A Brand Isn’t Born in a Day: The importance of investing in your brand over time
Megan Dayman
Great branding requires a long term approach
Developing a brand for your business is not a ‘one and done’ kind of thing.
At Downing, we talk to countless SME business owners and brand managers who believe that once they refresh their logo, their brand is set in stone for the next decade. But the most effective brands aren’t built in a single, massive overhaul and then left on a shelf—they are continuously nurtured over time.
Giving your brand ongoing love isn’t about constant disruption or burning through your marketing budget on day one. It’s about letting your brand library, visual assets, and voice expand alongside the natural growth of your business, your product lines, and your audience. This long-term care allows your brand to remain authentic, emotionally connective, agile, and can be more cost-effective.
Here is how taking a long-term view turns brand building into a rewarding, sustainable evolution.
“…the most effective brands aren’t built in a single, massive overhaul and then left on a shelf—they are continuously nurtured over time.”
How Sassy apples is growing their brand one market at a time
When we began working with Next Generation Apples on the Sassy™ brand back in 2020, our initial job was to give a quirky new apple the communication tools to break into competitive Asian markets. Sassy™ had a strong name and a rough logo concept, which we developed into a spunky, fierce brand with graphics and copywriting designed to make an impact.
Rather than trying to build every single conceivable brand asset at launch, we nurtured the brand step-by-step alongside its commercial growth:
1. Initial launch:
We focused on introducing the product and telling the foundational story needed to enter the international markets and orchardists
2. Connecting with the end customers:
As Sassy™ expanded into Australia, South Africa, and the UK, each new market provided opportunities to grow the asset library—one point-of-sale item and retail packaging piece at a time.
3. Expanding market growth:
By 2026, backed by real customer feedback and insights, we brought the ‘Apple with Attitude’ to life with dynamic photoshoots and energetic visual campaigns that even landed in British Vogue.
This staged approach to building out the brand library gave Sassy™ the room to grow organically into a global hit.
Packaging First: Appleby Farms Ice Cream
When Appleby Farms first came to Downing, they already had a recognisable logo and a successful ice cream range. However, their existing packaging and design system didn’t have the depth or versatility required to take the brand to the next level as they prepared to expand into frozen yogurt and premium flavours.
Rather than throwing away their hard-earned equity with a complete rebrand, we systematically expanded their brand assets over a four-to-five-year partnership:
Year 1: Refreshing the Visual Identity: We refined the logo and redesigned the packaging using an expanded colour palette with a primary navy blue, delivering a premium, yummy and shelf-ready look.
Years 2-3: Deepening Strategy and Media Assets: The packaging’s success enabled deep investment in brand strategy, positioning, and long-term vision. We captured lifestyle photography embodying the “Take me there” tagline, followed a year later by mouth-watering, food-styled photography.
Year 4: Rebuilding the Digital Experience: With a comprehensive library of creative assets finally established, executing a full website redesign and build became an absolute breeze.
By incrementally building their brand library—covering packaging, strategy, photography, and campaigns—we created an authentic New Zealand brand successful in Asian markets without early overinvestment or loss of customer trust.
Small Steps, Big Commercial Impact
You don’t need to develop every single brand asset for the product launch or year-one. Budgets don’t always allow for it, and invaluable insights are gained by building in stages based on how real customers respond to your product.
Planning for regular, bite-sized investment into your brand allows you to adapt to market changes, act on real-world feedback, and spread costs logically over time. It keeps your business agile, protects your existing equity, and ensures your customer touchpoints deliver the commercial clarity and energy your brand deserves.
The Importance of Nurturing Your Brand Over Time
Developing a brand for your business is not a ‘one and done’ kind of thing.
At Downing, we talk to countless SME business owners and brand managers who believe that once they refresh their logo, their brand is set in stone for the next decade. But the most effective brands aren’t built in a single, massive overhaul and then left on a shelf—they are continuously nurtured over time.
