Cordial – Full Rebrand

Evolving a growth-stage tech company’s connection-first brand identity

Challenge

By early 2022, Cordial had reached an inflection point. The company’s technology and client base had matured, but its brand had not kept pace. Visually, Cordial’s identity was dark, inconsistent, and difficult to recognize across channels. Color usage varied, brandmarks were applied differently by team and agency, and the overall aesthetic didn’t reflect the warmth and optimism of the company’s culture or product.

Ahead of its Series C funding announcement later that summer, Cordial needed a unified brand system and narrative that captured who it had become – a modern marketing platform rooted in connection. The goal was to evolve the brand in a way that honored its San Diego roots while establishing a memorable, scalable identity for the next stage of growth.

Process

Phase 1: Brand foundation

The project began with a clear guiding idea: connection is the heart of the Cordial brand. As Director of Brand Marketing, I led the creative and marketing teams, and partnered with design agency Bruno to translate that idea into both visual and verbal brand systems.

Verbal identity

Cordial’s messaging and voice were redefined to clarify what the brand stands for and how it communicates. The new verbal system positioned Cordial as a leader in martech defined by warmth, clarity, and connection. It brought consistency to how we talked about ourselves across marketing, product, and executive communications.

At a glance, Cordial’s story centered on empowering marketers to deliver the kinds of messages people love to receive. The messaging framework clarified who Cordial is, what it represents, and the audience it serves—future-thinking, data-driven brands that put customers first.

The new voice and personality reflected four core traits:

Thoughtful: Friendly, empathetic, and gracious—grounded in kindness and understanding.
Purposeful: Determined and passionate, with a drive for excellence and growth.
Imaginative: Creative and vibrant, balancing art and science to bring new ideas to life.
Optimistic: Curious, cheerful, and confident—embodying Cordial’s sunny, collaborative energy.

Together, these principles gave the brand a distinct and human tone – warm yet intelligent, confident yet approachable.

Visual identity

Along with the verbal rebrand, every visual element was built with meaning:

Logo: The existing Cordial logo featured two distinctive details—the yellow dot above the “i” inspired by the sun, and the wave (or current, as we called it) flowing between the “a” and “l.” Together they symbolize optimism, energy, and the continuous exchange of data and relationships.
Color palette: Like the logo, the new color palette was inspired by the sun and waves of San Diego, replacing former dark tones with a vibrant, approachable aesthetic. Cheery, the primary yellow hue, reflected warmth, connection, and the spirit of Cordial’s team.
Photography: Imagery centered on authentic one-to-one human connection, mirroring how clients use the platform to communicate with customers.

These decisions established a visual language that was friendly, optimistic, and unmistakably Cordial – anchored in the company’s belief that technology should enable genuine connection.

Phase 2: Building the system

With the strategic and creative direction defined, the in-house creative team moved into a phased rebuild of all marketing assets.

Core website redesign, Google Workspace templates, icon library, one-pager and social templates, updated color hierarchy, video assets, swag iterations, Guru updates, and internal launch planning
Additional website pages, expanded ad and social templates, ebook and slide-library templates, device mockups, hype video, and brandmark finalization
Animations, platform mockups, product visualizations, print materials, and client-logo gallery

Each phase was designed to maintain momentum and ensure a cohesive experience across marketing, product, and sales channels.

Phase 3: Internal and external activation

Before unveiling the new brand publicly, we prioritized internal engagement to build understanding and excitement.

Team socialization: Leadership and department-specific sessions explained the “why” behind the brand evolution and previewed key visuals.
Team excitement: A Cheery Headshots campaign and Brand Merch Lookbook brought the brand to life through the Cordial teamf and gave employees a tangible connection to the new identity.
Team enablement: The marketing team launched an internal hub containing brand guidelines, templates, and creative assets—making it easy for teams to stay on-brand from day one.

The rebrand officially soft-launched in June 2022, with an internal hype video and website preview, followed by a full external rollout in July. Cordial’s Series C funding announcement in August showcased the refreshed identity to the broader market.

Phase 4: Sustainability and scalability

To preserve long-term consistency, we introduced a living system of tools and rituals, such as:

Ongoing brand-knowledge sessions and governance guidelines to ensure adoption across the company
A unified slide library and designer-made templates reduce off-brand work
Department-specific enablement for Sales, Product, and Customer Success

Impact

The rebrand transformed Cordial’s presence from a forgettable and fragmented to modern, vibrant, and unmistakably human.

The visual brand created instant recognition in a crowded martech category.
A single, centralized brand system unified the Cordial teams and its agencies.
Employees adopted the new look and story rapidly, helping the company enter its next stage of growth with clarity and pride.

“The evolution of the Cordial brand captured exactly who we are—bright, optimistic, and rooted in connection. It brought our team together and gave us a visual identity that finally matched the strength of our platform.”
— Jeni Bishop (yes it’s me!), former VP, Marketing at Cordial