When is the ideal time to do a brand refresh?
Have your sales plateaued? Are you finding it harder to attract new customers? Are you launching new products or services? Have you recently gone through a merger or acquisition? Does your brand feel inconsistent across different touch points?
These are just a few questions you can ask yourself to self-assess whether a brand refresh might be on the cards for you. For every business, brand is the heart of their identity. It is what customers recognise and trust. Ultimately, it’s the brand (not the product) that plays a crucial role in consumers’ decision-making processes when selecting one product, or service, over another.
But, even the most established brands can become stale, outdated, or out of touch with changing times and consumer expectations, leaving you at the bottom of the list or resulting in endless abandoned shopping carts.
So, is this where a brand refresh should be planned? Well yes, but there’s other key indicators to also consider in order to determine exactly what is required and when…
Some key considerations
Staying relevant
Markets are continually evolving. We’ve all heard and probably witnessed scenarios where companies have not kept up with changing landscapes and start to look and feel a little less relevant. Consumer behaviours and preferences change, and brands need to adapt to remain competitive e.g needing to shift from a bricks and mortar store to an online shopping experience.
New competition or competitors stepping up their game
As new competitors enter your market, established brands may need to differentiate themselves to better resonate with customers. This can involve updating or better articulating your brand’s messaging, visual identity, (along with a potential update to product offerings and prices) to stay competitive.
You look at your brand and it simply “feels” outdated
When you know, you know. A brand that has not been updated or tweaked in a while may begin to feel a little off the mark, outdated and irrelevant to consumers. A refresher, even an uplift can help bring the brand into the current age whilst ensuring it is still aligning and connecting with customers desires.
Your company has had a strategic change in direction
As a company’s business objectives and goals change over time, so does its brand identity. For example, a need to secure higher margins and appeal to a new/growing market segment could mean shifting focus from affordability to quality and luxury. This type of shift may result in a change to how the brand communicates and an uplift in the way it does this (the identity and brand systems).
If you’re finding negative feedback in how consumers respond and interact with you, it’s probably time to take a look internally at what might be driving that. When a brand lands a negative reputation, a refresh is almost always on the cards. It goes a long way in helping the business reposition itself in the market to regain customer trust and credibility. A rebrand can help distance a company from the past and refocus their efforts on aligning with their customers morals, values and beliefs.
Establishing a foothold in a new target market
As brands seek to expand their customer base, they may need to refresh their existing brand identity or introduce a new brand to appeal to the new target market/demographics. This can involve updating visual elements, messaging, or product offerings to better resonate with the new target audience.
So what does this actually look like?
Let’s explore these signals a tad more with some examples of brands that have refreshed their identity over the years. And before you say it, yes, most of these are well known. However, it just goes to show that no matter how large a brand you are, no matter how much of a market share you have, it’s important to keep your brand fresh and relevant with your audience.
Staying relevant:
Remember Blockbuster? Blockbuster was pretty much THE video rental store to go to… but they didn’t adapt to the shift towards online streaming and were eventually replaced by companies like Netflix, Stan and Hulu. And let’s not forget Kodak, a massive camera and film company, really missed the market signals and failed to adapt to the shift towards digital photography.
New competition or competitors stepping up their game:
Pepsi underwent a massive rebranding effort in 2008 to differentiate itself from Coca-Cola and appeal to younger consumers. The updated brand identity included a new logo and updated packaging design. Pepsi’s rebranding effort had a positive impact on the company, helping to revitalise its brand and appeal to a younger generation of consumers.
Outdated:
Qantas had been using the same logo for almost 20 years and was seen as outdated and lacking by many consumers, young and old. In 2007 they unveiled a new brand identity, which included a new logo, aircraft livery, and brand positioning. They also launched a new brand positioning campaign, which focused on the airline’s heritage and reputation for safety and reliability: “Spirit of Australia”.
Strategic change in direction:
Apple shifted its focus from computers to personal electronics in the early 2000s, prompting a refresh of its brand identity and marketing campaigns.
A few years later in 2015 McDonald’s refreshed its brand identity to reflect a shift towards healthier menu options and a more modern restaurant design. This came as they recognised their audience and primary consumer was growing up forcing them to do the same in order to maintain a monopoly in the market.
