STRATEGY + BRAND REDESIGN +

COPYWRITING + PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTION

+ WEBSITE

Merriman Wealth Management

Merriman Wealth Management wanted a new look and an updated brand story. The company was about to have its 40th anniversary and wanted to update its positioning in the market. Merriman had a powerful origin story but over the decades the company had evolved and Merriman wanted to look to the future with a new story, a new look and a new way of talking to its target audience. 

They knew that they had a compelling proposition and were different to their competitors, so they wanted to tell their story in a way that stood out.

CHALLENGE

The wealth management sector is competitive, but many firms do not make an effort to differentiate themselves in the market. They look and sound very similar and make it hard for consumers to choose between them. Merriman wanted to stand out from the crowd and chose to work with Alkimie because they believed that we would think differently about their proposition and could bring their unique story to life.

TESTIMONIAL

“The Alkimie Collective is a team of mindful and gifted collaborators who really know their stuff when it comes to brand strategy and marketing. Their ability to dive into another company’s psyche, learn the ropes about our key business, operations, and key decision makers is masterful. The team has done an amazing job of understanding our industry background, and where our company has come from and where we hope to go. They elevated our company in a way we could not have conceived on our own. The team provided wisdom and rationale amidst a robust and creative group of branding options for us to consider, and then coached us along our decision path without actually telling us what to do.”

SERVICES PROVIDED

  • Brand strategy

Working with the Merriman leadership team, we conducted a thorough discovery process to uncover what made them special and the unique attributes of the organization that would resonate most strongly with their audience. From there, we built out a full brand strategy, including core guiding principles, market positioning and messaging. We also shaped their understanding of their target audience so that the team was clear on who was, and who wasn’t, their ideal client.

  • Art direction + design

From here, we created a new visual identity for the brand including logo, color scheme, and suite of icons and patterns. We brought these brand strategy and visual elements together into an overarching set of comprehensive brand guidelines.

  • Website content strategy + copywriting

Using the brand’s fully articulated identity we created a website sitemap and copy that would appeal to Merriman’s audience and communicate in a different way to its competitors. 

  • Art direction + photography

To support a photoshoot for the website, we developed a shot list including a thematic shot list & mood boards for the photographer, as well as a dress code guide for team members.

  • Website design

In partnership with Tall Poppies Design, we created a comprehensive website that visually expresses who they are, as well as providing an additional level of functionality for the company.  

THE DELIVERABLES

Brand strategy components

  • Mission: the steps your brand takes to achieve its vision.

  • Vision: the long-term goal of your brand.

  • Values: your brand's core beliefs.

  • Brand Promise: the result your brand delivers.

  • Positioning: how your brand differentiates itself + gives your audience a reason to believe.

  • Brand Story: who you are and how you deliver value.

  • Personality & Tone of Voice: your unique and defining brand characteristics & how you sound.

  • Elevator pitch – how you compel someone to learn more  

  • Ideal client creation and audience personas with demographics, psychographics, motivations, pain points, influences, key insights, and how to talk to them.

  • User journey outline to understand how their audience engages at different stages of the marketing and sales journey.

  1. Key messages, including top-level messaging and messaging targeted to each persona

Art Direction + Design

  • Color palette to create the foundation for the brand and materials.

  • Brand mark that visually articulates the brand strategy/personality.

  • Brand elements such as patterns, icons, illustrations, etc.

  • A detailed style guide outlining guidelines for brand usage, fonts, colors and brand elements.

Website content strategy + copywriting

  • Content audit of the existing website 

  • Website sitemap

  • Worked with SEO agency Clapping Dog to develop SEO keywords

  • Website copy accounting for basic SEO best practices.

  • Worked with Tall Poppies Design to create the new website - https://www.merriman.com/

Art direction + photography

THE RESULT

With an articulated brand strategy, updated visual design, and full new website in place, Merriman was able to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style. The client was delighted with the elegant look of the website and the eloquence of the storytelling. They felt that it raised the bar on their brand as a whole and reported back that employees love the messaging and are proud to be part of the Merriman story. They felt that the new brand looked like the reality of the employees more than ever.