Don't strive for first place. Aim for this instead.
Another July newsletter for all things rebranding and storytelling
Hi Story Lover,
If you feel like progress in your business or life is slow, I want you to think of yourself as a truffle farm. Hear me out...
A truffle farm is a long-term investment that requires patience, tenacity and commitment. But after 8 - 10 years, the result is black gold: delicious, expensive, coveted truffles.
Why have I got truffles on my mind? On the weekend I went on my first truffle hunt with Red Hill Truffles on the Mornington Peninsula.
There are just a couple of months of the year when truffles are harvested. So much energy is invested throughout the year for that short window of time: pruning to 'stress' the trees, testing and retesting the soil's alkaline levels, adding tonnes of lime to balance it, and flooding the plantation every 14 days. There's a constant battle at play with Australia's acidic soil levels and insistent wildlife.
Until Saturday, I'd thought truffles just sort of 'appeared' under big old trees, and that cute pigs snaffled them out from under the earth. Nope. Red Hill Truffle farm owner Jenni McAuley, and her dogs Maddie and Thomas, showed us how it's done. I even dug up my very own truffle.
Jenni is an ex-social worker who inherited an apple and cherry plantation in Red Hill from her Uncle. Having never farmed before, she and her hubby decided to turn it into a truffle farm with oak and hazelnut trees - as a retirement plan! Jenni didn't know what she was taking on. But she's done a stellar job.
Hearing Jenni's journey was nothing short of inspiring. She's retired. She has less time ahead of her than most of us. And yet she's invested in this slow and steady way of living and working because it's worth the time (literally - my partner Toby dug up a truffle half the size of his fist, worth a cool $450).
When you feel like you are not growing as quickly as you 'should' be; when others seem to be overtaking you and you're feeling left behind - just remember you're not out to get anywhere first.
Gold is not what we want to win. It's Black Gold we're aspiring to.
Mish x
BRAND REFRESH INSPO
Join a 'stock society'
Every business needs stunning, on-brand imagery to create engaging content. But using Pexels, Unsplash and Pixabay can leave us floating in a sea of sameness. How to stand out? Join a stock society! These are membership-based photography portals, giving you access to beautifully shot images from professional photographers, for a monthly subscription fee. As a bonus, you might get Canva templates and free content calendars. I can vouch for Styled Stock Society (their thematic monthly drops are perfect for female-centred businesses - get 25 FREE pics here) and local Aussie-based society Brand Eliza Stock (grab 20 FREE images here). Google 'stock image memberships' to find a stock society that suits your business and budget.
Rebrand Roundup
Bold, beautiful, good and bad - they're all here!
Uni of Adelaide Student Union chooses a porn name...
...and it's not someone's first pet and street.
The Uni of Adelaide's Student Union has rebranded from AUU to 'YouX' - but don't go Googling it unless you want to see porn😉
An ABC Breakfast presenter has put Union President Oscar Ong in the hot seat; asking why no one noticed the risqué rename during the 18-month rebrand process.
His answer? They hadn't noticed. And audience research showed students loved the 'user experience' flavour of the new name.
The hoo-ha surrounding the error is growing. Google has 'flagged' the search term 'YouX' and prevented the Union showing up in internet searches. A Greens MP who was part of the Union leadership back in his uni days has called the whole rebrand "regrettable".
The name choice is clearly a bad move. But the backlash also speaks volumes about people's resistance to change, especially when posh-ish institutions are involved.
Adelaide University's chief marketing officer Dr Benjamin Grindlay apparently warned against the rebrand last year because it would damage the 'trust' associated with the Union.
And that Greens MP, Robert Simms? He said he was "disappointed to see the union name has been dropped", given it is a "longstanding institution here in Adelaide".
When things don't go their way, fancy haters gonna hate.
Skincare label Haeckels takes eco design to the next level
When Estée Lauder invests, it's time to elevate your offering
In just 10 years, British skincare brand Haeckels has risen from the humble beachside town of Margate to the shelves of Selfridges and Liberty.
The brand describes itself as an 'amplifier of the natural world'. It offers skincare products infused with marine ingredients, and spa treatments "composed by the ocean". Dreamy!
A recent minority investment from the Estée Lauder Companies gave Haeckels the opportunity to elevate their brand and offering - and they don't disappoint!
Aside from the logo and values, nothing has been left untouched. There's a new look and feel, new marine-infused products, a new home line, new packaging design, a new store fit-out, and a new website.
The Haeckels rebrand embraces a scientific design aesthetic and narrative that speaks to its robust eco-credentials. It's a brand position that sidesteps the greenwashing that is rife in today's marketing.
The new brand colour is a steely blue-grey that conjures a laboratory aesthetic while still feeling warm. The new store has minimalist aluminium furniture, fittings and fixtures that wouldn't look out of place in said lab.
The design and science aesthetic extends to the products. The skincare vessels are made from a revolutionary new compostable material called Vivomer. It's comprised of the same microbes that are found in soil and ocean water - so they give back to the soil when they break down.
Haeckels' new brand is an ode to the science behind sustainability.
Brand Story Breakdown: Hiut Denim
From the blog…
I discovered Hiut Denim through founder David Hieatt's other business - the Do Lectures. David is an ex Saatchi and Saatchi ad man, and a master marketer. Discover how he and his wife Clare revived an old denim factory in Wales, and got their jeans on Meghan Markle's butt through powerful storytelling.
About Brand
Brand Refresh vs Full Blown Rebrand
I love my therapists. If Michelle Mk2000 ran into Michelle Mk2022 on some strange space-time continuum, she wouldn’t recognise her. But she’d be very impressed with our evolution.
Self-care is a metaphor I like to bring into conversations about changing up your brand. It makes it easier to imagine the difference between a brand refresh and a rebrand.
What does a brand refresh involve?
Thinking about a realignment in what you do? A few kinks in your back need ironing out? Treat yourself to a spa day, massage and makeover, and roll out a brand refresh.
This minimal-intervention, light-touch option is a firm favourite with spa newbies and young businesses. You’ll get a shinier, fresher brand that’s still recognisably you.
You might:
✔️Tweak your brand personality
✔️Refresh your services and strategies
✔️Refine your target audience
✔️Adapt your logo
✔️Add new colours and fonts to your website and socials
What does a rebrand involve?
Psyched up for epic transformation in your business? Longing for a complete image overhaul? You need to commit to some serious therapy and pay a cheeky visit to your plastic surgeon.
This option's a no-brainer for established businesses that are feeling tired, flat, directionless and outdated. You'll walk out unrecognisable (in the best way possible - *insert Melbourne plastic surgery regulation joke here*).
You might:
✔️Introduce a whole new business personality
✔️Change your business name
✔️Pivot with a new suite of services
✔️Design a new logo
✔️Target a whole new audience
✔️Launch a new website
As for how you know which one to choose – it’s a matter of timing, money, appetite for change, competitor activity and business goals!
Upcoming events
The 30 Day Biz Brand Refresh Challenge
30 Days. 30 Prompts. Take practical action to reassess your values, revive your socials, and reconnect with your passion for your biz. This is not your usual 5-day Facebook challenge where someone is pitching their digital product ;-)
The 30-Day Biz Brand Refresh Challenge comes with one inbox prompt a day, plus four live check-in workshops with me to keep you motivated and receive feedback on your progress.
If you’re curious and keen, sign up to the wait list now!
That’s a wrap for this fortnight, Story Lover.
See you next time!
Mish x
Brand Strategist and Storyteller, The Storytelling Business