Negative brand reputation:
Yep… we’re digging up Volkswagen and their diesel scam! Come on… it was a massive “faux pas” and yet look at them go now! Volkswagen underwent a realignment effort in 2016 following the “Dieselgate” scandal. (Remember… where they installed illegal software on diesel vehicles to deceive us all about their high emissions?) The company updated its brand to distance itself from the scandal and shift consumer perceptions toward their new stance on sustainability.
In the early 2000s, KFC faced criticism over the health implications of its menu, which was high in calories, fat, and sodium. In addition to introducing healthier menu options, they rebranded, dropping “Kentucky Fried Chicken” to a simple “KFC”. The company believed that the word “fried” had negative connotations and wanted to distance itself from that image. While KFC still offers its classic fried chicken, the company’s efforts to offer healthier options and rebrand itself as KFC have helped to keep the brand relevant and appeal to a broader range of consumers in an ever-changing market.
Establishing a foothold in a new target market:
Long before “woke” was a “thing” Mattel faced criticism over Barbie’s representation of beauty standards and its impact on young girls’ self-esteem. In 2016 Barbie underwent a major rebranding exercise in an effort to make the brand more inclusive and diverse. The new Barbie line included dolls of different body types, skin tones, and hairstyles, as well as new careers and interests. The new dolls also featured more realistic proportions and facial features, aimed at promoting a healthier and more positive body image which helped to emphasise Barbie’s commitment in promoting diversity and inclusivity.
The new line of Barbie dolls and the rebranding effort were well-received by consumers and were seen as a positive step forward for the brand.Mattel was able to create a more positive and inclusive brand image for Barbie and to a larger, more diverse audience.
So where does this lead us?
We started with what seemed like a simple enough question: “When is the ideal time to do a brand refresh?”
And our thoughts are this; established brands need to consider how a brand refresh could help them grow, influence and build positive associations with their brand. This could be after a merger or acquisition, when sales are declining, or when launching new products or services. Sometimes it’s about building relevance, other times it’s about attracting new customers and re-engaging existing ones. And sometimes, it’s just about changing the conversation.
In conclusion, if you are experiencing declining sales, finding it hard to attract new customers, and struggling to re-engage with your existing customers, it may be time to consider investing in brand refresh.
Need help?
You don’t have to navigate this challenge alone! We help existing businesses, startup ventures, spaces and places shape bold brands worth talking about. Our focus is on helping brands communicate with more clarity to bring purpose and meaning to the forefront of the conversation.
We have developed a tried and tested 12 week Brand Delivery System to make this happen. So if you’d like to learn more, email us, phone us (+61 7 3556 5329), send us a message via LinkedIn or download our free Brand Audit Workbook.
Branding in a Recession: How to get through it and come out on top
Are we in a downturn? I think that’s the biggest question to start with…remembering that in a ‘typical’ downturn some businesses struggle to attract new business while others seem to thrive in what the media broadly labels as ‘challenging times’…
But we’ve been here before…
Ref: Graph showing average of the ANZ-Roy Morgan and Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment measure of respondents’ perceptions of their personal finances relative to the previous year; ANZ-Roy Morgan index rescaled to have the same average of the Westpac-Melbourne Institute index since 1996. Sources: ANZ-Roy Morgan; RBA; Westpac and Melbourne Institute.
Consumer sentiment is a good indicator of what’s coming in respect to economy and property markets. Today, sentiment is historically low – lower than the peak of the pandemic and the 2008 GFC. Ultimately, this means consumers are spending less and stashing their cash. This is one of the driving factors in inflation and you guessed it – an economic downturn.
What this means for brands…
Brands have more pressure than ever to ‘recession-proof’ themselves at all costs. To change business models, practices and how they go about growth while some feel stuck, helpless and struggle to get by. But not every business can be so immune to the effects of a recession. They’re tough times and for some, they’re just not setup to weather them.
We saw this a number of times throughout COVID – admittedly when a government forces you to shut your doors, it can feel like your hands have been tied behind your back. But this time, when we’re not facing a superbug. We’re hoping things will be a little different.
