The document provides details on establishing a brand identity for a new record label called M.A.F.I.A. Entertainment. It discusses selecting the name and logo, developing a tagline, and defining the corporate culture and mission. The name is an acronym that represents "Music Artists Finest In Association." While catchy, it may face concerns from Italians or be confused for a gangster label. The logo uses the letters in a graffiti font reflecting the initial hip-hop focus. The tagline "Music artists finest in association" descriptively captures the brand. The mission is to make positive music that encourages education while reflecting the artist's experiences.

1. Duran Lawrence
Brand Identity Guide
1. Brand Name: What is your company name and how will you convey your
unique brand through your company name?
Address the following questions:
My brand name will be M.A.F.I.A. Entertainment. The acronym for M.A.F.I.A is
“Music Artists Finest In Association.” The type of company I am trying to convey is a
recording company that represents all types of music and different genres.
• Why did you select this name? What is the backstory?
I chose this name because I am part of group, which is consisted of individual
groups as a whole group. With all of the different alliances being put together music,
I came up with the name M.A.F.I.A because we are like one big family of musicians
and vocalists.
• Discuss its strengths and any concerns you may have with this name.
The strengths of this name is that it is very catchy and easy to remember to
remember, but my concerns with this name is that Italians may take it as disrespect
because I am not Italian (that I know of) and/or people may take the name Mafia as
if I am trying to make a gangster music company when that is not the case at all even
though some people would like that either way.
• Is the name protectable as outlined on USPTO.gov?
This name is protectable by the USPTO.gov.
• Is your domain name available for your company’s brand name?
Discuss your results and your strategy for your online brand.
The domain name is also available but I have to use dashes or some sort of
hyphens to differentiate the M.A.F.I.A Entertainment from Mafia entertainment
which is already taken. I searched for this
throughhttp://www.instantdomainsearch.com. I plan to have all music and
merchandise for the company and our artists to be displayed and sold on the online
website.
• What category does it fall based on the based on the categories in the
legal article Pursuing Strong Brand: (Fanciful, Arbitrary, Suggestive,
Descriptive, Generic).

2. My brand name falls under the trademark category of Arbitrary. Arbitrary
marks employ real words in unfamiliar contexts and using the term MAFIA to
represent a music record company is a good example of that.
2. Logo: As you build your brand identity, consider all of the aspects of
creating a meaningful company logo. Address the following questions:
• Define why your logo reflects your unique brand. Why do you believe this
would be an effective logo? Be specific.
My company logo is currently the letters M.A.F.I.A. in some type of graffiti/or
urban font. I think it is perfect because I am starting out as a hip-hop company so we
are reaching our audience first and then expanding in the long run.
• How are the “laws” of shape and color supported?
The shape is going to be in the actual font and the way it fits on the cd’s,
shirts, papers, etc. and the colors will be black and white currently because they
symbolize seriousness and when you think of the Mafia you think of a serious
person or people.
• Which type of logo would be best suited based on the categories presented:
Wordmark, Letterform, Emblem, Pictorial Mark, Abstract/Symbolic.
I would say letterform and emblem because it will be in letterform but it will
still be our emblem at the same time. That will be our symbol. Nobody has done this
before.
• Provide your company’s logo by showing a sketch, mock-up or an actual logo
with details in the areas of style, color, shape, and overall design. Provide a
detailed description of the actual logo with specific details in the areas of
style, color, shape, and design.
This is just an example of what we are currently working with. This is not the final
logo we will use.
3. Tagline: Create a tagline that is consistent with your brand identity.

3. Address the following questions:
My tagline for the company is: “Music artists finest in association.”
• Why is this an effective tagline?
It is effective because its something no else is saying and it representswhat we are
doing and us.
• Does this tagline speak to your customers/clients? How?
Yes, it tells that exactly what we are.
• What type of tagline does it represent, based on the categories presented?
(Imperative, Descriptive, Superlative, Provocative, Specific).
Descriptive because it describes what we represent and why we are called
the M.A.F.I.A.
• Does the tagline reinforce the brand message? Explain your differentiator
and yourcreative strategy.
Yes, it enforces the brand message because with that tagline you get a basic
understand of what we represent as a company, and what we plan on doing with
our brand. And anyone who is feeling our message should want to tune in and/or
work with us because that is what we are all about, an association of musical artists.
• Is your tagline short, unique, easy to say, and positive?
Yes it is all of those things.
• Is it designed with the logo in mind? Show the tagline positioned with the
logo youhave created. No quotes.
No, I have not put the tagline with logo yet because I have not finished getting
the logo done. But I will definitely incorporate the tagline with it because the tagline
is what the logo means anyway. It is an acronym.
4. Corporate Culture: As you build your company and your brand identity,
what will beyour primary company objectives or corporate vision? Include
your company’s main valuesand beliefs as a vision statement or corporate
philosophy. (Use Zappos’ corporate culture asan example.)
Address the following questions:
• How will you carry out these objectives? Define your corporate vision.

