Buddies and branding

Charlotte Richardson Charlotte.Richardson@aspen-waite.co.uk

At Aspen Waite, we don’t dream of a better future. We create it. For ourselves and for our clients too. During 2021, we have grown our marketing and media services alongside an already impressive range of finance and business growth activity, so we are empowered and equipped to help businesses of all shapes and sizes build, expand and sustain their brand while also telling the story of their business. The art of storytelling is truly a craft; it is part of the fabric of branding and branding is the foundation from which a business or product can truly take off. For some, branding is an identifying symbol, mark, logo, name, word or strapline to distinguish their product from others. In reality (certainly in the Aspen Waite world) branding is so, so much more than that. Recently, we were appointed by Sian Ellingworth, CEO of Buddies Toothpaste to undertake a marketing review of her fantastic toothpaste range for kids. The team has worked closely with Sian on her brand and story to put plans in place that make those dreams of a better future, a bright reality. We were able to take Sian on a journey with us, the Aspen Waite way. Working with Sian, we have had the joy of collaborating with an entrepreneur, a passionate, innovative and driven businesswoman highly focussed on getting the most out of branding to elevate her product offering. Our work has helped her brand to be on course for a special 2022. Let us take you through the steps of our journey with Sian’s perspective added to the mix …

Branding improves recognition

Many of us understand the major components of a brand revolve around a logo because this is considered to be the instant face of a business; it is what consumers recognise. A professional logo design must be simple enough to be memorable, but the important part of branding is to create a logo amplified by considerations around colour pallet, narrative and straplines too. Draw these assets together and your logo becomes more powerful to message the desired impression of your company. In the case of Buddies, we were able to build upon Sian’s brand identifying the unique selling point and incorporate the message into the look and feel of our work. Sian: “The marketing team at Aspen Waite have been different from other agencies I’ve worked with. They have taken time to understand where I’m coming from, then added their own perspective and made suggestions that have really made a difference. For example, I’d had some toothpaste sample sachets designed elsewhere and the design was basically the logo plus required information. This team saw that this approach was a missed opportunity to create a design that would make any child keen to try it – so that’s what they did. The before and after designs demonstrate the difference in impact.”

Branding creates trust

Trust is the gold dust in business. Marketing plays an important part in building and fostering an affiliation to a brand and business. Buddies toothpaste is a product where sales rely upon creating and sustaining long-term trust with a range of stakeholders. We worked with Sian to produce a range of marketing materials with copy tailored to specific audiences, clearly communicating the sales messages but also offering a brand supportive of parents, empowering to dentists and educational to children about the importance of oral hygiene.

Sian: “Charlotte and Lara have developed an in-depth understanding of my brand and my target markets now. So, whenever they have created any marketing materials like kids activity sheets or leaflets for dentists to give to parents when recommending Buddies products, they hit the mark every time.”

Branding adds competitive value

There are so many businesses battling it out for market share, attention, sales, click through rates, social media follows and more. Sometimes it can feel like a noisy and overwhelming space for a business owner with so many pressures on their skills and time. That’s where Aspen Waite comes into its own. As trusted advisors, we’re able to assist business owners as another pair of eyes and ears to assess their brand and marketing collateral. For Buddies, it was clear the brand was bursting with potential. One of the things we were able to do was look at the overall strategic direction of the product. Short-term fixes are one thing but to look to the future and build a better one, is where we thrive. We developed a new strapline for Sian, the simple hashtag #BuddiesForLife. This strapline unifies the marketing messaging and brand assets stitching a stronger narrative together. We have assisted Sian with developing her products into characters who engage with consumers and provide an educational angle to communication planning. Buddies is on a mission to help young children understand the importance of brushing their teeth and enjoy a positive relationship with their oral hygiene routine.

Sian: “We have a ‘grown up’ version of Buddies sold under our Senses brand, targeting mainly the elderly so the #BuddiesForLife strapline is perfect because it pulls together all product solutions that cover both ends of the age spectrum. I always think that the best ideas tend to be the simple ones and this is a great example of that.”

Branding builds financial value

Of course, it is nice to add competitive value through your brand; it is even nicer when it is valued as a hard asset of the company. Much value and confidence can accrue to a company due to its branding. A strong brand can generate future business. As a team, we enjoy working with clients to nurture their input to building their brand value and we work together for better financial return that reward their efforts. A unified, consistent brand is unquestionably a launchpad for success and working with Buddies, we have no doubt 2022 is going to be an incredible year financially.

Sian: “When designing any new materials, Aspen Waite have made sure they’re always considering the ‘Call to action’ - what we want the target to do as a result of seeing it. This should mean we see sales increase as a direct result of their child colouring in a Buddies activity sheet whilst waiting for their dental hospital appointment.”

Branding generates new customers

Branding can help a business get word-of-mouth referrals which is still, arguably one of - if not the most - powerful of marketing tools. The most profitable companies, large and small, have a single thing in common. They have established themselves as a leader in their particular field by building a strong brand that sees them recognised and trusted. Working with Buddies, our team has been able to offer its broad range of skills to help an amazing and visionary business owner reach for the stars.

Sian: “I genuinely do feel empowered through my work with AW. It feels like they are an extension to my team. We are discussing a range of strategies and I feel properly supported in this area for the first time.”