Enhancing Distinto’s Appeal through Rebranding

Introduction

Primarily, the aim of this project was to rebrand the Distinto Restaurant, a Greek eatery based in Leeds to attract more customers and increase the revenues from the sale of products and services offered in the restaurant. Distinto focuses on three key selling points namely:

It offers Halal certified foods making it a significant attractive eating-place for Muslims.

The restaurant also offers authentic Arab foods making it appealing to the Arab community.

It also offers a wide range of items with an outdoor sitting.

The experience was exciting and informative as I learnt of various ways through which different restaurants in the United Kingdom and across the world brand them to attract customers for their products and services. This project also added my understanding of the role of creativity in increasing the number amount of sales in businesses in highly competitive environments through different approaches such as the use of product differentiation which is the development of different products for different groups of people through packaging, quality and branding (Hartley, 2017). This is used in the design and production of attractive packaging, branding, and websites for online advertising, mobile applications, short films, and animations. The experience was very informative on ways through which creativity in the design of various elements in individual businesses across the world make them remain relevant and realize huge profits (Kleppinger & Cain, 2015). These are the secrets of emerging as giant brands.

The project began with seeking permission from the management of the restaurant to rebrand it. I decided to brand the restaurant according to the interest of the owner that is to reach out to the Muslim and Arab communities in the United Kingdom through several ways. The owner was very pleased and permitted me to go ahead with my project of branding the restaurant in the hope that my final product will be appealing and be a powerful tool in increasing the daily sales. I set out to study the current brand of the restaurant which included the logo, menus, interior designs as well as talking to the staff working at the restaurant to identify the type of service offered to clients in the restaurant. I took note of the colours used in promotional materials in the restaurant. I did research on developing an attractive logo for a restaurant including themes and objects to use in design. I later did a rough draft of my ideal logo for a restaurant selling halal certified foods in the United Kingdom which was then transferred to Adobe Illustrator to see how my logo will look like in the digital format. I set on one and researched colours and fonts to be used. I also wanted the colour palette that I would use on my logo for the restaurant. I chose the style and appearance of the logo in print form that is commonly referred to as typography. After this, I did some research on developing a menu for the restaurant including such aspects as themes to be used.

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I sketched various lists on paper to fine-tune them in line with my customer segment and strong selling points of the restaurant and transferred them to an illustrator for finalization. I requested permission to take photos of the restaurant including the restaurant, food, staff, and decorations. These were to be used in developing promotional flyers, which are suitable promotional materials for businesses. I downloaded the photos and edited them in the Lightroom to enhance colours. I then researched on developing a competent and capable flyer. I designed several flyers and settled on one that was in line with my objectives of rebranding the restaurant. Designing of the staff uniform was the next activity. I did my research on various considerations in designing of restaurant staff uniforms and held talks with the staff to determine their take on their staff uniforms. Next in my activities was designing a coffee cup for the restaurant which I started by buying a plain coffee paper cup and taking photographs with the coffee cup which was created in the illustrator to come up with a new model of a coffee cup for the restaurant.

I set to look into the website of the restaurant after designing the coffee cup. Going through the pages and evaluating the themes used, I was able to get the information that was available online about this restaurant online and its quality. I compared this with other websites for favourite restaurants across the world and came up with an idea of how the site for the restaurant should look like. From sketching low fidelity wireframes to applying wireframes in Photoshop, I was able to design a website for Distinto restaurant in Leeds. I coded the website by converting the Photoshop design into actual codes. From creating the number of pages in my plan to styling all information, I was able to come up with a website that contains five pages; Home, About us, Menu, Gallery, and Contacts with all their information. This was followed by user testing which I accomplished by requesting a friend to visit the website and navigate through it. The response from my friend was very positive and was captured in the following words; “Hi.” The site looks good overall, but there are a few improvements that can be made. The font could have been better. Some links are not functioning correctly. The background colour and the logo are being mixed on some pages. This could be improved by changing the colour scheme. The menu page should also include prices of all menu items. Having a fast loading website was perceived good. The footer should also include a privacy statement, and if the site uses cookies to deliver a better experience, there should be a notice to visitors about how you use cookie (Hartley, 2017). This was very encouraging after which I prepared this presentation to include all the details regarding my rebranding project.

Project Analysis.

2.1 The Product and Creative Process

At the start of this project, I wanted to focus on the use of displays at the restaurant of the beverages and main dishes on offer to reach and attract customers. I had not practically taken on a project like this before, and I was not quite sure on how to develop mobile restaurant displays for promotional purposes. However, my project tutors in creative media technology had emphasized on the importance of the original product design to meet the demands and interests of different customer segment. This made me focus on the selling points of the restaurant that highly targeted the Muslim community in the United Kingdom. Thus, in my design, I used objects that are well accepted by the community. This was also factored in a while reaching out to Arab communities in the United Kingdom which the restaurant served. It is important to note that I took this project on my own, but the contribution of the restaurant owner on the dream brand of the restaurant and the feedback of the staff on users' experiences at the restaurant was instrumental in coming up with my final brand. Creating a brand that customers identified within such a highly competitive industry was necessary and user testing of some aspects such as the websites played a vital role in the development of the Distinto brand.

