Selects | Issue 3

THREE ISSUE SELECTS

A SELECTION OF OUR FAVOURITE CASE STUDIES

HELLO

It has been a few months since our last Selects update, during which we delved into our work with Fonterra, WEL Networks, Southern Cross, and our philanthropic work which raised significant funds for Dementia and Hospice.

This edition shifts our focus to a range of exciting new projects. These include the development of a new brand strategy and a refreshed visual identity for SeaLink, the execution of recruitment campaigns for KiwiRail, and the creation of an exceptional visitor experience for Fonterra's Research & Development Centre. Sticking with Fonterra, we've also recently delivered a new client engagement platform for the Anchor FP team. The second one we've been responsible for developing for their clients.

We were equally delighted when a former client approached us to craft a pop-up experience for IAG's The Firemark Collective, enabling them to effectively convey their story and land its 3 year strategy.

Last but certainly not least, we're excited to introduce Skintel, a dynamic new skin cancer care startup that is already making a significant impact on its patients. We are actively involved in developing a secondary service offering in partnership with their team. So watch this space.

These past few months have been incredibly rewarding, and a big shout out to our clients, partners and of course to the dedication and talent of our remarkable lil team here at D&Co.

BEST,

RUSS AND THE TEAM AT D&CO

P.S. If you missed any of our previous issues, you can easily access them for download on the D&Co website.

EXPERIENCE INNOVATION BRAND TRANSFORMATION

D&CO HELP FAR-SIGHTED ORGANISATIONS BECOME VISIONARY.

We create brand, customer, and employee experiences that make life better for millions of people, every day.

The world as we know it has changed beyond recognition. And with it, traditional ways of thinking have quickly become fossilised. The new landscape is one of tangible experiences. A place where people emotionally respond to brands in ways that are invisible, relevant, and magical.

As you know D&Co is an experience design consultancy that leverages the power of brand, customer experience, innovation, human-centred design, and technology to create a more connected experience between brands, and the human beings who interact with them.

From small start-ups and equity partners to significant global brands, we’re a new breed of creative company, bringing together a network of extraordinary specialists – sharp thinkers with genuine insights to offer – to form a unique team for your project.

EXPERIENCE INNOVATION TRANSFORMATION

CREATING CONNECTED EXPERIENCES THAT ENHANCE THE LIVES OF REAL PEOPLE. BRAND EXPERIENCE

INNOVATION TRANSFORMATION

D&Co creates brands relevant to the experience age. We’re a blend of experienced individuals who combine logic, magic and relentless passion to build new brands, reposition existing ones, and ultimately deliver growth through an enduring business advantage.

+ Brand strategy

+ Positioning

+ Architecture

+ Naming

+ Identity & Expression

+ Visual & Interaction design

+ Pop-up & Spatial design

+ Content strategy & development

Whether it’s aimed at customers, shareholders or employees, your brand is the experience. Truly meaningful experiences don’t come easy, mind you. Yet with vision, insight, and experience we’ll help you create something special using our own proprietary ‘Experience Innovation System’.

+ Customer insight (Ethnography, Walk a Mile, Interviewing, Quant)

+ Customer Experience (CX) strategy & execution

+ Digital Experience (DX) strategy & execution

+ Employee Experience (EX) strategy & execution

+ Service Design

+ Rapid design sprints & prototyping

+ Customer testing and idea validation

+ Experience viability modelling

+ Touchpoint optimisation

+ Pop-up & Spatial design

The best innovations are driven by simple, human insights – sometimes by solving problems people didn’t even know they had. Using proven proprietary methods and fun, engaging processes, we’ll make sure your innovation outputs have the best possible chance of survival in a ‘why would we even bother’ customer world.

+ Customer insight (Ethnography, Walk a Mile, Interviewing, Quant)

+ Growth strategy

+ Customer opportunity modelling

+ Concept development

+ MVP development

+ Prototyping, Testing, Iterating and Piloting

+ Go to market strategy

+ Trend reports (supported by our NYC ‘futures’ agency)

We work alongside you to bring your transformation initiatives to life. We do this in multiple ways from providing specialist talent to supplement your teams, helping you select the right projects to deliver, and leading or supporting you to deliver customer outcomes, business outcomes and transformation outcomes delivering impactful and long-lasting change.

