LionBox - Design Studio

04/04/2022

The reason you’re not making the impact you desire to make through your brand and why you can’t attract the person who will be transformed by your services, is because you don’t have a clear brand message 💡

Right now you are...
🤔 Confused about how to explain what you do within your brand in many different ways
😬 Lacking clarity around who’s the person you’re helping
😰 Not being specific enough in your message, so your ideal client doesn’t understand how you can support them

And this is causing you to...
🤷‍♀️ Attract people that aren’t the right fit for your brand
🤦‍♀️ Sitting down at your laptop to create content or branding materials and feeling overwhelmed because you’re trying to appeal to everyone

One of the main things I help my clients with is being consistent with their brand message and having a clear branding strategy that will help them make the social impact they are meant to do.

If your brand message is clear...
🤩 Your audience will feel you are reading their minds and know that you are exactly the person they’ve been waiting for
🤗 You’ll sit down to write content or your website copy, feeling clear and knowing exactly what to say
😏 You’ll attract the people you are meant to help and have clarity around who each one of your brand offers is for

If you want to feel confident about your brand because it communicates the right message for your ideal client, instead of sitting down not knowing what to write about what you do and how, 💌 DM me the word BRAND and I will let you know more about my Brand Audits! ✨

📸: "how clear is your brand message?" typed over a photograph of me writing in a notebook with a blue filter

23/02/2020

After having created a Brand Strategy guide, I have used it to work on my own business! I filmed most of the process and have decided to create a quick video to explain what steps I have followed.

In the next video, I will share what I've done AFTER the brand strategy session, so you can get the most out of it!

12/02/2020

Do you know what problem many of my clients face when they come to me for help with their branding?

LACK OF CLARITY!

🤔 They want to sell or attract to everyone
😒 They want a logo very similar (almost identical!) to their competitor
🙄 They want to be on every platform and social network
😬 They want to be friendly, yet authoritative, but also serious, but also controversial
🤨 They just want to sell a lot and earn money

(Okay, this last one is a sign of lack of clarity only if there's no purpose behind what you do!)

And I get it. It feels like you actually know what you want (to sell to everyone, a logo in that style, to be everywhere...), but when you are starting a business or a side-hustle, lack of clarity can be a defining factor in, well, failure.

Defining your brand personality, your target audience, your goals and your style is not hard, but you have to stop for a moment and actually get it done. And what I have found to be the best way to do it, is by working on your Brand Strategy first!

Before I start any branding project, I always carry out a Brand Strategy Session with my client. The process is long and can be tiring, but it is SO worth it for both, the client, who gets clarity on where to put their efforts, and the designer (myself), who can create a solid base for all the design work that comes afterwards. It's the best method to ensure we approach the project in the best possible way.

❗Last week, I launched a *free* Brand Strategy guide that includes all the information and exercises you need to do your own session! It's easy to follow, and very detailed, and you can get access to it within minutes from the link in the bio, or by visiting: lionbox.design/brand_strategy

If you're starting a business or project, or maybe considering a re-branding, this is the perfect moment to work on your strategy! Don't miss the opportunity, and please, let me know if you have any questions when working from the guide.

Happy strategising ✌️ @ Oxford

04/01/2020

To start 2020, at LionBox we are re-thinking our business plan and our services.
On that note, we have written a post about the initial steps we followed when we started the company.

Check it out here!:

In this post, I explain the first steps in starting a design studio. Some of these tips apply to any kind of business (most of them, actually), so I will talk about what I have experience with.

04/01/2020

“Little by little, your business is trying to make a difference, and the more businesses with a conscience that can be a success, the more we all benefit” Trudie Thorp
This is, in short, the reason why at LionBox we focus on helping socially responsible businesses. Being a small team, our best bet at helping the world is by collaborating with bigger brands, brands that have the power to change the world. Your brand.

For this same reason, we joined 11 amazing businesses that support sustainable and ethical brands so we can bring you the best offers to start the year strong!
💚🤶🎄
Today, in day 11 of the 12 days of ‘Greenmas’ Trudie from Trudie Thorp Digital Marketing Consultant is offering 20% off any of her marketing services for the whole month of January!

From a Content Strategy plan to producing an SEO optimised blog post with unique graphics, Trudie provides a wide range of services that will help you stand out and drive traffic to your site, and create a change to your business from the ground up. Her goal is to help brands built on social responsibility or looking to reduce environmental impact by providing the tools to these brands on building relationships with their audiences.

Check her services (https://buff.ly/2QLIoYZ) and message now her to book a free chat. Trudie’s blend of creativity and marketing know-how will help you create success, and in turn, help others!
💚🤶🎄
Leave your questions in the comments, or contact Trudie directly to know more!

03/01/2020

As brand designers, we know how important it is to use social media to share the brand’s message, and to start conversations with your potential customers. Whichever platform you use, you need to stay consistent with your posting schedule and the management of your communications.

A few months ago, as part of a bigger project, we collaborated with Jo, from Seeing Social to create a social media strategy for our client. She worked on a content plan for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and took care of everything for us!
🎅🎄💚
Today, on day 10 of the 12 days of ‘Greenmas’ Jo is offering one month of social media management at half price, to make sure your social media presence is being taken care of! This is a great initial step to set the foundations of your platforms.

