Mazda Toyota Manufacturing Partners with Marketing Agency Red Sage to Develop Logo, Brand Identity

Decatur & Huntsville, Ala. – Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) has unveiled its new corporate logo and brand identity, developed in partnership with Red Sage Communications, Inc. The logo reveal is a milestone for the joint-venture between Mazda Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, which is working steadily toward completion of a $2.311 billion plant.

“The opportunity to work collaboratively with Mazda Toyota Manufacturing’s team to develop their new logo and brand identity was tremendously exciting. We were honored to be chosen for the partnership,” said Ellen Didier, Red Sage Communications Founder & President. “The company’s brand values of innovation and collaboration, as well as a desire to relate to and connect with the North Alabama community, were key inspirations for the design.”

The development process for the MTM logo was carefully calibrated. Executive leadership sought collaboration and support from the corporation’s entire team, including production employees and executive officers. “There was meaning in nearly every facet of the design,” said Mark Brazeal, MTM VP of Administration. “We want North Alabama to see our logo as a reminder of our commitment to serve as a hometown company as much as we want our team to be inspired and motivated to build the highest quality products for our customers every day.”

Developing a Strong Corporate Logo, Brand Identity

Red Sage approached the logo development, as well as comprehensive brand identity elements, with an examination of Mazda Toyota Manufacturing’s mission and values. Excellence in branding goes beyond great design or lines, shapes, and fonts. It has to carry a strong visual message. In Mazda Toyota Manufacturing’s case, there is symbolism woven throughout.

The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing logo reads “MTM” and is composed of two sides joined by three lines. These represent the company’s origin and the foundation of support from parent companies Mazda and Toyota. It also includes meaningful elements including a custom red that was created through a mix of three shades of paint; Alabama State Red, Toyota Red and Mazda Soul Red. The blend was created by students at Limestone County Career Technical Center and was painted on the vehicle cabs used to complete assessments at the AIDT/MTM Assessment Center.

Creating Brand Guidelines for Consistency

As part of the branding project, Red Sage created a variety of complementary design assets. These complementary elements will be utilized in signage, digital-print materials and social media communications, to create an aesthetically cohesive presentation.

As an agency with extensive experience in corporate, business-to-business, and business-to-government marketing, the Red Sage team also understood the importance of establishing clear messaging around the brand, something MTM leadership were equally invested in. To help MTM share the meaning behind its corporate logo and identity with stakeholders, employees and outside partners, a comprehensive brand guide was developed including slides like the one below.

 

A brand standards guide is a critical tool for any business or organization looking to protect the integrity of its brand. It explains the what, where and how for applying a company’s logo, use of brand elements like fonts and colors, textures and more. Modern brand standards guides also articulate how best to carry a brand through website design, social media accounts and other digital communications tools.

A Milestone for Economic Development in Greater Huntsville

MTM is one of the most exciting economic development projects to roll out in the Greater Huntsville area in the last decade. The joint-venture will bring jobs and opportunity for residents of every county in the region, including Madison County, Limestone County and Morgan County. Cities including Huntsville, Athens and Decatur all stand to benefit as hiring ramps up.

“As we prepare to resume applications for Production Team Members in the upcoming months and continue to make strides toward start of production, we are so proud to reveal our logo to the community. We look forward to being here, building our team and offering exciting opportunities to join us for many, many years to come,” said Brazeal.

To date, MTM has hired more than 750 employees. The plant is also moving closer to completion. The facility is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs and will have the capacity to assemble up to 300,000 vehicles a year, beginning in 2021.

Red Sage’s Branding and Corporate Identity Solutions

Partnering with Red Sage gives you access to highly skilled professionals in every area of marketing and website development. Our expertise in logo and brand building, plus our well-rounded knowledge of broad marketing strategies, will help you reach your goals. If you’d like to discuss what’s possible and how we could help, send us an email at info@redsageonline.com.

Our agency has more than a decade of specialized experience in corporate communications, business-to-business, and business-to-government marketing. Since 2006, Red Sage has been known as one of the region’s most respected for both quality of work and customer responsiveness. Ranked one of the Top 20 Advertising Agencies in the state by Business Alabama, Red Sage provides support in strategic planning, branding, traditional and digital advertising, social media, multimedia content marketing, public relations, web development, graphic design, and more.