4. Our objective as M.A.F.I.A. ENTERTAINMENT is to put out good music with a
team of rappers, singers, writers, producers, and musicians that will represent a
positive cause in the end by putting out realistic music. Our mission is to showcase
our skills to the fullest out capabilities in hip-hop and R&B at first, and then expand
into other genres and reach other audiences. And as far as the content of our music,
we have artists from all types of areas already stemming from the city and the
suburbs so we are relatable to just about everyone.
Another principal or objective I really want to showcase through the music is
making school and college seem like fun and a cool thing to do. I feel like we have to
do something about our nationwide drop out rates and low college graduate rates in
the urban communities. Being an emcee that is in college, I feel as though it is a
responsibility to try to encourage the youth to finish school by any means necessary.
• Provide at least two specific tactics or examples of how you will develop a
strong culture based on your company’s values and beliefs.
One of my tactics is to shoot very graphic videos of what is really going on in
the communities that is not seen on TV but only talked about and try to shed light on
these situations. I want to end every video on a positive note, or at least on a note
that gives hope to the hopeless. I am investing in a digital camera as we speak.
Another tactic I am going to use is setting good examples in person when we do
shows or just appearances or interviews. I know I may come of as street, because
that is where I come from and it is normal for me to be. But by being street, the
people in those areas will relate and listen to what I say and do and by that I can
influence in a positive manner. Examples are by always keeping my pants pulled up
and speaking clear and confidently about real issues going on. By dressing decently
all the time, not flashy and most importantly encouraging our youth to go to school
and to finish school.
6. Product Mock-up/Service Description: Provide a sketch, drawing, building
concept,or package design for your product or provide a visual and written
description of yourservice as it would appear on your website.
My product is going to be music. I am starting an independent record label. I
do not have something sketch or provide as a visual as a written description.
However, as I stated in the question before this one, my videos will be visual
representation of the changes I am trying to make and why I am trying to make
them.
7. Competitive Brand Analysis
• Provide one example of an actual logo from another company that you feel
iseffective in conveying the spirit of the logo you would create or that is
similar towhat you would like to have created for you by your marketing

5. department orgraphic designer. Describe in detail its main attributes and
brand essence based onthe logo elements. This logo example could be outside
of your category. For example,you might really like the ED HARDY logo but
you are developing a restaurant.
The only other logo in my industry that is even comparable to ours is G.O.O.D
Music. They are record label created and ran by the infamous Kanye West. The only
reason I say them is because they have commercially successful artists and their
logo stands for “Getting Out Our Dreams Out.” That’s a pretty great acronym, which
is more relevant to the world than ours. But they do not make any real positive
music so I believe we can still win.
• Provide at least 3 examples of actual logos from your main competitors -
both directand indirect – or those within your niche industry. Discuss brand
strategy trends inyour niche. Describe in detail the main attributes of the
brands and discuss thebrand, based on the logo elements.
G.O.O.D MUSIC, T.D.E, and M.M.G are the competition when it comes to logos and
being similar and just musically as a whole. They are all in the same industry we are
in, but they are not independent.

6. The brand strategy is to just do what we said we were going to do and that is make
good music and represent something real and positive at the end of it all. Yes, we
will have songs that mean nothing sometimes, but those songs are just for feel good
purposes. Our overall catalogue will represent a struggle and how to overcome it.
• Include and describe your one main competitor’s tagline. How does it
distinguishyour company from your main competitor? Explain. If no tagline is
used, analyzethe brand’s positioning statement.
G.O.O.D MUSIC logo stands for “Getting Out Our Dreams Out.” That is genius.
They are winning right now with that tagline and logo. The GOOD music tagline
represents more than just the music, where ours just states that we are music artists
in association. But common sense would tell someone that if we ware making music
for a living then we are trying to get our dreams out.
• How is your mission statement different or unique compared to your one
maincompetitor’s mission statement and/or vision statement? Include their
missionstatement or corporate vision.
Our mission statement is different because at the end of they day I am trying
to make a positive change in the world and make a living doing it. These other
record companies are just trying to make money and a lot of their artists put out
misleading lies in their music because it sounds good and it will more than likely
sell. That is not my mission at all. I know it is possible to be positive and be real and
still stare people in the right direction. An artist who does this is the legendary
rapper Nas and the later career of Tupac Shakur. Also the rapper Common is a
positive rapper and they all come from the streets.