Idealex’s mission is to provide secure and simple cryptocurrency investment options to their customers all over the world by enabling them to send and receive funds in crypto and Fiat currencies. Their goal was to enter the banking market as a challenger banking app to Revolut and Monzo.
- Lead time:
- 12 weeks
- Sector:
- Finance & Banking
- Target Type:
- B2C
- Services:
- Brand Strategy & Brand Identity
The challenge
Idealex challenged us to create a brand that would enable them to launch their product into the market and connect with their target customers. Having already developed and named their product, they were seeking an experienced brand agency to develop their brand strategy and brand identity.
Brand purpose
Our first step was to define the ‘why’ behind Idealex. This would form the backbone of the brand and ensure that the targeting was right to successfully break into the market.
We led a series of workshops with stakeholders at Idealex. In these sessions, we combined their extensive market research with internal insights to develop customer personas and identify the key factors that are important to their audience. Our goal was to measure the gap between how their customers currently bank vs how they would like to bank in the future.
Idealex’s target audience is predominantly based in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In these regions, they have the legal freedom to trade cryptocurrencies, however the market is unregulated and lacks a financial services authority. As a result, cryptocurrencies are typically volatile and trust is low. Although people can invest in crypto, they lack the ability and security to invest.
We therefore developed Idealex’s brand strategy and purpose around the theme of financial freedom.
Brand values
Once the brand purpose had been agreed, it was important to establish aligned brand values. We worked closely with Idealex’s stakeholders to produce 3 brand values: accessibility, security and choice.
We onboarded the broader business with the direction for the brand, gaining buy in and ensuring that the full team was unified in the meaning of the values and why they were necessary.
Logo
Focusing on the theme of freedom, we designed the new logo in an X shape which relates to the X in Idealex. The form of X was also used within the Civil Rights movement in the United States and is widely recognised as a symbol of freedom.
The X shape was developed into a logo, producing a modern look and feel in line with the cutting edge crypto industry. The final logo shape was a good fit for the end customer and for potential investors.
Colourways
We selected a colour palette that is appropriate for both a financial provider and for a technical product. It needed to be bold enough to stand out in the market while remaining approachable and trustworthy.
Brand design style
We combined multiple brand elements including photography, shape and form, colours and typography to represent Idealex’s visual assets. This produced a unique look and feel that is recognisably Idealex’s.
Related work
IPFA is a not-for-profit membership organisation that connects public and private sector organisations to facilitate the success of infrastructure and energy projects. They provide their members with access to events, networking, bespoke training and the latest industry news.
- Lead time:
- 16 Weeks
- Sector:
- Not-for-profit
- Target Type:
- B2B
- Website Goal:
- Provide a high quality platform for members, enable the Marketing team
- Services:
- Brand, Web Design, Web Development, Marketing Strategy, Key Messaging
- Scope
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Identity
- Adobe XD Wireframes
- Adobe XD Designs
- WordPress CMS
- Gated Content
- Smart Impact CRM Integration
- Member Login
- Google Translate
- Site Search
- User Migration
- Resource
- 1 x Web Designer
- 1 x Brand Designer
- 1 x WordPress Developer
- 1 x Back-end Developer
- 1 x Quality Assurance Tester
- 1 x Marketing Strategist
- 1 x Project Manager
The challenge
We were challenged to refresh IPFA’s brand identity and messaging, incorporating the new look and feel into a website design that would effectively target IPFA’s core audiences and improve the user experience for existing members.
Their new website needed to provide the marketing team with maximum content management flexibility and integrate with their CRM to pull upcoming events and activities onto the site.
Post-launch website results
Launching their new website design, IPFA were looking to increase engagement from their members.
+
1
105
%
Increase in new users 6 weeks from launch
+
1
41
%
Increase in sessions 6 weeks from launch
+
1
12
%
Increase in page views 6 weeks from launch
Marketing workshops
We ran a number of workshops with the IPFA team to identify their target audiences and how to successfully engage these groups on their new website.
Dynamic brand patterns
Animated brand shapes and patterns were created during the branding process to add depth to the digital brand and website design.
Content architecture
Our team structured IPFA’s website content and resources to maximise engagement and visibility.
Our approach
We created a new website and knowledge hub for IPFA’s members, improving the user flows and creating a personalised login experience for each user.
Our team designed and built the website in WordPress with modular components that can be used to easily manage, edit and create new content. We then coded the components in line with IPFA’s new brand guidelines to ensure a consistent design as the website grows.
The Brand
We worked closely with IPFA’s team to evolve their brand identity, provide a flexible set of assets and focus their brand messaging.
We guided IPFA through a series of brand workshops to define their key customer groups and messaging strategy. The outcomes of the strategy workshops were then used to create their new brand identity, focusing on their logo, typography, colour palette, imagery, patterns and dynamic assets.
Our work provided a comprehensive targeting strategy and set of branded assets to use to secure the future growth of the organisation.