+ Specialist Programme & Project Management and Agile Delivery Talent

+ Establish and Run Transformation Teams

+ PMO Establishment

+ PMO Uplift

+ Outsourced PMO

+ Project & Project Management Consultancy

+ Programme and Project Rescue

+ Independent Quality Assurance

A ROUND UP OF RECENT CASE STUDIES HAND PICKED JUST FOR YOU.

SEALINK

A timely refresh for the SeaLink brand.

SKINTEL

A fresh new brand for a fresh new skin cancer clinic.

KIWIRAIL

Refreshing the KiwiRail brand to attract new talent.

FONTERRA

Turning the cream of scientific thinking into a fresh visitor experience.

FIREMARK

DOMINO'S COLAB

30

40

Bringing the Firemark Collective’s Strategy to Life. 16

Topped with Extra Intelligence. 08

BACKGROUND

A TIMELY REFRESH FOR THE SEALINK BRAND.

SeaLink have been a lifeline to the Hauraki Gulf islands for over 60 years. A vehicle, passenger and freight ferry service departing Auckland to Waiheke, Great Barrier, Rakino and a commuter service to Pine Harbour. But the brand had seen better days so it was time for a comprehensive refresh.

THE CHALLENGE

With a brand in need of some love and a new Sales & Marketing team on board, SeaLink reached out to D&Co to redefine its brand strategy, to work closely with its people across the business on new and authentic values, and develop a comprehensive refresh of the brand and a range of associated brand experiences.

DELIVERABLES

+ Values workshops.

+ Brand strategy.

+ Brand story.

+ Identity development.

+ Brand Comms.

+ Recruitment Comms.

+ Internal Comms.

+ Ferry livery.

+ Video shoot... and more to come.

Checkout the full case study at dandco.nz

OUR SOLUTION

People are at the heart of any business and no more so than at SeaLink with an incredibly tight knit team - so that’s where we started. Through numerous workshops with almost everyone across the business we explored what being at SeaLink meant to its people. The invaluable outputs from these sessions inspired the team as we developed a new set of truly authentic values and the broader brand strategy.

From there it was onto refining the visual language and whilst tinkering with the wordmark was off limits we found a way to make it feel far more contemporary across all comms from business cards and timetables, advertising to social. One of the more fun aspects of working with a brand like SeaLink is the physicality of the brand. From terminals, a new head office in the making and a fleet of ferries. So when the team asked us to rebrand the interior experience for SeaQuest, a new vessel entering the fleet, we jumped at the chance and had so much fun in the process. A specific case study is in the workings.

We've since developed a robust brand guidelines toolkit to assist the business as it tackles various applications and continues to develop the brand across multiple touch-points. We continue to support the development of the SeaLink brand across multiple projects and love the enthusiasm the new brand has seen across the business from the Waiheke depot to Kennedy Bay customer care, skippers out on the ocean to the team at Head Office. It's been so much fun.

“I’ve worked with Russ since he first established D&Co and when I made the move to SeaLink I reached out to D&Co when I needed a safe pair of hands for our brand strategy, story and design system refresh. The SeaLink brand had become tired and Russ and his team have injected an energy, passion and creativity that’s got the whole business buzzing. It also helps that he’s a genuinely decent bloke and fun to work with.”

TERESA SMYTH SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER, SEALINK

“When Teresa reached out to us to help refresh the SeaLink brand we couldn’t have been happier. I’ve worked with T since the inception of D&Co and have had a blast working with her over the years. The SeaLink brand was in serious need of some love and working alongside T and her new team we have relished the opportunity to make a real difference to what brand means at SeaLink and to bring it to life in a way that’s authentic to the business and the amazing people that work for SeaLink.”

DOUGLAS

A FRESH NEW BRAND FOR A FRESH NEW SKIN CANCER CLINIC.

BACKGROUND

Skintel is a new skin cancer clinic on the North Shore in Auckland offering specialist Mohs surgery and skin cancer treatments.

THE CHALLENGE

When an ambitious dermatologist reached out for help to set up his new specialist skin cancer clinic we jumped at the chance. David wanted to stand out from the crowd and turn up in a way that was a breath of fresh air from other clinics.

DELIVERABLES

+ Brand strategy.

+ Brand story.

+ Identity development.

+ Brand activations and rollout.

OUR SOLUTION

With a real passion for preventative care and early detection we could see a unique way to position a new kind of skin cancer clinic.

