Brand Strategy

Your BRAND IS EVERYTHING!

Your brand is now what your shop window was 100 years ago. Its how people 'get' who you are and why you exist. Get this wrong or exicute this poorly and your customers will simply move on.

So how do we get it right? We focus on 3 Questions; What is a brand?, Who is it for? and Why should they care?

What is a brand?

Getting Clarity

Your brand is not your logo. It isn't your colour pallette - in fact, it isn't anything you create. So what is a brand?

"A brand is a person's gut feeling about a Product, service or business."

-Marty Neumier

It used to be the case - even as recently as ten years ago - that a customer started their journey with a brand in person. Through a personal interaction at the business’s premises or via a networking event.

It was here that the two parties got more than information - they got a feel for who they were talking to and a sense of whether or not they were of the same spirit. Now, however, these same people almost only find you via a link shared or a post on your socials. Even if they’ve heard of you, you better believe they’re stopping by for a quick snoop of your social media or website before they take any more steps.

So when you’re not there to physically express what makes your business unique, what do you do? You lean on your brand.
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But if a brand is the 'gut feeling' our customers get when they interact with our product, service or organisation, how do we ensure we get the right gut feeling?

Who is IT for?

Understanding You and Your Audience

The first question we ask in any brand strategy session - wether its a brand new start up or a rebrand of an established business is "Who is this for." If your brand's voice feels lost in the crowd it may be because you've not thought through this question enough.

Simon Sinek, Author of the book, "Start with Why" has an incredibly helpful observation

"100% of customers are people"

Too often we try and present our products or services to everyone and ultimately attract no one.

At Ocho, we work with business owners to understand who they are talking to, looking at customer architypes, buyer personas, drives and desires. We can even arrange focus groups if needed.

When we stop thinking about the brand we want to create and start thinking about the brand our customers or audience want to see. We build great brands.

When we start talking to a person rather than the crowd we create a connection and build something more powerful than a customer. We build a community.

But there is a second who... We need to establish who you are.

WHY SHould THEY care?

Solving a problem

Once we know who you are and who we are talking to, we begin to dig deep into the organisation. In every good story there is a villain and in every business or organisation there is a problem that you hope to solve.

This sets the scene for why you exist. Once we know this and frame it clearly, we begin to develop a narrative that your audience can see too.

When we do this we begin to move away from customers to community.

Partnership

With you on the journey

We've been fortunate that we work with people who have an infectious passion for what they do. This has often struck a chord and created partnerships which have lasted for many years.

This is what we love. If you just need something quick we can happily oblige but what excites us is going through the journey with you.

This also has a positive knock on effect for you because it means you have a team behind you who know your business and are able to pivot and roll out new ideas much faster.

TESTAMONIALS

What Our CLients Say

The Ocho team have been part of Aurora’s journey from the very beginning – from creating our brand and developing our website to providing ongoing creative and strategic support as the business has grown.

They genuinely feel like an extension of our team. They understand our business, offer valuable insight and, importantly, have the agility to keep pace with the rate at which Aurora moves and evolves.

What sets Ocho apart is the personal approach. You’re not just another client or project; they take the time to understand what you’re trying to achieve and always put the interests of the business first. If you’re looking for an agency that feels more like a trusted partner, I’d highly recommend them.

Sinead McIntosh

Marketing Director for Aurora Energy Services

"We’ve worked with Ocho for years and they’ve been a huge help with our website, social media, and advertising.

They’re a great team—creative, reliable, and always spot on with what they deliver."

Iain McBirnie

STONECRAFT DIRECTOR

"The team have been brilliant to work with. Couldn’t recommend them more for anyone needing a revamp of their marketing material.

For a small company like ours it’s been an actual godsend as it’s so easy to let that side of things fall by the wayside when things get busy."

Sebastian Varney

FIBRECAST DIRECTOR

"We truly enjoyed working with OCHO on this project. I am amazed at how they brought all our discussions together, and how much is communicated in a design that remains clean, crisp and professional.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others."