Are you asking for the really important stuff?
Become a 'brand strategy apologist'. Make time to have a discovery session with your brand designers and talk about what the brand means to you, what you want it to achieve and how you think it might look. Don't worry, if you don't have the answers yet a good brand designer will always work with you to find out what you need to know.
Why do I have to write another ****ing brief?
You've just explained what you want over the phone. Job done, right? Writing a brief can be a real chore. But, trust me, it's worth it. Writing a brief IS the process of saying what you want.
Have you got the media plan yet?
Knowing WHERE something will be is sometimes as vital as knowing WHAT it will be. Great ideas don't happen in isolation, there needs to be a clear objective in sight and it's the media plan that often gives a great idea the focus it needs to become a great campaign.
How to know when enough is enough
It's taken us years to develop the skill of knowing when to stop. It's a common problem that anyone producing creative work, from music to design to art, has to grapple with. But it's a skill worth learning, especially if your income depends on it
Finding your voice; the importance of verbal identity.
As a business owner who's thrown everything at getting your venture off the ground and to wherever it is today, we see you, we applaud you! Starting something new takes courage and commitment; it is no mean feat. Take a moment to recognise how far you've come and give yourself some love.
Take the hint: five questions to determine if your website homepage might need a fix.
At a point in history when the first thing we do when we need information is to whip out our phones, tablets, or laptops, having a sweet-looking website is essential. Yes, gone are the days when you wander the high street, hoping something jumps out at you. Everything can be done at the tap, click or swipe of the finger.
Visual identity design: quick fix or deep dive?
Whether you're a startup looking to make waves or a brand looking for a makeover, a fresh new logo and visual identity is a game-changer.
The difference between brand identity and visual identity
A brand identity plays a pivotal role in shaping a brand's image and perception that come with it. However, there is often confusion between a brand and a visual identity.
BAU is not just an airport in Brazil
We believe that Business As Usual (BAU) doesn’t need to be boring. It’s an acronym that pops up regularly when you’re building your brand, especially when you’re talking about your brand’s social media plan. But if you build in moments of wonder and surprise into your social media plan, you’ll get more likes and subscribes from the people you want to talk to.
Lend us your ears
You’ll have guessed from our Friday Tunes series, that those 12” by 12” pieces of art and aural pleasure are a constant source of inspiration and enjoyment. A record sleeve can often be a wonderful showcase of design, photography, illustration and typography working together in perfect harmony.
Marketing vs. Branding: the difference between push and pull activity.
When you're at the helm of a growing business, wearing many hats, you'll often be submerged in a sea of industry terminology. At best, this can feel a bit sterile; at worst, they can blur into a perplexing jumble. Among these, two concepts frequently lock horns, causing confusion - marketing and branding. The question arises: What truly sets marketing apart from branding? Well, that's what we hope to cover in everyday Joe (or Julie) language.
The art of effective branding
We love what we do; helping brands flourish. Beyond just a logo and a tagline, branding encompasses a company's entire character, make-up and values; effectively, the ingredients we, as emotional human beings, use to form opinions. It goes without saying, this article barely scratches the surface on the topic of branding. However, we think there are some fundamentals to building and maintaining a peachy brand.
Custom fonts work
We often create something so bespoke that the brand spawns its own design language. Here’s an example of some custom typography that we’ve just made for Flax Consulting.