Who is NeoFrsh?
That’s not the right question in this case. You should be asking what NEO|FRSH is. It’s a concept, really. A state of being. Built on the idea that humans are ever-evolving and changing. We’re always becoming new versions of ourselves by stripping away the layers of conformity we’ve built in an attempt at individualism. But that kind of transformation can only occur in a safe space — like a cocoon for a butterfly. When a caterpillar is evolving, it builds itself that little sanctuary to crawl inside of, right? But what some people don’t know is that in order to sprout those wings, the creature actually has to dissolve itself into a goo first. At that point it’s neither caterpillar nor butterfly. It’s on the precipice of discovering who it really is. That’s NEO|FRSH. The point where everything we thought we were begins to melt away and we see who we truly are beneath the layers. It’s a universally relatable feeling and concept — but that’s far from how it all started.
In the beginning, NEO|FRSH was barely an idea. It was just the brainchild of an artist and musician local to the Miami area. Inspired by his cultural background and love for music and arts, our client wanted to create simple t-shirt designs and sell them with some marketing help from the team at SAMA Labs. But once we sat down and started strategizing, it blossomed into so much more. Let’s take a look at how we took NEO|FRSH from a fraction of a seedling to a fully-fledged movement with wings of its own.
Branding
First, our Creative Director and CEO got together with the client and had a long talk– several of them, actually. The concept was just a lump of coal inside his mind, metaphorically speaking, and we knew we needed to apply the right pressure and heat to reveal it’s true nature as a diamond. After much deliberation, it was clear the right move was to be disruptive. Why? Because modern shoppers tend to gravitate toward brands that have a clear persona that resonates with who they are. Authenticity reigns supreme. Doing what other companies have done means you’ll disappear in the crowd. But being disruptive? That sets you apart from the rest and makes you the new pack leader — sometimes even changing the industry forever. So how were we going to do that? By starting a conversation on social media. That’s where our copywriting team came in.
Copywriting
Messaging is at the heart of the NEO|FRSH brand strategy and it was brought to life by our expert wordsmiths. We spent several weeks going back and forth with the client to make sure we were heading in the direction, even creating word banks to ensure everything we wrote conveyed the correct voice. Then, we questioned what it meant to be an individual until our writers became obsessed with the concept — asking their family members about conformity at the dinner table, scrolling through social media for inspiration, and wracking their brains until they’d squeezed out every last thought-provoking message. Then we started posting it all on social media. Our questions were jarring, needling at emotions most people don’t want to face. The tactic worked and soon NEO|FRSH was developing a loyal band of followers. But they needed a place to go now — and a platform on which to shop.
Web
While the writers were busy creating a buzz, the web team was hard at work building a home online for NEO|FRSH to live. The design elements of the website needed to straddle the line between minimalistic and edgy in order to convey the brand’s unique personality without overshadowing the apparel line. More importantly, because the site needed to be functional for completing sales transactions, every square inch needed to be in line with brand strategy. In order to do that properly, we built the site from the ground up without the use of a template. That meant it was now the web team’s turn to have many conversations with the client, getting approval every step of the way. First, we took the time to research our server options to make sure we chose one that could support retail. Once we settled on the correct platform, we started designing and developing it all out, making sure it was perfect for both mobile and desktop browsing. By keeping the site clean and streamlined, we were able to create a relaxing shopping experience for customers — a great tactic for nurturing sales! After final approval, the site was live and it was up to the marketers to keep the page-clicks coming.
Marketing
Our team doesn’t do a single thing without consulting the brand strategy and that was especially true in the case of NEO|FRSH. The marketers started off, as always, with tons of research. What were the popular topics of conversation, who were the groups of people having them, and how would they respond to the message we wanted to convey? Next, the team put together the right plan of attack. Initially, we would cast a wide net on social media platforms with our freshly written copy, making people question what it means to be an individual and getting them thinking. Then, we watched the numbers as the data poured in. Which targets responded, which didn’t? Our marketers used that information to tweak the demographics for retargeting. The results? NEO|FRSH’s page views skyrocketed — and the sales did, too!
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