Broadlume

The lack of technical innovations in the flooring industry means there’s a less tech-sophisticated buyer audience, so the SaaS lexicon means little to them. This insight was key when developing a visual and verbal identity for Broadlume. Our strategy was to create a brand where retailers feel understood, capable, and empowered. As a result, we shifted the focus from the powerful platform to the promise Broadlume fulfills. Features and platform functionality can be replicated, but the power of brand is in its intangibles.

Another key to our strategy was that Broadlume isn't the hero of this story. The heroes are the business owners, the shop managers, the entrepreneurs. The self-made, selfless individuals who pour their lives into their work everyday. Broadlume shines a light on an industry that's long been overlooked, helping these retailers recognize their own potential. As Maya Angelou famously said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Broadlume’s previous architecture confused brand relationships and eroded overall brand equity. The lack of consistency dampened Broadlume’s overarching impact and offered no clear or accessible way to learn about the company, its expertise, and its benefits. While the brand names Broadlume had acquired had recognition, they also carried baggage that muddied Broadlume’s distinction, and preconceived notions that misrepresented Broadlume's category, differentiators, and trajectory.

We proposed Broadlume become the parent name and brand identity, enabling it to be elevated, adopted, and quickly embraced by both internal and external audiences. Broadlume’s equity and earned reputation provided the best foundation for building a brand portfolio that operates under its focused purpose of elevating flooring retailers. Within this new architecture, we also created an endorsed brand for FloorCon, Broadlume’s annual industry conference.

Broadlume provides flooring retailers the tools and support they need to compete with big-box stores. Although Broadlume isn’t completely alone in some of what it offers — including website creation support, CRM, and flooring visualization — it is the only company that can say it does it all. Unlike its main competitors, who provide either general marketing services or go all-in on a specific tool, Broadlume offers an all-in-one platform that gives flooring retailers everything they need in a single, convenient place.

It was clear that Broadlume is uniquely positioned to be a leading authority in the flooring industry. So, driven to unlock the greater potential of its customers, Broadlume had to take care to speak their language, too. Although retailers may be well-trained in the parlance of flooring terminology, they might not be as fluent in tech-speak — at least, not yet. With this in mind, we recommended that Broadlume’s verbal identity be simple and approachable, yet still adventurous. And to further cement its position as a thought leader space, Broadlume should be inclusive of its audience and their aspirations. In speaking the same language, Broadlume and its customers are empowered to change the flooring industry together.

The Broadlume mark makes a direct connection to Broadlume's name and its purpose: the shining light of the flooring technology industry. It harkens to Broadlume's ability to guide, strengthen, and create a path where there wasn't one. It is simple yet sophisticated. It is modern yet timeless.

The logotype is a modified version of the primary brand typeface, Moret. It leans away from the overly tech trends of competitors, which fail to resonate with the Broadlume audience.

The visual language feels traditional, yet modern and fearless. It has a trustworthy and nostalgic effect, but is fresh and unseen in the landscape. It suggests a brand that's been here forever, ready to usher in the future. Brighter hues and serifs feel friendly and approachable — an intentional departure from sleek tech brands that can feel intimidating or cold.

The primary Broadlume typeface is Moret. Moret blends several calligraphic concepts to create a unique, dynamic, and emphatic typeface.

The color palette utilizes some literal instances of “illuminate.” We juxtaposed black, gold, and off-white to feel sentimental and thoughtful. Some bolder secondary colors extend the palette and bring some freshness to a competitive landscape awash with reds and blues.

The grid pattern is a foundational piece of Broadlume's visual language. It suggests floor plans and technology while seamlessly fitting next to the more prominent, timeless brand elements.

Broadlume's FloorCon hosts the first and only tech-driven conference for the flooring industry. As an endorsed brand, FloorCon needed an identity that is able to stand on its own, while blending seamlessly into the Broadlume ecosystem. Color is one tool that creates a bridge between the two brands. Both palettes utilize gold and the off-white “Wool,” while purples and browns unique to FloorCon feel more adventurous.

The FloorCon typeface achieves a sense of modernity combined with a friendliness that avoids stuffiness.