Sharon Critchlow on Crafting a Unique Identity in Crowded Markets

Executive Director, Discover Your Bounce

Could you tell us about your business and its brand identity?

My business is Discover your Bounce and we have two brand streams, Discover Your Bounce for Business which is a leadership and workplace wellbeing provider and Discover Your Bounce Publishing which is a publishing house.

How has your unique brand identity contributed to the success and recognition of your business in the market?

Being consistent with our messaging about what we do and why we do it has made it easier for people know if we would be good fit for them before we have a conversation. Often people say to me "I have seen your website and this is what I like..."

Can you share the journey of how you developed and refined your brand over time?

We started with some colours and a tag line "creating health and happiness, today". Different projects within the business have a linked colour set and logo along the same theme. Publishing has our distinctive triangle designs in purple and grey, corporate is blue and orange and personal wellness is teal. We added to the brand with same style of pictures which also extends to our books.

Branding in crowded markets can be challenging. What obstacles did you face in establishing a strong brand, and how did you overcome them?

Our name - Discover Your Bounce -  helps a lot. People often say "I need to discover my bounce". It's a conversation starter. Distinguishing what we do from others and why we are different was a challenge in the beginning but we found our way by bringing a bit of ourselves into the brand. After all, people buy people, right?

How do you ensure that every customer interaction reflects your brand identity, and why is this consistency important?

We have processes in place and templates to ensure we give the same level of consistent service. If there has been a challenge we sometimes bring another director into a project for a while so that it gets a fresh pair of eyes on the subject and more energy, full of bounce!

In practical terms, how do you measure the impact and success of your branding efforts?

We knew it was working when we turned up at events and were referred to as "the bouncy ladies" People sometime get confused between me and Nicky as we look similar, but they never forget the brand.

Can you share an example of a branding misstep, what you learned from it, and how it influenced your approach going forward?

We nearly mis-named a wellbeing project by choosing a name which was the same as a financial services product. We now do a good level of internet searching before creating a new name for a product or a book.

What key pieces of advice would you give to new businesses trying to establish a strong brand in a competitive market?

Consider your why. What is it that your clients need and what will resonate with them? Make sure your brand doesn't need a lot of explanation, so keep it simple. Check that the imagery matches your service and is consistent.