Private Equity Brand Development

What to say, and how to say it

Private equity brand development is a critical foundational step for many of our clients’ broader marketing efforts, during which the groundwork is laid for the construction of content and materials toward external-facing deliverables such as a website or pitchbook. In fact, there is an element of brand development baked into every project, even those where there is very minor brand change or evolution happening.

Darien Group’s private equity brand development solutions

Darien Group’s brand development services most often precede a website development project or significant work toward fund marketing materials. During brand development, we employ a time-tested five-step process to get to the heart of a client’s business and identity and then reproduce that soul in words and visuals that feel authentic to the client and serve to advance their narrative in the minds of their key constituents.

01. Discovery

Brand development begins with an in-depth analysis of past and present marketing materials and competitive research. We then conduct discovery interviews with key stakeholders to build a complete understanding of firm history, strategy, objectives, and more.

02. Key Findings

After completing discovery sessions with all relevant parties and conducting deep research and insights, Key Findings outlines our takeaways and analysis of the firm’s existing messaging strategy as well as general strengths, challenges, and opportunities.

03. Rangefinding

We begin Visual Brand development with a rangefinding workshop to gain a preliminary understanding of aesthetic preferences, such as graphic elements, colors, fonts, and imagery.

04. Creative Brief

Within the creative briefs, we articulate and present two stylistic directions paired with messaging themes in order to establish two potential brand motifs and visual identities.

05. Creative Campaign

This milestone showcases the chosen direction through visual identity mockups with sample colors, typography, images, illustrations, and/or videos.

06. Brand Assets

Includes a Style Guide advising on best usage and application of the new visual brand as well as font files, logo files, and image samples.

The Importance of a knowledgeable branding partner

Only an agency with full fluency in the private equity world can discern the nuances from one GP to the next, distill the differentiators, and reconstitute them into a messaging platform and visual motif that carve out an ownable position in the crowded competitive landscape of investment management. See our work on Harvest Partners and Monticello Associates for examples of the potential of partnering with us.

The finished work product

Darien Group’s brand development projects yield messaging gameplans, visual brand worlds (including key elements such as typography, color palettes, image libraries, etc.), logotypes, and holistic campaigns to inspire investors, transaction partners, and employees alike. Furthermore, this process allows us to carry the new brand through in an array of custom deliverables, such as:

  • Logo
  • Brand Guidelines
  • Style Guide
  • Visual Assets
  • Photography Look Book
  • Business Cards
  • Letterhead
  • Signage
  • Email Template
  • Presentation Template
  • Brochure Template
  • Tearsheet
  • Social Media Assets
  • Advertising Guidelines

Brand development resources

For more details on our approach to brand development, read relevant articles here in our Resource Center.

Working with Mega Managers in the Investment Industry: A Comprehensive Branding Guide Working with Mega Managers in the Investment Industry: A Comprehensive Branding Guide Read June, 2023 The Intricacies of Serving Middle Market Private Equity: A Considered Branding Approach The Intricacies of Serving Middle Market Private Equity: A Considered Branding Approach Read May, 2023 Navigating The Spinout Journey In Private Equity: A Comprehensive Guide to Investment Management Branding Navigating The Spinout Journey In Private Equity: A Comprehensive Guide to Investment Management Branding Read April, 2023

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Contact Darien Group to discuss projects and initiatives

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