The good news is, it’s not our first ticket to the rodeo. We’ve got countless stories, case studies, tools and systems used in the past to help us get through it in one piece – and for some of us, continue to build. And we believe, the secret is in timing and preparation.
RECESSIONS KILL BRANDS
Businesses who bring little value to the kitchen table just wont cut it. To make it through the other side you’ll have to rethink how you approach new businesses but most importantly, take a strong look at your retention strategies and ensuring your current customers keep coming back for as long as they can. If you take a ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ approach to a downturn, you’re setting yourself up for a rather shaky and challenging time. Remember, it’s hard to fight for survival when you’re already standing on the battlefield with no weapons. Preparation is key – and now is the time to do it.
Brands who get in early, restructure early and batten down earlier will have more resources to fight the good fight as a recession comes into play. Armed with a strong brand as you move into a recession and with cash in the bank puts you at an advantage to capitalise on available market share as competition falls from the cliff.
HOW YOU CAN THRIVE
Here’s 6 ideas to get you thinking about how to weather the storm (and come out stronger on the other side).
1. Take a look around
During a recession, customers behaviours and habits change. Most often, without notice. There’s no warning and it can feel like your business has been bit hit by a truck. Spending is reigned in, new experiences are thrown out the window and trialing new ideas or ventures…just…doesn’t…happen. Understanding how this affects you, your industry and your livelihood is key to survival.
2. Dial up the value you bring to the table
Look closely at where you bring value and dial it up where you can. If you can balance perceived value with internal efficiencies you’re onto a winner. Working through a recession is about reducing cost and stabilising revenue (or if you can – growing it). This comes from both sides of the coin as consumers look for better deals and savings with your competitors. Instead of fighting at the bottom of the barrel. Take a hard look at where you can bring additional value without extra costs and differentiate yourself that way.
3. Invest internally
Look inward before you look outward. Take a close look at your customer base and identify your truly valuable customers and invest in them. In a thriving economy, the quickest and cheapest way to increase revenue is to increase your current customers spend. It’s a volume and frequency game – increase the price, or increase the number of times they spend. Because in a downturn, these customers are not only harder to find, they’re sometimes not even there. Focus in on your great-fit customers and bend over backwards to build their loyalty. This goes for your employee’s too – the best ones are generally the first to go, make them feel safe, secure and don’t give them a reason to jump ship.
4. Open yourself up to new opportunities
We love a contrarian mindset and believe a downturn is the absolute best time to launch a new business or venture. New businesses and brands are nimble. They can move quickly, slowly or at whichever pace they need to make it work where others are stalled and held back by people, processes and liabilities. Competition is less intense. You can acquire and build on market share quicker and with less invested capital than almost any other time. Advertising is cheaper and mutually beneficial partnerships are easier to make a reality. Existing businesses who can introduce new lines, new products and/or a new offering to new segments quickly can build and nurture these lines through the recession to come out on the other side with an incredibly profitable and stable extension of their existing brand. If you’d like to learn more about how to do that – you can chat with us here: studio@mkrst.co
5. Use the extra space to innovate
When business is good and you’re run off your feet it leaves little time to innovate. If you’ve been sitting on an idea just waiting for the chance to run with it – now’s the time to take action. This could be experimentation with product packaging, delivery methods, sales tactics and tools, creative exploration or even an entirely new product. Look for opportunities to quickly test and iterate on your ideas to test and gauge how consumers respond. Try to prioritise ideas that can break even quickly, and provide the learnings you need to make informed, viable decisions as we exit the recession. Whether your goal is to grow market share immediately or stabilise, build and grow later, taking a long-term view toward innovation is essential.
6. Eat the competition
Businesses struggling to make it through can be snapped up quickly and for quite cheap. Look for businesses with lower cash reserves, bad debt or financial mismanagement. These types of businesses can be highly lucrative purchases providing there’s still value to be gained in the transaction. By buying another business, their IP can give you access to competitive secrets, new technology/patents or market segments you’ve previously never ventured into. Acquisitions can be one of the most sustainable and efficient ways to grow during a downturn. If you can’t beat them, buy them (and their customers). Win-Win.
