SUMMARY
Creating a Storm (CAS) is a specialised brand and packaging design studio, operating as a sole proprietor, out of Cape Town, South Africa. I am Storm Wiggett, the graphic designer behind the brand. Over the past thirteen years, the company has grown organically offering world-class design and technical execution services.
As the second part of a two-part study report, this document builds upon the initial investigative research. The initial research evaluated the business’s overall operational strategy for suitability in the current business environment. This report recommended changes to several key operational systems as well as an overhaul of the brand and corporate identity. These changes serve to align the business with the enthusiastic and passionate nature of the owner, which was a characteristic specifically identified as a key success driver.
In this pursuit, I executed a revised brand and logo design, along with a change to the studio name from Creating a Storm to Ginger Storm.
Additionally, I’ve developed a new brand positioning, narrative, communication strategy, tagline and revised value proposition statements. These were brought about to revise the corporate identity for the business.
Xero was successfully adopted as the accounting software, and likewise, Monday.com was successfully tested and implemented as a project management platform. The changes were tested and discussed in a feedback session with industry experts. The initial results indicate that there is a marked improvement in time management, efficiency, and ease of communication with contractors.
A detailed brief was provided to a specialised legal and contractual consultant. All the standard contractual, IP and commercial documents have been updated in accordance with current best practices, allowing for seamless use in South Africa as well as Europe and the UK.
As I discussed in the initial research report, client acquisition and retention rely heavily on reputation and the ongoing referrals. I want to grow the studio’s authority as a thought leader in order to build and solidify this reputation, and further active sales. To do this I will participate in design and speaker events, enter into the Pentawards and DIELINE awards, and routinely publish content on LinkedIn and online publications.
The CAS website will be redesigned to provide prospective clients with an easier customer journey. The customer journey will begin with exposure to the work portfolio as well as providing insightful or critical information on technical and legislative aspects of packaging design. The website will also provide downloadable brief templates, and access to CAS shared networks through affiliate links.
Overall change management is organic, and the current customer base and ongoing projects are used as test cases for changes that have been made, or are in the process of being made. Currently, all of these have been met with enthusiasm and positive feedback and are therefore deemed to be successful.
CONCLUSION
Research into the suitability of Creating a Storm’s business strategy and operational systems resulted in recommended changes to key areas along with a re-branding exercise. As such a new logo, unique brand positioning, narrative, communication strategy, tagline, and revised value proposition statement have successfully been developed, and are in various stages of adoption.
The new logo and name change were met with positive humour, and lauded for being “just the right amount of offbeat and quirky”. Furthermore individuals responded to the intrigue and expressed admiration for the craft and creativity. The new branding is more aligned with the spirit of the business and forms the keystone of the new corporate identity.
The brand repositioning focuses on a European and UK-based target audience, and subtly shifts the strategy and direction of the business’s aim. This aim is to expand into “offshore” markets, while still delivering personalised and enthusiastic service.
The business successfully executed operational changes to the accounting and project management systems, with measurable improvement in efficiencies, and the effectiveness of communication with freelancers. The changes have been reviewed in short follow-up discussions with the panel of industry experts, and have received positive feedback.
The revised contractual documentation has been approved and implemented successfully. Initial client feedback has been positive. Due to the extent of the new terms and conditions, it is expected that the document turnaround time may take three working days.
At this time, ongoing projects and the current clientele are used as a soundboard for the proposed changes to the corporate identity. The overall change management is cautious and calculated, with back-office changes occurring more readily than client-visible ones. The aim is not to jolt, but rather to transition.
As such the full implementation of proposed changes and outcomes of this study will continue into 2023, with recommendations to monitor the performance of the new corporate identity through feedback from customers.
Creating a Storm Brand and Business Report, Part 2 - The Opportunity.