CLIENT: Dublin Chamber of Commerce

INTENDED AUDIENCE: members and potential members

CREDITS: Dara Creative

In order for Dara Creative to build a new brand for the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, it needed to reflect the chamber's extremely diverse membership and project an image of a vibrant, progressive, and dynamic organization. To accomplish this, Dara Creative relied on several forms of research.

Uncovering Existing Problems

By reviewing existing Dublin Chamber print materials, Dara Creative found inconsistencies in logo usage that were adversely affecting the visibility and image of the organization. This helped strengthen the case for a new logo with clearly defined parameters for its use. Combining a literature review with competitor analysis laid the foundation for a focused approach.

A Helping Hand

For this project Dara Creative worked with a marketing research company (Brand Dynamics) who sent questionnaires to staff and members of Dublin Chamber of Commerce to identify issues with the existing brand and pinpoint values that the new brand identity should convey. What they learned was that chamber members saw the organization as a trustworthy business leader that provides valuable lobbying and networking services. Moreover, those surveyed suggested a modern brand reflecting the Dublin Chamber's progressive status. In response to this input, the design team began building an uncluttered logo that emphasized Dublin, its culture, and its history.

Shaping a Solution

Dara Creative then used Web-based research of other chambers of commerce throughout the world to analyze the quality of their branding in comparison with that of the Dublin Chamber. This gave the designers solid background knowledge of the market, and identified how the Dublin Chamber was positioned.

A Compelling Direction

"Our research was invaluable in more clearly identifying the client's needs," said Brian Maher of Dara Creative. "The client wanted to portray the chamber's valuable commercial history but also its vibrancy in the present and future. It wanted to be seen as a progressive and influential communicator, providing invaluable networking and lobbying services."

The new brand identity reflects the city and the rich traditions of the Dublin Chamber and its members. The brand features a castle, a spire, and a bridge. The castle, which is situated in the heart of south Dublin city, was chosen as a representation of the chamber's wealth of knowledge and experience. The spire sits in the north city and represents future progression—the key need for the new logo as identified by research findings. The bridge is the uniting element, capturing the networking aspect of the Dublin Chamber.

The initial research was a very influential factor in the success of the final mark. "The survey results indicated that the focus of the new brand should be on Dublin—and hence provided a valuable starting point for the designer," said Maher. "The brand values indicated that the final brand should be youthful and energetic—traits which are incorporated in the finished product."