there, all kinds of fried chicken magic ensued.
Showcasing Brand Personality Through Logo Design
While there may have been less sauce, props and cilantro involved, logo design was as crucial to building Brassy Bird’s brand as stellar photography. The final logo would be translated across digital marketing platforms and easily repurposed for packaging, merchandise and other mediums.
Brassy Bird’s logo needed to stand alone; it was not to be confused with its well-established parent company, Coley’s. In the same vein, Brassy Bird was unlike anything Columbia had seen before, meaning its defining symbol had to be as unique as its brand.
Inspired by its diverse menu and catchy name, Sarah knew Brassy Bird’s logo would need to express the brand’s emerging personality. She took an exhaustive dive into typography options, brainstorming ways they could play into the logo’s design. The result? A striking logo with bold typography and a unique personality. Though several different options were presented, the final choice was clear.
Responsive Web Design with a Mobile-First Mindset
What’s a virtual restaurant without a high-functioning website? Creating a website where customers could place food orders was a no-brainer, but several components were critical to get right. A seamless customer experience ultimately enhances a business’s bottom line.
Foregoing an indoor dining space, Brassy Bird relies solely on pickup and delivery. It’s no secret that purchases made on mobile devices is on the rise, so mobile optimization was—as always—a top priority. Additionally, the site needed to be fast. Like, really fast. Most web users will abandon a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load, quickly depleting opportunities for new sales. In the world of online food ordering, this makes perfect sense; patience wears thin when you’re hungry.
Our Lightspeed web development platform allowed us to put mobile and timeliness at the forefront of the entire process. All that was left to do was write content for the website that would tell Brassy Bird’s story in a prominent voice. The final product was
a beautiful website tying together styled photography, a fresh logo, and branded content.
Celebrating the Successful Launch of Brassy Bird
Brassy Bird finally revealed itself to the world in late November, officially opening for business on December 18th, 2020. In its first month, the website generated over 8,500 page views. The data is telling: in that debut month, 71% of site visitors came from a mobile device, and 69% of page views were on mobile. Anticipating users’ needs allowed us to strategically offer them the best experience, helping make the launch of Brassy Bird a success.
This project was a true joy for our team from start to finish. Brassy Bird founder Brian Coley had a vision for this brand from the beginning, and his team put exhaustive thought, time and energy into each menu item before bringing the concept to us. Their passion effortlessly inspired us to build a strong foundation for their new venture while flexing our creative muscles and putting our minds together.
Does your business need a brand refresh, or are you building something completely new? Lift Division’s digital marketers would love to partner with you in your branding endeavors. Call or contact us today.
BY Sarah Carnes
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Sarah had an interest in art, writing and technology from a very early age. She spent her childhood building websites and designing album artwork. Fortunate enough to attend a high school that offered graphic design classes, she was able to pursue her passion and expertise earlier than most of her peers.
Sarah oversees all operational and visual aspects of Lift Division, including design, community management, photography, videography, recruitment and company initiatives. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, Sarah has been instrumental in the high growth of multiple companies and brands, which included helping a company flourish from a $10M to $45M company. She innovates, leads and executes strategic marketing initiatives from the ground up.
Sarah has held various marketing and design positions including Brake Printing, Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan, Westminster College and Fresh Ideas Food Service as the Director of Marketing. Her career has allowed her to innovate, lead and execute strategic marketing initiatives from the ground up while managing a team of digital marketers. Sarah has managed and developed marketing, communication, branding, digital communities and creative direction for various companies throughout her career.
GET A FREE ONLINE MARKETING ASSESSMENT!
Our FREE Aerial Snapshot will:
- Identify Valuable Keywords & Your Current Rankings
- Analyze Your Current Local Presence
- Review Key Performance Indicators on Your Website
- Assess Your Social Media Profiles
- Provide You with a Reputation Analysis