2.1 a) The logo

In my entire project of rebranding the Distinto restaurant, I used an approach called the User Centred Design where the specific needs of my customers and their limitations were given full attention to ensure the statement intended for my audience is achieved (Endsly, 2016). Simplicity, adaptability, and use of attractive colors are various ways through which I achieved my objective. The first step was about understanding the type of business that Distinto restaurant is. It is a restaurant that deals in Halal-certified foods favourite among the Muslim community and a wide range of authentic Arab foods. The food is appealing to Arabs. The next step was to understand the Halal food industry in the United Kingdom, which has shown a big growth due to demand from the increasing population of Muslims crossing over to Europe. The industry is therefore highly competitive calling for creative branding of food packaging and restaurant brand names. This increase in demand is also due to the consumption of halal foods by non-Muslims. The next stage was conceptualizing on the design ideas. Muslims are likely to visit businesses that are branded using symbols that relate to their religion (Sweeney & Soutar, 2001). This is because of the symbolic religious value of the logo makes them feel religiously respected. Therefore, I chose to use a crescent in my logo to appeal to the Muslim community. I sketched the crescent on a piece of paper and finely tuned it by adding details. I added the phrase halal certified foods at the bottom of the image of the crescent, and then transferred it to Adobe illustrator to view it under digital format. It was very appealing and editing the colour and fonts gave me a wonderful logo that would reach out to the Muslim community as well as the increasing non-Muslims who are consuming halal foods in Europe.

2.1 b) Menu

During a talk with the staff at the restaurant, it was highlighted that the menu used at Distinto was dull and attractive to the customers. The menu also lacked information on some dishes and beverages served at the restaurant. This is because the colours used in the design of the current menu in use were dull. In my design of the menu, I chose a design that looked like a booklet that is appealing when placed strategically on tables in the restaurant. After designing the menu with two columns in a booklet form, one containing the foods offered in the restaurant, the other contained the prices. I divided the booklet into three sections namely Beverages and Snacks, Main Dishes and Fruits and Soft Drinks. I placed images of well-prepared dishes and served in Islamic cutlery along with the borders of the menu giving it a beautiful look. Using an illustrator, I finalized on my menu for the restaurant (Akbari & Gholizadeh, 2018).

2.1 c) Promotional Flyers

I sought permission from the management to take photos of the restaurant, the interior design including the seats and tables to capture the comfort and the staff in their elegant uniforms. Using these photos, I designed a lovely flyer with the brand name of the restaurant appearing at the top in bold. The crescent sign complemented the image of the restaurant while the words' halal foods' emphasized that the foods served in the restaurant were halal certified. This is to reach out specifically to Muslims in the United Kingdom and show that the necessary bodies accredit the restaurant. The flies are important tools in advertising, and I made them on one page including all the information regarding the restaurant. Simplicity and use of attractive colours in design played a major part in the design of the flyers for the new branding of Distinto restaurant. It will be very effective in the attraction of tourists among other local customers in the United Kingdom where creative ideas are relevant in promoting enterprises including restaurants (Hollanders & Cruysen, 2009).

2.1 d) Business Cards

The restaurant’s business cards being used were not well updated with relevant information regarding its operation. The information was scanty, and in a digital world, I designed a set of business cards for the management of the restaurant complete with the image of the restaurant, the location, the working hours, the position of the cardholder, and relevant contacts information of the restaurant. It will ensure easy referencing of other customers as well as the making of reservations (Anderson & Jullien, 2015).

2.1 e) Coffee Cups

I also designed a coffee paper cup for the restaurant. I began with buying a brand new unbranded coffee paper cup and took its photographs. I then transferred the photographs to Photoshop and designed the coffee cup with Islamic religious symbols. This time, I used the symbol of the gold star an important symbol in the Islamic religion. I printed the image of the cup embedded with the gold star for use as a template used for the production of other restaurant’s coffee paper cups. This will be very useful in attracting Muslims who feel respected every time they are associated with their religion.

2.1 f) Staff Uniforms

The staff uniforms at the restaurant were not explicit of the Islamic religious background. After consultations with the staff, I realized that most of the users who visited the restaurant were Muslims. I designed the staff uniforms to have a logo of the halal emblem embedded on them to signify the background of the restaurant. The halal emblem signified that the food was prepared per the Islamic laws and was free of alcohol and other substances, which the Muslims consider as unclean and unreligious. The emblem was designed first on a paper and edited in Lightroom and Photoshop including the right fonts and shades of colour. The template of the final emblem was printed on the set of clothes worn by the staff at the restaurant. It was very appealing to the eye and attractive too (Borzooei, & Asgari, 2016). This experience of reaching out to diversified customer segments through creativity was very insightful in my study of creative media technology.