Skintel is a clinic with a team that demonstrably goes above and beyond and one that put the patient’s wellbeing above profits. We’ve seen examples of this in action and wanted to create a brand that aligned itself to this unique point of differentiation and their unique set of values.

As we journeyed through the brand strategy and visual identity it was clear that Skintel was going to be different. And the new brand hasn’t disappointed. From a unique wordmark, brand activations and a clinic interior design we’re delighted with the result.

Checkout the full case study at dandco.nz

“What’s impressed me the most about D&Co is how the team really understood what truly sets us apart from others and how they’ve been able to capture that through the brand strategy and the design of our new brand.

I’m also grateful to Russ for his support in dealing with other agencies and media firms with a no nonsense and honest approach. D&Co have demonstrated an authenticity that we’ve really valued. We continue to work with Russ and his team as we build the brand and associated moments for our patients.”

DR DAVID LIM SPECIALIST DERMATOLOGIST AND MOHS SURGEON, SKINTEL

“It’s been a real honour to have had David and his new start-up business, Skintel, put their faith and trust in D&Co. It’s a responsibility not lost on me when a founder makes this step to appoint us and we do everything we can to ensure they are set up in the best possible way for success.

I’m delighted that Skintel is already thriving and we’re in discussions about a new and exciting venture.”

RUSSELL DOUGLAS FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST, D&CO

GETTING KIWIRAIL BACK ON TRACK TO ATTRACT THE BEST TALENT.

BACKGROUND

For over a 155 years, KiwiRail has played an essential part in the development of New Zealand. Through freight, tourism, property, and a robust commuter rail and network, KiwiRail’s presence in New Zealand is just about everywhere. So when the team wanted to refresh their employment brand to target switched-on individuals, they felt D&Co was just the ticket.

THE CHALLENGE

With a significant number of roles to fill, KiwiRail needed to develop a compelling employee value proposition and a supporting recruitment campaign to fill open positions. This meant focusing on a number of attributes such as location, team, career, and wellbeing. But it also needed to work within the masterbrand.

DELIVERABLES

+ Brand Strategy.

+ Brand Story.

+ Visual Identity.

+ Employee Value Proposition.

+ Recruitment Campaign.

OUR SOLUTION

The D&Co team set off exploring a refreshed recruitment campaign and EVP. But it soon became clear that it could be a lot more powerful if aligned to a more focused brand strategy, story, and visual identity.

Working with the KiwiRail team, we uncovered some compelling truths, which were then used as the basis for the actual recruitment campaign. Together, we explored market value, purpose, and ambition, which led to a sharplydefined brand proposition and essence.

Checkout the full case study at dandco.nz

From there, we created a powerful brand story, a visually strong and unique identity system, and a strong employee value proposition, which then gave us all the tools we needed for the new recruitment campaign.

D&Co and KiwiRail made great travelling companions on this project – and we’re already looking forward to planning our next trip together!

Thinking outside the tracks.

Our national network is powered by passion 365 days a year, wherever we operate across our beautiful country.

KiwiRail doesn't just connect people with places. We connect memories to stories. Businesses to opportunity. And New Zealand to the world.

Today, as the world changes to sustainable transport, we're building on 155 years of experience to change our future too - with a focus on sustainability, smart technology, and infrastructure that thinks outside the tracks.

We're KiwiRail Creating Stronger Connections.

“It’s been such a rewarding journey working alongside the team at KiwiRail to both develop the Masterbrand, and then using it to create a unique recruitment campaign. We continue to work with Amy and her team on new and exciting campaigns as well as other areas of the business. Here’s to the journey ahead!”

RUSS DOUGLAS FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST, D&CO

“The clarity, passion and creativity we’ve seen from D&Co has been a breath of fresh air. We had struggled with a few previous agency executions but when Russ and his team came onboard it became clear that we needed a bit of a reset. They took us through a robust and fun process to arrive at our brand strategy, brand story, and a refreshed design system. We were then able to use this work to develop our employee value proposition (EVP) and a really compelling recruitment campaign that we continue to roll out as we accelerate our recruitment efforts.”

TURNING THE CREAM OF SCIENTIFIC THINKING INTO A FRESH VISITOR EXPERIENCE.

BACKGROUND

Palmerston North may not be the first town that springs to mind for worldleading scientific research – but that’s exactly what The Fonterra Research & Development Centre (FRDC) does day after day. In fact, it employs many of the world’s top experts to unlock the goodness of dairy.