Jo helps start-ups and small businesses tell the world about themselves and their ethical and socially responsible activities that make them fair to trade with. She understands the struggles and time commitment needed, so she makes sure your content, schedule and direct messages are well looked after.

Check Seeing Social website (https://buff.ly/2Cwl3VY) to learn more, and message Jo at [email protected] with the code “GreenDayOfXmas” to get access to this exclusive offer!
🎅🎄💚
Leave your questions in the comments, or contact Jo directly to know more!

01/01/2020

Running your own business is not easy. Some people won’t understand you, and sometimes you’ll want to give up! From my own experience, a coach can really help seeing things in a different light. As a person who is not directly involved in your personal life, a coach gets to know you from zero, and she/he can see things you might not. I worked with a coach for a few months earlier this year, and it helped me dealing with my own fears and understanding (and loving) myself a bit more!

🎅🎄💚
Today, on day 8 of the 12 days of ‘Greenmas’ Mel from Ecopreneur Coach is offering 50% off a Strategy Intensive session to reduce the overwhelm of running your sustainable business.

Mel is a Business and Mindset Coach for Sustainable Entrepreneurs. She offers actionable advice and accountability, so you feel motivated, directed and reignited in the belief that your dreams/goals are achievable!

If you are feeling overwhelmed, alone and stressed running your own business, Mel will help you overcome your roadblocks, moving your business forward and facing your fears so you can accomplish everything you set your mind to!

Check https://buff.ly/359kE6w for Mel’s offer, and make 2020 the year when you achieve your business goals! Her offer ends on the 12th of January, and it’s redeemable until the 30th of June, 2020! Don’t miss out!
🎅🎄💚

In addition, Mel created the fantastic graphics for the ‘12 Days of Greenmas’ promotion!

Leave your questions in the comments, or contact Mel directly to know more!

Happy 2020! 🎉

29/12/2019

As entrepreneurs, at LionBox we always look to collaborate with other creatives that can provide the skills that we don’t have. Copywriting and proofreading is definitely one of those areas where you can always benefit from a fresh pair of eyes. We believe that using the right words to share your message and values is more important than having an amazing product. After all, “copy is a direct conversation with the consumer.” (Shirley Polykoff)

Today, in day 5 of the 12 days of ‘Greenmas’ Cath from Cath Harris Media (https://buff.ly/2Q4W6qM) is offering a 25% discount on copywriting and proofreading services throughout January 2020.

Cath writes and proofreads for those keen to promote a green initiative or campaign – or their environmental credentials. She’ll write your blog, case study or LinkedIn post, give your e-news punch or provide a no-nonsense press release!

With Cath, you'll have a professional and accessible copy that tells your story, helps win business or champions your cause. Her words will bring professionalism, authority and credibility to everything you publish; her proofreading skills will give finesse to everything you write.

Check Cath’s website or contact her at [email protected] with an outline of your project or for an informal chat about the help you would like. She will help you with your new web content, blog post(s) or a feature article. It could mean a professionally trained, fresh pair of eyes for existing copy, your marketing materials or even your debut book!

Leave your questions in the comments, or contact Cath directly to know more!

28/12/2019

‘A picture is worth ten thousand words’ Frederick Barnard said this in 1927, and today’s best example for this is social media. At LionBox, we value good quality photography, because it helps us in every step of the branding process: creating moodboards, presenting logo ideas and designing real websites. A good photograph can be what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Today, in day 4 of the 12 days of ‘Greenmas’ Zoe from Zoe Mills Photography is offering 50% off a photoshoot which includes 5 final digital photographs, and prints if required.

Zoe is an intuitive and sensible photographer who emphasises and captures special moments in beautiful, effective pictures, presented in bespoke hand-crafted picture frames that can be enjoyed for generations. She specialises in portraits and photographs for companies building their brand identity. In addition, she can provide photographs for promotional material, event organisers, businesses, couples and families.

Zoe promotes and stands for all environmentally friendly aspects of photography, including her own practice when it comes to printing and framing.

Check https://buff.ly/34X9TE1, or e-mail Zoe at [email protected]. Once you get her discount, it is valid for 6 months! Don’t miss out!
Leave your questions in the comments, or contact Zoe directly to know more!

27/12/2019

We always start our branding projects with a Brand Strategy Session. This is such a great way to set the foundations for the rest of the work together, that we make sure we take our time to walk our clients through the process. In short, it is a 3-4 hour workshop in which we go in-depth on everything that surrounds your brand, not only the visuals but also your target audience, values and brand narrative. All of this helps us develop a visual identity, and any other assets needed to share your message!

For more information about what a Brand Strategy Session is, how we do it and why it is important, check our article on LinkedIn, https://buff.ly/2rw5SZC

Our Christmas offer is a 50% off this in-person workshop! The offer includes the delivery of the presentation and exercises done during the session. Check out https://buff.ly/2EI3qSO to read more about the offer! Don't miss out! It ends on the 15th of January, 2020, but you have until March to redeem it.

Book an initial call to discuss your branding project, or just to ask us any questions, at https://buff.ly/2ZtLxR9

We will be creating some amazing material around the topic of brand strategy in the coming weeks. Follow us to learn more!