This document outlines a proposed visual identity plan for Robbins-Gioia to update its branding in accordance with a brand management initiative. The plan aims to establish a consistent visual brand that reflects the company's ability to attract top talent and appeals to customers. It involves redesigning marketing materials and the corporate website in-house over several months to provide a connected visual identity that is on par with industry leaders and improves brand consistency.

1. Robbins-Gioia, LLC
Visual
Corporate
Identity
Plan
Graphic Branding at Robbins-Gioia
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.

2. 2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
1
INTRODUCTION
This
document
outlines
proposed
plans
for
updating
the
visual
identity
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
in
accordance
with
the
2011
Brand
Management
Initiative,
the
executive
direction
of
Herb
Strauss,
and
the
formation
of
the
Brand
Transformation
&
Management
Integrated
Project
Team
lead
by
Bruce
Anich.
This
document
has
been
developed
by
the
Graphic
Design
Coordinator,
who
has
been
tasked
as
the
designer
in
the
development
of
a
connected
visual
brand
that
represents
us
and
appeals
to
our
customers.
Robbins-­‐Gioia
has
a
proud
tradition
of
hiring
capable,
industry
leading
talent.
This
is
one
of
the
driving
forces
of
the
firm,
and
has
played
a
significant
role
in
allowing
R-­‐G
to
continuously
thrive
and
expand
into
new
markets.
The
time
has
come
for
the
visual
identity
of
the
company
to
truly
reflect
this
attribute.
Over
the
last
5
months
the
creative
team1
has
been
engaged
in
research
and
development
of
existing
resources
and
have
reached
the
determination
that
the
talent
and
ability
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia
employees
is
more
than
enough
to
perform
the
entire
visual
rebranding
in-­‐house.
This
is
reflected
within
the
Microsoft
Project
schedule
that
is
included
in
this
report.
The
ability
of
our
firm
to
attract
and
keep
cutting
edge
talent
is
one
of
the
key
reasons
that
R-­‐G
will
continue
to
endure
and
flourish
as
a
brand.
1
The
Creative
Team
at
Robbins-­‐Gioia
consists
of
communication
professionals
leveraged
on
an
as
needed
basis
from
various
functional
areas
in
the
company.

3. 2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
2
PURPOSE
OF
THE
VISUAL
CORPORATE
IDENTITY
PLAN
In
order
to
achieve
a
best-­‐practice
visual
solution
at
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
it
becomes
necessary
to
establish
certain
progressive
baselines
that
are
centered
around
appropriate
change.
The
intent
of
branding
change
agents
is
to
introduce
new
practices
in
such
a
way
that
it
will
encourage
acceptance
and
adoption
by
R-­‐G
employees,
and
enthusiasm
from
customers.
Change
management
efforts
for
this
initiative
will
utilize
the
styles
and
formats
that
were
developed
for
the
2011
Leadership
Immersion
as
a
bridge,
or
building
block,
helping
to
ease
the
transition
and
allowing
for
immediate
update
of
certain
materials.
When
Implementing
these
changes,
the
overarching
target
and
goal
is
to
establish
a
visual
brand
that
is
competitive
with
contemporary
visual
corporate
identities
used
by
industry
leading
professionals.
Robbins-­‐Gioia
has
fallen
behind
in
brand
consistency
and
relevance.
This
is
most
apparent
on
the
corporate
website.
To
address
this,
the
plan
outlines
a
strategy
whereby
the
customer
facing
website
can
be
redesigned
early
on
in
the
rebranding
process.
All
of
these
efforts
have
been
combined
into
a
detailed
schedule
which
presents
a
timeline
of
visual
branding
efforts,
as
well
as
necessary
personnel
resources.
These
efforts
have
been
scheduled
keeping
in
mind
the
average
existing
workload
of
the
associates
who
will
be
involved.
In
some
cases
additional
resources
or
personnel
may
be
needed.

