This time, OnTap with Arctic Leaf went for a more refreshing, Summer brew by launching OnTap Lite! This new spin on our in-demand discussion series sees Arctic Leaf's in-house experts join the discussion on trending industry topics as well as tried and true methodology, all in 30 minutes or less!
Every discussion promises to deliver expert tips, solutions, and strategies from a rotating panel of unique e-commerce insiders.
In our first Lite episode, attendees heard from Natalie Pucacco, Creative Director, and Anna Sybingco, UI Designer, as they dove into one of the most elusive yet necessary components of any e-commerce business: building a brand! Host Josh Garellek, Co-Founder & CEO of Arctic Leaf, provided insight from the merchant perspective, emphasizing the importance of collaboration when it comes to a strong brand strategy and design that is tailored to your target audience.
During the discussion, our experts spoke candidly about branding and how your brand is tied directly to your business reputation. While businesses may focus on logos and color schemes, your brand identity and brand promise go much deeper. We took deep dives into:
- The branding iceberg: How brand identity and brand strategy work together for consistent messaging.
- Setting up brand goals that give context to your client-facing design elements.
- How brand voice and brand consistency are some of the most important things you can do for your business.
- The Arctic Leaf brand philosophy, and how we can help you achieve greater brand success!
If you want to gain important insights and hear interesting discoveries, watch the full discussion for yourself below!
Here are the top 3 questions that were asked by attendees and the answers from our experts!
Question: How do you measure the effectiveness of your branding efforts?
Answer:
- Talk to your customers. If your intended brand perception aligns with how they actually view your brand then you have succeeded completely! Should you not have the resources to interview your customers, you can always take to social media and analyze interactions via likes, shares, and reposts.
- Start from a place of consistency across all touchpoints to get your 'baseline' and establish your reputation. Then, stay curious about how your customers think and, over time, identify the areas that need to be emphasized more.
Question: What role do "causes" play in branding (sustainability, etc.)?
Answer: Customers can smell insincerity from a mile off. You should have a 'why' behind your brand and it needs to be real. Figure out your core values and mission statement and stick to that. Remember, as a company, you attract what you put out. Supporting causes you believe in can draw like-minded individuals to your business!
Question: How can Arctic Leaf help create my brand strategy?
Answer: Whether you're looking for quick branding basics or a customized long-term approach, our team of UX designers, brand creators, and marketing strategists can help deliver everything you need to successfully renovate your brand strategy. We will start from the beginning and first go through your brand needs and values. After that, we will come up with a comprehensive game plan and report on who you are, your customer profile, how you can better meet their needs, and more. No matter which option you choose, your team will come out of our branding experience with a clear action plan and all the tools you need to become a memorable and successful brand!
To learn a little bit more about our speakers, keep reading!
From the beginning, Josh Garellek has been passionate about technology, entrepreneurship, and building strong partnerships. After starting an independent gaming studio, he fused his passions together in a merger that gave life to the full-service e-commerce agency Arctic Leaf is today. As a recipient of Forty Under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal in 2019, and a finalist for Top Business Owner in the 2020 Ottawa Awards, Josh has found success through expert innovation, creative marketing, and sales strategies.
With 10+ years of experience, Natalie Pucacco is a noteworthy leader in e-commerce design and development and a versatile mentor in the industry. Cutting her teeth in mobile app store merchandising and design, Natalie grew into fields of animation, videography, event space design, book publishing, and podcast production. She eventually wound up in UI Design/Development and has spent the last four years with Arctic Leaf as Creative Director, pioneering master design systems and collaborating with clients to create strong brands in the e-commerce space.
Anna Sybingco is a UX/UI-trained designer dedicated to data-driven design. Her cross-functional team leadership has led to working with developers, designers, researchers, and founders in a startup atmosphere. She's enjoyed seven years dedicated to working in all aspects of the hospitality industry. She's built a reputation as a leader in customer management, often managing expectations in an effective way and improving processes based on customer feedback.
Now that you're all caught up on the elements of a strong brand, we'd love for you to join us for future discussions! Simply click here and we'll make sure to add you to our early registration list.
As always, feel free to reach out to marketing@arcticleaf.io if you have any questions about brand management, brand development, brand identity, or anything else we covered in this discussion. We hope to see you soon!
