Families | Sustainability | Brand Building

kids represent

Kids Represent is a UK based pre-product start-up seeking to get to market. Founder Sam Staincliff sought PR & Marketing guidance to get crowd-fund ready.

An fresh proposition, Kids Represent had no brand guidelines. As a bootstrapped start-up, the story-first approach offered best value for money to create the brand’s story, tone of voice and communications strategy.

SKILLS

Storytelling
Customer Ideation
Key Messaging
Brand Strategy
Brand Building
Market Research

Catagories

Entrepreneur
Start-up
B2C
DTC
Sustainability
Kids
Families

The Brief

Founder Sam Staincliffe needed help to communicate Kids Represent’s unique and disruptive mission, vision and values. With a career spanning military logistics, private detective work in LA and disaster relief, she was struggling to harness her ambition and story into a cohesive narrative.


Crafting the story brought up the themes that drive Sam to create change: adventure, self-reliance, risk-taking and a bloody-minded desire to make the world a better place.


A new, story-first approach fed a shift from key emphasis on diversity to adventure. The brand’s key messages fulfilled the mission that includes anti-racism, diversity, sustainability while prioritising what kids love: adventure.

People buy toys hoping to bring that smile to their special small person; a mission based purely on diversity wouldn’t capture hearts and minds.

 

Creating a research synthesis based on real-life focus group findings, Kids Represent is looking to disrupt the toy market and inspire every child, one dirty, muddy adventure at a time.

 

Logo of a Red Kite
Illustration of campsite

The Results

Online F2F market research uncovered a strong interest in the dolls, and raised questions about market share. Collating responses into a research synthesis, I recommended a quantitative market research survey to provide insights. 

Analysing the survey findings validated many hypothesis, boosted understanding and also uncovered reactions that could have proved a barrier to sales. The communications strategy was updated after market research to address the new pain points and aspirations of ideal customers.

These findings and developments pushed the project beyond crowdfunding to become Venture Capital ready. Currently pre-seed, my research and storytelling has pushed Kids Represent to be 12 months ahead of schedule.

 

Don’t take my word for it…

“Bringing Ann into our team was one of the best decisions we have made. Her belief and alignment with our desired social impact and our efforts for ethical, eco-friendly production has been electric, the ideas it has sparked have been incredible. Yes, she has helped with PR and marketing but her value is far more than that.

What she has actually done is help us shape the message and the meaning, thinking strategically to ensure our brand has a clear purpose and direction. That feeling of weight being lifted, fog clearing, water un-muddying that is what Ann has given our startup. She’s given us the clarity to think big and the strength to speak boldly, and because of that some exciting opportunities have started to come our way.”

Sam Staincliffe, Founder

Explore other work

My storytelling helps entrepreneurs, start-ups and creatives to access a story-first approach that connects to customers to drive sales and action, whether you’re a small business whose marketing is a little fusty, a corporate needing a quick turnaround of a sustainability story writer or a charity looking to get your mission heard. 

FOOD | PR | CAMPAIGN

WRITe | RESEArCH | INTERView

Street art from Brixton

Other family friendly brands I’ve  worked with …

Hello Fresh
Alexandra Rose Charity

Looking for a storyteller to take your start-up or small business the next step?

Love working with someone with passion, intelligence and a drive to succeed?

Drop me an email, let’s get in touch.