Naming, Branding, Trade Mark Registration & Launch of a Trading Platform

GNI Ltd, a leading global broker of equity, foreign exchange, metals and derivatives asked CHP to provide branding and graphic design advice for a new on-line trading product. The product trades for a flat fee in real-time at near market maker prices, without the traditional broker bid-offer margin/spread. The target audience for the product being experienced traders specifically, our research quickly identified a name based on the word ‘touch’, which on a trading floor means ‘best buying/selling price available in the market’.

GNI Touch

Having proposed the name ‘GNI touch’, we progressed to develop the logo using various ideas. Although the brief was initially to create a name for the product alone, the concept was so well received that it quickly evolved into a generic name for the whole company. We therefore advised on how it could be clearly divided into sub-brands for the company’s separate divisions.

The approved logo was designed to look like a button which could be pressed, to follow on from the new company name. The identity was applied onto stationery, product brochures, newsletters, promotional items, exhibition stands, electronic walk-throughs and a web site. The button graphic always reproducing as a constant green to match the holding company name ‘GNI touch’, while the subsidiary companies are colour coded through typography.

Within six months of launch the platform had gained 98% market share and shortly after this the entire company was sold to Old Mutual plc.