Friends,
Today I’m happy to announce the launch of Harbinger Labs, a small marketing shop I’ve started in St. Louis. It’s been an exciting process and I’m happy to finally share it with you.
Software, primarily SaaS, is a space myself and others who work with Harbinger Labs know well and is the focus of the company.
With customers on both coasts and the mid-west, Harbinger Labs is quickly growing and helping software companies build their marketing departments and reach the right buyer at the right time.
Our services range from strategy to tactics; from brand development to SEO. We’re full service, customer focused and believe thoughtful marketing wrapped in engaging design drives better results.
If you’re really adventurous you can continue reading…
The Name
The noun “harbinger” means forerunner, messenger or signal. This represents the strategic foundation we believe every brand we work with must have. How? By guiding customers to a forward thinking strategy, we give them a framework in which to build goal-driven marketing programs.
“Harbinger” also represents our commitment to looking ahead rather than behind. Understanding what trends and shifts are upcoming help us better prepare and position our customers.
The noun “labs” conjures up visions of experimentation, innovation and a touch of madness. This represents our belief that marketing is iterative and requires constant testing, a drive to make something new and wonderful, and that the best ideas sometimes sound the most insane. “Labs” is about doing; about creating.
Used together, Harbinger Labs represents what the brand is all about; A well thought out strategy provides the groundwork for sleek design and carefully measured tactics.
The Brand
Harbinger Labs was inspired by the innovation, foresight and fearlessness that came out of the 1950s aerospace and atomic programs. Like Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks we are a specialized group that takes on advanced projects that are [redacted] in nature. Like chemists in a laboratory we experiment and create until we get the desired results.
The Mark
The brand mark for Harbinger Labs takes cues from 1950s sci-fi artwork and logo design. It’s a simple, recognizable mark that can be used by itself or in conjunction with the wordmark. Gunmetal gray and pale blue represent the innovation that was necessary to send planes like the U2, Bell X-1 and VZ-9 Avrocar skyward and beyond.
The stylized hand is seen grasping a Florence Flask that contains a bubbling mixture. This conveys the hands-on approach we take to create meaningful marketing programs for our customers. The 3 outstretched fingers represent the three goals of the business:
- Stay agile & adaptable
- Be a trusted resource
- Never be too busy to have a beer with a customer
The mark has also been said to resemble a Los Alamos explosion symbol which can be neither verified or denied.
The word mark for Harbinger Labs is a simple sans-serif font that resembles typography found on operation briefs from atomic bomb tests such as Operation Teapot. It is kerned in such a way that gives it an official, government approved feel. The weight of “Harbinger” is light which differentiates from a weightier “Labs”; a visual separation that represents the two sides of the brand; strategy and tactics.
About Harbinger Labs
Harbinger Labs is a small marketing shop based in St. Louis. We build marketing programs that aren’t just pretty, but actually drive results. Our best customers are small software companies who have a game-changing product, who are challenged with reaching the right people in the B2B sales funnel, and who need to achieve lofty goals with few resources. Learn more at harbingerlabs.com