First Capital Partners (FCP) is a junior capital investment firm that invests subordinated debt and equity in lower middle-market companies. Founded in 2006 with offices in Omaha and Chicago, FCP came to UNANIMOUS for various branding, marketing, and website design projects.
UNANIMOUS began by conducting phone interviews with individuals associated with FCP to better understand the organization and its communication efforts. Over 20 phone interviews took place, and UNANIMOUS was able to gain in-depth knowledge and take away significant findings to help guide the messaging for the communication strategy.
We developed core values for FCP, giving the organization a strong internal communication strategy and platform to live the FCP brand. Six key messages were created to better communicate with customers what FCP does and the benefits it provides. An elevator speech and tagline effectively position FCP so people can easily understand the brand. With the messaging strategy developed, UNANIMOUS used that information to craft a strategic and intentional brand.
FCP’s previous logo featured a more traditional typeset, and our research indicated that individuals couldn’t remember the brand's colors from memory. When designing the new logo, FCP mentioned it wanted something “creative but still conservative” and “midwestern but not boring.” After several review sessions, FCP decided on the logo because of the simplicity and hidden number one in the word “first” nodding back to its roots with the First National Bank of Omaha. UNANIMOUS designed a style guide providing rules and guidelines to maintain consistency when developing branded elements.
UNANIMOUS also developed a comprehensive sales flyer for FCP. The piece highlighted the firm’s investment criteria, portfolio, key messages, and contact information for each team member and its two office locations. The flyer incorporated the refreshed design elements and new team photography to fully complement the new brand.
UNANIMOUS organized several photo shoots with FCP, consisting of headshots, team photos, portraits, and candid photos. Employees traveled from Chicago to Omaha for the shoots, so it was critical to take the photos in a timely fashion. The images are used on their website to showcase the employees and culture of the brand.
The last piece of the project was to design and develop a compelling website. Ensuring that visitors could easily find FCP's current investments and investment criteria were a few crucial elements included in the new website. It was important to provide accessible information about the investments, such as details about the company, what type of fund and investment, and the investment date.
UNANIMOUS also wanted to clearly display FCP’s approach and strategy to its investments. Three sections titled "Capital," "Purpose," and "Partners" shows their process so that potential partners can easily understand the experience of working with FCP. Showcasing the brand's new core values and key messages were added to the "About" section.
