BRANDING | PENFED FOUNDATION

Case study:

PenFed Foundation - Speakers Bureau

Created in 2019, the PenFed Foundation Speakers Bureau brings together the "best and brightest" veteran speakers who motivate audiences through their unique stories. Speakers travel the US sharing their inspiring stories at a multitude of events.

PenFed Foundation funds The Speakers Bureau, a national nonprofit organization committed to building a solid network to support veteran entrepreneurs. Both organizations are affiliates of PenFed Credit Union, which also focuses on the military.

Following the launch of the PenFed Foundation Speakers Bureau, they quickly teamed with Creative Cycle to establish a genuine and compelling brand identity and develop their official website.

Challenge

The leader of the Speakers Bureau was US Army MSG (ret.) Cedric King is a motivational speaker, paraplegic wounded warrior, and marathon runner.
As CEO of the Bureau and face of its brand, Cedric was vital to our branding collaboration. However, his speaking schedule required him to travel throughout the year, making regular in-person meetings, a fundamental activity in developing a brand, impossible.
Creative Cycle and Speakers Bureau held the entire creative process online to meet this challenge.

Solution

Speakers Bureau represents PenFed's third brand, alongside the Foundation and the Credit Bureau. In crafting our brand guidelines and logo, we aimed to establish a distinct visual identity for the Speakers Bureau while ensuring the connection to the PenFed family corporate identity.

We designed the logo with the same typography and Pentagon element used in the other PenFed symbols to maintain consistency with the other brands.
Creative Cycle and Speakers Bureau explored different color options. We initially used pink to reflect Cedric's emphasis on the heart and the family, but after further discussion, our teams chose red and blue to better link the Bureau with the Foundation.
Together, we ensured the logo design reflected a unique set of values. We placed a microphone icon in the center to communicate the focus on the Speakers, while the Pentagon represents the commitment to veterans.
Inclusion is a fundamental value of the Speakers Bureau, and we represent it by using triangles of different colors that reflect the diversity of its speakers.
After reaching a unanimous decision on the final logo design and brand guidelines, Creative Cycle began the brand website creation enthusiastically.

It was the first time Creative Cycle interacted with a client 100% virtually. Our priority was to understand what the client thought and felt about their brand, something that remote communication traditionally makes more challenging. For this reason, our teams coordinated efforts to stay constantly connected, using a combination of interactive channels.

Relevance

In developing the guidelines and logo, we unveiled a larger concept that would later manifest in the Speakers Bureau website, its external communications, and services.

By understanding what was important to Cedric and his team, Creative Cycle could help them to purpose-build a brand they believed in. This collaborative process allowed our teams to share input and insight at every stage, giving Cedric's team a direct and personal role in establishing their brand. The result was a product they felt connected to and invested in.
The project was also a great exercise in flexibility and creative problem-solving. Once we understood our client's challenges, we could tailor our work style to meet their needs. We combine flexible availability with innovative communication technology to maintain collaboration despite time and distance.
The Speakers Bureau enthusiastically embraced its new logo and brand identity. We launched the website in October 2019. The Bureau expressed satisfaction and willingness to collaborate with Creative Cycle on upcoming projects.

Creative Cycle believes meaningful relationships deliver meaningful results. We design with empathy and purpose by genuinely understanding our customers' values, goals, attributes, and needs.
Active listening and continuous learning are integral to our creative process. Our most effective outcomes bloom when we team up with our clients.

Contact Creative Cycle to explore how we can support your goals through a unique collaboration.

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