Tribu Eyewear—Research and strategy to rebirth a brand and elevate a startup
Rebirthing the brand narrative of an aspirational brand to overcome and resonate with all who dare to dream.
Project overview
PROJECT
SPECIFICS
Duration:
4 months
Year:
2022
Lead:
Client referral
Budget range:
$13-15k
SERVICES
ENGAGED
Communications
- Storytelling
- Tone-of-voice
Content
- Copywriting
- Photographic
- Social
Creative/ strategy
- Analysis
- Art direction
- Auditing
- Ideation
- Research
- Strategy
Design
- Brand
- Typographic
- Web/ UI
PROJECT
MODULES
Brand review, research and strategy
Completion and refresh of brand identity
eCommerce website refresh and rectification
Brand/ label Look Book
OUTPUT AND
DELIVERABLES
-
Report and findingsDetailed report from brand review and presentation of competitor analysis and personas
-
Brand visual identityRevised brand assets including logo, fonts, colour palette and new brand imagery library together with comprehensive brand book and additional product look book.
-
eCommerce websiteRevitalised website with new brand imagery and copy including additional pages to complete the brand’s story.
-
Digital communicationsComplete series of eDM templates for Klaviyo rebranding and aligned with new identity, coded and loaded ready for use into platform.
The client
Founded by Carly Tucker, Sydney-based fashion eyewear brand, Tribu emerged from the solitude of a lengthy COVID-19 lockdown. In her a one-bedroom apartment near Bondi Beach, Carly embarked upon her vision to create a brand that would transcend mere fashion statements, and embed itself as a movement in the hearts of diverse personalities around the globe.
Tribu stands out for its commitment to quality eyewear, and celebrating the myriad of individual styles and characters that make our world vibrant. The essence of Tribu is not just about offering eyewear but about fostering a community that embraces individuality, love, and the true essence of being oneself.
Our journey with Tribu was a captivating encounter of creativity and ambition.
This brand's philosophy resonates deeply with our ethos at lcdc.co, making this collaboration more than just a business venture—it was a shared journey in making a meaningful impact.
Background
For us, the Tribu project presented a canvas rich with potential yet requiring a masterstroke of strategic direction and brand refinement. Our mandate was to transform Tribu from a burgeoning eyewear entity into a movement echoing the values of authenticity and self-expression.
This comprehensive undertaking involved dissecting the brand’s DNA, aligning it with its target demographic, and meticulously crafting a narrative that resonated in the crowded eyewear landscape.
Our remit extended beyond simple aesthetics; it was about embedding a resonant brand story that echoed in every aspect of Tribu's identity.
Our collaboration began with an introspective review of Tribu’s brand and assets, a blend of meticulous analysis and creative strategy. This initial phase set the stage for a comprehensive brand evolution, focusing on market positioning and identity refinement.
Through a series of strategic modules, we journeyed with Tribu. Each step, from analysis to market research and then execution, became a blend of art and strategy to elevate Tribu’s identity to ready it completely for complete market exposure.
Challenges
One of our paramount challenges was nurturing Tribu’s existing brand spirit while orchestrating a comprehensive transformation. Balancing innovation with the preservation of Tribu’s unique essence necessitated a nuanced approach. It was imperative to augment and refine without diluting the brand’s intrinsic appeal and character. Our endeavour was to not just reimagine but to evolve Tribu’s identity in a manner that resonated more profoundly with its audience, maintaining the core attributes and aesthetics that were pivotal to its initial success.
Solution
BUILDING A STRATEGY THROUGH RESEARCH AND AUDIT
Our first endeavour was an exhaustive brand audit of Tribu, aimed at crystallising their existing brand essence while identifying avenues for enhancement.
Digital platforms
Promotional material
Brand collateral
Product package
We embarked on an in-depth analysis of Tribu’s brand assets, spanning their digital footprint to their physical product designs. This thorough examination uncovered inconsistencies in visual representation and a fragmented brand narrative across platforms. Our audit shed light on the need for a more cohesive and impactful brand message, one that reverberated consistently across all customer interactions.
The audit pinpointed a visual identity marked by an array of typefaces and colour schemes, diluting Tribu’s brand impact. We observed that the Tribu logo, while distinctive, lacked consistent application guidelines, leading to a variation in interpretations and executions. Moreover, the brand’s digital presence was fragmented, with a disjointed narrative across online platforms.
These insights were pivotal, revealing that while Tribu had a robust product line and a clear vision, their brand assets were not effectively conveying this narrative to the target audience.
In our competitor analysis, we dissected the strategies and visual identities of competing brands that played in the same space, noting where they fell short in digital identity and brand consistency, providing a focus on areas where we needed to ensure Tribu would excel. This analysis was instrumental in shaping our approach to Tribu’s brand narrative.
We developed detailed customer personas, painting vivid portraits of Tribu’s diverse audience. From DJ Samity, the vibrant club DJ, to Donna Burbridge, the unconventional artist, each persona was crafted to better inform our strategy, content creation and brand extrapolation, providing a more complete picture of Tribu Eyewear and what the brand meant.