How branding can help…
Most high-impact business decisions involve some level of work on your brand – from a brand uplift and refresh, to full-scale re-brands. If you’re looking to grow, differentiate, extend or redefine – you have to take a long hard look at how you represent yourself to your audience, and whether or not that aligns with who you are, your strategic goals and objectives and what the future for your company looks like.
Regardless of whether you’ve been in business for 5 years, 5 decades or 5 minutes. A Brand development project can help you:
Double down on differentiation
When times are tough (like a recession), consumers are more price-aware and sensitive to their back pockets. A brand refresh can help you stand strong in a wake of vultures. It can help you get noticed. It can help you dial in on your strengths and re-articulate the value you bring to your customer. A brand refresh can influence your customers to feel a certain way about you, reinforcing your position in their lives.
Increase Brand Recognition
A brand refresh most commonly includes an uplift of your brand signifier’s. This includes your visual identity, your logo, your approach to colour and how you use it, your typography, messaging and the language you use to communicate. It can help you beecome more distinctive and memorable in your market. This is important in growing market share at any time and even more essential in a declining market.
Revitalise brand perceptions
Pivot – the buzzword of 2020. But it’s more true now than ever. Your ability to move, adapt and re-evaluate where you sit in the market can help you gain access to untapped revenue sources and customers. If your brand’s not perceived correctly, customers are harder to win and struggle to find relevance and value in what you bring to the table. This can cause trust and credibility issues. A brand refresh can help you re-frame your position in market and bring assurance that the perception your customers hold of you is aligned to how you want to be seen.
We have created a no-nonsense workbook to help you assess where your brand is currently at, identify gaps and hopefully help you plan for what’s next. This guide should help you figure out exactly where you want to be and give you everything you need to lay out a roadmap on how to get there. You can grab yourself a copy of our Brand Audit Workbook here or you can always chat to us via studio@mkrst.co
How we develop minimum viable brands to test new ventures
New ideas come from anywhere. The shower, the grocery store, waiting for the bus. Most of them disappear without us giving them a second thought. This is precisely why I encourage everyone I meet to carry a notebook with them everywhere they go. To capture those raw and unformatted ideas before they evaporate into thin air and trust me, they do! Personally, I like grid lined moleskins. If you can’t carry around a notebook, your smartphone will do just fine.
This is also a roundabout way of making my point that great ideas are both endless and a commodity. If we let our minds wander, we can generate literally hundreds of ideas in as little as a few hours. We could cure world hunger, achieve world peace, anything at all really. The reality is that these ideas will most likely never amount to anything more than a fleeting thought dismissed within the nanosecond. Furthermore, it’s incredibly difficult to bring a great idea into reality without the right execution, the right timing, and a disciplined team.
I’m not saying you can’t launch a new business or idea without a solid foundation. You certainly can! It’s been done and done well quite a number of times already. In saying that, the success rate of a new venture skyrockets when all stars align – timing, execution and the right team.
Unfortunately, we can’t help too much in the timing department. If we could, we’d make sure the world was ready for the Mercedes Avatar Concept Car, but it just isn’t.
A venture design studio really comes into play when you need the advice, support and access to an experienced group of minds, purposely built to bring your idea to life – dramatically increasing your startup’s chance of success.
I won’t talk about identifying the right time to launch or product-market fit right now. Instead for this article, I want to focus on the execution expertise we bring to the table and save the augmentation of your team for a post at a later date.
Our approach
We take a strict, three step approach to building a venture through design. And, if you’ve read any of my previous articles, you know that I use the term ‘design’ in quite a broad sense to encompass design thinking and the application of design principles to a multitude of things.
Straight to the chase.
Our first step is to determine whether we believe there’s potential in your idea or not (and if we don’t, we hope you find someone who does believe in your idea, go forth and build an empire and come back to rub it in our faces!). Once we believe in and share your passion for the project, we start to develop your minimum viable brand (MVB) using the process outlined below.
If you’re not sure what a Minimum Viable Brand is, here’s a fantastic article from Harvard Business Review.
Step one: Strategic System
In this step, we work with you through a single one-day workshop to help you (and us!) gain further clarity around your idea. Why it exists, who it serves, what makes it distinctive, etc.
It’s here that we develop guidelines for what will later become your strategic blueprint and the first iteration of your brand strategy. This becomes your internal compass and guides direction until your brand has the space to evolve into its own living, breathing thing.