Home to more than 300 researchers, engineers and scientists from around 46 countries, the team boasts over 130 PhDs and more than 3,500 combined years of experience in dairy science, research and development. And that alone makes it one of the largest dairy research facilities in the world.

So when D&Co were asked to re-engineer the visitor experience to highlight the great work they were doing, we knew we had to come up with something excitingly fresh.

THE CHALLENGE

So, how do you turn something so technically detailed and complex into an engaging experience for all kinds of visitors – from school kids to scientific peers? We had lots of stories. Heaps of insights. And some wall space. But the learning journey felt disjointed and incomplete – and to be honest, not very exciting. The fact was, the visitor experience didn't reflect the depth and breadth of the amazing work the FRDC was doing. Time for a D&Co deep dive into the visitor journey…

Checkout the full case study at dandco.nz

OUR SOLUTION

We had recently completed work on Fonterra's Te Rapa visitor experience, so we knew a fair bit about designing visitor experiences at scale. But the more we dug into the history of the FRDC, the more fascinating it became. Multiple onsite reviews, chats, explorative workshops, and extensive desktop research, meant we could tell new stories, while highlighting some of the extraordinary minds who created genuine global benchmarks in dairy science.

Together, we decided to redesign the entire experience from scratch. Our team put forward a new, more engaging, visitor experience that told the FRDC story in a way that was exciting, immersive and educational – ensuring that any visitors who came for a tour left impressed with a bit of the WOW! Factor.

Making sure that the master brand aligned, we created a cohesive design framework to ensure each zone of the experience aligned to our vision and had a seamless flow from one learning ‘zone’ to another.

DELIVERABLES

+ Desktop experience research.

+ Brand experience strategy.

+ Site plan.

+ Process design.

+ Wayfinding.

+ Brand experience design activations, and installation.

Designing a better way to welcome people to FRDC

Use

We built a beautifully crafted display cabinet to hero our key discoveries.

“ We went in with a sense of curiosity – and we left with some of the most incredible stories we’ve ever heard. It was a genuine pleasure to work alongside such an incredible group of researchers, engineers and scientists. It’s these people we wanted to honour, and share their extraordinary discoveries with the world.”

DOUGLAS FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST AT D&CO

Checkout the full case study at dandco.nz

RUSS

Fun facts to surprise and delight.

BRINGING THE FIREMARK COLLECTIVE’S STRATEGY TO LIFE.

BACKGROUND

The Firemark Collective is an innovation and venturing hub that plays a crucial role in shaping IAG's future. Transforming breakthrough ideas into tangible insurance and adjacent products, services, and experiences, the Collective keeps IAG relevant in the fast changing environment that surrounds them.

D&Co had previously worked on a range of exciting CX and innovation projects with Scott Bishop when he was the Chief Innovation Officer at Z Energy, so when he reached out to us we jumped at the chance of working with him again.

THE CHALLENGE

Scott sought our assistance in crafting a compelling narrative to educate the Board and Senior Leadership Team on the Collective's strategy and to demonstrate how the team is delivering against it through a series of showcases.

Checkout the full case study at dandco.nz

OUR SOLUTION

It’s been a blast working again with Scott and the Firemark Collective team to help bring to life a highly visual and compelling storytelling experience to support the next phase of Firemark’s journey.

The 5-zone experience laid out Firemark’s strategy, how the various teams within the collective interact with one another and had multi-media showcases demonstrating how the team are driving breakthrough outcomes and value for IAG and its customers.

Additionally, we produced a Board pre-read in the form of a newsprint tabloid, a novel approach that had never been done before. Moreover, we captured the pop-up experience in VR format, including interactive elements and integrated videos, which preserved the experience beyond the initial presentation.

We are incredibly proud of the end result and look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Firemark Collective.

DELIVERABLES

+ Content synthesis.

+ Copywriting.

+ Pop-up experience design.

+ Pop-up build.

+ Supporting tabloid newsprint.

+ Video editing.

+ VR experience capture.

“I needed to ensure we were effectively communicating the Firemark Collective's story and highlighting our impact to the Board to land our 3 year strategy, so I turned to D&Co, who had proven themselves as a quality partner with progressive ideas when I had previously worked with them. I was really happy with the end-result. Russ and his team are an enthusiastic and creative bunch, presenting fresh ideas to take concepts to the next level. For instance, their suggestion to transform the preread into a Tabloid newsprint and the VR capture were prime examples of their fresh thinking and originality.”

