Accelerate the growth of your brand
Accelerate is our complete branding strategy and design service for ambitious ambitious start-ups aiming to turn their product into a market leader.
When you’re a challenger bringing cutting-edge innovation to a crowded marketplace, a strong brand can make the difference between success and failure.
It will help you to communicate the complex science behind your product simply and memorably - but without dumbing down.
It will signal your value to a discerning target market who are serious about their kit, connecting with them rationally and emotionally.
And it will ensure you stand out from the crowd, putting you at the front of the field when your ideal customers are making their purchase decisions.
Perhaps you’ve already invested in brand - but been disappointed by the results. Or perhaps you’re starting from scratch and want to get it right first time.
Our Accelerate package is for growing start-ups ready to invest in an in-depth brand strategy and design process that sets you up for success.
Over two to three months, we’ll work with you to develop a brand and messaging strategy based on solid research and a distinctive and memorable brand identity and story.
Over two to three months, we’ll work with you to develop a brand and messaging strategy based on solid research and a distinctive and memorable brand identity and story.
We’ll use a blend of strategic thinking, creative flair, commercial nous and our in-depth knowledge to create a strong foundation for your business.
By the end of Accelerate, you’ll be fully equipped for your journey to become a market leader.
Your brand will help you:
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Get noticed by consumers - and generate demand
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Overcome doubts about your product’s performance
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Outsell the competition, because you stand out from the crowd
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Unlock your next round of funding by building belief in your potential
We’re Richard and Ruth Palmer, and we built our own start-up, D3O, from the ground up. We used the power of brand to transform this smart material, first discovered in a university lab, into a market leader in the impact protection space.
Since then we’ve gone on to work as brand, innovation and business advisers with major companies such as VF Corporation (Vans, The North Face, Timberland), Whirlpool, Panasonic, Cisco, Samsung and start-ups such as outdoor clothing company Kora and Body Rocket, creator of cycling’s first real-time, direct drag force aero meter.
We’ll draw on all this experience to help you maximise the value of your innovation and avoid the pitfalls we encountered during our own journey.
After you complete Accelerate, our goal is that you’ll want to continue to work with us to grow your brand. As entrepreneurs, we understand the immense pressures you face and can support you through the challenges of securing funding, growing revenue, increasing profitability, building a fanbase and partnering with manufacturers.
Read more about our story here.
Why choose us?
What's included in Accelerate?
01 Research
An in-depth research project to understand your strengths and values, the market and your target audience
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Interviews with customers to understand their needs, desires and paint points.
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Interviews with your team to capture internal perspectives, uncover hidden opportunities and reveal your core values, mission and culture.
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Identify current and future market trends, to ensure your brand is relevant, competitive and positioned for future success.
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Ecosystem map (competitors and beyond)
A four-hour online or in-person brand strategy workshop with your senior leaders
A report summarising our research findings and actionable insights shaping our brand strategy
A brand blueprint, which includes
An over-arching brand strategy and framework. This will define your brand objectives, your purpose, your promise to customers, your positioning and your brand essence.
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A compelling brand story that will help you connect with customers.
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Customer personas so you can understand the needs, motivations and behaviours of your target audience.
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Messaging pillars. This a framework for your key messages - so you know exactly what to talk about in your marketing communications.
02 Strategy
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01 Brand personality
A unique and authentic personality for your brand, designed to help you attract your ideal customers and build an emotional connection with them. This will include:
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Brand values and behaviours, with examples so everyone in the company understands what they are and how to embody them in their communications and day-to-day work.
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Kindred brands that you can learn from and perhaps partner with in the future through collaborations, events, marketing campaigns etc.
To explore and agree the visual direction that matches your personality.
02 Mood board
We’ll create three different versions for you to choose from, with one revision of your chosen logo included with the package.
03 Logo design (or redesign)
04 Brand assets
We’ll create three different versions for you to choose from, with one revision of your chosen logo included with the package.
For use on your website, packaging, social media etc. to give your visual identity depth and flexibility.
05 Colour palette
That represents your unique personality.
Comprehensive brand guidelines in digital format so you can ensure your brand identity is implemented consistently across your marketing assets:
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Guidelines for using your logo correctly
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Messaging guidelines for different audiences
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Photography and illustration guidelines
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Guidance on asset usage
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Colour palettes and typefaces (for digital and print)
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Sonic signature (if required)
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Brand manifesto, story, promise, purpose and positioning
06 Brand guidelines
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01 Brand activation workshop
A one-hour online brand activation workshop where we’ll help you figure out the steps to launch or promote your product.
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Should we partner with other brands to build awareness?
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Do we need to do a photoshoot?
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Where should we focus our marketing efforts?
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Which media channels should we use?
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What events / trade shows should we go to?
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What marketing assets do we need to create before we can start selling our products?
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Should we sell directly to consumers or via retailers?
After the session, we’ll send you a brand activation plan. This is a high-level roadmap outlining how you can bring your brand to life and start raising awareness of your product among your customers.
02 Brand activation plan
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Phase 1: Research & strategy
01
Research
An in-depth research project to understand your strengths and values, the market and your target audience
-
Interviews with customers to understand their needs, desires and paint points.
-
Interviews with your team to capture internal perspectives, uncover hidden opportunities and reveal your core values, mission and culture.
-
Identify current and future market trends, to ensure your brand is relevant, competitive and positioned for future success.
-
Ecosystem map (competitors and beyond)
02
Strategy workshop
A four-hour online or in-person brand strategy workshop with your senior leaders
A report summarising our research findings and actionable insights shaping our brand strategy
A brand strategy blueprint and DNA, which includes
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Your brand DNA. This will define your your purpose, vision, positioning and your brand essence.
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Customer persona so you can understand the needs, motivations and behaviours of your target audience.
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Your brand strategy defined in a simple document that everyone can understanding that defines what the status quo in your category is and how you are going to change it for the benefit of your customers and they world.
Phase 2: Creating your brand
01
Brand personality archetype
A unique and authentic personality for your brand, designed to help you attract your ideal customers and build an emotional connection with them. This will include:
-
Brand values and behaviours, with examples so everyone in the company understands what they are and how to embody them in their communications and day-to-day work.
-
Kindred brands that you can learn from and perhaps partner with in the future through collaborations, events, marketing campaigns etc.
02
Mood board
To define the visual direction that matches your personality.
03
Logo design (or redesign)
We’ll create three different versions for you to choose from, with one revision of your chosen logo included with the package.
04
Brand assets
For use on your website, packaging, social media etc. to give your visual identity depth and flexibility.
05
Colour palette & typefaces
That represents your unique personality.
06
Tone of voice guidelines
Including messaging guidelines, examples for different audeinces and training for the team who'll need to create your content.
07
Brand story
A compelling brand story that will help you connect with customers in the form of a brand manifesto and boilerplate copy, presented in different lengths for varying audiences.
08
Brand guidelines
Comprehensive brand guidelines in digital format so you can ensure your brand identity is implemented consistently across your marketing assets:
-
Guidelines for using your logo correctly
-
Messaging guidelines for different audiences
-
Photography and illustration guidelines
-
Guidance on asset usage
-
Colour palettes and typefaces (for digital and print)
-
Sonic signature (if required)
-
Brand manifesto, story, promise, purpose and positioning
Phase 3: Activating your brand
01
Brand activation workshop
A one-hour online brand activation workshop where we’ll help you figure out the steps to launch or promote your product.
-
Should we partner with other brands to build awareness?
-
Do we need to do a photoshoot?
-
Where should we focus our marketing efforts?
-
Which media channels should we use?
-
What events / trade shows should we go to?
-
What marketing assets do we need to create before we can start selling our products?
-
Should we sell directly to consumers or via retailers?
02
Brand activation plan
After the session, we’ll send you a brand activation plan. This is a high-level roadmap outlining how you can bring your brand to life and start raising awareness of your product among your customers.
We can help you activate your brand.
Building a brand happens in the doing, not just in the designing.
We can act as fractional team members inside your company, providing a full range of marketing and design services to help you activate your brand.
Over the years we’ve assembled a wonderful team of associates whose work we respect, including designers, copywriters, website developers and marketing specialists.
We act as your project manager to ensure everything aligns with your brand and meets the highest standards. You can either hire us on a project basis (with each job priced separately) or pay a monthly retainer for access to our services.
Tim Brown
Director and COO Rheon Labs
"Ruth was wholey responsible for creating D3O's brand strategy and executing the formation, communication and embodiment of the brand. It is difficult to find the most appropriate level of praise for her work and attitude; "Utter brilliance" is the closest I can get."
Phil Shettig
VP Product + Marketing, Vertical Supply Group
"Richard's mastery of product and communication drove a wave of publicity that we could never have dreamed possible. Richard's technical ability is only surpassed by his understanding of marketing. I have never seen anyone possess such acumen in both realms before. This is a potent combination. As an entrepreneur, it is lethal (to the competition)!"
Simon Devonshire
OBE, Entrepreneur, Investor, Non-Exec Director, Chair
“Richard is an inspiration to anyone with a dream, and the drive to realise it.”
Janinie Boyer,
Director, Beancount
"By the end of the workshop I had a clear vision about what my business brand statement is, what values and processes underlie it and how I can make it work for me. It was great to have such a creative and supportive space in which to really focus on my own branding as it's all too easy to overlook its strategic importance when you're busy!"