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Stacy and I had crossed paths online through a membership group for creative entrepreneurs. However, we first started chatting when she sent an email with the subject line “Logo and some brand clarity”.
You could say it was love at first subject line. I knew the Landmark Method was going to be a perfect fit for her.
Stacy was building a coaching practice to help women entrepreneurs run a business with their partner. I loved that her own personal story matched what her ideal customers were living. And her responses to my initial questionnaire showed a deep understanding of how she could best serve others with her unique expertise. While she was ready to bring all the pieces together, she felt she needed to narrow in on her brand voice.
After talking on the phone, however, I realized her pain point was actually something different. She needed to gain a deeper understanding of what her ideal customer’s life looks like. And she needed the tools to visually express the voice she already had.
“You had your own little buzz in the Being Boss community, and you’d show up a lot. You’d always answer other people’s questions. I contacted two people from that group, and you were on it! From the very first point of contact, the process was smooth.
I knew I wanted it done the right way – proper branding, proper marketing, and to find my voice – but I hesitated around the timing. Was I too new, too small, too unknown to be investing in proper marketing and branding?
You sent me your introductory questionnaire and as I was filling it out, the fear kind of crept in. You gave me some space but also a little push. You gently guided me back to the process. At that point, I became super clear on what I wanted. And I liked your touch of southern accent.”[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px 0px 0px 1px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://landmarkcreativeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Horton_Brand_Strategy_The_W_Collective_Case_Study.jpg” alt=”Horton_Brand_Strategy_The_W_Collective_Case_Study” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto 15px;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]
Since The W Collective wasn’t launched yet, there wasn’t any revenue flowing into the business yet. So Stacy took the weekend to think about how to invest.
Because she had a defined niche in a competitive industry, I knew she needed to establish a brand identity from the start. I already have a payment plan built into the Landmark Method, but I created a custom option for her so that she could feel more comfortable about investing in the process.
We started with the Brand Exploration Kit to define the five core landmarks of her brand:
This process would be the foundation for her website, logo, and digital strategy. We dug deep into her brand voice. And with a little encouragement from me, Stacy started to let her sacred, magical flag fly (more than she planned).
I tapped into Stacy’s ideal customer’s daily activities. For example, the way she moves through the world, what she appreciates, and what she finds restorative or energizing. The customer avatar, Colleen, gained more and more depth with each stage of the Landmark Method.
“I revisit Colleen’s story often, and I see bits of her in most of the women I have worked with. Caitlin had me do a couple of interviews with my target market and that, combined with my own life, was the foundation for the problems to address. I also did a survey around communication, and the honesty and response was jaw dropping. I knew I had found a fairly big pain point and that my work was going to be for women.
I was surprised how hung up I got on the logo. If I wanted to change something, I was always met with a ‘Why?’ For example, early on, there was one revision where I said, ‘That’s just not me.’ And Caitlin responded, ‘Good because it’s not for you.’
She was right. It’s not about me at all. It’s about my client. You want your brand to go out and be the exact thing your customer is looking for, and then they come to you. I was able to peel myself back from it a little bit and that was a surprise to me. There was reasoning and methods behind everything she did. Caitlin helped me get crystal clear on the difference between branding and marketing.”[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto 15px;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://landmarkcreativeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Horton_Brand_Strategy_The_W_Collective_Case_Logo.jpg” alt=”Horton_Brand_Strategy_The_W_Collective_Case_Study_Mood” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”” class=”aligncenter”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto 10px;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]
We have a different approach to branding because I bring a high level of strategy into the process. Only after digging deep into the five brand landmarks and truly building a strong business foundation do we use our design chops to execute on the visual identity.
Stacy is a blend of practical and woo, so we wanted her logo to have meaning on two levels. So we did a lot of research into the elements of sacred geometry. The circle represents the four pillars of the W Collective Brand: women, wellness, work, and wonder. It’s also the medicine wheel symbol representing the four cardinal directions, the seasons of life, and the circle of life.
Geometric prints and topographic maps provide depth and express the brand’s core values: exploration, wonder, and finding your true direction.
“I loved all three of my mood boards, so it was a process to decide. There is one picture that Caitlin used on my board: a woman walking her dogs along a path. I had been doing some work with my inner mentor, that wise woman, and this photo felt like a connection to her.
Also, adventure is a core value in my life, my clients, and how I guide. Seeing it all come together was fun. It’s laid out so pretty and it’s your colors and mood. You’re like “This is my brand.”[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto 15px;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://landmarkcreativeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Horton_Brand_Strategy_The_W_Collective_Case_Study_Mood.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”” class=”aligncenter”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto 10px;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]
We also took Stacy through the Landmark Method for Marketing so that she could launch and grow by creating the exact type of content that would connect with her ideal customer.
She received a robust, done-for-you marketing plan with 52 blog post titles, several email opt-in ideas, and sales funnel outlines for specific offerings.
Previously I was the Marketing Director for a large retail shop, so I love blending online marketing with real life touch points. Stacy walked away with several unique ideas for events and digital products that could grow her community both locally and online.
“It’s one thing to have a brand and know it represents you, and another knowing what the hell to do with it.
I knew I wanted Caitlin to do both branding and marketing because I wanted the continuity. At that point, she knew me, and we had worked through so many other things together. I didn’t want to have to start over with a marketing company.
She had things in my marketing plan that I wouldn’t have thought of, like the ‘working date night.’ I’ve been writing blogs based on the calendar from my marketing plan. I used the email welcome sequence and picked one opt-in from her list to use on my webinar.
The biggest marketing win, so far, is having the brand kit. I can deliver a clear, complete, and compelling package to the media ad company or a freelancer.”[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto 15px;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://landmarkcreativeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Horton_Brand_Strategy_Quote_The_W_Collective_Case_Study.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”” class=”aligncenter”][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 25px 0px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]
“I feel confident each time I use my statement of purpose, the colors, vibe, photos, and logo. All of it suits the work I am doing and want to do so well. Caitlin pulled details from my story and my dream and wove them into the brand I wanted to be and speaks to the women I want to work with. I know the effort and meaningful work that went into developing my brand so I can create with pride.
I am beyond pleased with the process. If you’re looking for a brand story that honors the person wanting to do the work, but makes it for the person needing the work, you could benefit from hiring Caitlin.” [/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 25px 0px 45px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://landmarkcreativeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Horton-Brand-Strategy-View-Portfolio.gif” alt=”” link=”true” href=”https://landmarkcreativeco.com/portfolio” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]
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