Brand-Led

In this week’s episode, we’re talking about the power of asking big questions. Our willingness to question instead of just answer gives us the ability to control the conversations in our space and increase our authority. From client conversations through to big, narrative-forming brand messaging, the questions we ask matter.YOU DON'T WANT TO MISSThe power of asking big questions in initial client conversations, and how it can position you as a true expert.Why your willingness to question the tightly held assumptions in your space can help you cut through the noise.The importance of being able to provide structure and thought-leadership, especially in today’s climate of uncertainty LINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with usWe reference Episode #2 Uncovering Your Brand’s Big Idea 

Relaunching a new brand can feel like a big undertaking. Not only is there a laundry list of items to update, from websites to email signatures, but it’s important to include and consider when and how you’ll announce your new direction to your team, customers and broader audience. In this episode, we’re giving you 3 big tips for a successful brand relaunch to help you tackle all your to-do’s without losing your sanity.YOU DON'T WANT TO MISSHow to uncover all the brand items that need to be updated (hint: it’s not just graphics)Why you should consider a phased brand rolloutTips for announcing and revealing your rebrand to your team, customers and audienceLINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

If you’re working in a competitive space, it can feel like an uphill battle to get noticed by your ideal clients. In this episode, we share practical tips for getting seen by the right people in a noisy world.WE DISCUSS:How to reduce competition instantly, with one simple tipHow to become hyper-relevant to the people you want to work withHow to use your brand assets to create contrast between you and everyone elseHow to use surprising customer experiences to stick in people’s minds and generate referrals.LINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

As good as our intentions are, what we say, what we believe and what we do, don’t always align. When this happens and we notice it, it can be a mighty uncomfortable feeling. If you’ve ever done something you knew you really shouldn’t have, you’ll know that sinking feeling well. And it has a name. Cognitive dissonance.Because cognitive dissonance makes us feel uneasy, it can stop us from taking action on what we really want or cause us to switch our behaviour altogether.Here’s the thing—your favourite brands know exactly how to create and ease that uncomfortable feeling to help their customers take action.They’ll offer them new beliefs or actions to ease the stress, embarrassment or regret that they may feel when their actions don’t align with their beliefs. So, if you’re building your own brand, you can see how understanding what causes cognitive dissonance in your customers could help them move from ‘maybe one day’ to a ‘hell yes’.And that’s what this week’s Brand-Led episode is all about!WE DISCUSSWhat cognitive dissonance is and how it changes our behaviourHow cognitive dissonance can provide depth to the customer problem we solveExamples of brands that create and ease cognitive dissonance in their audienceWhy and how cognitive dissonance can be used to spark action in your buyersLINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

When most people think about design they think about creating something aesthetically pleasing. But as we discussed in today’s episode, aiming for a beautiful design might be a flawed approach. WE DISCUSS:Why a beautiful design is a subjective measure and not necessarily a helpful oneThe part of design most people don’t consider and why it mattersShould personal preferences be taken into account when designing your visual identity?3 helpful criteria to assist in evaluating a design or briefing your designerWhy you don’t want as many opinions as possible on your visual identity and who to ask for feedback.

No one is going to pay attention to your brand until they know you can solve a problem for them. Being able to talk clearly about the problem you solve for your clients can help you build a brand that connects and sticks in people’s minds.  So what problem are you solving?IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODEHow to build memorability by becoming known for a specific problemBig brand names who’ve become known for the problem they solveThe deeper problems your clients might not talk about, and why they’re important to uncoverThe wildly popular copywriting formula that relies on you having a clear problemHow to choose a problem to focus on, especially if you offer many different services.LINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

Are values just a set of fluffy, corporate statements that no one can remember? Or do they actually add value to a business? This week’s episode is all about brand values. What they are, why brands use them and whether you need them.WE DISCUSSWhat values are and how they’re used in brandingWhen and why values are important to defineThe reason most brand’s values add little value to their businessWhere values come from and some questions to start defining yoursLINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

If you’ve ever tried to choose your own brand fonts, you’ll know it’s easy to get lost in countless options and combinations. In this week’s episode, we’re giving you an insight into our design process and how we choose typefaces for our clients' brands.WE DISCUSSThe difference between a font and a typeface (no they’re not the same thing!)Four criteria to help you find the perfect typefaces for your brand3 common mistakes people make when choosing typefaces and how to avoid themWhether you should use the same typeface for your logo and your supporting fontsLINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with usKnow someone who could find this episode useful? Don’t forget to share it with them!

Whenever someone arrives on your website for the first time, you can bet they’re asking themselves a few key questions. Am I in the right place? Is this for me? Will this work? Is the risk of buying this worth the reward?Your website’s job is to reassure your ideal customers that yes, they’re in the right place, that yes this is a great solution for them and that yes the reward will outweigh the risk.You can tell them all these things. But, most people won’t just take your word for it. They want you to show them that you’re credible. And that’s where proof comes into play.And there are a lot of different types of proof you can use and in this week’s episode, we’re going to be outlining 7 of our favourites.LINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

Everyday we browse websites, skimming and scanning to find the information we want. But rarely do we think about what went into making the website and the time and money spent. That is, until we are about to build one ourselves. In today’s episode we’re highlighting some of the costs you might not have thought about, so you can be informed of the real costs associated with launching your website.YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS:8 commonly forgotten elements that add to your website budgetThe difference between using a template design and building a custom websiteWhy you need a budget for imagery, even if you plan to use free stock photos or videoThe #1 thing that stalls website builds and how not to let it delay yoursLINKS & RESOURCES:Follow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

