EVEN A BRANDING AGENCY NEEDS COMMUNICATION WORK!
We’re going to pull back the veil a bit in this February issue and show you the behind the scenes of our agency-
It’s common knowledge that the typical start-up will pivot around year four. By that point, they know their offering better, ideal clients, gaps in their market; the opportunities crystalize, and the path to rapid progress demands change. It’s time to shift. In those early ‘burn hot and perfect it later‘ years, we (Fidelis) found ourselves relying on our blue-collar backgrounds. We work hard, roll up our sleeves, shake hands and just get the work done on time and on budget.
But we kept noticing that our best clients didn’t hire us for our production abilities- they hired us to think.
Although we like to think of ourselves as ‘digital/design craftsmen’ – our customer base needed advisors with real vision to help their company climb to new heights. Good thinking is in short supply, after all. Maybe you’ve noticed. If we could be a branding agency with a strong marketing strategy wing – well, all the better.
We started to see a pattern. We knew were not going to click with a client who started a conversation with something like this:
“Hey, buddy, can you do me a logo
…a website
…a promo video
…some SEO“
‘Do-me-a‘ asks were a warning light that destruction lay just around the next bend. We were ‘vendors’ not ‘competent advisors.’ We also noticed that the best understanding and insight came from our half-day workshops where we delved deep into a company’s core understandings, market segment, purchasing journey and uncovered their communication voice. That’s when the lights would POP-ON! All the ‘do-me-a’ production stuff followed in the wake and made so much more sense. Thinking ‘holistically’ about brand developments solves so many problems that never have an opportunity to surface.
As an example:
Social media campaigns? We know how we sound, look, and deploy with consistent and inspiring content.
What does media look like? We know that, too!
How do we hire/fire based on core values? Got it!
As we approach the five-year mark and workshop #50 – we’re pivoting to help our clients see with real vision, plunge the depths of who they are at the most visceral levels, and thereby connect with the customers who need what burns inside their belly. It’s been great! We developed more workshops.
- Workshop 1: Brand Discovery
- Workshop 2: Behaviors
- Workshop 3: Marketing
So, in 2021 we’ve taken a healthy dose of our own medicine and turned our examining eye inward. We discovered what burns hottest in our own gut: pushing brands to deeply connect with their market. We developed a way to run these workshops remote (a necessity right now!) and can workshop with clients from Cali to Maine. Our updated logo and typography should feel a little more refined, and our voice is more seasoned. The website pushes away from the ‘gritty grime of the garage shop-do-me-a look’ to thinkers with a proven process. Our interns have grown into full-time employees and we’ve added key staff. The page really has turned in 2021.
You have a vision, now is the time to bring it to life.
Do you need help
talking to your
perfect clients?