Related work
Anemoi is a leading provider of Rotor Sails to the shipping industry. Their energy saving technology offers significant reductions in fuel consumption and lowers greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30% to deliver more efficient and sustainable ships.
- Lead time:
- 12 Weeks
- Sector:
- Renewable Energy / Shipping
- Target Type:
- B2B
- Website Goal:
- Increase visibility of their technology, generate enquiries
- Services:
- Web Design, Web Development, Digital Strategy, Digital Marketing, Brand Evolution, Infographic Design
- Scope
- Adobe XD Prototypes
- Adobe XD Design
- Brand Evolution and Guidelines
- Infographic Design
- Interaction Aesthetic
- WordPress CMS
- CDN Set Up
- Marketing Strategy and SEO
- Resource
- 1 x Project Manager
- 1 x Creative Director
- 1 x Web Designer
- 1 x Brand Specialist
- 1 x Front-end Developer
- 1 x Back-end Developer
- 1 x Quality Assurance Tester
- 1 x Marketing Strategist
- 1 x Digital Marketer
The challenge
Anemoi challenged us to deliver an interactive website that would bring their revolutionary energy saving technology to life and engage prospective customers. It needed to reflect the innovative and high performance nature of the business while generating new enquiries.
Anemoi had an existing brand that needed to be evolved and expanded to meet the growing needs of the business. We formalised the new brand within a brand book to enable the Anemoi team to consistently apply the brand long after the launch of their new website.
Dynamic brand patterns
We drew on inspiration from ship sonar systems and water ripples to create a series of dynamic brand patterns that featured different interlocking circles. Implementing movement within the brand added depth and personality, as well as creating a more engaging digital experience.
Infographics and animations
Infographics and animations were produced to create an engaging design that didn’t rely on written text.
Brand identify refresh
A series of icons, shapes and patterns were produced as part of the brand identity refresh.
Our approach
We introduced new colours and brand patterns to Anemoi’s brand to add depth and flexibility. The new brand was implemented throughout the website to provide a dynamic and engaging user experience. We then created a set of brand guidelines to formalise how the brand and assets should be used by the team.
To compliment the brand work, our designers created a number of infographics to support the written website copy and communicate key messages.
In order to create an engaging website with lots of movement and transitions, we introduced an interactive design with parallax effects, colour transitions and hover states.
We codified some of the brand patterns into dynamic assets that could be used throughout the site. Our team implemented an interactive scroll animation on the homepage which responds to the scroll speed of the user and demonstrates Anemoi’s technology.
Digital strategy
We collaborated with Anemoi to develop a digital strategy to increase their search engine visibility. Our marketing team worked closely with Anemoi to produce a comprehensive keyword strategy that would improve their keyword rankings and drive high quality organic traffic to their new website.
We began by identifying pages that could act as specific landing pages for organic search traffic and began to build up keyword groups around them. By devising these keyword groups we were able to effectively target Anemoi’s target audiences and drive increased levels of traffic from Google.
Related work
Minale + Mann are an exciting and vibrant architectural design and build company based in London. They approached Plug & Play because they were looking for high levels of attention to detail and quality.
- Lead time:
- 6 months
- Sector:
- Professional Services, Construction
- Target Type:
- B2C and B2B
- Demographic:
- Wealthy Property Owners
- Website Goal:
- Generate Enquiries
- Services:
- Web Design, Web Development, WordPress, Digital Marketing
- Awards:
- Webby Awards - Special Honours
- Awwwards - HM Award
- CSS Awards - Special Kudos
- Drum Design Awards - Highly Commended
- Scope
- Brand Identity
- Adobe XD Wireframes
- Adobe XD Designed Prototypes
- Digital Marketing & SEO
- WordPress CMS
- Digital Marketing Retainer
- Resource
- 1x Marketing Strategist
- 1x Digital Marketing Specialist
- 2x Website Designers
- 2x Front-End Programmers
- 2x Back-End Programmers
- 1x Project Manager
- 2x Quality Assurance Testers
Post-launch website results
We focused on transforming Minale + Mann’s SEO strategy which resulted in huge improvements to organic keyword positions including a 2,320,316% increase in search engine visibility.
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1
50
Keywords now on page 1 of Google that they were not ranking for before the new website
+
1
91
%
Increase in organic traffic generated from keywords tracked in Moz.com
-
1
30
%
Reduction in bounce rate from organic traffic when comparing before and after launch
Before and after
Post-launch keyword results
The challenge
This project was all about uncompromising quality. At every touch point we needed to deliver immersive aesthetic interactions with beautiful art directed imagery and video.
Built for SEO
As with all of our websites, the Minale + Mann code base has been produced to be highly semantic and in line with SEO best practices.
Fully content managed
Minale + Mann’s internal marketing team have been enabled to update content, text, imagery, layouts and menus with their WordPress CMS.
Touch optimised for mobile
The analytics of the old website highlighted that a high proportion of their visitors use mobile devices so the touch aesthetic was one of our key considerations.
