Supporting a fast-growing digital agency to reposition and connect with more of their perfect clients.
A digital product agency in Cornwall and London working with household names such as Google and the UN, but also with startups and SMEs with big ideas, Hiyield pride themselves on an internal team that could guide clients through a full discovery, ideation and development process in-house. This robust setup gives their clients confidence in a smooth process from start to finish, promising outstanding problem-solving, and delivering digital products of the highest quality.
Hiyield had outgrown their previous brand. Having grown quickly to 30 people within four years, they sought a unifying and clear proposition to help bring their team along on the journey, and a look and feel that represented their quality, while attracting more of their ideal clients.
What Upshot did
Strategic thinking
Engaging with their team to discover more about their culture we uncovered key insights into how the current brand was perceived internally and what needed to change. When a senior member of the team described the current brand as ‘boring, immature, and cheap’ we knew it was time to turn that perception around! Working alongside our good friend and collaborator Olivia Dunn, brand copywriter, we thoroughly investigated values, beliefs and behaviours, leading to an impactful new brand strategy.
Visual identity
The five-point asterisk became the hero graphic with multiple meanings. A visual cue for a footnote, it could represent the act of translating – giving context or adding new meaning. It indicated movement and forward motion, much like a propeller or motor, and it added a spark of celebration and success.
A bright RGB colour palette carried over some elements of brand recognition from their previous identity, but with a fresher and more coherent visual toolkit and design system.
"Thank goodness we rebranded! It was crucial in our journey to BCorp and has been transformative. Upshot helped us understand and gain confidence in our identity, and we've since attracted more purpose-driven clients – winning new projects aligned with our values and triple bottom line commitment."
Impact
The step back into brand strategy uncovered and articulated things Hiyield already held dear but hadn’t been able to define previously. Significantly, it has led to their new positioning as ‘The climate-conscious digital product studio’ – building on their B-corp certification and commitment to a more responsible and ethical approach.
Deeper knowledge and adoption of the corporate identity across the team has led to more confidence, less wasted time on irrelevant leads, and finding more appropriate clients more easily. They have an engaged team of people who all love the new identity and are confident in the company's bright new future.
