C42d

Who We Are

At C42D, we're a team of passionate and creative individuals who are dedicated to helping early-stage companies and venture capital firms build strong brands that drive results. Our mission is to make a difference in the world by helping launch brands that solve impossible problems, invent the future, or improve the lives of everyone on the planet. We believe that every business begins as an idea, and it's our goal to help turn those ideas into reality.

What We Do

As a top New York branding agency, we offer a range of services designed to help our clients build strong brands that connect with audiences, inspire investors, and eliminate the competition. Our services include discovery and brand audits, brand strategy, company naming, visual and verbal identity, and web design and development.

Discovery & Brand Audit

When we work with a new client, we start by conducting a discovery and brand audit to understand the business issues they face. This involves reviewing brand and marketing materials, conducting interviews with C-level executives and directors, and exploring the company's values, mission, and business goals. We also conduct research and interviews with actual customers to understand their pain points and how the business solves them. By understanding the audience and the business, we can design a brand and marketing strategy that speaks to them and drives results.

Brand Strategy

Our brand strategy is the foundation of building a successful brand. We help our clients define their purpose, personality, and positioning, and pinpoint what archetype represents them. Through interviews, analysis, and research, we understand the brand from all angles and then work to flesh out the human qualities that breathe life into the brand. We then describe the brand's behavior, actions, and pillars, and create a brand narrative that tells the story in emotional language. We can also build a brand messaging platform and voice and tone guidance to inform all copywriting.

Company Naming

Naming a company is a complex process that requires careful research, strategy, creativity, and logistics. We navigate this process from start to finish, starting with a creative naming brief rooted in the brand strategy. We employ various naming strategies to generate a number of names that meet these strategic parameters. Before our clients fall in love with a name, we ensure that it's ownable and trademarkable through prescreening. We also conduct linguistics checks to ensure that the name doesn't upset local culture if the company plans to operate internationally.

Visual & Verbal Identity

Our brand identity design is more than just a logo - it's the behavior and personality of the brand, the consistent touchstone the customers experience, and the promise the employees deliver to them. We create brand identities as design systems that include patterns, icons, user interface elements, and illustrations. We arrange these foundational blocks to build all of the expressions of the brand, from web design and digital to print and video, from social marketing to ad campaigns. We also create a comprehensive brand guideline articulating how to take the brand to market, including rules and examples of collateral, campaigns, and digital assets.

Web Design + Development

Digital design is more than just building a website - it's a crucial lead conversion and sales tool. We take careful planning and consideration into decisions when designing our clients' digital ecosystems. We understand that a website is more than just a digital facade; it's a central hub for communication, marketing, and sales. We work closely with our clients to design a website that meets their business goals and fulfills their vision.