Branding (tagline); Website Copywriting; Project Management
Purpose: The president of this Alaska Native startup asked me for copywriting and project management support over several years, and through a number of agency relationships. The job involved weaving in with various players, creating a voice that conveyed the warmth and hospitality of Alaska's native culture. I selected photos, wrote new sections of the site, blog posts and promos, all in that welcoming voice.
Outcome: The positioning of the site and content marketing evolved quickly. Ultimately the brand centered on Dear North's wild salmon - the rich flavors, powerful nutrition and purity of their products. The story was more effective when focused on cooking, recipes and flavor profiles. The stage was quickly set for a successful introduction in the West Coast retail marketplace, including distribution in Whole Foods and other specialty retailers. The sense of Alaskan culture was still present and always will be.
Tagline: This line was selected from about 30 taglines presented. Conveyed the elemental qualities of the landscape, the culture and Dear North products. The branding firm created a badge, featuring the line placed around a simple rendition of the mountain harebell, one of Alaska's iconic wildflowers.
Launch Home Page. Dear North launched with a cultural and environmental story. Here's some of the copy on the home page, as it relates to the tagline:
"We are Dear North, an Alaska-based company with deep roots around Glacier Bay."
"Exquisite: Everything that swims, grazes and grows here is fully-charged with nutrients. The taste is intensified by our untamed climate. The benefits are almost beyond belief, and the flavors are magical."
"Extreme: Alaska is a place where the senses find delight. From lavish vistas of snow-drenched peaks to the delicate scent of a tundra wildflower. We believe you will treasure the essence of our lives here."
"Essential: The severity of Winter protects and preserves our bounty. The blistering and endless Summer days push life to the limits. And here, generosity is a survival technique."
Launch Product Page: Dear North launched with a limited product line. The products, flavors, and site content quickly expanded, requiring agile updates.
Here's the intro copy for this page:
"We grow, gather, fish, harvest, and cook. A sense of warmth and ease is part of everything we do. And now it's our pleasure to share some of Alaska's ingenious ways of adding freshness and preserving flavor, with you."
Launch Product Page: Dear North launched with a limited product line. The products, flavors, and site content quickly expanded, requiring agile updates.
Here's the intro copy for this page:
"We grow, gather, fish, harvest, and cook. A sense of warmth and ease is part of everything we do. And now it's our pleasure to share some of Alaska's ingenious ways of adding freshness and preserving flavor, with you."
Weaving In With Agency Work. I brought in someone from my team to work on sales conversion. This subhead was intended to be a new messaging direction that would boost sales. We focused on salmon as nature's perfect protein, which it is. To me, conversion is one of the bennies of working in a digital format. You can try new headlines, messages, buttons, simple things that make a whopping difference in sales. Yes, it's analytical, and it's also creative.
