The Ruden Report is a reporting platform for high school sports in Fairfield County, specializing in top news of the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC).

Project Overview

The Ruden Report approached me for a logo refresh. However, after conducting a full brand audit, I identified the opportunity to go beyond a simple redesign and develop a comprehensive brand strategy to strengthen market positioning and community recognition.

Research & Brand Strategy

• Monetization Strategy: Recommended branded apparel to both generate revenue and increase visibility through user-generated content at local sports events.
• Market Research: Analyzed sports media trends and discovered that audiences gravitate toward brands that project authority, positivity, and dynamism.
• Logo Redesign: Designed a new logo using the editor’s initials “RR” paired with a forward-motion icon inspired by the Nike swoosh—symbolizing reliability, friendliness, and forward thinking.
• Brand Expansion: Recognized that the new logo alone wasn’t enough for full brand cohesion. Developed a unified brand identity through a comprehensive brand playbook.
• Brand Playbook Features:
  • Guidelines for brand messaging
  • Standards for digital assets and social media
  • Apparel branding concepts for monetization and community engagement.

Design & Implementation

This project established brand identity and resulted in better brand consistency, audience growth, and more loyal viewership. Clear brand values and messaging gave a voice to the written content in the Ruden Report’s social media channels and promoted familiarity with the brand at local events. The unified brand strategy revitalized the brand within the community as reliable, friendly, and a forerunner in high school sports reporting.

• Delivered a flexible, scalable brand system for use across web, print, and merchandise.
• Created visual consistency across all touchpoints, ensuring brand familiarity in both digital and in-person interactions.
• Provided practical tools for the client to maintain brand unity without ongoing design intervention.

Created as part of my role as Digital Media Designer and Strategist at The Ruden Report (2018). All rights belong to The Ruden Report.