ASK US FOR IDEAS

Off the back of the success they’ve had in Europe ($7M Series B), sake brand WAKAZE - founded by Takuma Inagawa and IMAI Shoya - came to us looking for agencies that could oversee naming, packaging, branding, art direction and web design and build for a new locally-brewed sake in California. We put forward US-based teams with strong packaging creds, and a deep understanding of both the local market and younger US consumers, and they chose Day Job – who created the brand universe for their new product SummerFall. Read the full case study HERE: https://lnkd.in/dG4fAZTG

Nick Simpson thinks founders have forgotten about one absolutely critical part of building a brand. And that’s empathy. We chatted with the WorkMade founder about why it’s so important to understand how people feel about a brand/app/business/experience – and then make decisions with those emotions in mind: “What’s the first time this person interacts with your brand? Is it word of mouth or seeing an ad, and how do you close the entire loop? What’s the email they’re going to get? The text message? What’s their first experience, and how do you make every single step of the way magical?” Click the link in our comments for the full conversation, which also covers: building an app that makes every user feel like the only person in the room, getting a coffee with your customers, and using creativity as a conduit.

Alice Mushrooms asked us to suggest agencies that could help them use social media to educate the world about all things mushroom-related. 🍄 To be specific: they needed a creative partner that could provide ongoing creative, design and animation support for their social feed. We made introductions to a select list of social media agencies, and they started working with COOLTURA – who delivered monthly brand strategy as well as ad-hoc ideas sparked by research and key cultural moments. https://lnkd.in/dtMK5kaY

Putting together a shortlist of agencies isn’t just about matching up capabilities and budgets – although that obviously plays a part. When Pydantic came to us, they needed an agency that could define the branding and guidelines for their first ever product LOGFIRE – which supports developers creating AI tools and cloud-based apps. But more than that, they wanted a partner that had experience working with digital-first companies, and that could really get inside the developer mindset. We made introductions, and they started working with Together – who put together a website, strategy and brand identity built around the ubiquitous UI symbol of the toggle. More here: https://lnkd.in/dZARbaru

The ‘secret’ to making truly great work? It all comes down to the relationship you build with your agency. Chemistry is an essential starting point, but brands also need to: 👉 Start things off on the right foot (that means no free pitching) 👉 Stay open-minded about what the brief looks like and how a project might evolve 👉 Create a situation where both sides can be open and honest about their expectations 👉 Give the agency space to do what they do best 👉 And link constructive criticism to the brand’s ambition, rather than personal opinions Read our latest AUFI Guide (link in the comments) for in-depth thoughts on all of the above from Madison Utendahl and Victoria Baisden at Utendahl Creative, Max Ottignon at Ragged Edge, Kelli Robertson at Hyphenated-, Alex Tan at MOUTHWASH Studio and Nikita W. at BLANK.

Sometimes, a brand has a pretty specific idea of what they need in an agency. When Halfday Iced Tea got in touch, they wanted introductions to: 👉 US-based agencies 👉 With experience launching startup social media accounts 👉 Especially in the CPG space 👉 Who could connect with a Gen-Z and early Millennial audience We put together a lineup of agencies that ticked off all of the above, but more than that, teams we knew were a great fit from a personality and chemistry perspective. They chose Wonderkind Co, who concepted, created and delivered a content plan to build Halfday’s engagement on Insta and TikTok. More HERE: https://lnkd.in/dczn4Ztn

Brands ask us for agency recommendation for a huge number of things, ranging from websites and app design to PR, social and marketing campaigns or full-scale rebrands. And often, that creative work is in service of a pretty major ambition. This was the case with Folc, who got in touch wanting to do no less than become THE go-to English rosé worldwide. To get there, they needed an agency to help them rethink their branding and bottle design. We made introductions and they brought Regular Practice onboard. Folc’s new look (and label-free bottle) is “ready to rival if not exceed the best of Provence”, according to the agency. You can see all the work here: https://lnkd.in/dbAmCGV6

Has the golden age of D2C sailed by? Not if you ask Emmett Shine – Gin Lane and Pattern Brands co-founder, and a creative force behind some of the most celebrated D2C brands of all time. Not only is the idea of direct-to-consumer far older than we might think, but there’s plenty of life left in it yet. According to Emmett Shine, an ongoing cultural and tech shift is blurring the lines between media, storytelling and commerce. Read our Insights piece HERE: https://lnkd.in/dMutFnrh

“We were looking for a branding agency, we got a group of friends.” Words we love to hear when we pair up a brand and an agency. Fluz were looking for a partner to develop their visual presence, strategy and messaging, and asked us to recommend agencies that understood the US consumer market, and could help them build a new narrative and identity, and then implement it. We made our intros, and Fluz chose Koto, who designed a surreal, ‘gamified’ brand experience. “I tell people it was like a dream come true. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better relationship, or a more fun and exciting thing to do.” – Maurice Harary https://lnkd.in/d3kxCZDn

THIS MONTH, we’re making agency introductions, recommendations, and shortlists for… 🎨 A GLOBAL CREATIVE TECH PROVIDER that needs help refreshing a digital product 🥎 An INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CHARITY looking to overhaul their branding 👑 And an ICONIC LUXURY HOLDING COMPANY developing a major new event for a premium wine brand