TOPPED WITH EXTRA INTELLIGENCE: HOW WE HELPED FONTERRA DRIVE BETTER CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

BACKGROUND

After developing a successful customer engagement platform for another part of the Fonterra, the Global Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) team then asked us to solve a different problem for another of their major customers – Domino’s.

THE CHALLENGE

One of the world’s most well-loved pizza makers, Domino’s is an important customer to Fonterra. That’s why they wanted to create a new strategy and platform uniquely for them. A tall order, but just like their pizzas – one D&Co relished! The first challenge? Geographic spread. How do you remain connected, drive engagement and develop rewarding business relationships with clients in different countries and locations? The second challenge was content – in the fast-moving, neverstand-still food service industry, people are time poor – so they want quality information, but they want it fast.

Checkout the full case study at dandco.nz

OUR SOLUTION

It’s fresh. It’s hot (and cool!). And loved by Fonterra’s customers. Meet Dominos Colab, an idea that drives deeper customer connection, collaboration and value. The Domino’s teams now have easy online access to fresh thinking, customer-focused ideas, and the latest trends, through to menu ideation all via the teams passionate and dedicated chef.

DELIVERABLES

There’s also a wealth of business support and tools, sustainability advice and access to a team of experts across the QSR team. Plus, the Fonterra Global QSR team are only ever a message away.

The end result is a powerful new way to support the QSR team to help improve customer engagement with Domino’s – ultimately bringing Fonterra and Domino’s closer together.

+ Community and activation strategy and story.

+ Visual identity development.

+ Ident animation.

+ Content strategy and copywriting.

+ Activations.

+ Website architecture and design.

“ We've been really impressed with the level of strategic thinking and creative ideas that the D&Co team have brought to the QSR team at Fonterra. Dominos Colab has been specifically crafted for our Dominos customer and we're looking forward to sharing this exciting platform with them as we grow our partnership together."

LOUISE KATTERA GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, QSR FONTERRA

“It’s not every day you get the opportunity to explore fresh ways of engaging a customer base in every continent around the globe. With our Domino’s Colab we’ve been able to craft a uniquely tailored experience that uses deep customer insights to drive a more valuable proposition and friendly, insightful content to deliver what the QSR teams’ customers really want and value. It’s a cool platform - all boxed, served and ready to use right away!”

RUSS DOUGLAS FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST

AT D&CO

BUT THERE’S MORE...

THERE’S MORE...

A ROUND UP OF SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS

WE’VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO WORK ON SINCE THE PREVIOUS ISSUE OF SELECTS.

+ SeaLink ferry fleet interior experience design

+ SeaLink Brand and Comms support

+ SeaLink employee handbook

+ SeaLink SeaCat kids paper model

+ SeaLink Half Moon Bay refresh design

+ Bakels Edible Oils brand support

+ We.EV brand re-positioning

+ We.EV @Home MVP, CVP and brand development

+ We.EV refreshed website and comms

+ We.EV @Work and @Home marketing leadership

+ We.EV digital platform market scan

+ We.EV @Home programme management

+ WEL Networks digital strategy & roadmap

+ WEL Networks Board strategy day

+ KiwiRail Hillside recruitment campaign

+ Anchor FP World Chef’s Association comms

+ Anchor FP Green to Gold campaign strategy & execution

+ Anue by Skintel brand strategy, story and visual identity

+ New World & Pak'nSAVE customer research

+ New Life Biologics brand strategy, story, and visual identity

D&CO IS A NEW BREED OF CREATIVE COMPANY THAT IS DESIGNED FOR THE EXPERIENCE AGE. WE ARE A COLLECTIVE OF SPECIALISTS THAT HELP TRANSFORM CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES FOR THE BETTER AND ACCELERATE BUSINESS SUCCESS FOR OUR CLIENTS.

We leverage the power of innovation, brand, human-centred design and technology to create experiences that enhance the lives of real people. We create tailored teams from our extensive collective to deliver the greatest impact for our clients. We deliver this through a networked approach to building the right team for the right task.

We passionately believe that our pursuit of customer experience excellence for our clients is a critical component to delivering business growth as we enter an era where experience innovation will drive successful business transformation.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE