Four and One Consulting is a strategic human capital consultancy specialising in growing the people within the business and ensuring they are equipped to perform and deliver against business strategy.
Craig came to us wanting branding and a website. We steered him towards a brand strategy and eventually built a website for him. Down the line, we refreshed his branding and have continued supporting Four & One Consulting as one of our longstanding retainer clients.
The Strategy
Digital Butter worked closely with Craig to develop a brand strategy that conveys the value he delivers for his clients. They also helped him develop a Company Overview which serves as an anchor for the business overall.
They developed a strong brand essence based on the idea that it is better to make a business more effective than more efficient. Most strategists make teams more efficient but Craig looks at the full picture (data, tech, people, and processes) to make the business effective.
The Design
At first, we didn’t touch Craig’s design. Doing the right thing at the right time is extremely important when working with a small business. It wasn’t the right time for Craig yet. But, once the brand was off the ground and had grown just enough to justify the investment, we got to work.
Because we had worked with the brand for some time, we were able to jump into the design without the usual pre-kick-off conversations. We knew Craig and we knew what he had in mind for his visual branding. We added some life with bright colours and soft rounded corners. With statistics being an important output in Craig’s line of work, we built out an information design system to guide the designs of his graphs and charts.
By the end of this redesign, Four & One Consulting became a design-forward brand that we get excited to work with.
The Copy
Full brand messaging wasn’t necessary for Four & One just yet. We put together basic copy for the website and for some collateral. This copy is simple but consistent so Craig can build his brand and build trust with his clients with a steady copy base.
The Website
The goal of this website is to introduce Craig, get some sign-ups for his bi-monthly mailer, and guide people to get in touch with him. The later added blog page helps Craig build up authority in his niche and have stronger SEO.
This site is a great example of only doing what you need, instead of doing everything your competitors do. A typical consulting website has more than five pages but Four & One Consulting is anything but typical.
We started by building an MVP site (the bare minimum that Craig needed at the time of launch) and let the site grow with the business. The MVP was a one-pager because that was all he required at the time. We made it easy to build onto because we knew in the future he would want to expand it to include a blog, which it now does.
MVP: Minimum Viable Product is when a product (or website) has just enough features to attract initial customers and test user demand before investing more into a larger build.
Starting with an MVP is a more effective option for small businesses that need to keep their cash flowing. It also offers flexibility which is essential for small businesses in their first six months.
The Insights are Looking Up
With his cohesive brand in tow, Craig has grown Four & One Consulting with an Insight Track newsletter as well as his Insights Exchange table discussions between industry leaders. Both of these are direct results of Craig’s ongoing strategy sessions with Robyn.
The Insights Exchange discussions aim to build a network of people who make each other better and aren’t afraid to challenge each other’s ideas. It’s a concept based on Craig’s insights from studying the behaviours of industry giants Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger.
Looking Forward with Four & One Consulting
Our work with Craig has continued beyond this project. He has us on a retainer which includes weekly strategy calls with Robyn, creative assistance for his presentations, as well as website maintenance. In his two short years in business, Craig has made a huge impact in his niche and has signed on some major clients including Santam.
