Focus Lab

This rebrand started with a new CMO and a 20-year-old company ready to evolve. It ended with real diamonds given away in a crowd. 💎 In the latest episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney 👋 sits down with Rhiannon Staples, CMO of ClearCo, to walk through a rebrand built on a belief most companies miss: Your brand's launch day isn't the finish line — it's just the beginning. Rhiannon shares how she brought that philosophy to life, including building a brand ambassador program that will keep the whole company invested long after the confetti settles. What you'll hear: → How to take the guesswork out of choosing a branding agency → Why a rebrand is the foundation, not the finish line → How a structured process keeps senior stakeholders aligned and on track → What a brand-led activation looks like when the concept is dialed in Huge thanks to Rhiannon for bringing such a clear and thoughtful perspective to this conversation and to the whole ClearCo team for being such great partners every step of the way. 👏 🎧 Full episode: https://lnkd.in/gNFv8NjH

Choosing a new logo is one of the most anxiety-inducing decisions a company can make. 😬 You stare at a slide full of options waiting to feel something. A spark. A sense of rightness. That feeling doesn't always come. And that's okay. A logo doesn't arrive with meaning. It earns it. Nike's co-founder saw the Swoosh and said "I don't love it." Chase's president wanted nothing to do with the octagon. Both are now iconic. The meaning wasn't in the shape. It was built over time, through: → Consistent use → Real experiences → Repetition → Building the brand story → Social proof A logo is only as powerful as the brand behind it. 💪 — 💾 Save this for your next logo review. 📖 Read the full breakdown on our blog (link in the comments)

A successful rebrand starts before the agency ever gets involved. It starts with choosing your Driver. 🏎️ One person who owns the process end to end. Who consolidates feedback, runs point with your agency, and is empowered to make decisions without waiting for consensus. They're organized, relentless, and fully committed to seeing the project through — from kickoff to launch. That role is what keeps everything moving and what turns a good rebrand into a great one. Jonathan Pogact, VP of Marketing at Seamless, put it well: "Everything goes back to nature if you let it." A rebrand is no different. Without someone tending to it relentlessly, momentum fades fast. Shoutout to Philip LaChance, who drove the Seamless rebrand from the inside and kept the train on track. 🎙️ Hear more from Jonathan, Philip, and Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney 👋 on our latest episode of The Debrief. Link in comments.

Big things happening for our partners at Scantron. 🎉 For a company that's been the name behind the bubble sheet for over 50 years, this brand refresh reflects everything they've become: a single partner for data collection across every medium. The new identity honors where they started — that iconic tick mark and color palette — while making clear how far the work has grown: → Forms & scanners → Digital assessments & AI-driven analytics → Fully managed data programs Same trusted partner. Expanded story. Congratulations to the entire Scantron team. We're proud to have played a role in bringing it to life. 👏 Check out the new look → scantron.com --- Shout out to our friends at Huck Finch™ for nailing the website refresh. 😎

The new evolution of Iterable is here. 🎉 A platform powering the campaigns and communications that move businesses forward, Iterable has grown into a true market leader — with a more powerful product, an expanded leadership team, and a track record that speaks for itself. A lot of that evolution was happening behind the scenes. The brand was telling a smaller story than the company had become. Now the story they've been living is the one they're telling. And in a market where AI is accelerating everything, showing up with clarity is a competitive edge. The result? A brand built with: → A clear point of view → A sense of maturity → The craft to carry it forward We're proud to have partnered with the Iterable team to bring this to life. 👉 See it in action: https://iterable.com/ 👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gnXgacJq

Congratulations to the team at Maxio on the launch of their brand evolution! 🌟 Maxio powers the financial operations of modern B2B SaaS and AI companies — built from the combination of two best-in-class platforms into one comprehensive system covering quoting, billing, revenue recognition, and analytics. A unified identity that reflects how far the platform has come. It was a privilege to work alongside their team to bring it all to life. We can't wait to see what the future holds. 🚀 Check out the brand in action → maxio.com

Our latest case study just dropped. 🪄 Spellbook's product already felt like magic, but it was time for a brand that could cast the same spell. The most complete AI companion for commercial lawyers had outgrown its identity. Legal AI reads as one undifferentiated field — and that became our brief. A few of our favorite details: → "Questing Together" — a brand concept that reframes AI as a powerful ally, not a replacement → A dark, premium palette offset by six bold colors built to stand out in a sea of sameness → A markup symbols library: lawyers' contract shorthand, turned into brand assets That last one became one of the most ownable elements in the system. Background textures, product icons, graphic language. The spells in the book, made visible. 🔮 Since launch, Spellbook has raised a $50M Series B. The momentum behind this team speaks for itself. → Full case study: https://lnkd.in/gkjaQj2E → Spellbook in action: https://lnkd.in/di-5aYQi -- A special shoutout to Grace Walker, who built Spellbook's website interface in parallel with our brand work, and later joined them full-time as Creative Director. 🙌

If you've ever stared at a logo options slide waiting to feel something — this one's for you. 🫵 Most leaders expect an instant connection with a new logo. Like they'll just know when they see the right one. But that's not how logos work. A logo isn't discovered. It's built. It fills with meaning through consistent use, real experiences, and time. Nike's co-founder saw the Swoosh and said "I don't love it." Chase's president wanted nothing to do with the octagon. Both logos are now iconic. So if nothing is hitting right away — that's not a red flag. The goal isn't love at first sight. It's choosing something you're willing to stand behind while it earns its meaning. Here's how to get there: → Anchor in your brand strategy → Use criteria, not vibes → Imagine it in the real world → Don't expect an emotional connection on day one → Keep the feedback circle tight The winning attitude isn't "I love it." It's "it will grow on me." — 💾 Save this post for your next logo review. 📖 Read the full breakdown on our blog — written in conversation with a few of our brand designers.

Setto looks good in the big apple! 🍎 Big congrats to our partners at Sett on closing their Series B for a total of $57M in funding. We partnered with the Sett team last year to build a brand that could keep up with them — strategic, sharp, and the perfect amount of charm. From rebrand to Times Square. Proud to have played a small part in the journey. 🎉 sett.ai

Seamless had a best-in-class product, but their brand hadn't caught up — yet. 💪 In the latest episode of The Debrief, Bill Kenney 👋 sits down with Jonathan Pogact (VP of Marketing) and Philip LaChance (Principal Designer) at Seamless to relive their full rebrand — the 8+ month grind, the hard work case studies don't show, and what it felt like when it all finally landed. What you'll hear: → How Bill's book, Conquer Your Rebrand, led Phil to Focus Lab → Why vibes matters more than portfolio when choosing an agency → The internal champion role that makes or breaks a rebrand → Why confidence is the first ROI you'll feel after launch Big thanks to Jonathan and Philip for joining us on the show and for being the kind of partners that make this work worth doing. 👏 Full conversation live now: https://lnkd.in/guCrfn6b