How %b Rubicon b% scaled internationally with the right foundations for design & messaging

‍Rubicon helps entrepreneurs get out of their bubble by letting them share their challenges with peers. As pioneers in their field, their rapidly growing community of 300+ entrepreneurs fosters deep connections and personal development.

The challenge

When you’re lacking the right brand and marketing foundations in your quest for expansion

Nicolas, Matthias, and Stefaan, the founders of Rubicon, approached us with their struggle
— nailing down their foundations for design and messaging, in order to keep their brand consistent while expanding their business internationally.

• Value Proposition: Despite the clear value for existing customers, Rubicon faced difficulties explaining their unique offering and value proposition, especially to new audiences visiting their website.
• DIY Brand: Their brand was not consistent on all channels, which gave a sloppy and unprofessional image. Their website felt DIY and didn’t match with the quality of their offering and professionalism of the team. This could block them in their plans to scale abroad.
• No Branding Guidance: The existing brand book didn’t provide enough clear instructions to create all the necessary design assets. It guided design, but didn’t structure the core messaging and positioning. Aiming for international expansion, they needed to have the right foundations for design and messaging, that allowed them to keep their brand consistent on all channels.
• Inbound Marketing: As a start-up, Rubicon primarily focused on outbound techniques like cold emailing and Linkedin outreach to find new customers. In their quest for scale, they wanted to generate more inbound leads instead of depending solely on outbound.

The solution

Crafting a strong brand and a converting website as key advantages for international expansion

1. Research: We interviewed Rubicon's ideal customers to gather unbiased insights crucial for positioning and branding. These insights also provided valuable information about buyers' triggers and needs. This enabled us to confidently create a converting website and lead magnet for Rubicon.
2. Brand Foundations: During a half-day workshop with both the Valued team and Rubicon, we shared key insights from our customer research and delved into their business, values, and identity. This collaborative workshop helped us craft a cohesive brand strategy. The result: a comprehensive Message Guide and Brand Book. Both ensure Rubicon’s Brand and Message stays consistent on all channels.
3. Website: Once the foundations were set in place, we started with the copy, design and development of a new website. Rubicon is all about an amazing experience. We decided to heavily emphasize that vibe by using captivating visuals made by photographer Eveline Lemahieu. The site now clearly positions Rubicon’s strong value propositions and differentiates them from other communities for entrepreneurs.
4. Lead Magnet: To help Rubicon’s move from outbound to inbound, we created an engaging lead magnet. The self-assessment that scores you on your entrepreneurship and leadership capabilities, tailors to Rubicons target audience. We created both the technology and logic behind the test as well as the personalized report you receive after filling in the lead magnet. Needless to say, everything was on-brand ;-)

The results

Ready for international growth

• Strong Foundations for Growth: With their new Brand Book & Message guide, Rubicon is confident their brand and message is and stays consistent on all channels.
• Lead Generating Website: The improved website and lead magnet focuses on customer experience & conversion, which didn’t just increase the total amount of leads but also improved the lead quality
• Professional Brand Assets: Rubicon went from DIY and off-brand assets to simple design templates for various channels: email, social media, events, …

Conclusion

In partnering with Rubicon, we've not only revitalized their brand but also empowered them to excel in their expansion goals with a clear, compelling message and a high-converting online presence due to their new website.