Horton Brand Strategy

26/08/2020

testing something out!

26/08/2020

testing something out!

12/09/2017

This week on The Type A Creative Podcast, you'll see a familiar face! I rarely do things without an ROI in mind. But I still tackle things with uncertain outcomes – and live to tell about it.

In this episode, I talk to Jenni about:

✨ when and how to apply goals to your passion projects
📚 what it feels like to see stacks of books in your house that you have to sell
🔥 self-publishing vs. going with a publisher
👊🏻 paying to make a creative project when you can’t get paid to make something

Listen on your preferred podcast app or at the link below!

Creativity & ROI With Caitlin Horton by Jenni | Sep 6, 2017 | Uncategorized | 0 comments This week on The Type A Creative Podcast I have Caitlin Horton of Horton Brand Strategy. Caitlin is a through and through strategist who rarely does things without an ROI in mind. But Caitlin is also a very succ...

08/09/2017

Burrito Kick is a Tex-Mex restaurant concept focused on quality ingredients and an enjoyable dining experience. 🌮 The owners needed a strong brand identity that could support their future franchising goals.

We provided a full visual identity, brand strategy consulting, and art directed the food photography and restaurant photo shoot.

✨In the words of Zach Pearson, co-owner of Burrito Kick: "I consider Caitlin a friend and colleague and when we worked together on this project her professionalism and expertise really showed. The brand strategy questionnaire she gave our team really helped us not only develop our ideas for what we wanted our company’s brand to look and feel like, but to further develop our vision and business model internally. Within many aspects of the relationship she under-promised and over-delivered. The finished product had a lot of our customers asking if we were a chain restaurant, even though we were a local home-grown concept. I think feedback spoke heavily to the relationship with Horton Brand Strategy."✨
Are you ready for some legit branding too? 🌯 Email me :)

07/09/2017

Last business lesson from my Thailand vacation coming at ya... and this special little bird is the perfect image for talking about differentiation.

There are many ways to get out on the water in Koh Samui. Heck, you can even get above the waves on one of those crazy water rocket things. 🌊 Want to see beautiful islands and undersea life? You’ve got a few options… in fact, it might seem like the market is completely saturated with options. 🌴 We asked our Airbnb host which island tour and snorkeling trip we should do… and he shared two companies with us. We chose the premium one – it was double the price as the other experience, but it was guaranteed not to disappoint. Crazily enough, it felt like a no-brainer.

Do you find yourself tripped up by the fact that you’re offering the same deliverables as someone else? Well… these boats were too. ⚓️ On both trips, we would see the islands and go snorkeling. The differentiation was in the experience of getting those deliverables. If you create a premium experience with unique or extra value, you can charge more for the same deliverables.

06/09/2017

This week I'm sharing some business lessons I learned on a recent vacation to Koh Samui: www.caitlinlhorton.com/vacation
One of my favorite activities in Thailand is eating and shopping at the night market. The rule of thumb for shopping at a night market in Thailand is to bargain over the price. 🤑 When I find something I like, I visit a few different booths selling that item and bargain with them over it. That helps me figure out what the going rate is… and so I eventually buy the thing from someone.
As business owners, though, it’s such a drain when customers want to bargain with you. It’s not like you can completely avoid it, but you can make sure to position yourself so that it’s less likely they’ll devalue what you bring to the table. 💪🏻 It also helps to have a unique factor that keeps your offerings from being viewed as commodities like the shoes and jewelry at the night market.

05/09/2017

Don't mind me... just sharing some business lessons from my recent Thailand vacation! Oh, and doing a bit of birdsitting apparently!

We arrived in Koh Samui first thing in the morning so breakfast was on my mind like crazy. Breakfast is my favorite meal, y’all. 🥓 So I was really unhappy to find that we were up waaaay earlier than pretty much everyone else on the island. But then, lo and behold, two women had a fried chicken stand set up on the side of the road, so we bought some. As we were turning to leave, one lady made sure to tell me about the massage place they ran right behind their stand. When I was ready for my Thai massage later that day, guess where I went? Back to that same spot!

