Candice, Managing Director Kick off the new year with embracing your personal brand Itās the start of a new year, where individuals make (personal and business) New Year’s resolutions or goals for 2017. Whether that is to be a healthier person this year, get that perfect job, get promoted, build better contacts and clients for your company, do more to help your clients see the value in what you do, the list goes on, but do you realise how important it is to build a recognisable personal brand? The term ābrandingā has always been associated with companies, but every individual has a personal brand. Not many of us have consciously cultivated these brands, but they exist nonetheless. The personal-branding concept suggests that success comes from self-packaging. What do people associate with you when they think of your name? Are you perceived as an expert in your field, or are there general qualities that they link to your personal brand?

Sian, Creative Strategist Why renaming your brand, and then renaming it again, could create a more powerful brand story Itās an issue that affects over half the population of the US (and currently the UK), but has only started to gather attention in the last few years. According to Pentagram, women in the US are spending up to $70 a year on menstrual products, with many low income women struggling to cover the costs. Food, toilet paper, medicines and birth control are all untaxed as they fall in the category of being essential items for living, whilst tampons and pads continue to have a hefty fine slapped on them. Itās 2017 and coping with a uncontrollable monthly biological event isnāt regarded as essential – but donāt worry – you can eat those essential Jaffa Cakes, tax free!
āIf men got periods, tampons would be raining down from the skies.ā – change.org petition supporterStep forward, Period Equity, a non-profit organisation dedicated to repealing sales tax on menstrual products in the US. Ā Originally named Menstrual Equality, the branding has focused on naming as a key feature to be utilised by the identity. Not only does Period Equity sound stronger (and according to the creators, is slightly less off putting), but the group plans to change the name of the organisation to Equity, Period, when the group meets its goal. For many changing the name of their company is something to avoid like the plague, but here the bravery pays off to add an element of accomplishment and finality to the brand story – it just makes sense. The designers have also shown similar bravery in the development of a visual language that āpulls no punchesā. The strong logotype uses Margaret Calvert’s sans serif New Rail Alphabet typeface in a stark black that imitates a no-nonsense and bold approach to the brand, finished with red spots to reflect the name and nature of the cause.
