Brand Planning | Rami Dudin

HI! I'M RAMI
Brand Strategist

In the words of Leo Burnett

"Curiosity about life in all of its aspects is still the secret of great creative people."

This same curiosity is what drives my strategy. I am always looking for fresh perspectives, unexplored yet undeniable truths, and hidden motivations that drive behaviour.

I do so by investigating the context, culture, and consumers surrounding a brand to find unique insights that unlock original creative work.

WORK THAT WORKED

SICKKIDS VS.

For many years, SickKids used sympathy to drive donations from an aging donor base. The hospital needed to develop a different strategy to appeal to new donors and reach its aggressive five-year fundraising goal of $1 billion.

SickKids’ marketing had mostly appealed to women 35-plus. But, to reach its goal, the hospital needed a fresh campaign to recruit men, young parents and millennial donors. People are far more likely to donate if they feel that an organization is on the cusp of something great and tend to pay attention when there’s a significant change in marketing.

The idea was to shift SickKids from a “cause” to a “performance” brand that can accomplish its goals; changing the tone from sympathy and sadness to one of strength, power and resilience. Essentially, SickKids would stop acting like a charity and more like a competitive brand, in the same vein of Nike and Under Armour.

WORK THAT WORKED

MARK'S WELL WORN

Never forget where you come from...

During a period of growth in stores, sales, and assortment, Mark’s became so focused on short-term financial results that it lost touch with why they were in business in the first place: their commitment to hard-working Canadians. Mark’s no longer reflected the values they shared with Canadians and that lived at the root of the brand.

Mark’s was established as a store that blue-collar Canadians could rely on for quality clothing that worked for them while they worked hard. The brand needed to redefine “industrial” for a modern age, to instill a sense of pride and appreciation for the brand’s roots, to connect with Canadians in a meaningful way beyond sales.

To revive Mark’s roots and celebrate the spirit of hardworking Canadians, “Well Worn” was created. Well Worn was led by three key brand pillars: Strength of Character, celebrating the commitment of Canadians to live life by their values; Wearing It Well, highlighting the confidence of Canadians to wear clothes their own way; and finally, Durability of Products, capturing Mark’s product quality that can be counted on, just like those who wear it.

WORK THAT WORKED

SICKKIDS VS. MISSING HOME

'SickKids VS Missing Home' is a new holiday ad campaign from the children's hospital that hopes to alleviate the worries that many kids have when they need to spend time in the hospital during the holiday season. The ad depicts SickKids' nursing and kitchen staff working to bake a giant cookie and fill a giant glass of milk so that Santa Claus is guaranteed to make a stop at the hospital during his Christmas sleigh ride.

For kids in the hospital during the holiday season, one of the top concerns is that Santa won't be able to find them (since they aren't at home.) It's a well-known fact that Santa loves milk and cookies, so a giant plate of cookies and a giant glass of milk is a surefire way to get the jolly gift-giver to come by.