Celebrating Fifteen Years Of moving brands forward
Celebrating Fifteen Years

Our blog

Our thoughts, updates on projects, and client news.

Before you ask

Below is a short list which I’ve found useful when speaking to business owners about how we can help them use their brand. Often conversations and needs are mixed up across specific areas, or phases of work, and the list

Grant Funding for Sunderland Businesses

The Sunderland Business Support Fund (SBSF) is a grant programme aimed at driving economic growth by enabling businesses to access external expertise and facilitating business growth and improvement plans. Overview of Funding Launched earlier this month (June 2024), the grant

Start marketing your business

It’s never too early to start marketing your business. I’m pushing every business owner I meet to start marketing from the minute I speak to them. To start marketing. Not to spend money. Business owners often want to develop their

Save a UK Landmark

In 2020 we created ART X SPORT to raise awareness of sport, and its inclusivity, through creativity. Since then we have run an event each year, raising awareness and money for some great causes.
 ↓ This year we are supporting

Where’s my logo?

Does searching for your brand assets feel like looking for a needle in a haystack? Especially in a digital world where files can be scattered across various platforms and devices? 

 This frustration can be compounded when multiple team members or external collaborators

Make Plan. Take Action.

As we stride confidently from quarter to quarter, it’s the ideal time to craft a straightforward yet effective marketing plan for the next three months.

 Below we’ve shared a simple 5-step process and a one-page marketing plan template for you to

Make more with less

We’re exploring new ways to help you reach your audience. With AI tools, including ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, and Runway, to help us bring ideas to life more efficiently, and effectively. These tools are improving every month and we’ll keep testing, trialling,

Position Brave

My conversations with clients over the last few months have almost all circled back to positioning. And from there, to being brave. Many conversations start with the outputs – a new name, a new logo, a refreshed look and feel,

Winter is coming…

Sorry for the Game of Thrones reference. It seems we’ve gone from summer to autumn in a matter of days, and there is no doubt that the busiest sales season of the year is just over the horizon. We’ve even

coffee branding

Closing Projects

While we all get excited about the start of a new project, where there are objectives to achieve and creative juices to flow, the end of a project is just as important. When we launched beantale coffee roasters the project wasn’t

Make your brand a Summer hit

There is little doubt that organised brands are already planning for the last half of the year when there are some of the biggest sales opportunities. While all the regular events should be planned into every brand’s marketing calendar, keeping

Why your brand needs its story

Stories have the power to captivate, inspire, and move people to action. Whether it’s through literature, film, or personal anecdotes, stories have the ability to connect with people on a deep and emotional level. When it comes to building a

Zippo – Move into Wellness

How could Zippo move into wellness? Well, they could leverage their reputation for rugged, durable lighters and create a line of candle products that allow customers to use their Zippo more, at home or away. Here’s how they could do

Why Merchanside is worth investing in for your brand

Creating your own brand merchandise can add value for your business and your audience. And the benefits far outweigh the investment needed. Here are five great reasons to create branded merch; #1 Reinforce Your Brand Identity Branded merchandise, such as

Why art and sport should collaborate more

Art and sport may seem like two completely different domains, but they share a lot of similarities. Both are forms of self-expression and have the power to bring people together, inspire creativity, and encourage healthy lifestyles.  More recently, there has

Barbour – Move into Wellness

How could Barbour move into wellness? Known for their rugged and functional clothing and accessories, they have the potential to disrupt their position in the market by branching out into the functional fitness equipment market while staying true to their

Thanks Chat GPT 🤖

With all the exploration and talk about AI, we asked Chat GPT to tell us about Wonderstuff. Here’s what it told us…  “Wonderstuff is a UK-based design agency that specializes in branding, graphic design, and website design.  They have been

Crossfit Open 23.1

It’s time for the CrossFit Community to test ourselves in this year’s CrossFit Open. One of the many great things about Crossfit is that it enables your average Crossfitter (me) to test myself, and to see how the best in