Get your brand right for 2023

Of course Billy Ocean has a point, and right now we need to ask ourselves – what do we do when the going gets tough? I’ve just seen the latest ONS stat, the UK economy grew by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2022. So we’re not in recession. Well done us. But that’s a small margin for error going into the new year. 

I predict that it means we’ll be seeing increased competitiveness between businesses. The BOE wants to reduce demand to control inflation. Whether that works or not isn’t for me to say, but you know what reduced demand looks like. So, what can we do about it? Price cuts may not work if you’re likely already spending more. Reduced demand means you’ll need to increase your share of clients. Having a great product or service isn’t enough. You’ll need to communicate this effectively to potential clients. 

Communication is branding

As brand and web experts we know that communication is branding. Your social channels and website, copywriting, brochures, photography and videography, emails… whatever you’re using. Is your brand at the standard it needs to be? Is it reflecting who you are? Is it engaging with your audience? In short, does it work?

We’ve spent the last ten years (or so) helping clients with their brands. For us it always starts with our legendary Brand Workshops. A deep dive into the heart of your business. From there we develop your brand story, purpose and goals. Here are some things to consider when examining your brand.

• Modernity. Your brand may well have some heritage, and that’s a good thing. It still needs to be appropriate for the modern world. Think of some of the most famous brands in the world – you might never have noticed, but they evolve their brands over time. They keep what works, and modernise.
• Brand purpose. I said before that having a great product or service isn’t enough. Today your potential clients want to know what you stand for, what you believe in. Dismiss this as “woke” at your peril. To Millennials and Gen Z, environmental sustainability and equality matter as much as does your service. They are a massive cohort, with money to spend.
• Trust. This has ever mattered to businesses, as you well know. Poor and inconsistent branding, and plain bad copywriting can be perceived as less-trustworthy. A proper brand-toolkit, and a modern, responsive and performant website can increase trust. Support your brand with real photography of your team at work, and ditch the clichéd stock photos.
• Tell your story. I can’t stress this enough. Along with your purpose, it’s your story that will engage your audience. Tell them not (only) what you do, but why you do what you do. What’s the problem that you solve? What’s the pain-point that your clients feel? How did this come to be? Do this with well-written copy and a consistent tone-of-voice and you’ll get engagement at an emotional level. That’s how humans choose – it’s heart over head.

Evolution or Revolution, it’s transformation.

Here I’ll share four picks from all the brand and web work we’ve done this year. We have covered many bases with these. Highlights are a full new brand for AJB, and “evolved” brands; high performance web development, with menus, booking forms and a financial quiz; brand stories, copywriting, photoshoots, exciting colourways and our usual injection of modernity across all four.

AJB Wealth

Paul and the team came to us with a brand that was simply no longer fit-for-purpose and a website which was dated, wordy and uninspiring. Essentially they needed the works. From our brand workshop we knew that their requirements were a change of name and a full new brand. This was no simple evolution – rather we needed to create a new, inspirational and inviting brand, fit for AJB in 2022 and beyond.

Highlights

Full rebrand, team photoshoot, brand tone-of-voice and story, full web copy and a whole new, high performance, SEO ready, WordPress website.

The Bracebridge

With their beautiful and unique location, covered terrace, sumptuous art deco interior, and excellent menu The Bracebridge gave us plenty to work with. We kept their logo, but re-worked everything else. There has been a building on their site for hundreds of years, nestled in the Woods. They’re the restaurant in the park, and we were hungry to tell their story.

Highlights

Virtual Discovery workshop, lifestyle and food photoshoot, virtual tour, an excellent PLOTT website with new copy throughout, online bookings, integrated gift-cards and brand new menus.

Seventy Financial Planning

Chris Riley and Seventy already have an enviable reputation and much success to boot. But Chris had an interesting pitch for a new way of doing things. Technology continues to revolutionise the industry. Could we help him make financial services more accessible and thereby close the advice-gap?

Their current brand was a bit fierce and masculine. Accessibility would require a softening. We modernised the logo, allowing the background colour to show through and introduced a bold, eye-catching suite of colour. 

Highlights

New brand, with evolved logo; bold colourways; a PLOTT website with all new copy and a bespoke “which financial service is right for you?” quiz.

Rustic Roast Kitchen

We were all immediately won-over by Heather from Rustic Roast Kitchen. She’s the de facto leader of their team, and her enthusiasm and passion for their work was infectious. From the brand workshop we wrote their compelling story, from Mum and Dad’s corporate catering, to the events and wedding experts they are today. Their hearty and real, rustic food should be an easy sell. But their website was now letting them down. It was hodge-podge and non-responsive.

Highlights

Full website design with an all new brand tone-of-voice, story and site-wide copy, easy-to-edit menus (for seasonal changes), client stories (testimonials) and strong calls-to-action. 

We’re pleased to say that the website is performing brilliantly and supplying Heather and the team with regular new leads.

Get your brand right for 2023

Get in touch if you feel you need some work on your brand, or even if you’re not sure. It all starts with a conversation. You’ll find our honest, straight-talking approach a breath of fresh air, and you’ll get our unfiltered opinion.