2.1 g) Brand New Website

Distinto restaurant has a website that was developed some years ago. The website attracts a relatively limited number of visits in a day. It is due to several reasons; the design is in chaos with a missing grid, the design lacks contrast, the colour scheme is poor, then navigation features are also poor and with a poor link. I designed a website that is easy to understand and navigate. I utilized animations, good colour scheme, a clean layout, with a visually appealing interface, and I used an appropriate design. That is how I can easily reach to the Muslim community and another non-Muslims as well as the Arab community.

2.1 g) Photographs

Finally, with permission from the management to take photographs of the daily running of the restaurant, I compiled a wide variety of photos using camera and lighting from the University and uploaded them in the gallery section of the website of the Distinto restaurant. In this way, customers referred to this food and beverages joint will have access to a real experience of the restaurant before making reservations or visiting the place (Picazo & Jil, 2019).

2.2. Performance

Project design is a task that I have always had a great passion. The rebranding of the Distinto restaurant is a project that came in handy in getting my hands on real-life experience. It gave me very great experience in the use of such software as Adobe, Lightroom and Photoshop (Endsley, 2016). The experience also enhances my ability to communicate visually using images and objects. The design elements involved in creative media technology for effective communication were also well understood. I am pleased with the outcome of my rebranding project, and the feedback from my friends and the restaurant management regarding my rebranding is also very encouraging. However, it is worth noting that the users’ feeling about the brand of the restaurant before my work was not fully incorporated. Therefore, in future assignments, assessment of the attitudes and opinions of the end users will be highly recommended before the commencement of the project to ensure the objectives of the appointment are realized.

2.3 Project Management

Am content with my work due to the great passion I have for creative design technology. However, for a more complex task in future, I acknowledge the need to harness my skills in using various applications used in media technology. This is to make sure that being able to deliver complex tasks within the stipulated time without undermining the quality of my work. It is because I feel as though much of the time and effort was spent on editing my designs to include subtle details that are in line with my objectives. It could prove a bit difficult and tiresome if I am presented with a more complex model of websites and other promotional materials such as logos and brand names especially for clients with multidimensional products and services.

3. Conclusions and Recommendations

3.1 Improvements and Future Works

As acknowledged earlier, editing of designs to include finer details was quite a challenge to me. This led to spending more time in editing my designs into beautiful products in line with my objectives. Thus, faced with designing complex elements in future, I would encounter some time delay in the achievement of the desired outputs. I would, therefore, like to work more on my proficiency in using applications used in editing designs to ensure competency (Schwalbe, 2015) I would also like to fine-tune my creative skills to modern day functions, for example, linking websites and social platforms so that businesses such as Distinto restaurant can have their daily offers been visible via social platforms. It is because the world is moving into a digital era and the online platforms could be useful tools of advertising.

Summary

Concisely, I am happy with what I have achieved in this project. It has sharpened my skills in creative media technology making me competent enough for various tasks in the work environment. I firmly believe these skills will be an added advantage for me as I venture into the job market. The user testing part of this project has also given me excellent insight into the importance of the feedback from customers for future improvements. I am now preparing myself for a career in creative media technology with a wide variety of skills making me outstanding from my competitors.

References

Akbari, M., Gholizadeh, M.H. and Zomorrodi, M., 2018. Islamic symbols in food packaging and purchase intention of Muslim consumers. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 9(1), pp.117-131.

Anderson, S.P. and Jullien, B., 2015. The advertising-financed business model in two-sided media markets. In Handbook of media economics (Vol. 1, pp. 41-90).

Borzooei, M. and Asgari, M., 2016. Discovering perceptions of Muslim consumers toward the ICRIC Halal logo. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 7(4), pp.304-317.

Hartley, J., 2017. From the consciousness industry to the creative sectors consumer-created Content, social network markets and the growth of knowledge. The uses of digital literacy (pp. 49-80). New York: Routledge.

Holanda, Hui, D., Ng, C., Mok, P., Ngai, F., Wan-kan, C., & Yuen, C.(2005). A study on creativity index. Hong Kong: Home Affairs Bureau.

Kleppinger, C.A. and Cain, J., 2015. Personal digital branding as a professional asset in the digital age. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 79(6), p.79.

Sweeney, J.C. and Soutar, G.N., 2001. Consumer perceived value: The development of a multiple item scale. Journal of Retailing, 77(2), pp.203-220.

Picazo, P. and Moreno-Gil, S., 2019. Analysis of the projected image of tourism destinations on photographs: a literature review to prepare for the future. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 25(1), pp.3-24.