"...A good brand is one that has a clear, coherent identity and offers true value..."

As a warm up question… What’s it like working with Somewhere Else (SE)

Shu:
Was totally painful, they kept hounding us to look within and dig deeper and gave us so much “homework”. Kidding. They were great. They offered great insights and helped us align our goals and vision for the brand.

Cherin:
For me it’s a lot more personal, SE has been an instrumental ally in helping me, us as a brand figure out who we are as a brand, why we do what we do, and the how’s of what’s next. Something that sounds straightforward to do, but not everyone could understand the complexities of our brand the way they did. It takes a company of similar beliefs to take on a brand like ours successfully and SE has been patient and supportive till the very end, handholding us at every step without sparing the rod, ensuring we understand the bigger picture and helping us to unpack complexities that come with it.

What did we do together?

Shu:
We started off with a Brand Audit so we could better identify our internal issues; for e.g. how we could improve creative processes; how we thought we were perceived vs. what was actually perceived; where we stood against our peers e.t.c. With the insights gleaned, we then worked on the Brand Strategy that defined/re- defined our brand values, positioning, personality, tone, messaging e.t.c. Basically a guide for us to follow internally (particularly handy when we sometimes feel lost) and communicate externally (so the messaging is targeted and consistent). You awesome folks also came up with a new Brand Identity; making us look more professional, sleek and chic. This journey definitely helped strengthened us as a brand.

Cherin:
This type of strategising, in context to LAANK particularly, is not one that most would be used to or exposed to. This endeavour requires us as a brand, and me as an individual to dig deep to figure both our identities concurrently and coherently because LAANK is an extension of me. You come to realise trying to answer a simple question of “Who am I?” as a brand (or even as in individual) as a very tall order; especially when the consideration has to balance authenticity vs. competition, and not an answer that reveals itself easily. Beyond identity work, what we have done together, for me, for the brand, for my team is we’ve forged a new path forward. SE gave us the instruments to keep believing in what we do and a clearer sense of purpose to keep doing what we do with confidence.

How did you come to embark on this journey of rethinking what LAANK is, and would become?

Shu:
We just celebrated our 9th anniversary and we’re moving into different phase of growth; it was about time to relook where we are and where we’re headed.

Cherin:
Having been doing what we do for 9 years, I felt it was time to “re-pin the donkey’s tail”. Over the years, ambitions have grown, purposes have changed and goals have been shifted. As an individual I too felt that I was no longer the same person as I was when we started. Getting your identity refreshed felt like a natural move to take after close to a decade, but at the same time I inherently wanted to ensure that I’m still me and we’re still us, I didn’t want a “created identity” but wanted one that would clearly reflect what was befitting to us.

Describe the challenges that we faced at the time.

Cherin:
The most challenging part was that because we want the brand identity to stem from a place of authenticity, setting the key direction had to come from me (the brand) first.

That being said, when you’re in the early stages of trying to figure out who you are, what makes you you, it’s a daunting task that forces you to dig deep—something that takes time and requires head space to do. Prior to working with SE, at times I thought I had it figured out to a certain extent but was actually still struggling with figuring out how to link our business and brand strategies.

If we had a chance to do it all over again, what would we do differently?

Cherin:
To figure out how to make the processes and journey less daunting for people that are “not a branding person”; someone who’s not familiar with this world of brand identities, purely because the ones that come through the door are the ones who probably aren’t too familiar or aren’t able to comprehend it too well. Whether it was breaking up the scope into smaller bite sizes or having the homework required streamlined or simplified even further to “idiot-proof” it.

What has been the biggest obstacle throughout the project towards your goals?

Cherin:
Finding the headspace and time to figure things out, then trying to implement it in-between the intense work schedule of the team.

How did you overcome it?

Shu:
Had Somewhere Else come in to housekeep our mess! An independent, unrelated party offers a new and alternative perspective. This project has forced us to work on things we’ve been sitting on for too long. More often than not we are so focused and preoccupied with managing our ongoing projects and external matters that we don’t have the bandwidth to look at things internally.

Agree with Shu, but I also feel having Shu dedicated to helping me out with it made a whole lot of difference, I wouldn’t be able to have done this without her attention on it.

What does a good brand mean to you?

Shu:
A good brand is one that has a clear, coherent identity and offers true value.

Cherin:
Agree with Shu, one that is easy to understand, feels sincere and authentic, not fluffed up. One that is genuine, that truly brings something of value to the table.

How has your understanding of branding changed over the years?

Cherin:
Branding used to be aesthetics driven to me; creating a logo, designing a menu. The same way I was taught eons ago what interiors was—picking a nice wallpaper, choosing nice furniture. Today, Branding is more than that, Branding to me now is the process of giving a meaning to a specific business; products or services by creating a strategy that can give shape to identity and experience. It’s the main differentiator or deciding factor that is going to help your audience choose you.

In what ways does becoming a stronger brand, help your business?

Cherin:
It sets a path for you to attract the right crowd, attract the right talent and allows you to focus on the right projects and causes. I think of strong branding as a bright North Star that helps you see the way ahead.

How do you intend to maintain the integrity of the brand?

Shu:
We adopted and set in place more standards, structures, frameworks but this doesn’t mean that we’re building a team of robots or becoming “template-tised”. I’d like to see ourselves as a band, each with our own strengths and but all playing to the same beats.

Cherin:
Agree, now that direction is given, I believe that the first necessary steps are implementing internally, making sure the team drums to the same rhythm. This means fostering a culture by setting standards and processes that allow for this to be harmonised internally. Then necessary marketing thereafter.