A Case Study: The Story Club
november 22, 2023
Category: recent work
a case study: the story club
Growing pains are SO real! See how we set this business owner up for long-term success by creating TWO separate branding experiences.
Nicole Hagan’s journey into photography isn’t your typical photographer story. She started her LLC in late 2019 to help people with their websites — yup, you read that right, websites! Fast forward to 2020, when she got the idea to buy a fancy camera and offer brand/product photography as an add-on service for her web clients. She created an Instagram account and began posting a handful of branding photos and short video edits. To her surprise, she immediately began getting booking requests that she did not plan for — couples, families, and individual photography. She quickly realized this could become her full-time gig.
Nicole had never officially branded herself. What little branding she was using was all DIY and something she was constantly changing. On top of that, her business was growing and she needed to establish the difference between her two primary offerings — brand and product photography and family photography. This is where we came in!
First, through getting to know Nicole, her two businesses, and her future goals for each business, we determined that creating two separate brands was the way to go vs. creating one primary brand and one sub-brand. (More on sub-brands here!)
Once we determined we were working with not just one but TWO different brand experiences, we were able to set Nicole up for long-term success and growth through branding and messaging.
The Struggle
Nicole reached out to Brighten Made after deciding to niche her business. In her current state, she was having difficulty keeping up with leads and creating an amazing client experience. She was also struggling with attracting her ideal clients and, once she decided to niche her business, she was struggling with how to differentiate the two. She wanted to keep Nicole Hagan Photography for her freelance photo work which included brand and product photography, weddings, couples, individuals, and family. But she knew she wanted to niche down her specific family photography and small event photography business — enter: The Story Club. The Story Club would allow Nicole to focus solely on family photography while bringing on a team to help support her and her growth.
The Goal
A modern, playful, and ‘90s-inspired branding experience that makes mamas eager to document their families and schedule fun, themed shoots with The Story Club.
The solution
So what’d we do!? We went BOLD. With the Nicole Hagan Photography brand, we created a primary logo from a playful serif so with The Story Club we knew we wanted to take things in a different direction by using a retro-inspired sans serif. By using a sans-serif and playing with the twists and curves of the letters, we were able to create something fun, unique, and unexpected that spoke to the casualness of her candid family photography.
To further play up the ‘90s nostalgia, we leaned into illustration! We illustrated a VHS camcorder, film strips, Polaroids, etc. We also illustrated kids' props and party items to lean into the themed shoots and small event photography. With all of her branding elements, Nicole was able to create a fully branded aesthetic and has been able to differentiate between the two businesses successfully!
The Results
“THANK YOU! It's everything I was looking for and more! I've been searching for a sense of direction for so long, and now not only do I have a stunning set of visuals, but I finally have a clear(er) path for my brand's future. I can’t wait to show you (and EVERYONE else I know) how I use this all for my website + guides!” – Nicole Hagan owner of Nicole Hagan Photography and The Story Club
Let’s uplevel your brand and #allthethings that go along with it! We’re here to help you with your website design, custom packaging and collateral, and SO MUCH MORE.
So reach out! The magic is waiting.