Step two: Design System
The design system is the development of an identity for your business. It’s the first initial signifiers of the brand developed in your strategic system. It’s something for the market to identify with in the next step. This is a very stripped down version of your branding, your visual and verbal identity and your first tangible asset to live within your brand atmosphere.
It’s not intended to stay in the market (though it might) but it’s something to get you started. Something to get movement and start to build associations and hopefully, hype and consideration for your product or service.
Step three: MVB Launch
Step three is about launching your new venture to the market as quickly as possible. Here, we take the strategic system and your design system to put a foundational campaign together and start to generate some interest in your product. This campaign is not intended to generate revenue, or bring in leads or sell anything. It simply exists to gather valuable, real-time data and insights on how your target prospects are interacting with your MVB.
Do they accept it? Do they understand it? Can we learn anything from them? What can we do better? What’s the most important feedback on the idea to include (or remove) from the development roadmap? And most importantly, is the idea both commercially and culturally viable!
Feedback
During the MVB launch, we dig through the data in real time and prioritise what’s most important to build on next. Is it product development? Is it brand awareness and growth? Where’s the most potential to turn this venture, this blessing of an idea into a revenue generator as quickly as possible? Did we actually find product-market fit like we originally thought? Is the timing right?
The process is simply: Strategise, design, launch, adapt, repeat. Nothing fancy. The approach to each one of those steps is what’s important.
Moving on.
It’s important to note that the purpose of this process is to get you to market as quickly as possible to test, iterate and further define your idea, product or service before you invest truck loads of time and money into product development.
It’s not a concrete set of deliverables or a polished brand book, and it’s sure as shit not something to craft, hand over and simply forget about. It’s a constant process and must evolve and grow in tandem with your business. A big word for that would be concurrently or simultaneously, but I like metaphors.
In summary
They say business is a marathon. If that’s the case, my question is why are we still briefing agencies to build strategies, craft identities and give us back a few documents to go and implement. With absolutely no room built in for the brand to evolve, to find it’s own feet as your business grows beside it. Rebrands are a totally different ballgame – remember, this is for startup ventures.
At the end of the day, strategy, design and craft are all signifiers for the brand your customers are building around our business. A brand needs room to grow and evolve. Our approach to branding does exactly that. It’s been built directly into our process from the very start all those years ago.
If you’re building the next best thing or have an amazing idea you’d like our help to build, I’d love to hear from you. You can catch me at the studio on +61 7 3556 5329 or reach out to us directly at studio@mkrst.co and remember, it costs nothing say hello.
How Polarised Sunglasses Killed Advertising
Okay, the title might be a bit dramatic. But hear us out! Polarised sunglasses had a real impact on outdoor advertising. Have you ever worn your sunglasses while driving and seen rainbows on car windscreens? Or found that you can hardly see your phone screen?
It’s all a side effect of polarised lenses.
Polarised lenses have a chemical injected into them during manufacturing which is laminated into a vertical pattern. This reorganises light rays before they reach the eye, and that’s what causes those funny effects. But how did this change advertising?
As LCD technology improved and became cheaper, it became the more appealing choice for outdoor advertising. LCD screens mean you can have multiple advertisements rotating at any given time. It made it easier for advertisers to target the right audience by advertising at specific times, for as long as they needed.
But a set of polarised lenses doesn’t know the difference between a billboard, a phone screen, and a radio display. Your sunglasses will block them all. In the summer months when glare is up to three times higher than in winter, most Australians can be seen in their wayfarers and clubmasters.
This means most Australians can’t even see the billboards that businesses are spending a fortune to advertise on.
You wouldn’t think to consider sunglasses as a real-world AdBlocker, but they’re surprisingly effective. Just something to keep in mind next time your campaign plan includes outdoor advertising in summer, especially here in queensland.
What COVID-19 means for Advertisers and how you can stay on top, on the edge of a recession
The global economies been flipped upside down, stretched, poked and prodded in all sorts of places since the spawn of COVID-19. Unfortunately, for a lot of businesses, this is the bitter end.