Sure, we were buying fried chicken and sticky rice. 🍗 But they had something else they could offer us later that day, and they made sure to tell us about it. You should do the same, whether in conversation with a current or potential customer, or in something like a Goodbye Kit. Don’t assume that everyone has scoured every word of your website – make sure they know how they can buy from you! Oh, and don’t assume they don’t want what you’re offering. Just tell them about it and let them make their own decisions – don’t decide for them.

03/09/2017

Here's another biz lesson from my Thailand vacation ✨ I try to pack lightly because really, who wants to carry a bunch of luggage around? Not me! But Koh Samui was warm and I sort of ran out of stuff to wear. Luckily, there were laundry shops everywhere. I simply took my dirty clothes to one of them, dropped them off, and picked them up that night. 👊🏻 Problem solved.
Once you identify what solutions your target customer needs to solve their problems, create that. 💪🏻 Communicate the offering clearly so that they understand exactly what they’re getting, how much it costs, and when they can expect it. If you’re exactly what’s needed in the moment they need it, why would they go anywhere else?

02/09/2017

From the moment you get off the plane in Koh Samui, you’re getting into vacation mode. Instead of deplaning into a nondescript terminal or, worse, a smelly bus, Koh Samui knows how to do it right. ✨ Exiting the plane first thing in the morning, I was thrilled to be greeted by one of those open-air zoo train thingies!

With the fresh air blowing through my hair, I rode that little train straight to the open-air airport, which I could not have loved more. As we waited to board our departing flight four days later 😢 this same open-air design helped us hang onto those vacation vibes just a little longer.

How can you set the stage like THAT for a potential customer?

01/09/2017

So many new faces around here so it just might be time for a big ol' intro, yeah? ✨ Horton Brand Strategy was founded as a boutique firm run by a knowledgeable business strategist who also happens to be a talented designer. We provide a strategic process that results in thoughtful design and strategy for entrepreneurs, community builders, and creative professionals.⠀
Aaaaaand I'm Caitlin Horton. Back when I was the Marketing Director of a large gift shop, I began designing ads and direct mail postcards because I knew the visuals affected brand perception, which in turn affected sales. That was the moment when my marketing skill set blended with a natural talent for design.⠀
I've done some other cool stuff too. In 2014, I published Memphis Type History: Signs and Stories from Just Around the Corner, with Memphis artist Rebecca Phillips. It’s available on Amazon and in Memphis bookstores and gift shops. In 2016, the project evolved further into a podcast! I also helped launch Studio688, a Memphis coworking space for creative entrepreneurs.⠀
I have a Masters degree in French. So I pretty much wear a beret like a boss. I also have an MBA. So I wear a suit like a boss too – although I (thankfully) haven't had to touch one in years!⠀
In June 2016, my husband and I moved to Shanghai. Most days I’m working from my home office in the former French Concession while you’re asleep. I most enjoy exploring new places, eating everything from cupcakes to curry, and discovering new playlists on Spotify.⠀
Work with us to create a strong brand with a clearly defined target market, a business vision that inspires you to get up in the morning, and the visuals to match.

31/08/2017

Sometimes you just gotta get away to somewhere beautiful with delicious food and laid-back vibes. 🌴 This is exactly what Koh Samui, Thailand was – four days in island paradise.

I sat on the beach a bit, explored the island by motorbike a lot, and ate tons of Thai food. And by the time I boarded the plane back to Shanghai, I realized that not only had I vacationed like a total boss, but I’d also learned a few business lessons along the way.

Sometimes you just gotta get away to somewhere beautiful with delicious food and laid-back vibes. This is exactly what Koh Samui, Thailand was – four days in island paradise. I sat on the beach a…

31/08/2017

Hutchison School in Memphis, Tennessee, has over 115 years of history. The school prides itself on creating a positive learning environment where girls are inspired to be their best. 🎓 They needed a fresh line of t-shirts that matched the prestige of the school while also appealing to a range of girls in K-12.

We created ten t-shirt designs in collegiate and modern styles that appealed to the wide age range of students at Hutchison and they're currently sold in the Buzz Shop! 🐝 It was such a fun project! What are you working on this week? Anything particularly fun?