Page tag: feature

EATC4C wanted to stand alongside the biggest names in their field – and they’ve certainly got the history and credibility to be there. What we needed to do was give them a brand identity and voice – with simple guidelines and training – that puts their expertise in the spotlight.

In the past, they had no real consistent sense of style or voice, which caused their inspiring work to fade into the background. We developed a tone of voice that was daring, authentic, well-informed and inventive – each one a genuine characteristic they embody in their research and relationships.

Visually, the old brand didn’t have a lot of clarity or direction. More importantly, it wasn’t demonstrating the difference they’ve made to so many young people. Our first job, then, was to help them find out more about who they wanted to be and how they wanted to be seen.

This led us to a new logo that evokes their ability to expertly seek, learn and adapt, with an accessible typeface that reflects that same sense of flow, force and feeling. The new colour palette, primarily a punchy orange and an intense blue, reflect the innovation and compassion at the heart of their mission.

And as well as creating an identity that felt truer to who they are, this was about building a brand that would tell a more compelling story to those all-important sources of funding.

Together, the new voice and identity shows the world what this incredible organisation is doing. It tells the story of ground-breaking research and compassionate patient care – brains and heart in equal measure.

It also, at last, properly reflects EATC4C’s position at the top of their field – with a brand that no longer mumbles about their life-changing achievements.

And, not least, they now have a brand that can be put into use simply and consistently – with guidelines that make sure everyone is telling the same extraordinary story.

One of Liverpool City Region’s (LCR) most important growth clusters is digital and creative. It plays a pivotal role in creating jobs, opportunities and stimulating the economy. We were tasked with linking up its many great assets, people and places under one coherent plan: The Digital and Creative Cluster Strategy and Action Plan. 

In 2024 The Fifth Sector carried out some cluster mapping which gave a clearer picture of the challenges faced by the region’s digital and creative sector. This became our platform to create Growth Platform’s new strategy and action plan.

Essentially there was one big, and very important, question we needed to answer: how do we help the LCR digital and creative cluster succeed in a way that will attract investment and opportunities to the region?

As the first ever articulation of what ‘good’ (actually, ‘great’) looks like for the LCR’s creative and digital cluster, this work was about sparking a unique moment of change and growth.

Far from a set of vague hopes and woolly plans, this was a clear and robust 3-year vision, with a detailed framework for making it happen. What’s more, we established a regular review process that allowed our plan to remain as agile and forward-thinking as the cluster we’re serving.

We also established a space for the Digital and Creative Board to generate and share ideas for continually energising their sector – ensuring one of our region’s most valuable, and exciting, industries can burn brighter than ever.

Hemsec has a proud 100-year history that needed to be brought up to date with its new, purposeful vision for the future. Though Hemsec has been one of the market leaders for decades, they identified that this was not translating to brand equity , in part, due to their positioning and brand.

They came to us looking for a brand voice and identity that reflected their new vision. The new brand needed to be strategic, reflective of their new purpose-driven journey and reposition them as the market-leaders.

A cohesive, magnetic visual brand that truly reflects Hemsec’s new purpose, vision and values

An emotionally intelligent verbal identity used and understood by people across the organisation

Usable, practical brand assets that showcase the brand in its best light

Energy and enthusiasm for Hemsec’s new direction both internally and externally

The old ways of growing a business with no concern for people or the planet are, at best, outdated. We know better than anyone that good growth is possible – we just neep a map to guide us on our way.

But finding that clear, reliable guidance on how to do it has traditionally been as easy as finding a friendly swan. Luckily, there’s Growth for Good, an organisation dedicated to changing the way business works at a regional level. So, to help make that happen, they asked us to produce the first ever guidelines for good growth that spoke to the small business community in their language.

Educating and empowering businesses to achieve good growth puts the fire in the Matchstick bellies. It’s the bright, blazing heart of our studio mission, which is probably why the chance to bring these guidelines to life was so rewarding to work on.

We see the Good Growth guidelines as a turning point for small businesses all across the region. Their impact will be to provide business leaders with the support they need to put people and the planet at the heart of how they grow.

Filled with real life examples of good growth in action, the guidelines represent a resource the SME world has never had access to before. And we believe they’re a huge step towards a business community where everything from recruitment, to sustainability, to workplace culture can be driven, profitably, by purpose.