Brand, Corporate ID and website
https://www.corebusiness.co.nz/
New brand for a people-focused accounting firm
Ethos
Chartered Accountants that understand you, your business and care about your growth.
Key words
Deeply experienced, trustworthy advisors, ethical, approachable, make the complex simple, passionate, real
In 2017, CORE Business Services was just starting out and needed a brand, corporate ID and a website. CORE is a financial service company that partners with clients to support financial compliance and financial growth. They see themselves as more than just chartered accountants, their service is personal and accessible, and they are genuinely invested in their clients' success. At Hight design, we really resonate with these sentiments.
Hight has been partnering with CORE ever since its inception. We have developed a brand, brand collateral and a website that reflects the ethos of the company.
The brand is not blue or green, or grey as one might expect for a financial services company. We used a bright, delicious orange that is energising, friendly and approachable. The circle is a universal symbol of abundance, wholesomeness and inclusiveness. Within the main circle is another circle like a seed or core, within a nurturing container – the seed has begun to sprout – indicating potential for growth.
On the business cards, the concept of growth is further explored by concentric circles. These fan out from the centre on the back of the card, and have a spot UV effect applied – this adds a level of texture that resembles a coin, a nod to the financial industry.
Using the bright, lively, friendly and fresh colours of orange and teal speaks to the approachability of the team at CORE. We used these throughout the website, in a bold and definitive way, standing apart from the drab and dreary shades of blue that often accompany the brands of many financial services businesses. Large blocks ofcolour and active images create a focus that is less on tax compliance andfeels more aspirational – a stepping out into a brighter future.
We chose images that inspire and put the client firmly in the centre of the design, reflecting the ethos of partnership and working together to achieve the client’s goals. CORE supports its clients to achieve their financial dreams, not just make sure they are compliant. The design encourages clients to dream big and let CORE support them to go where they want to go.
The bespoke icons have been developed based on the motif of a seed growing into a fully fruited tree. This supports CORE’s focus on growing its clients’ financial portfolios and partnering with them to meet their overall business goals.
The content for the website has been structured based on the life cycle of a typical business, from start-up to exit strategy. The icons illustrate this business journey and cover each main area of services offered. As an example the start-up stage is a seedling, the growth stage is a tree, the succession planning is the fruit from the tree.
