Maisey Marketing gets a makeover
I became self-employed in June 2017, providing ad hoc marketing support on a project-by-project basis. To build on the Brighton-based referrals I received from word of mouth, I launched www.maiseymarketing.com in January 2018 with a make-shift logo and the scraps of a colour scheme.
While I predominantly worked with organisations across the L&D industry, I generated enquiries from other small businesses in Sussex, London and further afield. Over the years I refined my offering – collaborating with a range of small businesses to establish their marketing function and provide medium to long-term support. Typically, I helped them recruit a permanent full-time marketer as result of my input.
I realised some four years on I had created a marketing consultancy, building on my years of experience working client-side. Small business owners with limited resources were investing in my expertise, openness and professionalism, and, despite hitting the top Google ranking when searching for “Marketing Consultant in Brighton”, I received regular enquiries via my website from across the UK.
As a result, I knew I needed to refresh my brand identity.
brand consultancy
I approached Alouette Marsh, Creative Director at Lark Digital, for an initial consultation and to explain the journey I was on.
I clarified I had a hero image of waves hitting a coastline, creating an impact against the shore, that inspired me day to day “to help small businesses make a big impact with their marketing”. Other than that, I knew my branding lacked creativity, didn’t portray my brand values and didn’t speak to my target audience as effectively as I’d like it to.
Alouette challenged my thinking, questioned why people wanted to work with me, how I helped them, what I brought to the table, what made me special etc. Over the course of several Zoom calls, she helped me realise more about the small business I had built than before. She helped me unearth my brand values and establish a confidence in what I do.
I was provided with various branding concepts in line with my purpose – to “provide marketing direction, support and advice to my clients to help them achieve their objectives”. The concepts aligned with a passion we shared to build on the hero image that had motivated me day to day over the years – an image that in turn would define my customer-facing proposition, shared on my homepage.
a new brand identity
With clear creative direction, we refined the concepts – from typography to colour palettes to the all-important logo. Behind every decision was a want to convey my professionalism, calm approach and clear communication style when working with clients, as well as the honest and reliable expertise and advice I provide. I also wanted to encompass the ocean wave (the “impact” marketing can create when done well) and develop this across all touchpoints.
With a set of branding and imagery guidelines I took to updating my website. Nights and weekends of work over and above my consulting – I built on my knowledge of CSS and spent many hours scouring for replacement images in line with my new colour palette. Having previously worked on rebrand projects for multiple businesses, you'd think it'd a be a doddle working on your own. Turns out, it's bloody hard work – more emotion involved than I had thought.
Alouette supplied fonts, patterns and a suite of assets including primary and secondary logos, sub-marks and icons; she also designed my social media templates. I was good to go.
As of March 2023, Maisey Marketing has a new identity – one that I’m immensely proud of. It embraces the brand’s personality and mine, elevates my customer proposition and wholly reflects my offering. It brings clarity, confidence and clear messaging for small businesses seeking marketing direction and support.