How I Build Brands
It doesn’t matter how fast you go if you’re heading in the wrong direction.
Many design agencies and brand consultants enjoy long presentations that sound smart. In my experience, a good strategy should be clear and concise. Ideally summarized in a few slides anyone could consume and understand without guidance, leaving space for the most important part of any brand transformation which is the implementation and execution.
Strategy is, simply put, the compass behind every creative decision. To drive results and solve real problems, it starts with a clear vision: who we want to be and how we want to be seen.
My work is about being effective and provide actionable strategies. I take into account both budgets and resources, and I think like an engineer of communication: I aim for the most sustainable and practical usage of resources at each phase of the process. A big budget does not equal effective strategy. Sometimes a simple exercise can generate better results than a million dollar campaign. It’s about finding that path, and this is where I bring unique creativity and an innovative mindset.
Case in point:
One software company asked me to help them gain 1.3 billion new users. They were in the process of finalizing the most expensive campaign the brand had ever imagined. They thought about it traditionally: let’s make a big brand campaign to get the brand known.
This used to work in the past, still might work today depending on the context, but in this case, I found a better opportunity that will cost only internal resources and some work from a software developer. The real problem was not the brand being known, the problem or challenge I would say, was getting people to try the product just for a few seconds. It was that good: once they used it, they instantly saw the value.
But their homepage was not inviting. The homepage had high volume of traffic, but not signups. This was due the many barriers marketers put in place to persuade people to sign up. Once again, marketing tactics everyone uses but most don’t question.
My proposal was to eliminate the entire homepage full of performance marketing obsolete tactics that were proven to be failed strategies. Instead, the homepage becomes literally the product, so new visitors are already using it without signups. All frictionless, smooth and flawless. When I shared this idea to the head of communications, she told me: “where were you all this time?”
A strategy is only words if it’s not actionable.
I have seen countless times agencies being stuck for months working on long strategy decks waiting for client approval. I heard often: “the client is indecisive, they are changing their minds often”. Here is my take: clients appreciate strategy but what they want to see is how it is going to be implemented. They want an actionable strategy. These long decks are what usually come before the big word: Rebrand. Rebranding is often seen as a complex project that should take a long time to execute. I am a contrarian in this regard.
A rebrand can be executed at any speed and at any budget, as long as there is a practical strategy behind it.
Case in point: Loop Earplugs
Maarten, one of the co-founders, brought me in for a single consultancy session to explain where they were—and where they felt indecisive. They were stuck in a long, unclear rebranding process. They shared with me decks and work so far. I told them their work lacked of clear direction. The decks were, once again, long and complex with no clear brand structure or architecture.
I suggested what their brand should be about and that they had to start all over again with that in mind. I thought they wouldn’t call me again because I had literally turned down all their efforts.
To my surprise, six months later, they wanted to hire me as their creative director long-term. I followed exactly the process I had set out in a two-hour call with them.
Loop had become a big company, and the smartest way to use resources was to bring change in stages. This would allow every team to adjust and implement. The results speak for themselves. You can see some of the work in my portfolio section.
What I bring to the table:
I can tackle projects of any size and mostly any budget, whether working hands-on or building and directing teams of top-tier talent. My expertise in design, art and creative direction, together with other specialists in my closed network, allows me to provide the following services:
— Brand identity design
— Tone of voice
— Naming
— Creative and art direction
— Marketing campaigns
— Photography, video and motion graphics
— Web design and development
— Packaging
— Product and 3D visualization
Where the money goes.
Team structures and workflows are the single most common cause of wasted resources. People in groups tend to follow the status quo and don’t celebrate change.
“If it has been working all this time, why change it?”. I’m fond of never change a winning team, but only when the team is actually winning. In most cases, the team doesn’t realize their full potential is compromised by outdated systems and hierarchies that confuse rather than help.
Case in point:
I joined an organization where there were ongoing complaints about the creative team being slow and missing deadlines. On the other side, the creative team claimed the volume of requests was too high. After reviewing the requests, workload, and headcount, I saw that the volume wasn’t actually that high. The real issue was likely a lack of process.
When I dug into the workflows, I discovered the creative team was using outdated software and lacked any real collaboration.
Within a week, I organized a workshop to train them on new software and created videos to share with other teams. In about three weeks, the problem was solved. Months of complaints, stress, and drama, all fixed by simply changing a piece of software.
I got most of my long-term clients from a single consultancy session, because they are packed with knowledge and real advice. I don’t employ sales tactics, I want to understand your problem and help you find the most optimal way to get there.
I’m known for telling people what they need to hear, which is, in most cases, the best value I bring to most organizations.
I take on both short and long-term assignments, as well as one-off consultancy sessions.
If your brand is stuck or you want a second opinion before making a bold move, get in touch.
Reviews
Reviews
