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About this seller
SCCO is a design studio specialising in branding, while Worktones creates workwear that’s functional but also expresses a restaurant’s identity. Together, owners and collaborators Jarmaine and Huw talk about branding and how a restaurant can develop its look and feel.
SCCO creative director Jarmaine Stojanovic (above) and Worktones director Huw Bennett (below).
In-depth on branding with SCCO and Worktones
Branding in hospo: then and now
Hey Huw, hey Jarmaine, while you both work in very different genres, both your brands work to build the branded world of hospitality venues; Worktones through custom uniforming, while SCCO works on visual identity. In both your opinions, how do you feel hospo brands in general have changed over the last decades in terms of how they approach this side of things?
Jarmaine Stojanovic (SCCO):
Restaurants are putting way more currency (in both senses) into visual comms as a whole – socials, identity, menu design, photography etc. Everything needs to be humming. However, there’s a copycat culture growing. Socials have opened up this space where people can see something and say ‘Design mine like that’. The amount of times I see the studio or other’s work being ripped off is a lot.
Huw Bennett (Worktones):
For sure, the industry has moved leaps and bounds in terms of understanding the importance of branding. People are coming to us with better guidelines than they were when we started nine years ago, and they’re a lot further down the line with ideation than previously. We’re also seeing a lot more requests for customisation, and 9/10 times they’ll have references. If the branding’s good it turns on the lights for us creatively. It’s a level of reassurance that the client understands their brand and is ready. If it’s done by someone like you, Jarmaine, there are elements that have gone into it that are greater than a logo, there’s a level of detail that allows us to do our job more effectively.
Jarmaine (SCCO):
Totally, and back at you – working with an item of uniform or merch that is well-made and that you can customise is always the best. Quality is important, but the ability to make something unique at the end of the day hinges on how customised that element can be. It can then feel like you’re wearing fashion, not merch.
The give-and-take of briefing your design partners
When clients come to you both, how should the briefing process work? What should hospo clients do or not do?
Jarmaine (SCCO):
The more information the better. Being confident and precise in what your product and service is, is helpful.
Huw (Worktones):
Client ideas can be pretty blue sky, and they want a million things. We look at what’s important and what they really need for opening, what’s practical and what will mark them out, and then build on that as we go. In the end, we want to create a really good product for customers that they’re happy with and that lasts, as opposed to something that has a short shelf life.
Jarmaine (SCCO):
Agree, but I really want to do objects, like branded venue ashtrays people can put their keys in at home! But no one will let me do it (yet). In general, I think the consumption of design is so fast right now that clients aren’t considering the [forethought] of the actual design, the thinking behind it. People and studios who align design with business objectives will get a better outcome than something created off a trend alone. The best design I'm doing is off the back of a relationship, where there’s trust in leaving a little bit of room in the budget for exploration and the creation of ideas as you go, rather than signing it all off at the start when you’re a bit blind. It should be an exploratory process.
Uniforms and branding should work together
Can a venue be ‘over-branded’? What should owners focus on when tempted to add branding or customisation to everything?
Jarmaine (SCCO):
Yes, 100%. People get so excited that they're getting this creative identity and representation, and they want to put it on every inch of everything – I get it. In the sense of branding, it’s harder to remove than add. You might want your logo on a plate, coaster, napkin or menu, but imagine when all those things are sitting in front of the customer, they’ll feel like they’re being advertised to. Only add them if it feels right.
Huw (Worktones):
Everyone wants their venue to have an impact, and a uniform says you’re serious, implying the food will look and taste good too. People think about where the produce comes from and how many people will fit in the space, how the kitchen will flow and what equipment should go in there, so adding uniforms is the holy trinity, giving your business the leg up. However things like the climate in your location can really impact what you need for uniforms, and QSRs where there’s not much interaction between staff and customers perhaps don’t need to focus on the uniform aspect as closely.
You might want your logo on a plate, coaster, napkin or menu, but imagine when all those things are sitting in front of the customer, they’ll feel like they’re being advertised to. Only add them if it feels right.
Ideas that stand out
What’s an example of recent work for you both where something small really made an impact?
Huw (Worktones):
We created uniforms for The International inside the MLC building in Sydney recently, and worked really closely with one of the directors, Anna. She comes with strong ideas thanks to her fashion background. We brought all the elements together, with little details like pants that are lightweight in a tight-weave cotton that washes and wears really well, with extra room for movement, all in a poppy blue that looks seriously good. We created a pin too, it’s the final element in bringing it all together, the ‘we’re now in service’ final touch. Adding the pin is like Superman revealing the Big S underneath his shirt.
Jarmaine (SCCO):
The CIAO bag we created for Fabbrica has been so popular that I’m blown away by its popularity. I think it’s because it’s simple. The wording is really large. The bag was unique, really big with a punchy big blue CIAO on the front, which at the time was edgy and different. It's that point of difference that makes something popular.
4 ways to level-up branding in your venue
What advice would you give to other hospitality businesses looking to engage design services for their new venue or brand?
Be clear with your idea and vision, and bring references to your initial meeting to bring that vision to life. Being confident and precise in what your product and service is, will move mountains for the success of your brand.
Once you have your branding, don’t throw it all over everything in your venue, sometimes restraint speaks louder when it’s all in front of your customer.
Investing in all touchpoints of your brand – whether it’s your branding or your uniforms – shows you're serious and invested, implying you’re serious about all other aspects of your business. Make sure that rings true.
Aim for a sense of discovery within your venue’s identity – branding success to a customer feels like when they go there for the third time, they see something new that they perhaps didn’t notice upon the first visit.
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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. For specific advice applicable to your business, please contact a professional.