A New Era

We’ll always remember 2020 as the year Hoot Design Company refreshed its identity. (We’ll remember it for other reasons too, but that’s a conversation for a different blog.) Our new look embodies who we are today, a creative branding agency, and where we see ourselves going. And in our first agency blog, we’re going to explain how the transition came to be. 

The problem

The previous Hoot Design Co. brand no longer reflected our work. We used to be an Etsy shop that evolved into a full-service marketing agency. We worked with solopreneurs and local businesses, and we had a kooky voice that made us accessible and easy to relate to. 

But as we grew, our audience changed. We began working with larger, national companies, and we zeroed in on what we do best: brand. Our business was evolving faster than our brand, and our image and voice began to feel out of touch with reality.

The solution

Earlier this year, we took the plunge and revisited our brand — and our website. Here’s the approach we took to each element of our refresh:

Look & feel

You’ll still see pops of red here and there, but we’re leaning more into a minimalistic black-and-white visual identity. It feels elevated and sophisticated, which reflects our work and speaks to our clients.

Tone

We’re polishing up our content to match the audiences we’re working with.

Website

We had a clear vision for our new website, and our old site was holding us back. Instead of working twice as hard for a result that was half as good, we decided to scrap hootdesignco.com and launch hootdesigncompany.com. The clear distinction between the sites also made our brand evolution feel tangible and meaningful.

The result

Our new brand launched on December 7, 2020, and we made the day memorable for the whole team. We started the day with mimosas and ended it with an intimate outdoor launch party. Every employee got a hand-delivered invitation, and we rented Beet Box, one of our favorite local restaurants, for the evening.

Hosting a launch party transformed the rebrand from a conceptual work project to a memorable experience. It honored our team’s effort and celebrated the work we’re so proud of. The launch party capitalized on the power of the moment, and it brought the whole project together. 

We look forward to all that’s to come for us, and we’re excited to share it with you. To keep up with Hoot, be sure to follow us on Instagram.