Grafik Marketing Communications

No other entity is so often parodied with so much fondness. C-SPAN is like your straight-laced aunt everyone loves precisely because she is so straight. You don’t want to change her, but you’d love the chance to go through her closet and “retire” a few outfits.

We were thrilled when this stalwart of American media asked us to freshen up their look as they approached their 40th anniversary. The challenge was to ensure that the essence of C-SPAN—what makes them so iconic—remained.

After absorbing their existing research, we conducted internal and external interviews with stakeholders on the Hill, the media, and C-SPAN’s funders. What we found was universal agreement that C-SPAN is more relevant today than ever before, and a desire to see C-SPAN toot their own horn a bit more.

Far more than a single channel covering the House, there’s also C-SPAN2 & C-SPAN3, original programming like BookTV and American HistoryTV, the C-SPAN Radio mobile app and, impressively, an archive—searchable and editable—of nearly a quarter million hours of broadcast video. A new visual identity needed to work seamlessly across this entire landscape—on air, online, and in print.

The most visible part of the refresh—designing a new logo—appears to be a straightforward task. But the art and discipline of balancing letterforms and colors did not take place in a vacuum; it was part of an overall look at their positioning around the 40th year anniversary and into the future.

 In 1965, Intelsat launched the first commercial global satellite communications system. Since then it’s been transmitting some of the greatest moments in history for everyone in the world to share. With countless stories to tell, and myriad breakthroughs to acknowledge, Intelsat should be a household name. But a host of new technologies had gradually pushed satellite technology out of the limelight. Intelsat needed to reclaim its leadership position, and it turned to Grafik to help set the foundation for that effort.

Working with executives to support a proposed shift in the business model, strategists at Grafik met with representatives from every division: mobility, networks, media services, and government services, careful to include leaders from a variety of international offices. Our goal was to identify the common threads — the vision that could be shared by all. Additionally, we surveyed technology buyers in a dozen countries in order to understand perspectives on satellite technology, Intelsat, and its many competitors.

Our findings pointed to a solution that elevated the conversation internally and externally. The new brand mantra, Imagine Here, is as much about the potential within Intelsat as it is about the endless possibilities that emerge for customers.

Grafik pushed the color palette and developed a brand identity that focused on the reliability of Intelsat technology and the opportunities it affords. The rollout continues today as the organization prepares to launch globally, but already, the new brand is building excitement and enthusiasm across all corners of the enterprise.

Data centers are just big rooms with racks of servers, right? Wrong, that’s like saying a Lamborghini is a fast car. Data centers today are the superstructure enabling the technology that flows out to consumers and securely keeps major entities functioning.

When Vantage Data Centers came to us, they were a regional, West Coast data center provider. The leadership team had a clear vision for becoming a leading global provider to the market they served: hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. They asked us to help present an entirely new Vantage to the world.

We immersed ourselves in Vantage’s re-tooled level of expertise and evident new spirit by conducting deep-dive interviews with the leadership team, third party industry analysts, and clients.

We chose to march under a single word that summed up the shift from what they had been to the global player they had fast become and were building on at all levels every day: Ready.

Every page of the new Vantage Data Centers site had to reflect this well-coordinated move to the leading provider of hyperscale data center expertise worldwide—that meant all new messaging, a new consistent look, and the ability to grow as new locations were added across the globe. And it was all done in both English and French.

Vantage Data Centers’ approach to power, cooling, sustainability, operations, and locations positions them as the go-to partner for the introduction of major technical advances—a fact we drive home at every customer touchpoint. Proven, it can sustain customer success for the long run. Flexible, it can be implemented across the globe and adapt to evolving client needs.

Every day, people with chronic conditions find hope in new treatments, only to be shocked by costs that are simply too expensive even with insurance. Thankfully, co-pay assistance charities like Good Days raise money to pay for what insurance won’t. Good Days turned to Grafik to make it easier for everyone—patients, caregivers, pharmacies and donors—to find, and offer, life-changing help.

The site had to empathetically tell the story of what this charity does, and at the same time make it easy to get—and give—the help that can decrease suffering and extend lifespans for the chronically afflicted. We even supplied a new mantra that summed up this dual mandate: effective compassion.

Our solution was to Design user journeys that take visitors to the right information—from diseases to medicines to Good Day’s expert Patient Care Navigators—based on a quick and simple self-assessment of their specific needs. We created and leveraged personas to inform the IA and user journeys of the new site. A new messaging platform guided site content, and also helped Good Days staff going forward as they continue their outreach to caregivers and corporate donors. Users found the navigation simpler to use, and a new set of icons supported the text for quick access to highly visited pages.

