BRAND DESIGN & INTEGRATION
Designing A Brand Story:
A Tale About Transformation
Frieda, a newly independent professional, was stepping into entrepreneurship after a corporate career but faced uncertainty about branding herself and promoting her services. She needed a brand identity and marketing strategy that felt authentic and aligned with her vision while effectively reaching potential clients.
We worked closely to define her brand’s core identity, create a strategic service packaging framework, and design a digital presence that resonated with her audience. By addressing her discomfort around using her own name and navigating social media promotion, we developed an awareness campaign that allowed her to engage with confidence. Within three months, her business saw a 150% increase in leads, a 100% rise in new client conversions, and expansion into two new regions.
Through a data-driven content strategy, SEO optimisation, and clear messaging frameworks, we transformed uncertainty into momentum. The result was a confident, compelling brand presence that supported Frieda’s transition and empowered her growth.
overview
the project
The challenge
Frieda was transitioning from a corporate career to running her own business full-time. Her priority was acquiring clients, but she struggled with where to start. She also felt uncomfortable using her own name for her business and was hesitant to engage in social media promotion. The challenge was to build a brand identity and marketing strategy that felt authentic and comfortable for her while still allowing her to expand her reach and attract clients.
the research
UNDERSTANDING FRIEDA'S HESITATIONS & STRENGTHS Together, Frieda and I explored her discomfort with personal branding and social media exposure. We identified the need for a business identity separate from her personal name to provide a sense of security while maintaining a strong personal connection. DEFINING THE TARGET AUDIENCE Next, I analysed her existing clients and their characteristics. I interviewed some of her clients, and gathered feedback to understand what aspects of her services resonated most. From there, I determined the most effective client acquisition channels that aligned with Frieda’s initial comfort level, allowing her to ease into self-promotion at her own pace. CLARIFYING SERVICE OFFERING: I discussed and documented how she customised her services for clients. To improve messaging and client understanding, we organised her work into clear service categories: individual services and business services.
DESIGN
Brand Creation: We picked a business name that provided some distance from Frieda’s personal identity while ensuring she remained the face of the business. The name also had personal significance for her, and she was delighted to have that connection with her business name. Next, we created a cohesive brand strategy that aligned with her personality and comfort level. I defined the tone of voice for her brand, and I divided the brand creation and strengthening strategy into different stages. STAGE 1: I created the website on Wix.com, optimising the content through SEO and compliant to WCAG 2.1 for accessibility, for optimal search engine discoverability. I generated high-quality AI images that reflected Frieda’s passion for visual arts. I designed the landing page, Individual Services page, Contact page, and Terms & Conditions page. Marketing strategy: I positioned Frieda’s services in a way that felt authentic to her, yet appealing to potential clients, with messaging that balanced personal engagement with professional branding. I conceptualised the broad strokes of subsequent brand development stages: + Design and package Business Services. + Update the website with additional information. + User testing of the site. + SEO plan to continue to be discoverable, including basic SEO hygiene and a content design plan. +Frieda had become increasingly comfortable with her exposure. Where she previously felt she could not write her own content, she had become inspired to convey her knowledge and experience through writing. I created a basic coaching plan to facilitate her discovery of her own writer’s voice. + Look at Social Media where Frieda would be comfortable to be present in her business capacity, and optimally targeting her audience on these platforms, prioritising click-through to her website. Next, we'd look at increasing engagement. + Design a WhatsApp campaign for specific services and target audiences. + Design an email campaign for one existing target audience, and for a new emerging target audience.
outcome & lessons learned
25% new business in Week 1 35% new business in Month 1 2x new geographic regions in Month 1 FULL REVIEW BY FRIEDA VD MERWE, CEO & FOUNDER OF TRUE NORTH FINDER: “Bianca played a pivotal role in shaping True North Finder, from its very name to the creation of a website that perfectly embodies my business, my personality, and my approach. She has an exceptional ability to translate a business concept into a digital presence that is beautiful, innovative, light-hearted, yet deeply insightful and impactful. Her work on my website did more than just create an online presence — it transformed my business. Within the first week, my business increased by 25%, and within the first month, by 35%. The website has made it significantly easier for me to explain what I do, helping potential clients understand the depth of my services, and ultimately assisting in closing deals. The feedback from my customers has been overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing how well the website communicates my work. True North Finder helps individuals discover their purpose, prepare for career success, optimise performance, and make key life decisions, such as subject choices, career direction, and professional development. Using psychometrics and coaching techniques, I guide people toward clarity and confidence in their next steps. Bianca’s contribution began even before the website — she was instrumental in naming the business itself. I have always said that I was “born with a True North,” and she took that phrase and brilliantly transformed it into the brand name. Her ability to deeply understand a business and then project it digitally with precision and creativity is nothing short of phenomenal. I highly recommend Bianca for any project requiring brand identity, website development, and digital storytelling. Her work doesn’t just look good — it delivers real business results.”
gallery
Full Review: Frieda van der Merwe, Founder & CEO, TrueNorthFinder