JOURNAL /01
Explore our latest thinking on brand, business and creativity, from deeper Studio Papers and original perspectives to observations, stories and ideas from inside the studio.
In June last year, Instagram shared that they are no longer classifying itself as a photo-sharing app, and the drastic changes haven’t stopped from there. We have seen Reels take off, Stories get new features and purpose (with all users
In the world of social media, it is commonly perceived that things posted online are ingenuine or staged and more of a highlight reel than reality. Therefore, the notion of authenticity can sometimes go astray. For businesses and brands, appearing
Often people think that once they have a logo, they have a brand. This is not the case. A brand – including your website design – is your company’s entire identity, from who you are and what you stand for
“Let’s go viral!” – is a phrase that’s definitely easier said than done. However, going ‘viral’ may not be as beneficial as you might think – especially for a business trying to grow on a new platform. TikTok, the rapidly
We’ve said it a hundred times before, but we’ll say it again – your brand is SO much more than your logo. All the best brands we love have comprehensive branding strategies that have allowed them to grow into the
After two years of being in and out of lockdown, many workplaces are back in the office full time. As a result of time apart, growing teams and a new ‘normal’, team bonding is an important way to ensure your
The speed at which the web development space is changing is rapid. Navigating this landscape and adapting to changes plays a significant role in the work of web developers, as well as the companies they work for. The ability to
Jeff Bezos, Executive Chairman of Amazon, put it well when he said, “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn your reputation by trying to do the hard things well.” Essentially, you can’t just
Your reputation is the most important thing when it comes to your business. There’s no point in having a great branding strategy if your company has a reputation for poor customer service or a bunch of negative online reviews. Just
How well do we really recognise brands without their names? 👀
Jess put my brand recognition skills to the test with a series of logos, taglines and imagery, stripped of any additional context.
Some were instantly recognisable. Others took a little more convincing. 😂
It’s a fun reminder of how powerful distinctive visual identities can be, and how much we associate certain shapes, colours and symbols with the brands behind them.
How many did you recognise? Let us know your score below! 👇
What business owners say and what brand strategists hear can be two very different things.
When a business says its marketing isn`t working, the instinct is often to do more. More content, more advertising, more visibility.
But sometimes, the real problem sits beneath the surface.
That`s where brand strategy comes in. It`s about asking better questions, challenging assumptions and understanding what`s actually holding your brand back before investing in the next solution.
And we believe that kind of strategic thinking should be more accessible.
We`ve taken the strategic questions, frameworks and insights behind nearly two decades of brand strategy work and built them into our Brand Builder Map and Brand Oracle.
📖 Brand Builder Map: A guided workbook that takes you through our Eight Brand Marks™ methodology, helping you explore and define the foundations of your brand.
💬 Brand Oracle: Your AI-powered strategic guide, designed to challenge your thinking, ask the questions you might not think to ask and help you turn your insights into a clearer brand strategy.
Build your brand strategy for just $60 + GST.
This includes the Brand Builder Map and one month of Brand Oracle access, with no ongoing commitment required. Subscription options are available if you`d like to continue exploring.
Download your Brand Map and access Oracle via the link in our bio.
#BrandOracle #EightBrandMarks #BrandStrategy #BrandPositioning #BrandBuilding
Good work starts with good relationships.
One of our favourite parts of what we do is getting to know the people behind the businesses we work with. Understanding their stories, sharing ideas, challenging each other`s thinking and seeing those ideas come to life.
Joanna Photography is a perfect example of that. We`ve had the pleasure of working with Jo on her brand, and more recently, the tables turned when we stepped in front of her camera for our own branding shoot.
Jo embraced our creative direction, brought her own ideas and perspective to the shoot, and captured our team in a way that felt genuinely us.
There`s something pretty special about being able to support each other`s businesses, collaborate creatively and share a few laughs along the way.
Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our Oraco community, Jo! 🖤
Content is easy to make, but content that actually feels like your brand is a little harder.
It`s why we don`t think content should begin with, “What should we post this week?”
It should begin much further back.
What do we want to be known for? What does our audience actually care about? What stories are worth telling? And how can we tell them in a way that could only really come from us?
Because when those things are clear, content stops being a constant search for something to say. You have a much stronger foundation to keep coming back to.
And that`s exactly why we created the Brand Builder Map and Brand Oracle.
Built on our Eight Brand Marks™ methodolgy, the Brand Builder Map and Oracle helps you explore the foundations of your brand, uncover what makes you distinctive and develop the clarity to guide everything that comes next, including your content.
Because knowing what to say starts with understanding who you are, what you stand for and why people should care.
Here`s Kannika behind the scenes capturing some of the content that brings those ideas to life.
Strategy gives you the story and content gives you somewhere to tell it.
Want to build a stronger foundation for your own brand? Explore Brand Oracle and the Brand Builder Map through the link in our bio.
Imagine what you could build with real brand clarity.
What if you could articulate exactly what makes your brand worth choosing? Know what you stand for, who you’re here for, where you’re going and what makes your perspective different?
Imagine making decisions with confidence. Communicating your value clearly. Creating work that feels unmistakably yours. Building a brand that people recognise, connect with and remember.
For nearly two decades, we’ve helped businesses explore these questions and turn their answers into meaningful brand strategies.
Now, we’ve brought that thinking together into the Eight Brand Marks™, a framework designed to uncover what makes every brand distinctive.
And we’ve created a new way for you to explore it yourself.
Something new is coming…
Comment ‘Imagine’ to find your Mark.
Being different isn`t the same as being distinctive.
A business can have a genuine point of difference and still be difficult to remember. It can also offer something remarkably similar to its competitors and become the brand people recognise first.
That`s because differentiation and distinction do two different jobs.
Differentiation gives people a reason to choose you.
Brand distinction gives them something to recognise, remember and associate with you.
And while differentiation often looks sideways at competitors, distinction starts by looking inward. At the stories, beliefs, experiences, relationships and perspectives that already make a business unmistakably itself.
Because the goal isn`t to be different for the sake of it but to become more confidently and recognisably yourself.
Our latest Studio Paper explores Brand Distinction vs Differentiation, why both matter and where lasting distinction actually comes from.
Link in bio to read more.
•
Studio Paper /002
Filed by: Oraco Agency
Reference: SP-002
Photo source: @joannaphotography.au
Filed under: #BrandDistinction #BrandDifferentiation #Branding #BrandIdentity
Build, nurture and evolve your brand with our actionable tips and insights delivered straight to your inbox.