The fate of trade in both big business and small lay in the (hopefully clean #flattenthecurve) hands of this disastrous virus. Woolies TP stock’s been wiped out, tourism’s taken a nosedive and let’s not even get started on the demise of the hospitality industry. I miss friday bevvies already!
But, what does that mean for the rest of us? The oh so lucky ones who still seem to have a fighting chance. What can we do to cement our footings in the space and come out of this stronger than ever before? The great Australian way.
It’s wise to tighten the straps at home, consolidate expenditure and reallocate budgets. Hell, even just to keep the head above water. In business though, as we edge on a recession, this can be detrimental to your ability to get through this one alive.
Times like these require a total shift in mindset. Quick wins, and thrown together, short run social campaigns, probably won’t cut it in this climate.
In an economy where literally no one is buying anything. Campaign goals (and associated creative) should be shifted from immediate purchase to increasing awareness of the brand in hope to not only sustain brand salience, but also capitalise on a somewhat rare opportunity to win market share in such a short period.
Don’t forget, some industries will totally blow up from this. Home delivery services and apps are being built daily across the globe and zoom has more than doubled its share value since the outbreak. If you’re in an industry that’s seeing a ridiculous amount of growth right now, remember ‘people over profit’ and you’ll have a better chance at sustaining that growth. Quick note, profiteering is highly unethical and mostly illegal—just don’t do it.
It’s important to use this time to revisit your purpose and reposition your business as a stronger, more meaningful brand. Because, when it turns (and it will) you want to be the one already at the finish line, not just starting the race.
Some things to think about;
- Promo based product advertising might be a successful short-term strategy, but it won’t prime your brand for the future.
- If the phones aren’t ringing, it might be time to consolidate budgets, switch things up and push long-term brand building campaigns.
- Get creative with your messaging, lighten up a little and remember how people will consume your message while locked up in their homes.
Most importantly, be safe out there.
Until Durex decide to launch a body condom, stay the f*** inside!
Brand Advertising is Quite Like Dating
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
How on earth are dating and advertising even remotely similar?
So, you’re on a date – It’s going well, you like what you see. You feel the connection, an undeniable spark. This is what’s missing from your life. You want, need and deserve this. But it still takes time to build a trustworthy connection and it’s quite normal to ask questions. “Are they who they say they are? Nobody I know can vouch for them. I need to get to know them before I can trust them.”
Building credibility takes time and people need to feel a positive connection in order to trust. Welcome to the vast world of advertising.
Relationships are something that you need to work on over time. You don’t hand over your hard earned cash over night. You need proof of whether you can trust that things are what they appear to be. When you open your mind to this concept, you will realise that it’s relative to both personal and business relationships.
Think of advertising as a way of breaking down the barriers to build credibility and trust with your customers. When you like someone, you want to let them in. But it’s a process. Think about your personal life. The more present someone is and the more you see them, the more you trust them. The more your friends and family like them, the more at ease you feel to encourage the connection. The closer you become. Well, the same goes for your brand.
Many businesses, small and large often expect to see overnight results when it comes to advertising. However, it’s not always that simple. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great when you have measurability and it feels good when you can see positive conversion rates from your latest ad campaign. However, this is where we need a shift thought process. It’s not always about monetary return.
What do you want your brand to be worth to your consumers?
Brand advertising is a form of advertising that doesn’t focus so much on immediate action from consumers, but more so on establishing long term credibility and emotional connection with your brand. Think about it. Connection is ultimately what we, as humans, yearn for. Once there is trust and credibility, people are more likely to be loyal and remain a long term customer.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”80px”][vc_column_text]
Want a better connection with the world?
Get in touch, the coffee’s always on us.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwc3R5bGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0LWFsaWduJTNBY2VudGVyJTNCJTIyJTNFJTNDYSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyaGFCdG4lMjBkYXJrJTIyJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyRmNvbnRhY3QlMkYlMjIlMjB0YXJnZXQlM0QlMjJfYmxhbmslMjIlM0VJdCUyN3MlMjB0aW1lJTIwd2UlMjBtZXQlM0NzcGFuJTNFJUUyJTg2JTkyJTNDJTJGc3BhbiUzRSUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][vc_empty_space height=”80px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
New Horizons Spark a Rebrand
From Hatchet Agency, to Maker Street.
