“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself”
Leo Tolstoy
Change is a constant in life, but it often brings fear due to its inherent uncertainty and risk. We dread stepping into the unknown with unpredictable outcomes, especially when change happens unexpectedly, leaving us feeling unprepared and overwhelmed.
A striking example of life-changing events was the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone has their own unique story from this period. For me, I was a lifeguard at Walt Disney World through a cultural exchange program. Two days after Disney announced the temporary closure of its parks, our jobs were terminated, visas revoked, and we were given four days to pack up and leave the country. One moment I was living a dream in the States, the next I was in my room in Sydney, grappling with jet lag and trying to figure out Zoom for my university classes.
The pandemic accelerated the digitisation of many industries. Paper menus turned into QR codes, university lectures became online videos, and many companies adopted remote work models. Businesses that couldn’t or wouldn’t adapt didn’t survive, with small businesses being the most vulnerable. To truly benefit from drastic change, we must let go of what holds us back and embrace it fully.
Markd Global exemplifies the power of embracing change. Established in 2019 as Markd Branding in Sydney, Australia, it focused on strategy-led marketing with an exclusive Australian clientele. The pandemic forced a significant shift, pushing the company to adopt a remote business model. While remote work presents challenges in managing people and developing relationships, it also breaks physical boundaries; your office is now your laptop, and meetings happen on Google Meet. With the power of existing within a digital space, you can take a company wherever you want – the world is truly your oyster!
Shortly after this shift, the CEO, Sibon Schouten, faced another change: moving from Sydney to Amsterdam. This relocation opened new opportunities, such as entering the European market. And by expanding to the European market, who says the company can’t then expand to the Asian market? Then what about the American market? The African market? Who says this Australian-founded company can’t go global?
Thus, Markd Global was born.
Now five years after its establishment, Markd Global continues to be headquartered in Amsterdam, with a team and clientele that encompasses 6 continents and 12 countries (and counting!). This transformation didn’t happen overnight but was the result of adapting to and embracing all the changes of life and using those changes to make the company better and stronger.
I was already working at the company when Markd Branding shifted to Markd Global, but I was new and had no idea what I was doing. I was a recent university graduate (studying Visual Communication Design at the University of Technology Sydney) and was also working as a lifeguard on the side, trying to figure out the best path to move from Sydney back to my home in the UK. Despite being new, I was entrusted with Markd Global’s visual rebranding as my first major project.
Guided by my studies, I aimed for a rebrand that didn’t just follow design trends but delved into the company’s core values. This approach led to a naturally evolved visual identity, symbolising a subtle progression that reflected the company’s growth and vision.
Four main ideas guided my approach to Markd Global’s rebrand:
- Brand Concept: Understanding the company’s purpose and values was key. The branding needed to be warm and approachable to reflect its human-centric business model, but it had to maintain a strong sense of professionalism. Further, establishing heritage, timelessness, and prestige was a critical success factor.
- Rationale: Every design choice had to make sense. It wasn’t enough to choose a design element simply because it looked good. We were creating a design language that was connected to the company’s story. This approach ensured that the new branding wasn’t just aesthetically pleasing but meaningful and representative of Markd Global’s true essence.
- Ownable Elements: In today’s saturated market, it is more challenging for a brand to stand out. I focused on creating unique and ownable graphic elements. This required spending time on the finer details from the shapes and lines of the logomarks to the specific shades of colour used. Each element was meticulously crafted to ensure it was distinct, memorable, and Markd Global.
- Design Principles: Design principles helped lead and streamline the design process. Contrast, balance, hierarchy, movement, and colour were the guiding lights that helped me shape the new visual identity. These principles ensured that the design language of every element in the new branding was not only visually appealing, but also functional and effective in communicating the company’s message.
These considerations resulted in a rebrand that reimagined colour, type, logomarks, as well as introduced brand new graphic elements. This inspired the creation of new assets such as a redesigned website, presentation templates, social media, and document templates for use in-house and externally. This new visual language ensures that the heart of the company’s values flow through every client presentation and project like life-giving oxygen.
Markd Global’s rebranding didn’t just change how the company looked; it changed how the company felt, both internally and externally. It created a renewed sense of purpose and confidence among the team, laying a stronger foundation for future growth and global success.
The story and rationale behind Markd Global’s rebrand is far too long to fit in a single blog post, so there will be three additional posts delving deeper into the process:
- Heritage: The Core of a Brand Story: Before even starting creating visual assets I had to uncover Markd Global’s core purpose, and extrapolate an evolved visual identity from its story. It was vital for me to not simply follow design trends, and so this blog post will uncover why it was necessary to invest my time and energy on this conceptual flow.
- Colour: The Power that Directly Influences the Soul: Colour is one of the most powerful and accessible properties for any brand to own, and needs its own chance in the spotlight. I will go through my entire process when selecting Markd Global’s colour palette, while also expressing the importance of colour in branding.
- Fine Details: They Matter.: So overlooked that they are often omitted altogether, fine details are what ultimately sets a brand apart, allowing it to exist as a multi-layered entity. In an increasingly AI-centric world, fine details are what makes your brand stand out from the crowd. In this post, I will discuss the stories behind some of Markd Global’s graphic elements, as well as the rationales behind the Markd Global and Purpose Experience™ logos, and finally the process of choosing our fonts.
We understand that not all change is the same, and while we can’t control everything, we can influence how and when we evolve. By sharing Markd Global’s rebranding journey, I hope to show that a thoughtful rebrand can be a game-changer for any small business. You don’t need a huge team or a big budget; just a clear understanding of your brand’s heritage and a plan to build from there. Remember, small steps can lead to big changes!