The persona-based UX delivered the goods for Good Days. Year over year figures for the first month* the site was operating yielded a 109% increase in sessions, 189% increase in users and 56% increase in page views. More than simply an increase in page views, we tracked the pages visited and discovered a 321% increase in the pages housing the “diseases covered” content, critical information for patients that also frees time for Good Days Patient Care Navigators to go deeper with their patients.

Philadelphia has more rowhouses than any city in America; more than 400,000. But when two renowned builders came together to breathe new life into a former industrial site on the Delaware River, it was with a vision to expand on that historic rowhouse fabric and deliver a new kind of neighborhood. Plans for 35 acres of thoughtfully designed townhomes, condos, retail, and public green spaces offer a unique combination of waterfront amenities and close proximity to vibrant urban areas.

With several years of construction ahead, Grafik developed an overarching brand identity for the neighborhood that could serve as a foundation throughout the life of the project. The name “Northbank” helps to locate the neighborhood geographically—north of downtown and above the Ben Franklin bridge—and denotes that the area is bigger than a single residence, or a small collection of homes. Northbank feels established. It is part of a town. Where Philadelphians reconnect with the water. Where locals are eager to come home.

Introducing Northbank to prospective homebuyers during a global pandemic meant diverging from our typical real estate playbook and leaning more heavily into digital marketing than ever before. We worked with the project’s builders, architects, and sales teams to tell the story behind this thoughtfully designed community through a brand video, online advertising campaign, and an interactive website, culminating in a well-attended virtual grand opening that led to over 50 home sales in just the first eight weeks.

The state-of-the-art sales center and collateral package we designed for Northbank helps prospective homebuyers experience first-hand what makes this place so unique, from the thoughtful contemporary architecture to the panoramic river views.

For over 15 years, we’ve worked with regional builder EYA to bring dozens of walkable urban developments to market in the DMV. 

Most recently, EYA’s leadership came to us with a unique challenge: to create a visual identity for a new community it was building in Rockville, MD with Pulte Homes, a national builder with its own brand aesthetic. The new identity would need to operate under one unified look, feel and experience for prospective buyers.

We developed a community identity and messaging platform that was distinctive enough to stand out from the surrounding developments, exciting enough to depict the unique lifestyle residents will enjoy, and broad enough to credibly represent the two builders that spoke to young families, professionals, and empty nesters alike.

The launch campaign spanned two new websites—the first provides an overview of the Tower Oaks community, while the second offers a deeper dive into the EYA townhomes product—as well as a sales center experience, sales package, and merchandise. 

The neighborhood opened to much fanfare, with robust sales that are at pace to exceed expectations. This new visual system brings together the strong equity both real estate brands offer, as well as a lifestyle unlike any other on the market. 

The New York City fertility center marketplace is a crowded one. With several well-established and well-known names already operating, how do we make Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), one of the largest and most successful fertility centers in the country, stand out as a new player?

A competitive audit revealed that lush photography of adorable babies and families was ubiquitous—who wouldn’t be enchanted? But what set these photos apart from each other? We purposely chose to lead with a different creative approach that starts with an understanding of the emotional toll that comes with trying to conceive.

After interviews and focus groups with patients and physicians, it was clear that while every fertility journey is different, everyone has received well-intentioned but useless advice while seeking answers. For those ready to begin treatment—our primary target audience—the inadequacy of this advice is both obvious and annoying. They’ve even tried some of these “folk remedies” out of desperation. They’re now ready for real science and medicine that gets results—carried out with heart and humanity as only SGF does.

In addition to the :30 spot, we created a series of paid social and digital display ads introducing SGF to the NYC market. All drove to a landing page housing the full length campaign video and a call to schedule an appointment at the new location.

Word-of-mouth referrals, in tandem with the paid campaign, resulted in a wave of website visits and user-generated testimonials from patients. 

Awe-inspiring advances in the treatment of cystic fibrosis have added tomorrows for thousands now living with what was formerly seen as a pediatric disease. Our long-time client, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, plays a major role supporting both patients and the scientific community. CF clinical trials are key to continuing this progress—but with a patient population of fewer than 35,000 people across the country, enrolling patients in the hundreds of ongoing trials is difficult. 

The Foundation built and hosts a powerful tool on its website—the clinical trial finder. But awareness of the finder, and of the importance of participation in clinical trials, needed a boost. Leveraging the foundation’s unique commitment to a collaborative approach in seeking the ultimate cure, we created the multi-media Trailblazer campaign. Highlighting the importance of trials, it recognized the entire community’s role—from patients to supporters to researchers. We also focused on the surprising number of trials, and the ease of researching them thanks to the trial finder. 

