Where it all Begins
The Power of Beginning
Journey Early Learning, a major player in Australian early education, faced a classic brand challenge: In a crowded market where everyone talked about 'care' and 'development', they'd lost their distinctive voice. The brand needed to reconnect with modern parents' aspirations while staying true to its core purpose.
The Bigger Truth
The most powerful positions in any category are often hiding in plain sight. Journey wasn't just a stepping stone to school - it was the place where fundamental human learning begins. By owning this truth, we transformed a functional category (childcare) into an emotional territory (life's most important beginnings).
Claiming the origin story
Here's a truth about early childhood: The most significant learning happens before a child turns five. Every parent knows this intuitively, but few early learning centres were owning this powerful territory. Instead of competing in the crowded space of childhood development milestones, we focused on something more fundamental - the beginning of everything. This wasn't just about getting kids 'school-ready'. It was about acknowledging that the most profound human learning happens in these early years.
Ryan meldrum, CEO
“They came with a clear strategy, and I knew from the start where we were going, and how long it was going to take. They helped us with our brand. It started with our logo and our key messages that were consistent across our business. It’s evolved into our digital strategy, our marketing mix, our video strategy. It’s just been endless, and it’s really exciting where it can go from here.”
My Role
Results
When we started our journey (eek, I know) with Journey, they had 17 centres. They have now expanded to 39 centres, with locations all over Australia.
Significant increase in parent engagement
Stronger differentiation in a crowded market
Clear, actionable brand platform for all communications
Unified internal culture around a compelling purpose
What This Teaches Us
When repositioning a brand, the strongest territories often lie in the fundamental truths we take for granted. By claiming 'the beginning' - Journey didn't just find a position, they found their purpose.
Brand Strategy -
Positioning -
insights -
Personality -
Tone of Voice -
Social Strategy -
Web UX
Content Strategy -
COVID-19 Rollout Strategy -
Brand Strategy - Positioning - insights - Personality - Tone of Voice - Social Strategy - Web UX Content Strategy - COVID-19 Rollout Strategy -
Outside Assembly
The Power of Collaboration
Two street designers were breaking away from the established players to create something different. They weren't just offering design services - they were offering a new way of working. The challenge was how to capture this distinctive approach in a market full of corporate design voices.Here's a truth about street design: The best public spaces aren't created in isolation - they're born from genuine collaboration between designers and communities. Yet most established street design firms still operate from the top down
The Insight
Here's a truth about street design: The best public spaces aren't created in isolation - they're born from genuine collaboration between designers and communities. Yet most established street design firms still operate from the top down.
The breakthrough came when we recognised that Outside Assembly wasn't just a design studio - it was a connector. Their custom design and catalogue service was built on genuine collaboration, bringing together designers, clients, and communities in a way the category had forgotten.
Results
Successfully launched in a competitive market
Strong differentiation from established players
Clear, actionable brand platform for growth
Authentic voice that resonated with both clients and communities
What This Teaches Us
When entering an established category, the strongest position often comes from embracing what makes you different. By owning their collaborative approach, Outside Assembly didn't just create a brand - they created a new way of thinking about street design.
Key Campaign Elements
Personalised Custom Design: Moving beyond the one-size-fits-all approach
Genuine Collaboration: Making clients partners in the design process
Street-wise Voice: Speaking with authenticity in a category known for corporate jargon
My Role