— WELCOME TO —
IMAGINATION WITHOUT INHIBITION
OURS IS A SIMPLE ENOUGH PHILOSOPHY
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We believe in relationships (client and agency, brand and consumer, people and life). We like to listen more than we speak, and we understand the importance of data as a tool when it comes to human-centric solutions aimed at brand engagement. We act as an extension of the brands we serve. Much like a part of the ecosystem that makes up your company, we are an appendage to the whole and prefer to collaborate with our client partners as a team to achieve top results. That's why you'll find us at the intersection of imagination and friendship.
HOW WE APPROACH THINGS
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To be successful in the art of selling goods and services, we have become experts at connecting with humans. Understanding the way people live, shop, and engage with your brand is paramount in defining the means by which we capture their attention and convert their interest into sales.
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If we are honest with ourselves, nobody likes advertising. If brands want to be loved, they need an agency that serves the people, not the industry. We create work that people appreciate, because that creates culture. And brands that make culture, make money.
WHY YOU NEED AN IMAGINARY FRIEND
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Sometimes you need an outsider looking in to see what you may be missing. Someone you can trust and who is dedicated to your success. At Imaginary Friend, we're about building something meaningful through solutions that surpass the anticipated result.
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You want a creative ally? Well, it just so happens that's right there in our name. And it's something we aspire to in every sense. Regardless of what stage your brand's life-cycle is in (mature, adolescent, or infancy—much like SAFESKIN® currently is), we build empires of brands. That's because we start with a strong strategic foundation and add to it humanistic, insight driven creative business solutions that work.
YOU HAD QUESTIONS
WE HAVE ANSWERS
Aside from being your full-service creative ally, we offer some decisive capabilities, along with a wealth of experience and knowledge around bringing brands to life and helping them grow. That being said, here's how we see working with you and the O&M team...​​​​​​​
BRAND ARCHITECTURE
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You mentioned that you’re in the beginning phases of building your Brand Architecture, inclusive of the O&M brand and services, down into your sub-brands, including the SAFESKIN® vertical.
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Over the years, we’ve helped brands focus their brand architecture. Identifying the role the larger brand plays through to each vertical’s role within that umbrella—on into product delineation and distribution channels. We've done so for brands like New Balance (honing a global story down to individual sneaker lines), Jack Daniels (reframing a portfolio brand around the role each bottle can play in the many parts of drinkers' lives), and Hilton (understanding the role of the umbrella brand and how each sub-brand serves to carry through the larger purpose for unique types of travelers).
EXAMPLE (Defining a Brand's Architecture)
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The following link is an excerpt of a brand architecture we executed on behalf of NEW BALANCE®.
MOVING FROM PRODUCT FIRST TO CONSUMER FIRST
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Approaching the SAFESKIN® brand, and the opportunity that exists moving into the B2C space, we want to work with you to identify exactly how we can help evolve SAFESKIN® gloves from a product first story to a consumer led story. Identifying unique audiences and understanding why each would need and use SAFESKIN® gloves. This is about building brand loyalty, rather than focusing solely on product attributes.
ENTERING NEW MARKETS
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The opportunity to enter new markets and extend your product lines to serve the needs of new individuals is key to your brand's growth. We recognize that. There are two ways to enter a new market... Have an innovative product, or use existing products in a manner that disrupt conventional market norms. It’s our goal to work with you to identify how we can break into new markets, forge new relationships, and drive more attention to the SAFESKIN® gloves brand. In addition to other CPG evolutions that will live within your portfolio of products.
EXAMPLE (Identity, Branding, B2B/B2C Communications in Anticipating of Market Launch)
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The following link is an example of brand introduction. It encompasses some branding and communications work we created for CARHERO®, a tech startup and emerging brand in the online automotive sales industry.
EXAMPLE (Brand Emergence and Marketplace Infiltration)
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This next link is the result of a strategic dive and discovery exercise we led focusing on CARHERO's brand and marketplace positioning, consumer engagement funnel, and competitor differentiators. The data unearthed led to their corporate identity and brand standards, as well as all B2C and B2B communications shared at the link above.
AUDIENCE MAPPING
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Some call it ‘communications planning.’ We call it ‘audience mapping.’ Why? Because it’s more than just identifying the right communications that make the greatest impact. It’s about understanding what triggers your audience and creating stories that engage and build trust. We want to work with you as you’re planning for 2023-24 to clearly understand your B2C audience and how best to connect with them throughout the sales journey.
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
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We start with a well thought out strategy. From there, we craft emotionally led stories derived from insights that pull people in and guide them to a compelling, relevant CTA and/or experience. We offer full production capabilities too, and will lean into product development and packaging design—something you had asked about. Helping your product dev team reach inspired solutions, while defining assets derived from insightful understandings that manifest into best-in-class results.
EXAMPLES (Brand Related Executions)
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In the spirit of sharing some CPG related work, below are a few case studies we thought you might find interesting.
Mini Babybel (360 campaign)
Craftsman (social media content)
Gatorade (website)
WE'RE GAME
Thank you for allowing us to share with you what we hope is a clearer definition of who we are, as well as answer some of your initial questions. We appreciate you considering us for your marketing and advertising needs. We're thrilled about the opportunity to work with you!
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If you have any questions, or need anything further from us, please don't hesitate to reach out. Otherwise, we're looking forward to reconnecting with you the first week of March, and after your sales meetings. In fact, we can't wait! Just imagine what we'll accomplish together.
Gordon West, Director of Creative
gordon@imaginaryfriendus.com
(312) 550-4945