Ever been told that you’re too expensive? Ever lost a client because they couldn’t ‘justify the price’? Rejection is never fun and let’s face it, you’re not a good fit for every client. But, for the right client, your offer should be irresistible. So if you suspect your offer is to blame for a lack of high value clients getting in touch or signing on the dotted line, today’s episode is for you. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS:The two big reasons people might balk at your priceWhy you need to work out what your client really wants from youThe problem with letting your personal beliefs and assumptions influence your offerWhy price and convenience are just some of the factors influencing buying decisionsHow to avoid competing on priceLINKS & RESOURCES:Follow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with usSnag your free coming soon page

Ever heard the advice that you need to “niche down” or “specialise”? It’s smart advice, but few businesses do it, because frankly, choosing is hard, not to mention counterintuitive. Will specialising mean fewer leads? And which speciality should you choose? In this episode, we talk about the benefits of specialising and six different ways you can specialise. WE DISCUSSThe benefits of specialisationSix common ways to specialise— including horizontal, platform, vertical, demographic, psychographic and situational specialisation and examples of each. LINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

Choosing your brand colours can feel like a stab in the dark— unless you have a clear direction. In this episode, we discuss the thought process behind choosing brand colours and some of the considerations you need to make when selecting yours. We discuss:Why you can’t choose your colours until you understand what you’re trying to communicate and to whoWhy looking at your closest competitors can help guide your colour choiceWhy picking your hues is only part of the equation, and the importance of colour application in visual communication.Links and resources:Follow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

Can’t think of one single thing that makes you different from the rest? We can— your founder story! And the good news is, everyone has a compelling story to share (even if you think your business’ inception was especially ordinary). In this week’s episode we’re talking about founder stories, and how to uncover yours.WE DISCUSS:What a founder story is and why you need one The 3 unmissable ingredients that make for a memorable founder storyFounder stories from Airbnb and NikeTwo angles to help uncover your founder storyLINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with usKnow someone who would be interested in this episode? Don’t forget to share it with them!

When we started our studio, brand strategy was never something we ever offered. Now, brand strategy is a critical piece of our process, and it’s given more meaning, focus and depth to every project. But what exactly is brand strategy? Does every business really need one? And are you just paying a lot of money for another digital document that will sit on your server gathering dust?WE DISCUSS:The difference between a discovery or briefing session and a brand strategy sessionWhy we decided to implement brand strategy workshops in our businessWhat we cover in a strategy sessionWhether brand strategy is actually necessary to create visuals or write copy Why not all businesses need a brand strategy and how to tell if it’s the right move for youLINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with usKnow someone who would be interested in this episode? Don’t forget to share it with them!

There’s so much to learn from successful brands, and this week’s brand we love is one we personally use and recommend. Webflow has managed to build a strong community, particularly of designers and developers and in this episode, we take a look at the strengths of this brand, from their big idea, to their brand personality and visuals. QUOTES FROM THE SHOW“I think Webflow are a brand that people want to join. And it all comes back to their big idea.”“To join a brand, we need to be presented with a compelling future that we believe in.”“I like to think of your brand message like a story or a movie. Contrast and tension is what makes it interesting.”“If you want your brand message to be memorable, you need to show people a compelling future and invite them into it.”“Your brand only exists in people’s minds. It’s a perception. If you fail to talk to them, connect with them and involve them, they become less invested in the journey to the vision and are less likely to remain advocates.”“One of their values is get it done, do it right. So there you go. I love a brand that actually lives out their values.”LINKS & RESOURCESLearn more about WebflowRead more about why we love the Webflow CMS on our blogFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

In this week’s episode of Brand-Led, we share a personal story from a recent trip to Broome, where we stayed in two different hotels. We discuss how brand experiences on and offline impacted perceptions of each hotel, where we booked and where we’d stay again given the choice. WE DISCUSSWhy your website experience matters when selling your services and how hotel websites dictated where we booked and how much we were willing to pay.The importance of setting realistic expectations on your website and creating consistent experiences on and offline.LINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

Ever heard the advice to ignore your competition? Some marketing and branding pros are of the opinion that staying in your lane and just being yourself is enough to separate you from everyone else in your space. This week, we’re unpacking whether this is sound advice and tips for evaluating your competition, without getting caught up in comparisons.WE DISCUSS:When and why you would want to evaluate your closest competitorsReasons why some marketing and branding pros advise clients not to pay attention to the competition, and whether it’s sound adviceWhy being better than your competition is a flawed strategyA simple, three part framework for choosing the right brand positioningOur best tips for approaching a competitor analysisLINKS & RESOURCES:Follow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

When we first wrote about Go-To as a Brand We Love back in 2018, they were gaining popularity. Four years on, they’re now worth $177 million dollars and stocked in stores like Mecca, Anthropologie and Revolve. We thought it was time to revisit this peach-clad brand to unpack what they can teach us about branding.WE DISCUSS:How Go-To use their big idea to separate opportunities from distractionsWhat we think is their most distinctive asset, and why it works for them.How to avoid coming across as disingenuous when building your brand and the difference between creating your brand and uncovering it. How Go-To nurture a community of like-minded customers.LINKS & RESOURCESFind out more about Go-To on their website or on instagramFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us

There are some customers who will get more value out of your product or service than others. Being able to focus on identifying and attracting them is undoubtedly going to make your business more profitable. Not just because you have the ability to charge more if you want to, but also because a happy customer is more likely to come back, refer their friends, leave positive reviews and try your new offers.Some people think more customers is what they need. But more isn’t always better.In today’s podcast episode, we’re chatting about the 3, simple steps you can use to start attracting ‘better’ customers.Plus, we answer subscriber Alexander’s question— “Would a branding investment help elevate my business?”LINKS & RESOURCESFollow us on Instagram: @baker_creative @brand.led and @self_made.studioFor more visit bakercreative.com.au and self-made.studioWork with us