Key performance indicators centered on increased use of the Clinical Trial Finder—more traffic to the finder, greater time spent on the Clinical Trial Finder page, and more “Ask About Participating in This Study” submissions. In just over a month, the campaign shattered the goals.

Personal transportation technology is advancing 
at a rate unequalled since the birth of the automobile. Cars are no longer expected to simply get you from point A to point B—they’re now expected to park, check the temperature, and even preempt an accident.

So when the nation’s two largest auto associations came together to form the single most authoritative voice of the industry, our challenge was to help them build a new brand focused on creating a transformative path for sustainable industry growth.

This new super power was set to represent the manufacturers producing nearly 99% of cars and light trucks sold in the United States. They just needed the look, feel, and messaging to properly communicate that to the world.

The brand video we created for a symbolic launch at CES spoke to both members and legislators about the storied history of the automotive industry, its current present and bright future focused towards ground-breaking innovation.

The integrated campaign introducing the new brand featured outdoor billboards in key auto markets, digital display campaigns and a VIP launch party for members and stakeholders at CES. Early campaign results feature high audience engagement on both the organization’s new website as well as social media channels.

If short-term investing seems counterintuitive to you, that’s because you’re probably not a member of a corporate treasury team. Treasurers know that wise short-term institutional investments of cash can have a real impact on bottom lines while still maintaining the liquidity needed for timely acquisitions that support corporate strategy.

Founded in 2003 by people who saw the need for an easy-to-buy, easy-to-sell channel wholly independent of the banks offering these investment products, Institutional Cash Distributors has always remained true to its founding principle—one that Grafik surfaced in a simple Mantra: Treasury First.

Over the years, ICD refined their offerings, consolidating services through a robust portal and ensuring follow-the-sun support to serve a truly global client base that includes the world’s best-known brands. To reflect their ease of use and technical expertise wed to high-touch service, a new, modern-yet-friendly logo was created, leveraging the color palette already well-known to their current customers. In addition, new brand assets and the introduction of a photography style were applied to a reimagined website and all marketing materials.

It began with two distinct wealth management firms: one, a vibrant young company focused on growth, and the other a well-established institution led by a single visionary individual. Bronfman Rothschild and Sontag Advisory were both highly successful, client-centric organizations with tremendous experience and expertise managing exceptional wealth and the myriad challenges it often presents. Both were eager to write the next chapter of their corporate story. Enter a third entity, NFP, a nationally-recognized insurance broker that had recently acquired Sontag. When leadership from these three prestigious brands came together, they envisioned a remarkable opportunity to create a best-of-breed advisory, and they turned to Grafik to direct the strategic effort.

We began by identifying the common threads across these organizations to determine how best to develop a brand foundation that everyone would embrace. Additionally, we sat with the leadership of NFP to understand vision and expectations for the new entity. Our comprehensive study of the two firms, their cultures and their competitors led the Grafik team to recommend a new brand name, Wealthspire, intending to capture the aspiration of the firms and their clients. We captured language that was familiar to both teams and built an identity that celebrated the best of both worlds. Ultimately, we delivered a brand strategy that framed the merger of two powerful firms and laid the foundation for future brand touchpoints.

With the new identity solidified, we took the existing digital presence of each entity and brought it together to tell a cohesive and consistent story on a new website. We mapped a content strategy and migration plan to support SEO efforts and to re-introduce Wealthspire as a thought and market leader.

Since launching in October, bounce rates have decreased by ~10%, users and sessions are up 150%, and session duration is up 28%.

When one the most well established real estate companies in Northern Virginia was looking to align its many divisions under a stronger parent brand, it came to Grafik. Van Metre made it our task to unite its various teams, and clearly articulate value across every business unit. In the course of a comprehensive rebranding initiative, we established a new brand architecture, positioning and digital strategy, messaging platform, and visual identity. The powerful brand and go-to-market programs we developed effectively communicate Van Metre’s commitment to its customers, employees, and the communities it serves.

Fundamentally, our efforts focused on showcasing the ecosystem Van Metre had created over the past 60 years. Deeply rooted in Northern Virginia, this family of companies includes new homes, apartments, property management services, commercial real estate development, lending, and considerable philanthropic efforts. We established a framework for richer storytelling—a narrative that built on Van Metre’s proven track record and its longstanding commitment to the region.


