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The thinking that shapes better experiences.
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As we come together to celebrate and advocate for each other every day, International Women’s Day offers us a special opportunity to spotlight the remarkable women who have touched our lives. Holiday property branding goes beyond aesthetics, a catchy name or a quirky logo; it’s a means of storytelling that can convey a lot about your home. When potential guests scroll through listings, they’re hoping to find a property that’s not just a place to crash but an experience in itself. Voice technology has come a long way since its inception, evolving from rudimentary voice commands to sophisticated natural language processing capabilities. Today, it empowers individuals to communicate with devices, access information, and execute tasks using nothing but the power of their voice. In order to beat the rising cost of short-term digital marketing, brands must focus more on long-term growth brand building strategies to secure maximum profit, longevity and relevancy. Ever wondered how retail titans such as Nike have managed to stay relevant over all these years? Or how Disney makes waiting in line for hours magical rather than painful? What these companies have in common is that they place a great emphasis on design. The tech industry is a competitive minefield, and ensuring you are reaching the right customer, and making a memorable impression on them is the only way to stand out. But, in order to create that emotional connection between your technology and your audience, you need to think outside the traditional ‘product marketing’ box. Being a super complex and non-tangible idea or “feeling”, there are many different models and frameworks to help people develop a brand strategy. One framework that is particularly useful during the brand ideation stage is the nine different brand types by Denise Lee Yohn. This exercise defines the nine different types of brands in existence, and how you can bolster your brand strategy by having a clear understanding of where your brand sits. Purpose washing has been around for decades, however, with consumers becoming more aware of political issues and demanding accountability, trends have shown it has become an increasingly popular marketing tool. We unpack what purpose washing is, and how companies can avoid it. Brand Archetypes are shorthand ways to reflect an organisation’s values, strengths, and sometimes weaknesses… in a way that is almost personified. The role that archetypes play in effective branding strategy is often overlooked, but it can have a significant impact on how you communicate with your audience and understand the role your brand plays in the bigger picture – in the marketplace, and in the world. Subject to unpopular opinion, company culture is much more than table tennis tables and Friday drinks at your desk. And in fact, all those (somewhat stereotypical) attempts organisations have been implementing throughout their office refurb, or team calendar usually fall short of anything that is sustainable, or actually inspiring. The digital age is bringing with it endless opportunities to reach your target customer from dusk till dawn! In fact, 84% of individuals aged 18-29 log onto social media every single day for an average of 2.4 hours. Hours of endless scrolling to making sure your brand stands out amongst your direct and indirect competition. Design Thinking is an ideology or methodology that helps us solve complex problems and challenges by driving innovation, creativity, and agility. This methodology is guided by an interactive cycle of research, ideation, prototyping and testing, and has been utilised by some of the world’s biggest organisations (Apple, IBM, Alphabet) to secure a sustainable competitive advantage. 
Happy International Women’s Day!
Why you should brand your holiday rental
The power of the voice & the rise of voice technology
Rising cost of digital: Why brand building is essential
What is strategic design?
Building connection with tech: A guide to software brand building
All about brand…types
The purpose driven revolution and the rise of purpose-washing
The role of the brand archetype
Culture and brand: The dynamic duo
Social media: A guide for businesses
What is design thinking?
Considering ‘you only have 7 seconds to make a first impression’ the challenge for brands is to rise above the storm so they’re message is heard. Brands need to be strong enough to weather the seas of sameness in order to differentiate, and grab the attention of their audience. As a strategic design agency, we know how beneficial a rebrand can be, and have helped many clients transform their businesses this way. While we love rejuvenating brands and turning them into greater versions of themselves, it can be challenging to know when you should consider the rebranding process and whether this is the best choice for your business. Creating a brand strategy can be a confusing process if you haven’t deeply explored the core reasons behind your business. Typically this process can have you grinding your teeth and slapping your keyboard in frustration. That’s where we come in! Your friendly neighbourhood brand strategists! Your brand strategy is a thoroughly documented plan that captures the essence of the brand you want to build. It breaks down the business and gets to the root of its true purpose, examining why it was created in the first place and works as a basis for your marketing strategy. In a time where our senses are constantly being flooded with content, a logo is no longer enough to make brands stand out. Look past the logo and you’ll see that visual language is what supports the big picture. Countless books and articles have been written about how to start a business; how to launch, how to get funding. There are plenty of mistakes to be made, and comparatively not that many clear paths to success. No matter how well prepared you are, how great the idea is, or how keen your team, if the timing isn’t right, you’re battling uphill from the start. It doesn’t matter whether you sell chocolate-coated strawberries, tickets to sports matches, or garden design; the following applies to you. No matter how good the offer is, if your customer doesn’t want it, or you can’t get their attention, you won’t sell it. Now, we’re not talking about literal storytelling here, although it can be a feature of this approach. What we’re talking about is the world you create through your brand, with your brand at the centre of it. Your brand is the main character, and the story you tell is about it, but not only it. It’s also, in large part, about your customers. Some brands are as familiar and comfortable to engage with as old friends. These are brands that have cemented themselves into public consciousness, and they’ve done it through clever and considered efforts – and killer communication strategies. Twenty years ago, you might have been able to seem original. If your offering was new and pioneering or other vendors were geographically distant, you might have managed to carve out a niche. But, the marketplace is beyond crowded now. With every fad that spirals into a trend, a thousand new businesses are born, many of them indistinguishable, copycats or just opportunists riding the coattails of their predecessors. As consumers, we’ve become adept at reading and decoding marketing. In a way, we’ve all become multilingual and traditional marketing no longer resonates. Gen Z, the most powerful consumer group of the very near future, combined with millennials, have led the charge on this front. You know you need to show authenticity, but how? Where? When? And, what will happen if you don’t? Communicating your brand and engaging with your audience authentically should be a major component of your brand and communication strategy.
The battle for brand attention
Why you should/n’t rebrand your business
What does brand strategy involve?
Becoming a stand out startup: The first step is brand strategy
“Make the logo bigger!” Common misconceptions about branding
Why timing is essential..
Branding vs marketing
Who wants to hear a story?
How to communicate (and elevate) your brand
How to set your brand apart in a crowded marketplace
How Gen Z is raising the bar for brand communications
Essential authenticity: How to show your authenticity in brand communications
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It doesn’t matter whether you sell chocolate-coated strawberries, tickets to sports matches, or garden design; the following applies to you. No matter how good the offer is, if your customer doesn’t want it, or you can’t get their attention, you won’t sell it.
Branding vs marketing
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