Clever Ghost ltd

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the company of director of Rumour Mill Creative Communications. We are a communications agency in Northern Ireland offering PR, social media, digital marketing, and content creation services for clients across the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clever Ghost ltd?

We had always been known as a remote PR provider since we established in 2013. When our company journeyed into a different kind of strategy plan and identified a new market, we realized that we wanted our services to expand beyond PR. 

We wanted to undertake a rebrand to shift from being a remote PR to being a remote creative communications company, which is a bit more reflective of our services, so we engaged with Clever Ghost.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Clever Ghost undertook a brand review to put forward new concepts for us. We identified which elements of our old brand we wanted to keep, and they integrated that into their propositions.

Once we chose the concept that best reflected where we wanted to go, they then designed all of our marketing materials and updated our logo and website. The new brand was translated across all of our media, including our physical signages.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Paul (Founder & Creative Director).

How did you come to work with Clever Ghost ltd?

Before he went off on his own to establish Clever Ghost, Paul had previously worked for an agency that was housed in the same building as us. We were very much aware of his track record and have seen firsthand the quality of the work that he’s able to produce. 

I knew that Paul was the kind of person I wanted to invest this project into. He also presented ideas that were strongly linked to our style, so we decided to work with him. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested less than £5,000 (approximately $7,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted between October 2018–June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Overall, the redesign had a very positive impact, because it was a very brave decision for us to drop the PR image that we’ve established for five years. Paul made sure that the creative aspect of our services would be reflected in the new brand. Our current logo also has more longevity to it, and I don’t see it changing for a very long time.

He helped us to have a stronger, more distinct image while still keeping some elements of our old identity. It enabled us to present ourselves as professional and well-established in order to win new business. Our clients have really enjoyed the rebrand, and we’ve experienced a lot of social engagement since then. The brand is still evolving to this day but people have continued to remark on it. 

How did Clever Ghost ltd perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello to see where Paul was in the project timeline. He was also very receptive to changing deadlines when we needed to get things across the line. The process of understanding our brand and our goals took long, but once everything was agreed on, we were able to get all the marketing collaterals and graphics updated quickly and professionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Paul didn’t just take the brief; he tried to come up with more information that even we hadn’t thought of. He presented a good justification for the different concepts that he put forward and backed it up with his own research. It gave us confidence that there was actual merit behind his suggestions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The key is to have a good understanding of what you want to try and to have the transparency to tell Clever Ghost what you’re thinking. Be open to being challenged from Paul’s point of view, because you might think something works, but his design and branding expertise enables him to know if it doesn’t. Trust in Paul’s work, and allow yourself to adapt or change the path of the project.