After 15 years, the FreshBooks brand needed modernization and we needed to tell the world our new purpose
To stand beside business owners on their journey of growth. We started by finding truth in our employees’ proudest moments, resulting in statements that became the North Star for everything that followed.
Truths in hand, our purpose statement about why we were rebranding took shape
Before pushing pixels, we defined problem areas–issues with our positioning, strategy, logo, colours, voice and tone, photography, illustration, and much more
We built on useful brand equity and replaced what was holding us back.
The obvious part was the rebrand. The part you don’t see is the strategy and positioning work that continued well after the new logo appears online
And by bringing our employees along for the ride, the launch was well supported internally and externally.
We spoke to customers, conducted market and competitive research, and wore the brand internally for a while to ensure it fit
We also did things our unusual way by launching a Brand Fair, where FreshBookers presented dozens of concepts of their creation based on the purpose statement. With guidance from my brand team, presentations included product enhancements, marketing initiatives, and even changes to office operations.
We did the work. The grueling work. The work that comes with thousands of loud, sometimes uninformed opinions
Oh, and there’s so much more to this story. Reach out to hear all about it
BTW, brand lift in North America was measured at ~65% following our launch. Not bad for a little Canadian SAAS company eh?