The Mind Refinery Podcast
Brand & Identity
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Flicks. Food. TV. Geekdom. This podcast is an exploration of the pop culture world seen through the eyes of the Mind Refinery. Guests include Mind Refinery senior creatives, acclaimed chefs, comedians, nerds with clout, filmmakers, game makers and a host of other culture gurus.
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Problem
The Mind Refinery Podcast launched in 2019 with a desire for the existing video production company to share their love (and criticism) of today's entertainment. Once it gained popularity, listeners told them that they wish the topics weren't so random. They wanted episodes more clear about which category of topic it fell under. The team needed a clearer vision for organizing content.
Starting Point
The general Mind Refinery podcast channel logo:
Episodes needed to be branded according to their category of content in each vertical: TV/movies, games, and music. The thumbnails on podcast apps, YouTube title slides, and social media graphics would feature the category brand. While browsing podcasts, people will be drawn to the brand of the category vs. the Mind Refinery in general.
Research & Development
Each logo needed to feature clean, minimal designs that convey a high production value, as well as a large, thick font for readability.
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The Mind Refinery podcast had already released 18 episodes in the original model, so demographic information was easy to obtain. It was decided to target males aged 18 - 25 that value entertainment and often work in an entertainment industry themselves.
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Mood Boards & Colour Palettes
TV/MOVIES
"FUN" "ENTERTAINING" "POP CULTURE"
GAMES
"GEEK" "ELECTRONIC" "FUN"
MUSIC
"VINTAGE" "FUNK" "URBAN"
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Solution
Design each logo with thick, bold fonts for easy readability in small formats. The Mind Refinery logo's "cog" was incorporated in some way on each. Each logo conveys its own personality, but speaks to the demographic's love for entertainment.
TV/MOVIES
GAMES
MUSIC
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Classic Mind Refinery brand blue (Azure) was used
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Drew a not-so-literal screen with a burst to convey entertainment
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Colours chosen to fit into the vibrant world of video games
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The apostrophe is a lightning bolt, one of the few symbols in the video game world that does not suggest any specific game or brand
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Colours chosen for the host's grunge/stylish vibe
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Decorative font chosen to convey a retro/funk vibe with movement, reminiscent of a record shop
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Social Media Graphics
Results
Since the podcast channel switched gears into the three different categories within one channel, total listeners has increased by 35%. With each type having its own branding, Mind Refinery is leveraging the ability to better market to the various target demographics and attract sponsors.
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