What’s new about newsletters?

Launching three industry newsletters that aim to shake up their sectors. Offering the client a new path for media coverage growth.

Sector & audience research, naming, brand & creative direction, launch plan.

Let’s face it, there is not much new about brands using your inbox to speak to you.

Most people can probably name the brands they have a positive inbox experience with on one hand. But most brands, don’t start as a newsletter.

The central idea here was to develop a streamlined, and engaging newsletter experience. The brand and creative strategy combine on principles of minimalism and pace with the purpose of evoking a surprising feeling, looking forward to an email in 2024.

The three brands: Inside lane (for the logistics sector), The Prep (for F&B), and Mint Pillow (for hotels), were developed with the same, light-weight and disruptive and agile ideas at their core.

The project involved sector and audience research, brand naming, brand and creative direction, marketing strategy, and visual identities.

core purpose

DEEP
INDUSTRY
BITE-SIZED
INSIGHT

I was inspired by brands that have built loyal audiences, and gradually broadened their offering and exposure; Milk Road in the crypto space, Link in the Bio in the creative world, and Morning Brew for business and marketing. They are all great examples of a newsletters that have built community, connection and delivered real value and impact to their audiences.

The goal for the visual identity was to capture an authentic and deep resonance with the industry. This idea was intrinsically linked to presenting the brands as insiders in the industry, captured in names and visual directions that spoke to the target audience with a wink.

visual tone

DISRUPTIVE
AGILE
PLAYFUL
GROUNDED

The visual direction sought to achieve a disruptive, and dynamic brand tone. Adaptable for numerous touchpoints. Looking at home on social, and oozing energy.

The audience research highlighted associations of rigidity, being overly wordy, and lacking personality, for the existing brands in the sectors. On the content side this meant that we would develop a bitesized delivery method, focussing on key points of interest and some perspective.

Ai aggregating of multiple sources and a growing editorial capacity, allows these brands to focus their usp on saving time and providing cut through clarity without clutter. This was in connection to bold, and flexible identities.

marketing & content

REAL
INTUITIVE
PRACTICAL
UNVEILING

Over three months, working with a small team, I defined the brand and creative strategy and oversaw the delivery of three new brands. Inside Lane, the newsletter for the logistics sector, has already achieved 20k subscribers, and won commercial partnerships with Verizon and Samsara.

The remarkable success and growth of these projects has giving the client faith to launch another 8 brands in 2024, with 3 already underway. For me this experience reminded me of some of my favourite parts of branding, I enjoyed the opportunity to develop brands that meant something to their audiences, and developed connection. I was also please to work on naming and copy, with the joy of using industry terms as hooks.

Most of all it was refreshing to work on a project where the response from the audience is so direct. There is no hiding in the inbox, miss the mark, don’t satisfy, or be uninspiring, and you are banished. Never to be opened again. I enjoyed the contracst from this, vs what I have spent most of the last few years doing, helping brands develop their digital and social marketings strategies and campaigns.

Projects

Projects