4. 2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
3
PROVIDE
A
BASELINE
FOR
CHANGE
One
of
the
biggest
downfalls
of
heavily
relying
on
outsourcing
is
a
brand
that
is
disconnected.
There
are
times
that
these
resources
can
help
relieve
the
burden
of
a
heavy
workload,
but
a
firm’s
continued
reliance
on
them
will
increase
inconsistencies
in
visual
style.
In
the
graphic
communications
industry
this
is
often
referred
to
as
disconnected
branding.
The
perception
of
graphic
communication
at
Robbins-­‐Gioia
has
also
become
problematic.
Artwork
is
currently
most
often
used
as
reusable
decoration
adorning
accompanying
content.
Successful
graphic
communication
must
be
developed
organically
alongside
the
message
itself.
This
is
most
easily
achieved
when
designers
(graphic
communicators)
are
able
to
work
alongside
other
communicators
and
develop
a
meaningful
relationship
between
the
message
and
the
design.
Stock
images
and
SmartArt
generally
do
not
aid
in
the
communication
of
messages.
The
relationship
of
a
message
and
its
visual
representation
should
begin
as
early
as
possible.
In
this
way,
the
message
contains
the
collective
ideas
of
all
communicators
involved.
This
also
allows
the
message
to
develop
and
evolve,
organically
producing
a
cohesive
visual
style.
This
is
another
reason
to
rely
on
the
talent
within
our
company,
to
provide
consistent,
clear,
and
connected
communication.

5.
2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
4
A
BRIEF
HISTORY
OF
THE
R-­‐G
VISUAL
BRAND
! Robbins-­‐Gioia’s
visual
brand
sprang
from
small
business
origins
and
started
out
simple,
clean,
and
effective
! These
elements
evolved
into
a
professionally
developed
visual
brand
using
contemporary
elements
from
2001-­‐2003
(rust
orange/sepia
made
a
comeback,
flat
geometric
designs
were
briefly
popular)
! Almost
immediately
the
visual
brand
was
altered
(various
color
palettes,
fonts
and
formats
are
in
circulation
! The
Accelerate
Success
campaign
was
intended
as
a
single
campaign
but
was
then
adopted
as
a
brand
refresher
which
compounded
the
color/font
issue
! Years
of
layering
and
tacking
on
elements,
without
stripping
out
any
of
the
old
ones,
has
left
the
R-­‐G
brand
disconnected

6.
2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
5
BRIDGING
THE
GAP
–
IMMERSION
STYLING
Beginning
now,
we
can
update
our
visual
style
to
create
a
connected
brand.
Using
newly
developed
fonts
and
color
palettes,
along
with
the
styling
that
was
developed
for
the
2011
Leadership
Immersion
training,
we
are
able
to
begin
updating
our
materials
immediately.
This
will
give
Robbins-­‐Gioia
a
competitive
and
cohesive
brand
to
go
to
market
by
July,
and
will
allow
time
for
the
further
development
of
our
corporate
brand
over
the
course
of
2011.
The
2011
Leadership
Immersion
style
is
a
good
example
of
a
visual
style
that
was
developed
alongside
the
content
material.
The
visuals
aid
in
the
communication
of
the
materials,
right
down
to
the
dominate
color
of
blue
which
was
selected
for
this
specific
campaign
due
to
psychological
impacts
of
the
color
blue
promoting
ideas
of
trust,
sincerity,
and
precision.
(This
is
in
contrast
to
other
colors,
such
as
red
which
can
promote
thoughts
of
danger
or
risk,
orange
which
is
a
more
friendly
but
unsure
color,
or
earth
tones
which
can
prompt
ideas
of
something
being
old
or
outdated).
The
new
visual
brand
of
R-­‐G
will
not
be
identical
to
the
Leadership
Immersion
style.
New
fonts
and
color
palettes
are
already
in
development,
as
well
as
the
turnover
of
all
visual
materials.
But
the
two
styles
will
complement
each
other.
In
this
way,
the
immersion
styling
can
bridge
the
gap
to
the
revised
R-­‐G
brand.

