MEDIA
BRINGING BRANDS TO LIFE
PICTURE : TOM BANKS
Brand masters – Blonde Creative directors Liz Atkin ( left ) and Holly Thomson .
How creative studio turns businesses into ‘ delightdelivering , audience-engaging machines ’
Blonde Creative is on a mission to transform businesses into powerful brands .
The Redcar-based creative content and brand strategy studio uses tone of voice , personality , storytelling and positioning to help companies connect with their ideal customers , grow sales and achieve their business goals .
Holly Thomson , the company ’ s founder and CEO , says : “ There ’ s some really cool stuff going on in Teesside and lots of stories to tell . We love working with the people behind the businesses and articulating who they are , what they do and why it matters .”
The company creates written content for websites , brochures , newsletters and email sequencing - all of a brand ’ s marketing touch points . And in a time where there ’ s never been so much content out there , Blonde Creative says originality is your best weapon .
Holly adds enthusiastically : “ Imagine a brand as a human being , with its own narrative , characteristics and values . Maybe your business has an incredible origin story or maybe you do something well that your competitors aren ’ t doing or talking about . That ’ s what people connect with - the way you tickled their brain and made them feel something .”
Under its previous name of Holly Thomson Copywriting , Blonde Creative was a finalist at the Tees Businesswomen Awards 2022 . It has clients across the UK and is now working with organisations in the US , too .
Director Liz Atkin says : “ We ’ ve invested a lot in our slick systems and processes to make sure our clients have a fantastic experience .”
The studio helps businesses in all kinds of industries , including professional services , the luxury space and e-commerce .
Creative strategy , sales psychology and proven copywriting formulas and techniques go into every client project the studio works on . Liz says : “ It ’ s so rewarding seeing our clients go forth and conquer with their new strategy and content . It always feels really special to watch a business metamorphose into an authentic brand that resonates with their target audience . We love being able to make a difference by adding impact where it counts .”
Liz recently became one of only a handful of people in the UK to gain a qualification in Design Thinking , covering skills such as creative problem-solving and customer empathy mapping , which the business now draws on to give its clients even more value .
Holly points out : “ Your website is like a 24 / 7 salesperson and works even when you ’ re not , so it needs to connect effortlessly with your dream customers to make you money .
“ A lot of people struggle to communicate their information and offerings in a way that ’ s direct but not ‘ salesy ’ - and that ’ s where we can help by showing how powerful words can be when you ’ re intentional with your brand and messaging rather than just hopeful that people will be interested .”
Being cheerleaders ( metaphorically speaking !) for the area , Holly and Liz are proud to play their part in creating a supportive and sustainable business community . Reflecting their own company values , they use small local service providers and suppliers wherever possible and welcome opportunities for collaborative working - like when they launched their own exciting rebrand using the creative skills and talent of other Teesside businesses for design and photography .
Blonde Creative knows the best ideas come from conversations . Talking to business owners about the power of communication , not just with paying customers , but also within the workplace itself , has led to the creation of its new Word 2 internal comms service - helping employers get their brand right from the inside out and crucially getting staff engaged , on board , and on-brand .
It has also developed its signature Brand Blitz workshops to empower participants with the knowledge and tools to identify , establish and build their brand . Liz says : “ We want to help people confidently and strategically differentiate their offering , improve customer engagement and achieve greater growth .”
Holly smiles : “ We get a massive kick out of making other people ’ s business dreams come true - always delivered with the kind of feel-good service only an independent studio can .”
Find out more at blondecreative . co . uk
The voice of business in the Tees region | 59