Canvas

Growth demands evolution. Does your brand reflect where your business is headed? Wilfred Alfred, Senior Strategist at FourthCanvas, unpacks the why, when, and how of strategic rebranding. Dive into the full guide here.

While many startups fail in their first year, the actual risk of failure increases astronomically between years 2-5, when approximately 70% of surviving startups are far more likely to shut down within the following year. This period popularly referred to as the 'valley of death' is when scaling challenges and competitive pressures become most intense.This is the stage where it becomes even more critical that startups balance the functional (getting products to work seamlessly at scale) with the

This article was inspired by an arguably “mean” tweet I saw recently: “Designers that place function over everything are my least favorite type of designers. No heart, no soul, never creating anything truly inspiring or interesting. What a waste.” Let’s ignore the strong and borderline insulting tone he’s used to pass the message for a second. He’s right about that—form over function—being the present reality of user experience design and it is something I am guilty of as well—for many reasons.

Change is constant, and a rebrand is a major signal of change for businesses. While beneficial, it can also be costly and risky. Success hinges on careful planning. Key steps include setting an engaging scene for change, discussing the company's history, reflecting on genuine values, envisioning the future, and understanding the competitive landscape. Ensuring team and leadership buy-in and ongoing commitment is crucial for a successful rebrand and its positive, lasting impact.

Temitope Alabi, CEO of Afriex, simplifies cross-border transactions for Africans, achieving a 99% success rate and raising $11M since 2019. Inspired by his struggles as a Nigerian in the diaspora, he created Afriex to address remittance challenges. Temitope's journey from Nigeria to America involved many abrupt changes, learning resilience, and diverse experiences in academics and athletics. His entrepreneurial path, including founding Social Capital, led to Afriex.

As tech startups increasingly invest in intentional brand-building, there's a push to hire in-house brand designers. Agencies like FourthCanvas also expect this before collaboration. A Brand Designer is more than a graphic designer; they bridge the gap between a brand manager and a creative professional, ensuring brand integrity across all communications.

Over the years, we've defined what "good businesses," "partnership," and "great brands" mean to us. We value honesty, respect for our expertise, a commitment to quality, and readiness to invest time and money. We avoid pitches, emphasize leadership involvement, and focus on sustainable brand transformation. Our best clients share these values, ensuring successful and meaning collaborations.

To build a compelling brand, it takes more than just good quality; it requires an evolving and relatable big story, consistent expression in all aspects, and a people-first ideology that inspires a community beyond direct users. As competition intensifies, especially in the tech startup space, relying solely on quality is ineffective for building loyalty and commitment.

Brand strategy is require for everything from identity to advertising. It is simply crafting a narrative on who you are, whose attention matters, and how you connect with them. To craft an effective strategy, we suggests setting clear values, auditing past and current communications, engaging with leadership, employees, clients, and competitors, conducting surveys, and analyzing online sentiments. Workshops, observation, and continuous learning are key.

Since our founding in 2015, we have aimed to influence branding across Africa. This report highlights top tech startups excelling in storytelling, brand tribe, and experience. Combining our expertise with data from TheFutureOfWorkAfrica and insights from external judges, this report offers a comprehensive look at innovative brand strategies. We hope it inspires and guides future brand development across the world.

Since the 1921 Depression, corporations have balanced internal and external consulting for expertise. Startups, favoring agility, cost-effectiveness, and control, often prefer internal teams. However, balancing internal capabilities with external collaboration can maximize success and avoid pitfalls.

On April 5, Tunji discussed hosting Zoom classes with Deji, leading our team to explore online knowledge sharing. During a run, Ayomide and I brainstormed ways to help a past client, and Aremu provided an impromptu SEO class. We conceptualized “FourthCanvas Share,” assigning topics and designing a landing page. By April 7, despite challenges and creating multiple destinations, we successfully launched the initiative, demonstrating our commitment to openness and innovation in knowledge sharing.

There is a misconception of brand identity that begins right at its foundation with the perspective of a logo as a must-have, not a need-to-have. Most business leaders only understand that you need a logo just as you need a name, office/web address, a front-desk for inquiries, or what else would you have on your ID card or signage?

Despite the obvious benefits of design for great products and service, a lot of CEOs and business owners are not aware of how much good design can affect the success of their brands. Could it be that designers rate design beyond its relative importance? How does design bring business value or make monetary sense enough for a business owner to invest?

Access Bank has completed their absorption of Diamond Bank, presented as a partnership since December 2018. Despite being a takeover, they created a positive narrative of collaboration, emphasizing increased capacity and resources. However, the integration of Diamond Bank's green color in signage felt forced and visually imbalanced, showing the importance of careful branding execution. This merger highlights the power of effective communication in shaping public perception.

How would you feel if you pick up a design or product and realise that the designer had you in mind when creating it? Let me guess, a tiny bit of growing loyalty? It sure feels good when it is evident that you, as a user or member of the “highly esteemed target audience” was right at the centre of the thought process as a brand, material or product was designed.

The identity of a brand includes but is not limited to the logo, which is a key part of branding — the intentional efforts towards determining what a brand is in the minds of people. Branding in itself never ends. If the people behind a brand apply for an industry-relevant award and win, it is a big branding step as it contributes to how people perceive them.

​​Less is more’ is a relatively common quote among creatives and interestingly, the least adhered to. Hence the letters, and in the open.