This case study appears in Roger Darnell’s book, The Communications Consultant’s Foundation.
Based in Irvine, California, the principals of the hybrid creative agency ENVOY have built their company very thoughtfully, aiming to partner with bold leaders to make experiences and products that define the future. By focusing on the convergence of design and technology, and even being willing to invest capital, expertise and services, the agency has chosen to engage with a growing list of innovative startups, in addition to its roster of well established companies.
When we think about startups, we might imagine one or two impassioned individuals burning the midnight oil together in a garage or an attic, dreaming about taking their side gig full-time. This is a story about the other kind – where very savvy professionals who have achieved major success in the past join forces on a relatively sure thing. Meet Blossom, a company that set out to create a smart water controller that would cut utility bills and save water.
One of the most successful companies to tap into the “Internet of Things” phenomenon (essentially, where our electronic devices can send and receive data, and have the ability to adjust themselves according to what they learn) in 2014, Blossom’s accomplished founders counted 75 prior patent filings between them. By the time they met ENVOY in 2013, they already had financial backing from Vizio and Accton, and the mission was leveraging their experiences in consumer electronics, water resources, networking and hardware to deliver innovative, impactful products.
Going into November, 2014, here is the scope of services ENVOY had provided to Blossom’s CEO Manrique Brenes and his colleagues.
The product’s launch strategy focused on launching – and promoting through the company’s channels, networks and resources – a Kickstarter pre-order campaign. After meeting its initial U.S. $30,000 fundraising goal in less than 24 hours, the campaign went on to raise over U.S. $100,000. Two years later, Blossom was acquired by Scott’s Miracle-Gro.
There’s a lot to learn from this magnificent case study. First, ENVOY’s own brand, mission and positioning were so well established that when Blossom’s executives came along, they knew it was a perfect fit, despite having to invest capital. Hearing ENVOY’s creative director and partner Ryan Rommelfanger talk about the partnership is illuminating. “We were attracted by the opportunity to help build a brand around a product that was easy to use, beautifully designed and engineered to make a difference,” he explained in a 2014 news release. “Blossom’s brand personality came to life in our offices, and it truly represents everything we have to offer. Brand building takes a lot of passion, and our team is thrilled with the opportunities and the progress we made partnering with Manrique and the Blossom team.”
ENVOY’s managing partner Michael Bennett shared the agency’s broader view on startups: “Our principals come from both agency and tech startup backgrounds, so engaging with startups is very organic for us. Our core competency has always been solving problems with creative design and strategy… we traditionally do it for big brands but the crossover to startups is completely seamless, as typically their main reason for existing is to solve some problem.”
For any new venture seeking to go to market in a powerful way, bringing their strengths to the surface and ensuring the greatest chances for success, the partnership between ENVOY and Blossom is a solid example of how it’s done at an extremely high level.
My introduction of a marketing agency as a brand – one that has established expertise in creating or invigorating the brands of others – is intentional here. In order to attract Mr. Brenes, his colleagues and the investors behind Blossom, ENVOY had to be perceived as being worthy. The agency’s internal focus and the expertise it represented for others had to be applied in creating its own identity, and in telling its own story. The proof of ENVOY’s own successful branding campaign is evident in the Blossom case study, which is yet another example of a powerful, extremely well engineered brand, shrewdly taken to market with tightly aligned, highly engaging storytelling.
