TL;DR
The problem: Scaling fast in a saturated market, x+why needed a clear, differentiated position, not just a voice.
The idea: The answer was already in Mission Lit, a self-help guide for purpose-first businesses. I edited this amazing guide, then used its personality as the foundation of x+why's brand voice.
What I did: Research (workshop, 25%-response member survey, four qualitative interviews), two voice routes, a persona, a manifesto, tone of voice guidelines, and team training.
What changed: Mission Lit now runs as a unifying and differentiating theme across x+why's fifteen spaces across the UK: decals outside the flagship space, workshops, job ads, performance reviews and a zine.
"Her tone of voice work for us fed into other brand projects including our brand values." Jem McQueen, CMO, x+why.
The brief
Brand story | Positioning
Brand voice | Training
x+why are pioneers in the purpose-driven co-work space. These brilliant people knew it was time to shake off their fustiness, and they asked me to look at their tone of voice.
Digging a little deeper, it was clear that delivering an impactful project meant looking beyond the tone of voice. To deliver the impact x+why needed at their current stage of growth, we needed to review their positioning.
The friction
The young team were struggling with the demands of their busy audience.
And, the London co-work space is crowded. It's tough. x+why know that: they've mentored many up-and-coming coworks, to make the world a better place.
Time to listen
Workshopping with the team, interviewing customers and surveying their audience, x+why supported a deep-dive into an exploration of their voice.
I learned that the needed to go further and revel in their purpose and their mission. To get comfortable shouting it from the rooftops.
Here's one I made earlier
x+why had invested in a bold brand asset: Mission Lit. I know, because together with Creative Director Ben Jeffries, I creative edited this bold, brave project.
Mission Lit is the evocation of x+why's purpose: to do better business.
Result
The Mission Lit voice now guides x+why's world. Across London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, Mission Lit broadcasts x+why's mission. It's helping x+why stand out, and provided CMO Jem McQueen with what she needed to evolve the entire x+why brand and employer value proposition.
It's playful, confident and utterly unique in the category space.
Want the whole story?
This page is an abbreviated version. This full PDF has the rest: workshops, quantitative interviews, positioning, and uses of the Mission Lit voice. You'll need about a minute to scan it, or three-fives minutes to take your time and understand the project, methods, and outcomes.
The review
"Ann is an extension of your team. She is a fantastic listener, asks thought-provoking questions.
Ann has a genuine passion for getting to the right solution for your business.
Her tone of voice work for us fed into other brand projects including our brand values, and the wider team loved how involved they were in the process."
Jem McQueen,
CMO, x+why.
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