How a big picture approach clarified Continuum’s message to strengthen culture, community, and confidence
Strategically rebranding Continuum from the inside out
Strategically rebranding Continuum from the inside out
Continuum is the community-led education platform that helps creatives learn the skills & information needed to succeed in the digital economy.
Co-founders Jamey and Jason knew their platform inside and out. The problem? They struggled to see it from the user’s POV. This called for an outsider’s perspective to help them develop clear messaging that explained what they do and why people should use Continuum.
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Jamey and Jason have been hands-on with Continuum since its inception. This took their eyes off of what needed to be done to create a truly transformational brand. Our job was to help them see the big picture, which meant redirecting their focus on features and benefits to more mission and vision-oriented messaging.
As the first learn-to-earn (L2E) platform in web3, Continuum needed a strategy that went beyond the surface to stand out in the market. Our challenge was to show users how the platform can positively impact their lives, business, and, more importantly, the future of education.
Continuum boasts a variety of features on the platform. This made it difficult to distinguish which were most important when it came to the brand messaging. Our job was to clearly communicate that the value isn’t Continuum itself, it’s who users become when they use it.
At the end of the project, Continuum received a Brand Strategy Blueprint, which includes standards, guidelines, and references for:
Ideal Consumer → Brand DNA → Brand Embodiment → Marketing → Implementation
“My co-founder and I are so specific about our brand messaging we had little hope that someone outside of our org could produce something we liked. We gave Shyne a shot and we absolutely loved what she did for us. Her listening skills are unrivaled and she is an excellent writer and brand strategist.” –Jason
I approached our initial meetings from a coaching perspective, leading Jamey and Jason through guided conversations that helped them articulate the company’s vision.
During a series of video calls, I asked open-ended questions that helped define Continuum’s values and message. Our discussions helped shift their perspective to the users’ POV by asking questions they hadn't considered before.
After each call, I dove into research and created a competitive audit deck of the online education and L2E industries. The audit revealed what content was working for their competitors and identified gaps in the market that Jamey and Jason could tap into. Along with consumer research, this emphasized why Continuum is different (and better) than other online ed platforms, which made it easier to communicate the value to their audience and users.
Jamey and Jason knew why their platform was useful but needed to speak their users’ language to connect with them.
I helped them accomplish this through consumer research and the creation of empathy maps & user profiles to describe their struggles, demographics, and psychographics. I also presented brand identity, strategy, and drafts of messaging (including copy for their website) that encapsulated Continuum’s vision in every part of the branding.
The final product was a presentation of the curated Brand Strategy Blueprint that acts as the brand DNA for Continuum. This is their guiding light for the future, connecting short-term and long-term goals back to their bullet-proof brand strategy. Because a brand isn't just seen or felt… it’s experienced and lived out every day by your community.
- More relevant content that connects with their audience
- Clarity around how to communicate the brand’s value and impact to the team, investors, and partners
- Landing more brand deals, partnerships, and investors
- Confidence to host more community events
“Shyne was a huge factor in helping us recenter and align with our audience and mission. As a founder, it's easy to get lost over months of being heads down in the product. Shyne’s branding processes led us to epiphanies about how we wanted to communicate to our audience, and even the direction we wanted to move in as a company. Highly recommend!” –Jamey Gannon
Turn the things that make you you into a brand people love.
