I setup my business nim Creative in April of 2014 with the dream of branding the world one business at a time! 
nim is a branding and advertising agency that believes brands have the ability to change the world. We work with a range of businesses: from branding new exciting start-ups to rebranding existing businesses that want a new lease of life.
What does your brand say about you?
nim believes your brand should tell your story. It’s all about making a great first impression that shows your clients exactly what you’re about and leaving them wanting more. A brand isn’t just a logo, it’s a behaviour and your business’s most powerful asset. Through research, strategy and intelligent creativity we produce effective brands that will engage with your audiences and truly help you leave your mark on the world.
Your brand is what lets you stand out from your competitors but it doesn’t just appear out of thin air. A brand needs to be developed, foundations need to be built, what are your values? What’s your brand proposition? – That’s where we come in. We put ourselves in your shoes; by developing and understanding your values and where you want to be, we are able to live and breathe your business, target your key objectives and most importantly share your passion. Forming this strong connection gives us the ability to produce highly creative and innovative brands that allow your business to grow.
Collaborating through BNI to develop a brand
After joining BNI in February 2015 I was presented with the opportunity to rebrand an accountancy firm from my chapter. On receiving the rebranding project from Niran at NexGen Accounting I decided to implement the ‘Giver’s Gain’ philosophy; this project would solely be developed by the professionals within BNI. I have found that one of the strengths of BNI is the ability to collaborate with different members for mutual benefit.
We met at a BNI breakfast, but the work came about from our chapter holding social events, we bonded over a few drinks, we stopped talking about what we did and began to talk about where NexGen wanted to go. Their brand wasn’t really working for them and they needed to elevate their profile. The business was set up in 2012 and it was clear that it was time for a change.
NexGen’s core values
NexGen Accounting is a fresh, young and innovative accountancy that was looking to shake up the industry. Their brand needed to be refreshed to reflect these values and their goals. They had two goals as a business; provide the best possible customer service in their sector and be at the forefront of change, processes, techniques and technology.
They also felt that people deserved more from their accountants. They wanted to emphasise the customer service angle by allowing people to contact them whenever they wanted. This flowed through to their mission statement: To offer a committed and personal service to guide their clients to financial freedom.
Building NexGen’s core values was critical to developing their brand. Once you have a clear view of what the business is all about, you can begin to develop the brand aesthetics and communication – how it appears to people and how they interact and engage with it. The second stage is to collaborate with a range of other businesses to actually create the brand. In this case these businesses included:
VDO Print: Sign writing (Kevin, Mt Roskill)
System7: Web Development (Phil, Eden Terrace)
Pint Sized Social Media: Online communications (Claire, Parnell)
Laser Foil Print: Business cards (Tim, Mairangi Bay)
Snap Printing: Internal printing (Ray, Auckland Downtown)
The aesthetic platform
These businesses came into play in order to roll out aesthetics around the brand created by nim. The aesthetics of the brand we developed was based on the business’s values, mission, tone of voice and where they wanted to be in the next five years.
Once we had this foundation in place, we could begin to engage with other businesses like System7 – the web development company. We sat down and spoke about the objectives for the website. We discussed the importance of developing the site for mobile, and the key objective of being intuitive to use. I worked with System7 over a month to ensure the site was created according to our specifications.
The role BNI played
BNI was a huge part of the success of this project. Not only did I meet the client through BNI, but I also used other businesses from my BNI chapter to complete the project. This is a great strength of the group. There are so many experts from different walks of life and with different sorts of experience that can assist you in your own business. It’s not just about referrals; it is also about creating relationships that can help you now and in the future.
When I first joined BNI it was very much about getting new business. My business was relatively new and we were moving from ‘survival mode’ into the growth phase. Now it’s gone beyond just referrals. You’re very much building relationships with other professionals. Working with people within BNI will be an ongoing thing for me. I’m going to work with Phil – System7 on future projects for certain, and through this project we have built a strong partnership that already has numerous projects in the pipeline.
More work comes out of the group almost as a byproduct of your attendance. BNI is all about creating strategic partnerships and growing your business over time – that’s why I recommend it. Develop and nurture your relationships at BNI and you’ll notice the results.
Marcjon Nimmo (MJ) – nim Creative and member of BNI Business People
