Author: Hillery Kemp

FINterview Series: Macoe Swett

Posted on August 27, 2019 by - Design, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Making Waves

Meet Macoe Swett, Four Fin’s Senior Designer and resident DJ. We asked the Fin who knows a little bit about everything (really) to answer three questions about herself. 

What is the most uncomfortable thing you have done?

Teaching my first design class was the most uncomfortable thing I ever did. I remember it was an 8am class on a Monday morning and although I was excited about it beforehand, when it came time to do it, I was doubting myself. I thought “I could just be sitting at my computer designing, and instead I have to go speak in front of a class of 25 strangers. Why did I agree to do this?” But within the first 30 minutes or so, my fear dissipated, the students were kind and genuinely interested in what I had to share. By the time I taught my second class that evening, I was much more confident. Teaching has taught me so much about speaking to groups, whether strangers, clients, or internal teams, and I’m grateful for that experience!

What is your favorite food?

I’ll eat just about anything vegan, but I do have a special place in my heart (stomach?) for Italian food. Nothing beats a good lasagna! Fortunately, there are so many good non-dairy cheeses nowadays and it’s not too difficult to make a delicious plant-based one. Growing up, my friend’s Italian mom taught me a trick: add sugar, a little cinnamon, and two egg whites to the ricotta. Now I use a plant-based ricotta (or just crumble some tofu) and of course I skip the eggs (or use Ener-G egg replacer), but I do still love the sugar and cinnamon trick! 

 You’re a new Pantone color, what are you called? 

Hmmm… the hair color I’ve been using lately is called Electric Paradise, and it’s the perfect meeting of hot pink and orange, but on me it fades quickly to a blorange tone (which I’m surprisingly ok with). With that in mind, I would name myself “Bellini Blush” (the original Bellini cocktail was named after the painter Giovanni Bellini, known for his warm yet subdued color palette).

Who’s your dream client? 

I would love to work with Arctic Fox! Not only is their hair color my favorite, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and 15% of their profits are donated to prevent animal cruelty. They also have informative blog posts, including hairoscopes! Plus their IG is so colorful, it makes me smile.

Find more Macoe via LinkedIn or Instagram (and see that Bellini Blush in action)

(Re-) Launching Your Brand? Don’t Forget Your Fans

Posted on April 26, 2019 by - Brand Camp, Branding Insight, Business, Client News

A likely scenario: you’ve just refreshed your brand–the strategy, logo, website, maybe even the name. You’re proud and chomping at the bit to go live with the website and blast it all over socials. Who wouldn’t? You’ve basically got a new wardrobe and MUST put it to good use, otherwise what’s the point?! 

Before you blast off, pause for a hot minute and ask yourself, “have I truly thought through the best way to tell the world, especially those closest to my business, why my brand is evolving?” 

Assuming you already have tons of fans/customers/clients who already love you for you, showing up with a facelift might be alarming or off-putting, even to your most loyal fans. Our recent Brand Camp alum, W.D. Dickinson had the foresight to think through its rebrand launch and corresponding announcement to key stakeholders.

Transparency is key

Dickinson Farm had become a brand well known for its organic produce and related farm products, but was evolving to represent its larger vision and expanded set of offerings. With a new name and refreshed brand identity, W.D. Dickinson Farm, House, and Mercantile founder, Stepheni Norton, wanted to ensure the evolved brand wouldn’t alienate its core farm customers.

Thus, prior to introducing the newly branded website and announcing to the general public on social media, we helped Stepheni craft an authentic letter to her closest partners and farm customers. The email newsletter, sent just before the website launch, accomplished a number of things: explained why the brand was changing, helped set expectations, and gave Stepheni an opportunity to connect with her beloved stakeholders, an act that was perfectly aligned with her new brand strategy. 

The takeaway – You’re going to make waves with your new brand. Think ripple effect. How will changes, especially something as significant as a rebrand, effect the varying levels of your stakeholders? Consider what to communicate, how, and when. Being crystal clear for fans/stakeholders/customers (whatever you chose to call them) is invaluable, especially today.

Want to Grow? Take up Space.

