Full scope
Brand Transformation
A brand is a million things working together. When a company makes a step change, a new logo can’t carry it on its own. We rebuild from the center out, and that includes the people inside who have to live it.
Who it’s for
The company has changed, or it’s about to, and the brand hasn’t caught up.
Maybe two companies became one, or a founder is handing the company to someone new. Maybe the product outgrew the name. Ask five people inside what the company does and you get five answers.
A refresh won’t fix that. The work has to reach the culture as well as the logo.
If you’re not sure yet, start with a Vision Accelerator. Many of our transformations begin there, and the brief becomes the plan.
How it runs
We work from the inside out. The early stages take longer than most agencies would spend on them, and the visible work moves faster because of it.
01 · Core
Find the center
Often begins with a Vision Accelerator
We get the leadership team in a room and find what’s actually true about the company. Positioning and story come out of that, and nothing gets designed until it’s clear.
02 · Mantle
Bring your people with you
The part most brand projects skip
A brand only works if the people inside believe it and act on it when things get hard. We map the culture you actually have and work with leadership on how the change reaches everyone else.
03 · Crust
Build what the world sees
Done last, on purpose
The identity system and everything built from it. Because the center is settled by now, this part moves quickly and the decisions hold.
04 · Keep
Look after it
After launch
We can stay on as brand guardians for as long as it’s useful, reviewing new work and helping your team make the calls the guidelines don’t cover.
Capabilities
These are the pieces. We decide together which ones your company needs, and we leave out the ones it doesn’t.
Strategy & Positioning
Finding the center, then saying it so clearly that the right people recognize themselves in it.
- Brand story & narrative
- Positioning
- Voice & tone
- Messaging strategy
- Market research & insights
- Naming
Identity Systems
How the brand looks, built as a system your team can use without us in the room.
- Visual identity
- Design direction
- Brand guidelines
- Brand guardianship
- Collateral
- Photography direction
Culture & Internal Adoption
The part most brand projects skip. Your people living the brand when things get hard, not just describing it in a deck.
- Culture mapping
- Internal voice
- Pattern mapping
- Orientation & change management
- Leadership alignment
- Employee journeys
Innovation
Turning what the brand stands for into new products and services worth betting on.
- Product & service concepts
- Research & evaluation
- Innovation pipeline
- Prototypes
- Brand roadmapping
- Special initiatives
Design & Content
Everything people actually see and touch, made by people who care how it feels.
- Websites
- Campaigns
- Pitch decks
- Motion
- Branded environments
Thought Leadership
Helping leaders say what they actually think, in their own voice, where it counts.
- Executive voice
- Long-form writing
- Advisory
- Coaching
- Training
- Gatherings & offsites
A transformation, start to finish
Plantd, through two raises
We met Plantd before their first capital raise and rebuilt the brand from the ground up, starting with the strategy and the name. That brand carried them through a raise aimed at venture capital.
The second raise needed a different story. We pivoted the brand toward the consumer, built out the product offering and designed the product page that went with it.
What we made
- Brand strategy
- Naming
- Logo & identity
- Website
- Pitch decks
- Trade show booth
- Consumer repositioning
- Product page
Scoped together
How it starts
There’s no package price, because no two of these are the same size. Most start with a 30-minute call to see whether it’s the right fit. Others start with a Vision Accelerator, so both of us have a clear picture before anything gets scoped.
Either way, the proposal only includes the pieces your company needs.
Questions
What people ask before they start
When does a company need a transformation instead of a refresh?
When the company has changed and the brand hasn’t caught up. Maybe two companies became one, or a founder is handing the company to someone new. If five people inside give five answers to what the company does, a new logo won’t fix it.
How is this different from a typical rebrand?
We work from the inside out. We find the center with your leadership team and work on how your people will live it before anything gets designed. The early stages take longer than most agencies spend on them, and the visible work moves faster because of it.
How much does a Brand Transformation cost?
There’s no package price, because no two of these are the same size. We scope it together. Many start with a Vision Accelerator, and the brief becomes the plan.
What can it include?
Strategy and positioning, naming, identity systems, culture and internal adoption, innovation, design and content, and thought leadership. We decide together which pieces your company needs and leave out the ones it doesn’t.
Do you stay involved after launch?
We can stay on as brand guardians for as long as it’s useful, reviewing new work and helping your team make the calls the guidelines don’t cover.
What does one look like in practice?
We met Plantd before their first capital raise and rebuilt the brand from the ground up, starting with the strategy and the name. For the second raise we pivoted the brand toward the consumer and designed the product page that went with it.