Giving your brand ongoing love isn’t about constant disruption or burning through your marketing budget on day one. It’s about letting your brand library, visual assets, and voice expand alongside the natural growth of your business, your product lines, and your audience. This long-term care allows your brand to remain authentic, emotionally connective, agile, and can be more cost-effective.
Here is how taking a long-term view turns brand building into a rewarding, sustainable evolution.
The Importance of Nurturing Your Brand Over Time
Developing a brand for your business is not a ‘one and done’ kind of thing.
At Downing, we talk to countless SME business owners and brand managers who believe that once they refresh their logo, their brand is set in stone for the next decade. But the most effective brands aren’t built in a single, massive overhaul and then left on a shelf—they are continuously nurtured over time.
Giving your brand ongoing love isn’t about constant disruption or burning through your marketing budget on day one. It’s about letting your brand library, visual assets, and voice expand alongside the natural growth of your business, your product lines, and your audience. This long-term care allows your brand to remain authentic, emotionally connective, agile, and can be more cost-effective.
Here is how taking a long-term view turns brand building into a rewarding, sustainable evolution.
One Market at a Time: Sassy™ Apples
When we began working with Next Generation Apples on the Sassy™ brand back in 2020, our initial job was to give a quirky new apple the communication tools to break into competitive Asian markets. Sassy™ had a strong name and a rough logo concept, which we developed into a spunky, fierce brand with graphics and copywriting designed to make an impact.
Rather than trying to build every single conceivable brand asset at launch, we nurtured the brand step-by-step alongside its commercial growth:
-
Initial Launch: We focused on introducing the product and telling the foundational story needed to enter the international markets and orchardists
- Connecting with the End Customers: As Sassy™ expanded into Australia, South Africa, and the UK, each new market provided opportunities to grow the asset library—one point-of-sale item and retail packaging piece at a time.
- Expanding Market Growth: By 2026, backed by real customer feedback and insights, we brought the ‘Apple with Attitude’ to life with dynamic photoshoots and energetic visual campaigns that even landed in British Vogue.
This staged approach to building out the brand library gave Sassy™ the room to grow organically into a global hit.
Packaging First: Appleby Farms Ice Cream
When Appleby Farms first came to Downing, they already had a recognisable logo and a successful ice cream range. However, their existing packaging and design system didn’t have the depth or versatility required to take the brand to the next level as they prepared to expand into frozen yogurt and premium flavours.
Rather than throwing away their hard-earned equity with a complete rebrand, we systematically expanded their brand assets over a four-to-five-year partnership:
- Year 1: Refreshing the Visual Identity: We refined the logo and redesigned the packaging using an expanded colour palette with a primary navy blue, delivering a premium, yummy and shelf-ready look.
- Years 2-3: Deepening Strategy and Media Assets: The packaging’s success enabled deep investment in brand strategy, positioning, and long-term vision. We captured lifestyle photography embodying the “Take me there” tagline, followed a year later by mouth-watering, food-styled photography.
- Year 4: Rebuilding the Digital Experience: With a comprehensive library of creative assets finally established, executing a full website redesign and build became an absolute breeze.
By incrementally building their brand library—covering packaging, strategy, photography, and campaigns—we created an authentic New Zealand brand successful in Asian markets without early overinvestment or loss of customer trust.
Small Steps, Big Commercial Impact
You don’t need to develop every single brand asset for the product launch or year-one. Budgets don’t always allow for it, and invaluable insights are gained by building in stages based on how real customers respond to your product.
Planning for regular, bite-sized investment into your brand allows you to adapt to market changes, act on real-world feedback, and spread costs logically over time. It keeps your business agile, protects your existing equity, and ensures your customer touchpoints deliver the commercial clarity and energy your brand deserves.
Need Help Getting Started?
Whether you need to refine your positioning, expand your visual asset library, or build out campaign collateral step-by-step, we’re here to help you cut through the noise. Get in touch today.
