Better Business Everyday
KiotViet new logo and visual identity X Bratus
Established in 2013, KiotViet embarked on its journey to revolutionize sales management in Vietnam, catering to the unique needs of merchants and traders. Nearly a decade later, in 2022, the company undertook a significant transformation, revealing a new brand identity crafted in collaboration with Bratus. This strategic move was not merely a facelift; it signified KiotViet's evolution from a traditional sales management system into a comprehensive business ecosystem committed to supporting the backbone of Vietnam's economy – its small businesses.
Despite its relatively late entry into the market, KiotViet quickly rose to prominence, outpacing established counterparts like Misa, Maybanhang, and Sapo—especially in the niche of sales management for household and microbusinesses. Its solutions resonated deeply with traditional store owners, setting it apart from earlier market entrants. This focus not only cemented KiotViet’s leadership position but also highlighted its commitment to understanding and addressing the unique needs of its clientele, which further reinforced its market presence.
KiotViet's journey from an emerging tech startup to a leading force in Vietnam's market showcases its firm commitment to simplicity, affordability, and industry-specific tailoring. These foundational principles have propelled its significant growth, securing KiotViet a pivotal role in the market and paving the way for its potential emergence as an Asian Unicorn.
As KiotViet expanded its services beyond traditional sales management, it introduced offerings like financing, payment processing, logistics, and inventory management under new names such as KiotPay and KiotPro. This expansion aims to transform KiotViet into a one-stop solution for SMEs. However, diversifying into new areas brought challenges, including the risk of diluting KiotViet's brand identity and shifting focus from its original service promise. It was at this juncture that Bratus stepped in, initiating a rebranding effort to ensure KiotViet's growth did not stray from its core values and brand essence.
This rebranding journey, led by Bratus, aimed to elevate KiotViet from a software provider to a comprehensive business ecosystem. The new brand strategy not only deepened KiotViet’s connection with its customers but also positioned the brand as an integral part of Vietnam’s daily business landscape. Through this transformation, Bratus reinvented KiotViet’s brand concept and visual identity, ensuring they perfectly reflect the company’s growth objectives and core values.
In the rebranding, KiotViet embraced "Work-Life Balance" as its central brand concept, with "Balance" as the core of its creative strategy. This choice symbolizes KiotViet's dedication to leveraging technology not just for improving business operations but also for enriching life outside of work. The idea is rooted in the belief that technology should serve to streamline business processes, thereby enhancing efficiency and productivity. More importantly, it should afford individuals more time for personal endeavors, well-being, family, and social connections. This dual focus underpins the creation of KiotViet’s new visual and verbal identity, aiming to reflect a brand that stands at the intersection of professional success and personal fulfillment.
As we see in KiotViet’s verbal identity shifts, the focus is on simplifying business management challenges. It’s a narrative that promotes balance, employing authentic imagery and a light-hearted, humorous tone across all platforms. This strategy makes the brand's dedication to improving life through technology palpable, turning complex challenges into approachable tasks and clearly conveying simplicity and efficiency.
Moving to the new identity, KiotViet transitioned from its original simplistic blue and green text—a style that, while fitting for its early startup phase, became outdated—as it grew into a more established entity. Bratus masterfully addressed this evolution with a dynamic combination mark. This new branding incorporates a symbol signifying action and a personalized logotype, thoroughly modernizing KiotViet's presence.
The symbol creatively combines a pie chart for business insights, a checkmark for efficiency, and an arrow for future ambitions. These elements are not only intertwined to lay the groundwork for a series of sub-icons but also cleverly form abstract representations of the letters 'K' and 'V', deepening the logo’s connection to the brand.
Furthermore, the new custom-designed logotype dramatically surpasses its predecessor, with bespoke lettering that injects unique personality into KiotViet's communications. This not only ensures consistency across the brand's identity system but also elevates the overall aesthetic, making a clear departure from the old and heralding a new era for KiotViet.
In the spirit of visual evolution, KiotViet’s adoption of the Inter typeface for its typography represents a significant move towards enhanced clarity and efficiency. This choice mirrors the brand’s commitment to streamlined solutions, evident in Inter’s clean design and ample spacing. These features improve the user experience by ensuring ease of use and legibility, aligning with KiotViet's mission to offer powerful, yet intuitive tools designed to simplify workflows, not complicate them.
KiotViet's color palette evolution, built on the foundational blue and green of its previous identity, has been optimized for the digital age, incorporating shades that convey flexibility, technology, youthfulness, and dynamism. This refreshed color scheme maintains a connection to the brand's heritage while introducing a more vibrant, contemporary feel that resonates with today’s digital landscape.
KiotViet’s web iconography was also revamped, introducing a design system that aligns with the new visual identity. This bespoke icon set, tailored for various industries, is rooted in the brand's overarching design philosophy, ensuring a cohesive online experience. This careful attention to detail in digital expressions reflects KiotViet’s dedication to delivering a consistent, user-centric interface across all its platforms.
The enhancement of KiotViet's brand architecture is a strategic move to embrace both the present needs and future ambitions of the brand. By integrating a versatile visual identity system, KiotViet and Bratus have crafted an architecture that enables the fluid integration of various symbols into the core branding, maintaining consistency while ensuring the flexibility needed for growth.
This meticulously designed framework supports the expansion of KiotViet's offerings—spanning Software, Connect, and Finance—without sacrificing brand equity or the connection to the master brand. It's a clever approach that keeps the KiotViet name at the forefront, ensuring recognition and continuity as the brand extends its reach. This adaptability is crucial for KiotViet’s ambition to grow and evolve seamlessly, reinforcing its position as a dynamic player in the market.
Through these thoughtful design choices in typography, color, and iconography, KiotViet reinforces its brand identity as forward-thinking and versatile, ready to support businesses in navigating the challenges of the digital era.
In sum, the thoughtful design and strategic choices made by Bratus have fortified KiotViet's brand identity, showcasing its forward-thinking and adaptable nature. These actions lay the groundwork for KiotViet's continued expansion and provide a competitive edge that brings immediate and enduring value. This rebranding strategy underscores KiotViet's transition to a more comprehensive business ecosystem, emphasizing its dedication to empowering Vietnam's small businesses. Through this evolution, KiotViet is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of the digital age, ensuring its support for the backbone of the economy remains strong and impactful.
