Ellie Brands

From Mason, Ohio, near Cincinnati, Ellie Brands works as a branding and website design studio for small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits and startups. The studio's stated aim is to help each client look more considered, stand out from competitors and turn attention into revenue.

Brand strategy, identity and website design

The work runs in a set order. Brand strategy comes first and defines the story a business tells and the people it needs to reach. Logo design and the wider visual identity follow from that strategy, and the studio then shapes the wording the brand uses through its messaging. Activation work puts the identity to use in marketing material and online, while website design carries the same look and message onto the pages a customer will visit. For clients who want continued help after launch, the studio also offers ongoing content marketing.

Rebrands for a social studio, a restaurant and an accounting firm

Ellie Brands illustrates its method with a few past projects. It says it rebranded a social studio to make clear what set that business apart, and that it redesigned a restaurant's identity and built it a new website alongside continuing content. A third example is a branding and marketing project for an accounting firm marking thirty years in business, where the aim was to modernize the brand and keep it relevant to a changing audience.

Why the studio is called Ellie

According to its website, the name Ellie means shining light. The studio's view is that the clearest brands are the simplest ones, and that a brand only shines once it is truly understood. Its process starts with insight into a business and its audience, and the studio builds brand work intended to resonate with the people it is meant to reach. The team is small and agile, and it works closely with each client through the project.