It’s also what makes you different to every other company
out there. Your ‘what’ may be the same, i.e., making games, but your ‘how’ and ‘why’ are most likely very different. I’ve worked with several games publishers and developers to define their brands and in every case, we’ve drawn on their own unique journey, experiences, and beliefs to create something that stands apart from their competitors. Building a brand story is more than writing a nice
‘About Us’ page for your website. It should have depth and meaning to be believable and that comes from nailing your mission, vision, and values, understanding your audiences and what matters to them, and talking to them in the right brand voice to create a strong emotional connection. This is what makes people stop and listen to what you
have to say.
“It’s never too late to work on your brand. Whether your business is a year old or thirty years old, there’s always a great story to be told” Your brand story also gives you more to talk about than
your games. Whether you’re between launches or you just want to establish a deeper connection with your fans, having a series of strong brand messages means you never run dry on things to say across your social media channels or in the press. Even bigger companies know that the size and scale of your business and your PR resource can only get you so far if you don’t have something interesting to say. Get your business ‘PR-ready’ with a brand story that people genuinely want to hear. Last, but by no means least, your brand is a way to unite
your employees around a clear shared goal and direction for the business. Companies with well-defined brands don’t just come across more professionally, they’re also more focused and therefore more likely to achieve their goals and go the distance. It’s never too late to work on your brand. Whether your
business is a year old or thirty years old, there’s always a great story to be told. Lidia Rumley is a brand consultant and the founder of
The Brand Storyteller (
www.thebrandstoryteller.co.uk). After spending almost two decades working in PR for leading video games publishers EA, Ubisoft and Eidos, she now works with creative businesses to help them define and articulate their brand stories.
March 2022 MCV/DEVELOP | 45
TRANSFORMING BRANDS
This month, industry veterans Garry Williams and James Cato launch the results of their rebrand from Sold Out to Fireshine Games. “The company today is very different to the one we originally launched in 2014” says COO James Cato. “Not only has the industry and landscape changed, but we’ve changed in our culture, our priorities and what we want to do. So, we felt our brand and our company name needed to change to better reflect that.”
When I started working with the Fireshine team, I knew they wanted to create something timeless, more fun, less corporate, and ultimately more fitting for the business. We assembled a brand taskforce that included people from different parts of the business, brand designer Doug Benson from Visual Dialogue, brand naming expert James Newell from Clear Sales Message, website designer Matt Hill from OH Creative and copywriter Caramel Quin. We set about the task of uncovering what Fireshine stands for and looking at how we would translate that through brand positioning and messaging, a new name, a fresh visual identity, and a brand-new website. Standing behind the Fireshine name is a team of true gamers who love what they do, but what really makes them stand out is that their work in digital is backed by a solid footing in physical sales and deals, something that’s immensely fruitful for their long-time partners. As a team, they’re driven by achieving commercial success through stability and common-sense decision- making. They’re wholeheartedly on the side of the developers they partner with, and want to make the creative process as easy and enjoyable as possible for everyone. They’re also a champion for indie developers, whether that’s emerging talent like Spiral Circus, Stonewheat and Sons, Pugstorm, White Paper Games and others, or more established developers. They welcome their partners into the developer community they’re committed to building, making sure everyone knows everyone, so people can meet other like-minded creators and support each other. More than anything, Fireshine loves to discover hidden gems and today they have a brand that will support them in that mission. Naming a business for the future is never easy, but as the first thing people see when they encounter your business, it’s important to strike the right note. “Fireshine combines the radiant energy from a primal element and the idea of shining a light on indie games” says Sarah Hoeksma, Fireshine’s Marketing Director. “When we put those words together, the word Fireshine gave us a feeling of warmth and togetherness, which seemed fitting for our company. It feels right for who we are as we move into the next chapter of our story.” With some awesome indie games in the pipeline for the next few years, this is just the beginning for Fireshine Games. Visit them at
www.fireshinegames.co.uk to find out more.
From Top:
James Cato, COO Fireshine Games Sarah Hoeksma, Marketing Director, Fireshine Games
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