Hi, I’m Rik Brown, the creative lead at Slipway. I learned my trade at global advertising and branding agencies in London, before moving to Portishead. Meeting local entrepreneurs, I was struck by the energy and creativity of local startups and small companies. And also by how, in the excitement and urgency of building the business, branding can easily fall down the priority list in favour of a quick logo solution and instant marketing.

My experience working on global brands has taught me how important consistent branding is to their success. And I believe smaller companies can grow more quickly with simple, consistent messaging. But why should a startup spend money on an agency with more employees than they have themselves?

This is the idea behind Slipway Branding. I offer the same as a full service agency, but at a smaller scale: a bespoke service delivering strategy, design, naming, tone of voice and messaging frameworks. All worked on by myself with the help of trusted contacts, and delivered personally.

I am a creative director that you can temporarily plug into your business - a pilot to see you safely into deeper water.

First, we’ll have a free no-commitment intro call to meet each other and see how I can help. I’ll put together a proposal and quote. Then we’ll take the plunge, with an in-depth meeting where I’ll ask a lot of questions. About your business, your sector, your competition, your customers.

After that, we’ll have 4 weekly catchups where I share ideas and take feedback.

At the end of the journey, you’ll have a brand book to help you ply your trade, including a messaging framework to add structure to your marketing.

And if you’d like me to help with advertising or messaging after that, I can do that too.

Get in touch to arrange a first meeting, and float your business with an old hand.