Refining the founder’s signature was just one of the many herculean efforts we took on at Grafik. Once the leadership team approved an evolution of the logo that captured the spirit of the late Al Van Metre, the team set about to create a look and feel for the visual identity that included a system of icons and colors unique to the local market. The final brand identity underscores the notion of a family of companies, and ensures each sub-brand stands out within its own industry.

We're proud that this work was a 2020 winner of the REBRAND 100 Awards!

For more information, check out our case study here: https://grafik.agency/case-study/van-metre/

How do you reach customers from space? That was the challenge facing one of San Francisco’s brightest startups. Grafik helped out by establishing a clear path to prospects.

Led by some of the most brilliant young minds in the space industry, Capella had been carefully considering every facet of their newly designed satellites and running countless tests to ensure their successful launch and deployment. But the startup hadn’t stopped to think about who they were, what they were enabling, and how they were shaking up the market.

After extensive interviews with Capella leadership, VCs, customers and partners, and competitive positioning exercises, we realized that the story is not in space, but the effect on Earth. This angle allowed Grafik to articulate “a new perspective” for the startup. We developed a new brand and messaging strategy to introduce prospective customers to the myriad commercial, and affordable, uses of space-based technology.

With this in mind, Grafik created a brand and messaging strategy built on Capella’s groundbreaking approach to earth observation. We designed and developed a new website to drive awareness of real-world applications in everything from agriculture to infrastructure to disaster recovery, explicitly addressing the needs of core personas identified during strategy. For the site’s brand video, we let the team’s passion and boldness come through to bring the Capella story to life. The video has received over 6,000 views and counting.

Buzzard Point is a historic Washington, D.C. landmark, the final jewel in the crown of the Capitol Riverfront Community—the District’s fastest growing neighborhood.

With beautiful new residences, retail spaces, open-air markets, and an active shoreline still many months away, Grafik used the grand opening of world-class Audi Field to launch our place branding campaign this summer.

Online, in signage, social media, and PR, we leveraged its deep history and bright future to bring the inspiring vision of Buzzard Point to life.

Festivities around the inaugural D.C. United game at Audi Field meant plenty of reasons to post invites, reminders, and schedules for fans wanting the latest news. It was also the perfect chance to capture new neighborhood followers. We made certain the Buzzard Point branding was prominent in all of them.

Highly esteemed by fellow developers, local civic leaders, and more than 4,000 homeowners, EYA has always been a successful company. But when its leadership came to Grafik, our strategists suggested a major shift in the way EYA was doing business. Rather than marketing each property individually, we believed the key to success in the long term was a powerful overarching brand.

Our research led us to recommend a new brand architecture that would allow every neighborhood to retain its individuality while delivering on a consistent brand promise. EYA would offer homebuyers more than just a new home—it would offer a one-of-a-kind lifestyle.

Today, when EYA reviews a proposed property site, one question is always asked: Does this site embody the mantra? If it doesn’t offer “Life Within Walking Distance,” then there’s no deal. It’s that simple. Our rebrand has helped EYA become more focused, more thoughtful, and more successful.

Designed to underscore the brand mantra and highlight the newest neighborhoods, the new corporate site serves up the most relevant locations through geo-targeting using mobile GPS or IP data.

Grafik has played a critical role in developing identities for EYA neighborhoods since we began working with them nearly a dozen years ago. 

From manufacturing motion sensors the size of a grain of sand to creating advanced applications for myriad industries, one company is immersed in every facet of movement. It all started when motion sensor manufacturer, mCube, acquired a leading motion capture company that serves the film, gaming and live entertainment industries, as well as autonomous vehicle systems and industrial motion control. Next came the acquisition of a biometric data company focused on helping elite athletes reach their peak performance and avoid injury. The synergies between the firms spoke to a world of possibilities, and immediate opportunities across Asia, North America and Europe. With so much potential for rapid expansion into new markets, it was critical for the new company to have a powerful brand.

Our comprehensive strategy tackled positioning and brand architecture — how industry-focused technologies should be presented to audiences. It began with an immersive research and discovery phase, including extensive interviews with employees and leadership. We identified alignment across company cultures, offerings, and clients to create a brand promise that was authentic, credible and distinctive. Built from the predicate that measuring movement is key to understanding a world of constant motion, we positioned the new merged firm as the entity that brings meaning to movement. 

Creating a name that could be trademarked and used worldwide required deep and rigorous vetting, both from the legal standpoint and from the aspect of any associations the name may have in different languages across the globe. 

The new name, Movella, clearly focuses on movement, cleared all hurdles for use worldwide, and was embraced by all those anxious not to lose the cachet of their former company names as they introduced existing clients to the new brand. Making their job simpler was the visual identity that captured, without words, the dynamism and purpose of Movella.