UK design agency · Packaging design · FMCG

New business and brand strategy for a leading design agency

The agency wanted to compete more confidently for market-leading food and beverage clients, and needed a clearer brand, stronger creative presence and a way of starting conversations with the right people.

BrandA packaging design agency based just outside of Bath, UK
What I didBrand strategy · Brand evolution · Photography direction · Website · Lead generation campaign · Awards strategy · Marketing management
RoleA two year contract as marketing and brand manager · 2016 — 2018
The situation

The agency had strong creative work but no clear strategy in place to position and present it to the FMCG and challenger brands they wanted to attract. The CEO wanted a sustainable pipeline of new business rather than relying on referrals or current client work alone. I was brought in on a six-month contract that extended to two years as the work evolved.

What I did

I started with a brand and marketing strategy built on discovery workshops with the team, exploring positioning, audience insight and what made the agency genuinely different from competitors in its service offer. From there the work moved into a brand refresh, elevating how the agency presented itself across every touchpoint.

A significant part of that was the photography and a new website. I wrote the brief and worked closely with the creative director, digital agency Chaptr.studio, and a photographer to produce imagery that properly reflected the quality and range of the agency's work.

With a clearer brand in place, I led the awards strategy and submissions for the Roses and FAB Awards, helping the agency secure a Gold Roses and Silver FAB award, which we collected as a team.

A lead generation campaign ran alongside the brand work. At a time when decision makers' inboxes were full of digital pitches, the strategy called for something different, something physical that would stop people and demand attention. The concept, Through Their Eyes, followed a day in the life of a consumer called Beth, tracing her sensory brand experiences from packaging experiences at home through to the retail environment. The campaign was produced as a printed booklet and sent directly to hundreds of decision makers at leading FMCG brands.

The campaign work extended into product animation, creating short branded content for a premium gin brand within the agency's client portfolio. Alongside the campaign and brand work I managed the agency's ongoing marketing, trade advertising, industry directories and seasonal campaigns.

What it led to

Gold and Silver industry awards. The new visual direction gave the agency a more premium and established presence, opening doors to market-leading brands.

Roses Design Award — Gold FAB Award — Silver
Andrew Stroud
CEO · Packaging design agency, Bath
I realised that I needed outside help to bring both fresh perspective and the time needed to get things done. This is why we hired Nina. An independent, objective mind with time dedicated to shaping and achieving business goals, as well as taking a look at our brand and communications strategy. With her objectivity and knowledge of working client and agency side, Nina was able to work closely with the team to successfully refresh our brand, website and conceptualise marketing campaigns that started conversations with market-leading brands.
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