When Stani first came to us, she had just signed the lease on her new coffee shop, ‘Bonvivan.’ The space had previously been a cafe and was situated on a busy high street in Teddington. Although the shop was full of potential, it was surrounded by well-established corporate coffee chains (you know the kind) and competition was high.
When she contacted us she had zero branding in place. No logo, no identity, no visual language and the coffee shop was due to open in a couple of months. EEK! What she did have though was a clear vision and a beautiful ethos around how she wanted her brand to be represented.
Stani wasn’t looking to compete with the other cafes’ on the street as her vision was way more distinctive. Her focus was on home-cooked food, shared tables and the idea that food brings people together. Our role was to translate these ideas into an artisan brand identity that could hold its own on a busy high street whilst staying true to her values.
The Challenge: Standing Out as an Independent
Branding for independent businesses always comes with its own set of challenges, especially in the food and hospitality space. Corporate brands have huge marketing budgets and a loyal audience which makes it even harder to stand out amongst the masses. This is where we have to step in to dig deeper into the brand ethos and find elements which will really resonate with a particular crowd.
Our brand design process always starts by asking our clients to complete a brand questionnaire and shared Pinterest board and we follow this up with a detailed brand consultation call. From there, we pull together all the elements to devise an overall brand message. Stani’s passion for cooking and bringing people together is intrinsic to her brand so together we devised the concept of being seated at ‘The Bonvivan Table.’ A coffee shop that would become a community hub where visitors would come together, eat well and share stories.
Building the Brand: Artisan, Warm and Human
Like all our work, we approached this project by focusing on the feeling of the brand. It’s so important that brand design makes people feel connected and inspired so that we can build an audience that fully appreciates our worth. After pulling together everything we knew about Stani we created a moodboard which blended a modern, scandi aesthetic with a warm, inviting feeling. We were also fortunate enough to work alongside an amazing copywriter who helped to craft the brand message.
One of the most important aspects of this project was thinking beyond the day-to-day function of a coffee shop. Stani was keen to host community events, gatherings, shared meals and moments that bring people together. Because of this, the brand identity needed to work not only for menus and signage but also for event promotion. seasonal offerings and collaborations with other independents. This meant that alongside the primary and secondary logo variations we needed create an instantly recognisable icon which could be utilised across all areas of the business.
Why Branding Matters for IndependentS
If you’re an indie business owner, whether in food, retail, or the creative space, investing in an authentic brand completely changes how people experience what you do. It can be hard sometimes to really articulate your worth and the value you bring, so your brand identity has to do this hard work for you. Your true value lies in the story you tell and the connection you build with real life humans, so a thoughtful identity gives those elements a much stronger voice.
Looking to Brand Your Independent Business?
We specialise in branding for independents and artisan businesses who want to be seen for who they really are. If this sounds like you then we’d love to hear from you so pop us a line here and let’s see how we can help!
