Blockchain is also the missing link

From the outside in, a company involved with the Blockchain revolution runs the gauntlet of public cynicism and corporate giant protectionism. The mention of any activity derived from the same technology as crypto currency can be met with suspicion.

Equipped with nothing but my healthy curiosity and Noble Ox’s enduring professional service, I went to meet the good folk at Wallet Services.

Noble Ox had been shortlisted, so no doubt this potential client had already been bamboozled by the countless jargon-fuelled processes of other brand agencies. When we met, I’m sure I felt a palpable sense of relief in the room.

Wallet Services seemed to welcome the down to earth, honest and jargon-free approach Noble Ox was proposing. Similarly, it was clear that the people at Wallet Services know who they are and why what they do is exceptional and has the potential to transform society for the good.

The Noble Ox brief

Noble Ox got the job and yes the job was more than a little daunting! Obviously, there’s an inherent complexity to the technology behind the business of data collection, storage and sharing. Not to mention the significant impact on people’s rights, privacy and ultimately their security. However, Wallet Services were very clear from the start that the Noble Ox brief was to help find the language needed to find the missing link ie. Brand Definition.

The first step was to facilitate a group session with the whole team round the table. Everyone had their say, from the founders, directors and the true techies to the student interns.

The role of Noble Ox was to put people at ease and get them talking. I asked the right questions, then pinned back my ears, taking copious notes and recordings. Where needed I was able to drill down, to help the team explore and express what they really meant and felt about what they did, why and how.

It was a very productive and enjoyable session. The Noble Ox follow up not only captured other thoughts beyond the worskhop but also the team’s appreciation of our approach,

“We thoroughly enjoyed working with Noble Ox. I think there might have been some technology scepticism when we tried to drag everybody together to look at brand and messaging, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The team found it a useful and necessary exercise.”
Peter Ferry – Wallet Services Co-founder and Commercial Director

All the right notes…

By far the most challenging stage of any brand definition project is when I sit at my desk with all the source material at my finger tips. This includes written and recorded feedback from the workshop and follow-up from different people. We also request business plans, strategy documents, online content, past marketing material and media coverage plus competitor analysis.

I call this the ‘kitchen sink’ stage ie. we actively encourage the client to share as much as possible, so we have plenty to work with. There’s reassurance all round that no stone is left unturned. After all, effective brand definition has to be thoroughly researched and confidently rooted.

But, as Eric Morecombe once said, ‘I may have all the notes,’ but at this stage, ‘they’re not necessarily in the right order!’

The missing link is the truth well told

So where to start to ensure Noble Ox does justice and tells the truth well? Thankfully, my self-prescribed total immersion works as it’s comprehensive. I know I have all I need. From there it’s a question of reading, defining, drafting and refining.

Obviously there’s more to it than just word wrangling, the process requires the right balance of intuition and sensitivity to make sure the true essence of the brand shines through.

Thankfully, Noble Ox is good at this. After all this is what we’re all about, putting ourselves in the shoes of our clients AND their target audience. We find the missing link between the two.

The success of our work for Wallet Services speaks for itself as the brand definition we created is now woven throughout their communications. Siccar’s Blockchain service has a clear, confident and consistent tone of voice which differentiates it in the market place and effectively engages target audiences.

Your next step

Whatever your business does, it needs to define and connect with itself, so in turn it can connect effectively with the marketplace. Inevitably, most companies have a few missing links in these chains of connection.

Contact Noble Ox so we can find the missing link and help you connect.