Flume’s 10-Year Anniversary Rebranding
Digital marketing is a rapidly evolving landscape, much influenced by technological advancements and ever-changing consumer behaviours. Rebranding enables digital marketing agencies to realign their core values, their mission, vision, and services to cater to the constantly changing needs of their clients or target audiences. By embracing a more contemporary image, agencies can establish themselves as leaders in the complex marketing industry.
And so, Flume took its 10-year anniversary as a catalyst for change. Established in 2013, Flume Digital Marketing has seen countless years of growth; from its humble beginnings of two friends taking a leap of faith to boasting 110 “Flumers” in three office locations: Johannesburg, Cape Town, and now, Amsterdam.
Ebbs and flows
The ebb and flow of the marketing industry is relentless. With technological advancements, developments in social media, new trends in pop culture, and consumer behaviour, staying ahead of the game is vital. However, it can be challenging for agencies to stand out from their competition, especially if they find themselves as the proverbial little fish in the big, ruthless, advertising pond. Rebranding offers the opportunity to redefine an agency’s unique value proposition, positioning it differently from its rivals. A fresh and distinctive brand identity can attract new clients, create client loyalty, and ultimately develop a competitive advantage.
Changing direction
The creative mind behind the rebranding is Chélin Ramos, who joined Flume in October 2022 as Head of Creative and Social Media. She explains: “My entire philosophy about this industry revolves around the power of understanding the “why.” I’ve always been inspired by Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle theory, so when I joined Flume, I brought with me a barrage of questions. Why do we do things this way? Why does this matter? Why everything? I saw a chance to capitalise on the fantastic groundwork and principles that Flume had already established and craft a compelling narrative that not only addresses our “why” but also celebrates our journey and the culture of innovation we fight for every day.”
Prior to its 2023 makeover, the Flume logo had been a mainstay for seven years. Rather than opting for a logo that is using the year’s most popular typeface or palette, Ché opted to dig deeper into the intrinsic meaning of “flume” and its aptness for the agency, its business proposition, as well as its vision. “The word “Flume” was unfamiliar to me,” explains Ché, “and I vividly recall needing an explanation when I first joined. To my delight, I discovered its clever and profound meaning. For those unfamiliar, a Flume refers to an artificial structure that measures water flow in an open channel – how fitting!” This essence perfectly aligns with Flume’s work, as the agency channels and measures content for its valued brands. It was crucial to embody this concept fully.
Considerable time was devoted to meticulously crafting the new brand, ensuring it genuinely captured the purpose of a flume. Every detail, right from the logo’s angles and curves, was purposefully designed to capture the true spirit of what Flume does. The brand now stands as a testament to the agency’s commitment to embracing its namesake and delivering exceptional – and purposeful – work for its clients.
Islands in the stream
Whenever the question arises about Flume’s distinctive qualities, our managing director, Jacques De Bruyn, always highlights three pillars: our people, our culture, and our clients – all of which contribute to shaping the flourishing agency we are today.
Taking a bold leap, we decided to bridge the geographical divide by establishing our Amsterdam office. This strategic move not only demonstrates our commitment but also allows us to be intimately involved with our overseas clients. It’s a decision that sets us apart from many small independent agencies in South Africa who might hesitate to take such steps. At Flume, we believe in pushing boundaries and seizing opportunities to elevate our services and deliver excellence, despite the location.
Making it matter
As a forward-thinking agency, we constantly adapt our ways of working to embrace industry changes and technological progress. Occasionally, a golden opportunity arises that allows us to do more than just shuffle things internally; we get to add a fresh coat of paint to our endeavours.
At Flume, every action we take, whether it’s advancing our technology or opening international branches, is driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact. Throughout the past decade, Flume has celebrated numerous successes – bagging a few awards along the way – all of which have culminated in our renaissance in 2023.
Looking ahead to the next 10 years, Jacques remains both confident and modest, stating: “We’ve witnessed success over the last decade and are grateful for all of the clients and employees that have contributed along the way. Looking forward, we continue with our vision of being the best independent digital agency in the country; evidenced by the clients we attract, the work we deliver and the types of people that want to work here.”
Flume is an independent, full-service digital marketing agency providing services that include SEO, web design and development, public relations, media buying, client service, UX/UI, and creative production. For more information visit our website or email us to say, well, “hello”.
