Discover how TFA transformed RISO UK’s brand through a bold new visual identity, refined messaging, and cohesive guidelines that elevated visibility in a saturated market. This rebranding case study highlights how our business rebranding approach brought personality, clarity, and storytelling to sustainable printing.

Crafting RISO’s business rebranding story

RISO Kagaku Corporation began its journey in 1946 with a mission to transform the world of sustainable printing. RISO UK has been established for over three decades, serving as the local arm of the global brand. Recently, TFA helped RISO UK undergo a business rebranding project to highlight a distinct local identity, one that reflects its own unique values while staying true to the company’s global vision and overarching aesthetics.

The new look

Every printer tends to look the same, a grey box in the corner of an office, making the same sounds and performing the same tasks. But you’re never just selling the printer, you’re selling the brand behind it. RISO felt like their previous branding was outdated, characterless, and no longer reflected them as a brand. TFA helped turn their branding into something truly distinctive, authentic, and memorable, without leaning on tired industry clichés like they previously had, creating a brand transformation that better reflected RISO’s identity.

The use of dream-like graphics surrounded by pink and purple hues was designed to emphasise the welcoming experience that RISO consistently delivers and is used specifically when we are talking about people, whether that’s their customer service or the customer directly. This visual approach further reinforces the idea that working with a RISO product is intended to be effortless and customer-focused. We also integrated black tones that are complemented with pink and purple hues, which are used when highlighting products to emphasise the features and benefits of the RISO printers. The juxtaposition of the bright and dark tones creates visual relief throughout, and it’s intended to introduce a dynamic shift in design, keeping viewers engaged in every piece of collateral.

Brand positioning and transformation

One of RISO’s biggest challenges was brand awareness in a saturated industry dominated by major competitors. Often described as the ‘industry’s best-kept secret’, RISO set out to no longer be a secret, but to stand out. By creating visibility and memorability through consistency in our rebrand, we retained the core elements of the RISO identity, the foundations of its visual language, colour palette, and the iconic logo designed by Shigeo Fukuda, while reimagining them in a fresh light that brings depth, vibrancy, and personality. To keep consistent, we created brand guidelines. This means every bit of collateral that comes from RISO UK remains the same, and screams RISO the second you see it. This was followed by a brand brochure, which included visuals and messaging, so everything from social media posts, brochures, to direct mailers and emails all remain consistent throughout the brand transformation.

Refining the brand messaging

Rebranding isn’t just about making things look modern or visually appealing; it’s also about how you communicate with your customers. As part of our business rebranding process, we defined key USP’s that fully encapsulate the brand, making sure that their new messaging is refined and concise, while remaining warm, approachable, and optimistic. We addressed the key frustration everyone has felt when dealing with a printer of paper jams and unreliability, and emphasised the exceptional features of the printers, which help people rekindle their appreciation for printing. By merging the two ideas of The RISO difference, and falling in love with printing, alongside the colour juxtaposition of the bright hues and the black, RISO now not only represents a printer, but the stories behind printing.

Thinking about business rebranding?

If RISO’s transformation has inspired you, imagine what’s possible for your own business. Whether you’re repositioning your brand, refreshing your identity or planning a complete business rebranding, TFA can help you build a brand that connects with your audience and stands out in a competitive market.

Explore our business rebranding services to learn how we approach every brand transformation, or get in touch with TFA to start your next chapter.