Brand Redesign Case Study: TV GUIDE

When I began at TV Guide, I was greeted with a blank slate when it came to brand aesthetic and awareness. TV Guide had the legacy of a name, but not much beyond. Specifically, their Instagram had no clear direction. Over the course of my time there, I not only created a ‘look’ that became undeniably tied to the brand but also fostered an incredibly healthy community and audience that would look to us for specific “For the fans, by fans” content.

The Mission

As a television news outlet, TV Guide lived in an oversaturated market. So instead of following in the footsteps of our competitors, we adopted a new mission: be an outlet that posted from the fan’s perspective. We not only listened to our fans (using tactics such as “Ask Me Anything” posts or ‘Dedication Days’ where we posted content exclusively related to a character or show) but we incorporated photos or stories entirely tailored to what they wanted. As a result, we came off as a personality, a friend.

The Design

With nothing more than a legally approved color palette and access to Getty Images, I was able to create the entire look of TV Guide’s graphics. From social to editorial, the aesthetic was pulled through. My theory behind the designs: whether you loved them or hated them, you were stopping to look at them. I was very inspired by high contrast imagery and mixed media, mainly because it is fascinating and tactile… but also because I knew it could be accessible to those with vision impairment who are still able to comprehend the light spectrum. I translated this into shareable templates, in-feed quotes or questions, as well as headers for our editorial packages.

Above and Beyond

From Watch Parties to Follower Takeovers, I was always conscious of making our followers feel like they were the most integral part of our social channels… because they were. Thanks to their dedication to the brand, I was able to triple our engagement in just over a year. We were able to create ‘brands’ out of our own employees, to the point where our most dedicated followers not only knew who we were, but what content we loved and why. This was just one extra layer of connection that drew people to our page and kept them there.