67 Names

Possible company names we vetted

1,200+ Individuals

People surveyed when considering name

22 Companies

Businesses we studied comparatively

16 Pounds

Amount our founder lost on program

Discovery

Behind the face of the brand.

Considering names for a new company can quickly turn into a lost cause, if clear rules of engagement aren’t defined early. On this project, the first move toward these rules was clear: talk to Nan. She was the face of her brand, the primary sales force, the mover and shaker for thousands of satisfied customers. So it was evident that whatever name we found for her new company, it had to feel consistent with who Nan was. We spent hours in conversation with Nan, listening to her customers, and identifying the key characteristics that drew them under her wings. We began to understand the voice and emotional resonance the new name had. It was this backstory that allowed everything else to follow.

Gathering our data.
After hours of extensive research and study, we gathered our data and came to conclusions. It became evident that Nan's customer base was female, middle-aged, largely spiritual-minded, and experiences in weight loss programs. Her people were hopeful, but had been let down numerous times by failed promises of other diet-related companies. Their common complaint was lack of community support. We realized that whatever brand we created needed to uplift and reflect the strong connections between Nan and her members.

"If it’s only about weight loss, it will always be about weight loss."

Nan DeGroat
Founder picture

The Name

What's in a name?

Once we were confident we knew who the brand was, how the brand spoke, what the brand felt like when interacted with, our next step was to name the brand. This step in itself provides numerous challenges and steps, but the depth of our discovery phase allowed us to focus and brought clarity to the name rather quickly. Eventually we had a list of potential names, each with an extensive history and background related to the brand: advantages, disadvantages, etc.. Narrowing down that list took intense conversation, internal brainstorming, and external blind surveys. But, finally, we had it. Alula.

Logo Design

Rounding the Alula brand into form.

Now that we had a name for the new company, we dove headfirst into logo design. The feather became the key idea for our concept work. It signified the potential for those who came to Alula for support. We went through numerous revisions and brainstorming sessions, but finally came to a final mark and final lockups.

The story of Alula.

alula (n) a group of small quill feathers on the first digit of a bird’s wing; enables the bird to turn smoother in flight and reach greater heights.

We believe the definition of alula reflects well the ambitions of Alula the company. The company, not unlike the alula feathers, strive to ease and enhance the lives of people who have yet to reach their greatest potentials. Phonetically the word is spoken ”uh-loo-la,” which sounds similar to the word hallelujah, a word which someone shouts when a breakthrough or deeper realization has been accomplished – just as the company hopes to accomplish in everyone they help.

Brand Styles

The Alula rules.

After the logo work, we wrote the mission and vision statements for the company. Then we considered visual rules, including color, typography and messaging guidelines. We created a 30-page brand styleguide that defined all usages of the logo and the brand. This document was meant to inform Alula and its employees for years to come.

Collateral & Website Design

Sharing the brand with the world.

Following our branding engagement with Alula Wellness, we proceeded into collateral, packaging, and website design. Over 20 unique print materials were branded and redesigned, including a 60-page Welcome Booklet. We created business cards, letterheads, email signatures, and rebranded labels and packaging for the complete line of Alula Wellness and Breakthrough M2 products. All materials were made consistent, adhering to the rules of the style guide. The full breath of the brand was finally realized when we launched a new website in April 2018.