Posted on April 15, 2019 by - Branding Insight, Inspiration

Jacob Repko, Unsplash

With windows rolled down, driving down the Coast Highway during last Saturday’s perfect sunset, I found myself BLASTING Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”

My heart – pounding with joy
My voice – screaming until it hurt

After a cabin fever-inducing winter here in SoCal (so. much. rain.), the sun is shining again and something deep inside is craving to come out, to stretch, scream, sing, dance. Something deep inside is yelling ‘Take up some SPACE, there’s room, YOU NEED IT.’

Turns out, so do brands…

During our weekly team meeting, I shared the Zeppelin tune, and how the music reminded me to take up space. Take Up Space. This got us all talking. I challenged the team to think about which brands are truly taking up space in today’s culture. What does taking up space even mean, especially for brands? In hearing our team’s responses on brand’s they felt lived this out, three themes arose:

Get out of your own way
How easy is it to go along with the status quo, especially the status quo of your own thoughts? I often forget that things don’t change, evolve, or improve unless I get out of my own way of thinking. Same goes for industries. When you think of venture capital and law, what comes to mind? Stodgy, conservative dudes in suits, right? One look at Maveron’s website and you’ll do a double take–this is a venture capital firm? From the design to the tone of voice, any startup will remember the bold, completely unexpected experience this company delivers and more likely than not, want to be a part of it. Also, WilkMazz, bravo for not scaring us away like other law firms usually do. Who said lawyers have to be buttoned up all the time? Turns out, they can have a strong gif-game too.

Do your own damn thing
AKA, do what you do best – be yourself. When so many of us think we have to act or be someone we’re not (I’m totally guilty too), why is it so refreshing to see someone just being themselves? Authenticity is an obvious pillar for subculture branding, but it’s amazing to see Van’s take, celebrating this among their sponsored female skaters who they’ve dubbed the “Vanguards” in a recent campaign. Similarly, female shaving brand Billie is on a mission to show the world the reality of female body hair through its “Project Body Hair” campaign.

Stand up and stand for what you believe
Hearing Robert Plant belt out song after song is no truer expression of speaking his truth for Led Zeppelin, but brands don’t always need to scream to be heard. The next time you head down the meat aisle at the grocery store, you’ll probably find GoBeyond plant-based protein products (think brats and burgers). Their bold look and feel, as well as their clear mission and values don’t shy away from the fact that they believe in a better way to feed the planet. The pure simplicity of consumer goods company Brandless – from their name to their packaging and pricing model – speaks a clear testament to their belief in providing quality, affordable goods without the markup.  

Since I’ve clearly committed myself to the quest of understanding why taking up space is not only good, but required to move forward and progress for both individuals and brands, it’s important to note what taking space does not mean: Yelling for yelling sake; doing it for someone else; or trying to get attention out of fear of being forgotten.

If we take a moment and recognize the root of what we’re doing here–leading with heart and intention, which is core to what we do at Four Fin for our clients–thinking about how our brand should take up space is a purposeful exercise allowing us to know ourselves and our businesses better.

Happy International Water Day. We’re Raising Our Fins to charity: water, the “Nike of Nonprofits”

Posted on March 22, 2019 by - Branding Insight, Community, Making Waves

Whoever said non-profits shouldn’t invest in their brand early haven’t met charity: water or its fearless founder Scott Harrison. Without a dime to his name, Harrison began raising money in 2006 to build wells in developing countries with a mission to bring clean water to everyone on earth. This mission was large, and he knew he needed a good brand to capture attention, hiring a designer as one of the first employees. 13 years later, over 9.5* million people have/or will have access to clean water thanks to Scott’s mission, and his bold model for charity: water’s success; give 100% of public donations to water projects, show proof of where all funds go, and create a brand that captures hearts and minds (which obviously is music to our ears).

Since day one, Harrison knew he wanted charity: water to be the Nike of the nonprofit sector as he cited in a talk here in San Diego this week. Without a strong brand, he knew it would impact his ability to reach his mission. Check out charity: water’s website (stellar storytelling) or see their presence on social media (close to half a million followers on Instagram) and see just how important brand is to this organization.

Thank you for doing what you do, charity: water. You’ve built a phenomenal brand worthy of your phenomenal mission.

*charitywater.org