Rebrands
Henson Efron
Aligning Vision with Reality: The Power of Brand Strategy in Legal Services
Project Overview
Henson Efron, a leader in the Twin Cities legal landscape, wanted to align their diverse business units under one brand message and modernize their visual identity. They needed a partner to bring clarity and alignment to their brand foundation, enhance their external branding efforts, and unify their internal team culture. Mercury Creative Group, the branding professionals who nurture community and drive growth through strategic communication and design, was the perfect fit. Through a comprehensive rebranding effort, Henson Efron aligned their forward-thinking vision with practical realities, resulting in a unified, modern brand that resonates with both clients and team members.
Client Goals
The mission? Bring clarity and alignment to Henson Efron’s overall brand foundation. This involved redefining the organization’s brand story, purpose, values, and differentiators to create a cohesive and unified team. The leadership team was determined to consistently deliver on the brand promise and enhance the overall Henson Efron experience for clients, team members, and company stakeholders. Additionally, modernizing the visual identity to reflect their new, innovative office environment would ensure that the firm’s visual representation matched its progressive spirit, creating a seamless experience for clients and reinforcing the firm’s commitment to excellence.
Strategy First. Design Second.
The project kicked off with a deep dive into Henson Efron’s brand elements and framework. Mercury Creative Group gathered insights and feedback from current and former stakeholders and team members to analyze brand perceptions. These insights informed recommendations for brand priorities and opportunities, helping shape the brand story, manifesto, value proposition, and primary audience. By immersing themselves in the Henson Efron world, the Mercury team uncovered the unique elements that set the firm apart and formed a solid foundation for the rebranding journey.
Internally, one of the first steps was updating the core values. Through engaging exercises, Mercury helped the team identify and align on new values that reflected the firm’s personal but professional spirit. The new core values were carefully chosen to represent the essence of Henson Efron and be the guiding principles that shape every aspect of the firm’s operations and client interactions.
Next up, defining Henson Efron’s brand character. This is the persona that a brand adopts to connect with its audience on a deeper, more emotional level, and differentiate it from competitors. Mercury identified Henson Efron as the Balanced Strategist, a character blending practicality and vision, aligning perfectly with the firm’s goal of navigating legal complexities while staying grounded. This character and voice resonated deeply with the team, providing traits that help guide Henson Efron’s communication and interactions. The Balanced Strategist embodied the firm’s commitment to thoughtful, strategic, and empathetic legal solutions, setting a tone that would resonate with both clients and team members.
With strategy in place, it was time for design. Mercury crafted a new logo to enhance readability and align with the innovative office space, ensuring the visual identity matched the firm’s forward-thinking strategy and environment. This new logo is a visual representation of Henson Efron’s refreshed identity, encapsulating their modern, professional, and client-focused character.
Project Focus
The process was thorough and inclusive, ensuring every team member’s voice was heard. With a large team of stakeholders, Mercury Creative Group navigated through extensive feedback, validating all opinions to ensure a cohesive outcome. Structured feedback methods, including guiding questions and grid exercises, were used to streamline decision-making and focus the input. This collaborative approach fostered a sense of ownership and alignment among the team, making the rebranding effort a true collective achievement.
As the process unfolded, one aha moment was recognizing the power of setting their essential value as “understanding.” Initially perceived as a basic concept, “understanding” became a cornerstone of Henson Efron’s new brand identity, emphasizing empathy, respect, collaboration, and work-life balance. This simple yet profound value resonated deeply with the team and clients alike, becoming a guiding principle for the firm’s interactions and decisions.
Mercury emphasized clarity and alignment throughout the project, ensuring Henson Efron’s brand was unified. By nurturing a sense of community, Mercury helped Henson Efron embrace change and build stronger connections with clients and team members. The Mercury team brought a fun and focused approach to the project, ensuring that the rebranding effort was engaging and effective.
Results
Mercury’s approach to stripping away the unnecessary and focusing on core elements helped streamline Henson Efron’s brand strategy, design, and marketing. The rebranding project resulted in several impactful outcomes:
- Internal Alignment: The team successfully unified under a cohesive brand, enhancing internal culture and communication.
- Modernized Visual Identity: The new logo reflected the firm’s innovative spirit and modern aesthetic.
- Hiring Integration: Clear brand standards were established for hiring, ensuring new team members aligned with the firm’s values and culture.
- Brand Guidelines: A comprehensive brand guide was created, encapsulating the new visual identity, character, and standards, encouraging brand consistency.
Mercury Creative Group’s rebranding of Henson Efron showcases the power of brand strategy. With a strong foundation for continued growth, they have the tools to facilitate future staff additions, enhance the client experience, and set the stage for organizational success. By aligning internal culture and updating the visual identity, Henson Efron is now better positioned to thrive in a competitive market, fostering long-term growth and success.