7.
2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
6
PROPOSED
WEBSITE
REDESIGN
As
represented
on
the
included
project
schedule,
the
redesign
of
robbinsgioia.com
would
begin
upon
completion
of
the
development
of
new
fonts
and
color
palettes
(21
March,
2011).
The
look
and
feel
of
the
site,
as
well
as
navigational
functionality,
would
be
completely
overhauled.
This
plan
will
result
in
a
contemporary
look,
and
modern
functionality
by
the
first
of
May.
This
schedule
has
been
validated
by
the
Executive
Vice
President,
Consulting
Services
and
IMO.
By
updating
the
website
immediately
it
gives
R-­‐G
a
new
opportunity
to
appeal
to
a
contemporary
customer
base
that
is
accustomed
to
seeing
sophisticated
media
and
navigation
interfaces
all
around
them.
This
redesign
will
not
only
bring
Robbins-­‐Gioia
up
to
date,
but
to
the
head
of
the
line,
leading
in
industry
standards.

8. 2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
7
WEBSITE
EXAMPLES
If
necessary,
or
desired,
sample
customer
facing
websites
of
other
industry
leading
companies
are
available
in
the
accompanying
PowerPoint
document.
Click
on
any
of
the
screenshots
(when
in
presentation
mode)
to
visit
the
website
and
explore
the
design
techniques
used
and
the
contemporary
navigation.
Robbins-­‐Gioia
will
soon
have
a
website
that
rivals
these
examples.

9. 2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
8
PRESENT
AN
ACHIEVABLE
SCHEDULE
This
plan
has
briefly
outlined
the
objectives
of
the
leveraged
creative
team
in
updating
the
visual
identity
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia.
Included
with
this
plan
is
a
detailed
schedule,
laying
out
the
specific
efforts
involved
in
the
larger
visual
rebranding
initiative.
As
outlined
in
the
schedule,
each
visual
branding
effort
will
utilize
certain
leveraged
personnel
who
have
offered
to
add
to
their
workload
to
assist
in
the
initiative.
As
each
task
is
undertaken,
a
record
will
be
kept
of
brand
development.
This
brand
journal
will
form
the
basis
for
the
Creative
Services
Workflow
and
will
be
a
key
part
in
developing
the
brand
playbooks
for
the
January
2012
rollout.
Please
refer
to
the
schedule2
to
view
proposed
dates
of
completion,
and
projected
necessary
personnel
involvement.
Additional
personnel
and
resources
may
be
needed,
as
determined
by
the
branding
IPT
and
executive
directive.
2
The
Microsoft
Project
file
has
been
included
with
this
plan.

10.
2011
Non-­‐Disclosure
Statement:
All
materials
contained
in
this
document
are
the
confidential
and
proprietary
property
of
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
LLC.
9
CONNECTING
THE
DOTS
There
has
not
been
a
complete
Corporate
Identity
Standards
Manual
published
by
Robbins-­‐Gioia
since
1999.
Once
the
standards
manual
is
redeveloped,
brand
playbooks
can
be
issued
to
instruct
employees
on
proper
implementation
and
procedures.
The
Standards
Manual
will
be
the
go-­‐to
guide
for
the
development
of
all
collateral
for
the
company.
Part
of
the
effort
to
connect
our
brand
is
to
identify
all
R-­‐G
developers.
Developers
at
Robbins-­‐Gioia,
as
well
as
most
members
of
the
branding
IPT,
most
likely
will
not
have
any
formal
graphic
design
training.
These
individuals
must
be
continuously
trained
and
checked
using
brand
management
methods
to
ensure
visual
consistency
and
standards
for
all
content,
both
internal
and
external.
The
two
main
roles
in
brand
management
are:
Visual
Identity
Manager,
&
Communications
Identity
Manager.
These
two
areas
of
brand
training
must
be
effectively,
and
permanently
introduced
to
the
company
in
order
to
keep
the
brand
connected.
For
the
time
being
the
IPT
will
fill
this
role
with
myself
providing
the
graphic
design
knowledge
and
experience.
Visual
branding
is
one
of
the
most
important
and
poignant
ways
Robbins-­‐Gioia
has
to
instantly
communicate
expertise
and
relevance
in
a
sea
of
competition.
Leading
visual
solutions
are
crucial
in
the
support
of
the
overall
mission
of
this
company.