Customer persona #01:
DJ SAMITY
KEY DEMOGRAPHICS:
Marital status: Married to her dog
Target age: 18-28 years
Education: Secondary certificate
Employment: Club DJ
Gender split: 60% female/ 40% male
DJ Samity, 23, a Club DJ who tours Australia playing gigs between regular appearances and a residency on the east coast, where she also lives.
- Lives with her dog (who she adores) and other like-minded creatives in a shared house
- Loves to live in her feminine power and is paving her way for a move female driven industry
- Being uniquely different is her thing
- Always needs to put an outfit together to ensure she looks on point for her personal brand without an expendable income
- Needs to present as being edgy, while retaining quality—without the price tag
- Sees all of Australia with her job but is yet to get overseas.
- She dreams of exploring and taking her career with her to make a bigger name for herself
Customer persona #02:
DONNA BURBRIDGE
KEY DEMOGRAPHICS:
Marital status: Happily divorced
Target age: 38-52 years
Education: Degree in Fine Arts
Employment: Artist
Gender split: 75% female/ 25% male
Donna Burbridge, 44, is divorced but dating a 28 year old hottie. She lives with her eight year old son and their French bulldog in Woolhara.
- Is a known Australian artist
- Sells her work out of a studio space in Paddington, where she also curates colabs with groups of local artists
- Her income is expendable
- Like her art, she likes things a little different to mainstream, she looks for quality and uniqueness
- Travels everywhere chasing the sun—hasn’t seen a winter for just over a decade
- Supports other local boutique Australian brands
- Loves to be barefoot, semi-naked on hot days
Customer persona #03:
LAUCHY PHILLIPS
KEY DEMOGRAPHICS:
Marital status: It’s complicated
Target age: 18-27 years
Education: Some university
Employment: Podcast host/ influencer
Gender split: 60% female/ 40% male
Lauchlan Phillips, 26, non-binary. They live in the trendy suburbs of Melbourne with two of their friends, another non-binary and a slightly older lady.
- LGBTQIA+ activist
- Very fashion forward/ continuous and into pop culture
- They own who they are and willingly speaks up for those who don’t yet have the confidence to stand in their own light
- They travel all over following fun and fashion, and often jump on a plane, last minute, to not miss out!
From our research and exploration, our objective became centred around creating a unified brand identity, one that would not only visually captivate but also emotionally connect with Tribu’s audience.
IMPLEMENTING OUR STRATEGY TO REFRESH AND ELEVATE THE BRAND
Based on our audit findings, lcdc.co embarked on a strategic refresh mission for Tribu. Our goal was to weave a brand identity that was not only visually striking but also emotionally resonant. This multi-pronged strategy included refinement of the existing logo, the development of a cohesive colour palette, and the establishment of unified typography standards.
We re-envisioned Tribu’s logo to ensure a harmonious balance between its emblem and wordmark, crafting a more identifiable and consistent brand symbol. This entailed adjusting proportions and establishing an alternate execution to ensure it would work across various channels and mediums.
Visual inconsistency was addressed by curating a streamlined colour palette, infusing Tribu’s energetic and vibrant ethos into its branding. We introduced a secondary colour palette to complement the primary scheme, adding depth and versatility to Tribu’s branding. This palette was thoughtfully selected to mirror the bold spirit of Tribu’s clientele.
Typography was a crucial facet of our strategy; we selected fonts that aligned with Tribu’s dynamic aesthetic while enhancing legibility and sophistication.
We explored and tested layout and design options with the new brand typefaces and built out guidelines to bring consistency to communication pieces, that would amplify brand awareness through consistency in reproduction of the visual brand.
Our curation of brand imagery was an exercise in authenticity and alignment. We selected images that reflected Tribu’s approachable and individualistic nature, shifting the brand’s visual narrative to one that was more relatable and genuine.
The website underwent a strategic refinement within its existing Shopify framework. We focused on integrating cohesive brand messaging through a more expansive written content element and optimising the user experience. This transformation ensured that the website not only showcased Tribu’s products but also effectively communicated its brand story.
To ensure brand cohesion, we compiled a comprehensive brand book. This guideline detailed the proper application of Tribu’s visual and verbal styles, to further foster consistency in all future marketing endeavours. This brand book will serve as a navigational tool for Tribu’s team, and any external collaborators, to foster a cohesive and consistent brand experience.
The renewed visual identity, once complete, was tested through the design of a comprehensive product directory, or Look Book that showcased the revitalised brand, told it’s story and presented its range of high quality products.
Outcome
Our transformation of Tribu marked a pivotal chapter in the brand’s narrative. This extensive rebranding endeavour propelled Tribu into a distinguished position within the fashion eyewear industry. The reimagined brand identity resonated deeply with the target audience, fostering enhanced emotional connections and brand loyalty.
Ultimately, the outcome not only communicated Tribu’s ethos of celebrating individuality and self-expression but also showcased our expertise in crafting narratives that transform visions into vivid realities.