Featured in the Friday morning article by Mumbrella, a platform that discusses everything relevant to Australia’s media and marketing, is the story, vision and birth of Maker Street.
Click the links below to read the full article on:
B&T, Mumbrella , Campaign Brief New horizons and new opportunities meant we needed to realign our brand, in order to reflect our invigorated vision and capabilities.
In 2018 we put down roots in the rumbling heart of Fortitude Valley. With large goals in sight, our small team of creatives completely immersed themselves, seeking out a great deal of opportunity. With this, our nimble “Hatchet Agency” had seen significant growth.
After a successful year, our vision and goals were adapting. The agency landscape is complex at the best of times and we have so much pride in the human heart that Hatchet Agency demonstrated. We wanted to continue doing what we love. This meant it was time to recognise that we were beginning to stumble. Things weren’t mending as easily as they once did.
We bolstered our strategic arm and realised that it’s not enough to show and tell. People want new experiences. We believe empathy is needed to understand what makes people tick and Maker Street recognises the changes in clients and their consumers’ expectations and in our industry.
As humans we crave the satisfaction from being part of building something bigger.
We’ve seen that some of the biggest ideas can come from the smallest teams. With that, we’re excited to announce that 2020 is looking at some fresh, new partnerships which can transform some of those ideas, into a reality.
How your story is impacting your bottom line
xEveryone has a story to tell. But are you articulating that story in the right way? Is it really communicating what your brand or business stands for, and is it the right message? — Let’s dive into why storytelling is one of the most effective communication strategies for brands.
So tell me about yourself?
‘insert job title here’
No, I meant tell me about yourself, not what you do…
Why do we do this? When people ask to find out more about us, we tell them so much about what we do or how busy we are, but often don’t hear what they’re actually asking. This would be my favourite question to ask when hiring people. To me, it speaks volumes about a persons ability to really listen, but also their self-awareness. Not that the above, is totally judge-worthy, but it’s certainly interesting.
I’ve found the same thing with a lot of businesses and brands I’ve worked with. They will often know what they do, but not truly know their story.
Everyone has a story to tell. But are you articulating that story in the right way? Is it really communicating what your brand or business stands for, and is it the right message? — Let’s dive into why storytelling is one of the most effective communication strategies for brands.
So tell me about yourself?
‘insert job title here’
No, I meant tell me about yourself, not what you do…
Why do we do this? When people ask to find out more about us, we tell them so much about what we do or how busy we are, but often don’t hear what they’re actually asking. This would be my favourite question to ask when hiring people. To me, it speaks volumes about a persons ability to really listen, but also their self-awareness. Not that the above, is totally judge-worthy, but it’s certainly interesting.
I’ve found the same thing with a lot of businesses and brands I’ve worked with. They will often know what they do, but not truly know their story.
Storytelling is definitely not uncharted territory, it’s not new at all, but its effectiveness in brand and advertising communications is undeniable.
A story is merely a device we use to provide context to life, work, relationships and social norms. We use stories to shape cultures and societies but most often, we use them to create emotional connection and engagement between X and Y.
Everything has a story and even though it’s an age-old skill, very few seem to be able to use storytelling as a device to follow through into a transaction because we’re so caught up in WHAT we’re doing rather than WHY we’re doing it.
Really, when we ask someone, “tell me about yourself” we’re asking “why are you, you?” and I bet that if we spoke these words instead, it would leave people a little stunned, shocked even, by the vulnerability it leaves them in.
Telling our story may leave us in an uncomfortable and vulnerable state if we’re not ready for it, as a brand, we must constantly ask ourselves and be ready to be vulnerable and authentic to achieve sales and growth.
Dig deep into your brand values, strip everything back to your core reason for existence and ask yourself:
- Why are we, we?
- What makes us different?
- What’s our identity?
- What’s our story?
- What’s our purpose for being?
Our Purpose and reason for being here at Maker Street, is to help the world’s most ambitious leaders realise their true purpose and have more meaningful conversations with their audience.
Maybe you kind of know your story, but have been so caught up in the ‘daily grind’ and haven’t given it the chance to really hone in on what your story is, or you’ve tried to give it life but haven’t yet found the best way to articulate it through your existing visual and messaging systems.