11. ID Task
Mode
Task Name Duration Start Finish
1 CORP IDENTITY
STANDARDS
2 Corporate Color Palette 57 days Mon 3/14/11 Tue 5/31/11
3 Corporate Fonts & Styles 57 days Mon 3/14/11 Tue 5/31/11
4 www.robbinsgioia.com
Redesign
64 days Mon 4/4/11 Thu 6/30/11
5 Communication Channels
Lead
15 days Mon 6/6/11 Fri 6/24/11
6 Corporate Website
Rollout
1 day Fri 6/24/11 Fri 6/24/11
7 Corporate
Communication Materials
Guide
66 days Mon 8/1/11 Mon
10/31/11
8 Corporate Identity
Standards Manual
81 days Fri 7/1/11 Fri 10/21/11
9 Communication Channels
Lead
24 days Mon
10/31/11
Thu 12/1/11
10 Brand Portfolio -
Executive Release
11 days Thu 12/1/11 Thu 12/15/11
11 CONCEPTS
12 Development of 2012 CIP
Plan
44 days Sat 10/1/11 Wed
11/30/11
13 Development of 2012
Communication Design
Workflow
44 days Sat 10/1/11 Wed
11/30/11
14 Begin Research &
Methodology
Development for 2012
67 days Sat 10/1/11 Sat 12/31/11
15 IMAGERY
16 Rebuild Website
Sub-Pages
120 days Fri 7/1/11 Thu 12/15/11
17 SYNRG Redesign 83 days Mon 5/9/11 Wed 8/31/11
18 Communication Channels
Lead
24 days Tue 7/19/11 Fri 8/19/11
19 SYNRG Technical
Implementation
0 days Sat 10/15/11 Sat 10/15/11
20 Rebranded SYNRG Rollout 1 day Sat 10/15/11 Sat 10/15/11
21 BRAND POLICIES
22 PM Boulevard/Bistro
Workgroup
56 days Wed 6/15/11 Wed 8/31/11
23 Retire PM Bistro (2012) 1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11
24 PM Boulevard Transition
(2012)
1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11
25 Corporate Logo
Workgroup
63 days Mon 6/6/11 Wed 8/31/11
6/24
12/15
10/15
10/15
12/31
12/31
M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E
February March April May June July August September October November December January February
Task
Split
Milestone
Summary
Project Summary
External Tasks
External Milestone
Inactive Task
Inactive Milestone
Inactive Summary
Manual Task
Duration-only
Manual Summary Rollup
Manual Summary
Start-only
Finish-only
Deadline
Progress
Page 1
Project: VCIP 2011 v1.mpp
Date: Mon 11/7/11

12. ID Task
Mode
Task Name Duration Start Finish
26 FACTS
27 Brand Management and
Design Methodologies
20 days Mon 10/3/11 Fri 10/28/11
28 Communication Channels
Lead
24 days Tue 10/4/11 Fri 11/4/11
29 Brand Management
Training (2012)
1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11
30 COMMUNICATIONS
CHANNELS
31 Corporate Review,
Revision and Socialization
(Ongoing)
1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11
32 Phase II Rebranding
Rollout
20 days Mon 1/2/12 Fri 1/27/12
33 Communication Channels
Lead
23 days Sat 12/31/11 Tue 1/31/12
34 2012 Brand
Implementation
1 day Tue 1/31/12 Tue 1/31/12
35 INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY
36 Copyright, Trademark, &
Patent Registration
(Ongoing)
1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11
37 RELATIONSHIPS
38 Partner & Client
Reference Usage
(Ongoing)
1 day Sat 12/31/11 Sat 12/31/11
12/31
12/31
1/31
12/31
12/31
M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E B M E
February March April May June July August September October November December January February
Task
Split
Milestone
Summary
Project Summary
External Tasks
External Milestone
Inactive Task
Inactive Milestone
Inactive Summary
Manual Task
Duration-only
Manual Summary Rollup
Manual Summary
Start-only
Finish-only
Deadline
Progress
Page 2
Project: VCIP 2011 v1.mpp
Date: Mon 11/7/11