Metropolitan Forestry Services
Focused on the science of it all
Metropolitan Forestry Services (MFS), one of the first landscaping, tree care, and arboricultural consulting services in the St. Louis area, needed our help refocusing their brand and honing in on what really sets them apart from their competition. We helped them develop a consistent brand identity, voice, and strategy, carrying it through to new print and digital collateral, as well as a new website.
Typography
Building a Consistent Brand
We began by holding a brand strategy session with MFS to learn about their goals and guide them back to their roots (pun intended)—really focusing on why they do what they do. We learned not only of their passion for nature, but of their drive to educate clients on plant healthcare in order to maintain a more sustainable environment. We used what we learned to redefine their core values and build messaging and visuals that speak to their target audience. Read our blog post Rebranding Metropolitan Forestry Services for an in-depth look at this process.
Inspired by
Nature
We established their visual branding and applied it to their website design. Inspired by their science-based approach, we chose a serif typeface that felt both educational and sophisticated, and paired it with a clean, modern sans-serif typeface to create a nice balance. We positioned section titles to run off the screen slightly, and chose detailed nature photography, to appear as if you’re looking under a microscope—highlighting the science and art of nature. The color palette was drawn by common colors you’d see in nature to give the site a professional and organic feel.
before
after
A Resource for Plant Care
As experts in the field since 1976, MFS is committed to sharing their knowledge with plant-owners to help them care for their plants and create a sustainable environment. We helped turn their vast number of educational print materials into a robust digital ‘Learning Center’ on their website. This created a more accessible method for clients and staff to find and download the information.
In addition, MFS mailed out a seasonal printed newsletter called, ‘Tree Talk’, to their clients. By adding a ‘Tree Talk’ blog section to their website, it not only gave them a way to repurpose and share the information from their newsletters, but helped to improve their SEO rankings as well.
Talkin’ Trees
We redesigned their printed newsletter to be consistent with their new branding. Through strategic use of color, it allowed them to visually distinguish each piece by season. We designed custom illustrations and used them to draw the eye to important facts.
We then helped manage the direct mailing process, targeting their current clients, as well as individuals that had since moved into residences they had previously serviced.
MFS in the Wild
Because their established logo has a bit of a ‘city parks’ vibe to it, their fleet of trucks were often confused for a parks service. We refreshed their truck wrap design and set them apart by clearly stating their tagline and list of services. There is a fine balance between communicating all the important information, but not so much that can’t be consumed while driving-by. Through strategic positioning, color, and imagery we created a distinguishable, eye-catching fleet.
What our client is saying…
“In running a small business, it’s difficult to find the time to do the things that I know how to do. Trying to carve out time in my day to maneuver through the confusing world of web design, SEO, advertising, marketing and brand management is next to impossible. Leverage has taken those important pieces for our business out of my hands and managed them with care and professionalism. They have a very focused and organized approach to everything they do and even as a small business, we get very personal and prompt attention. We get endless compliments on our website and the publications they create are both lovely and professional. I feel very lucky to have such a talented and creative team to design for us!”
MegganOwner and President, Metropolitan Forestry Services