The brand
Minale + Mann already had an established brand identity but it didn’t reflect the “refined industrial” feel of their portfolio. They had outgrown their bright and playful brand and challenged us to create a sleek and sophisticated new identity.
Our approach was to elevate the brand by adopting a style and a colour palette that was in keeping with Minale + Mann’s architectural design ethos and would engage prospective clients visiting their website.
Brand Guidelines
“This has to be one of the sexiest, most sleek, graphically beautiful, efficiently performing websites out there! In other words……it’s ‘sh*t hot’! I am seriously thrilled with it”
The website
We created a beautiful image-led design system for the new website, incorporating the new brand to produce an elegant and high-end website design.
To achieve the premium finish that Minale + Mann’s target customers were looking for, we incorporated subtle animations and ambient video within the design. These provide an elevated dynamism that is effortless and engaging – enabling users to feel the quality. These effects include time lapse video footage, image animations that zoom and expand on scroll, and seamless page transitions.
Our developers coded the website using WordPress to give Minale + Mann’s marketing team maximum content dexterity. The new website code base is fast, best practice and scalable.
SEO strategy
Minale + Mann were ready to scale their business and expand their market share. Their existing lead generation relied heavily on the founders’ reputations, networking and word of mouth. They knew that to step up, they needed to open up new sales channels.
Minale + Mann’s start point was relatively poor – they ranked in the top 50 for a couple of keywords which was a great sign that search engines recognised what they did. However, from a user perspective, nobody was finding them on page 4-5 of Google. Their competitive metrics were fairly average – they had some leverage to secure rankings but we needed to be strategic to make sure that our work would drive meaningful improvements to their bottom line.
Our SEO strategy focused on identifying keyword targets that users were searching to find architects like Minale + Mann and were in a buying mindset. We selected keywords that Minale + Mann could realistically achieve and would generate new business for the firm.
Our SEO specialists optimised the website, using content that the client already had to secure new rankings.
Results
The new website has significantly increased Minale + Mann’s market penetration which has had a huge impact on Minale + Mann’s lead generation and revenue. The new website generates high quality traffic from aligned prospective customers and converts visitors into high quality leads.
Related work
Home & Roost sell hutches, runs and accessories for rabbits and other domestic pets. Seeking to expand on their success, they approached Plug & Play for a new eCommerce solution and a digital marketing strategy.
- Lead time:
- 4 Months
- Sector:
- Retail
- Target Type:
- B2C
- Demographic:
- Family Consumers
- Website Goal:
- Increase Online Sales
- Services:
- eCommerce Web Design, Digital Marketing
- Scope
- Resource
- 1x Brand Designer
- 1x Website Designer
- 1x Website Developer
- 1x Project Manager
- 1x Quality Assurance Tester
- 1x Marketing Strategist
- 1x SEO Specialist
- 1x PPC Specialist
Post-launch website results
In order to drive revenue for Home and Roost, we focused on delivering material improvements to their organic Google keyword positions, eCommerce conversion rate and Google Ad campaigns.
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1
88
%
Increase in eCommerce transactions as tracked by Google Analytics.
+
1
76
%
Increase in website revenue as tracked by Google Analytics.
+
1
106
%
Increase in organic traffic as tracked by Google Analytcis.
Challenge
When we started work with Home & Roost, their website was experiencing issues with page speed, lack of content and poor keyword targeting. As a result, their SEO was poor and their PPC campaigns were struggling with high costs and lower than expected returns. We overhauled their digital marketing strategy and rebuilt their website, delivering a significant return on investment.
Google Ads and conversion rate optimisation
After an initial review of Home & Roost’s existing Google Ads account we realised that we needed to rebuild their campaigns from the ground up. Within a few months, we were able to increase their revenue from PPC visitors by more than 146%. We achieved this by reducing their CPC (Cost Per Click) by 52% and increasing their PPC eCommerce conversion rate by 50%.
Improving display advertising
When we initially took control of the Home & Roost display advertising it was struggling with high costs, low click volume and poor audience targeting.
Following our work, year on year impressions were up more than 13%, clicks grew by more than 874% and the click through rate was up by about 758%. All of this was achieved with a negligible increase in the budget.
“Working with the team at Plug & Play has been a pleasure, their professional and positive attitude to whatever you throw at them is refreshing and from past experience most welcome. P&P’s desire to understand our business from the start of our relationship has enabled us to grow into new areas of the market we hadn’t considered before.
We see Plug and Play as part of our business family rather than an agency we use and look forward to the future as we go from strength to strength.”
The website
We delivered a WordPress website with WooCommerce to provide an elevated user experience to Home & Roost’s customers. Our team increased the accessibility of product pages and created an SEO strategy to guide the website structure and build.
The new website and marketing strategy was business-changing for Home & Roost, dramatically increasing revenue and creating a flexible platform for continued growth.
SEO optimised
We improved Home & Roost’s rankings by targeting valuable organic keywords that would drive sales. We assigned a keyword focus for each page and generated new engaging content. We created product page content to encourage search engine rankings and drive conversions.
