Repositioning an AI automation platform to compete with category giants
The challenge
Hyperscience had a problem familiar to fast-scaling startups: the brand hadn't kept pace with the business. By 2022, they were competing directly with UiPath and Automation Anywhere for enterprise deals, but their positioning didn't communicate what made them genuinely different.
The discovery phase
Stink Studios was appointed to develop new brand positioning, messaging, and visual identity. Working with Head of Strategy Tom Barnes, we conducted stakeholder and customer interviews across the business - including founder Peter Brodsky, CEO Charlie Newark-French, head of product, head of marketing, and crucially, actual platform users who had strong opinions about what set Hyperscience apart.
The insight
The breakthrough came from those user interviews: while competitors sold "automation" as replacing humans, Hyperscience customers valued how the platform kept humans in the loop - using AI to augment human judgment, not eliminate it. In a market increasingly anxious about AI replacing jobs, this was a powerful differentiator hiding in plain sight.
Positioning + Messaging
We built the entire repositioning around "Human-in-the-Loop" - positioning Hyperscience not as another RPA tool, but as the human-centered approach to intelligent automation. I developed the brand's first tone of voice and copy guidelines, along with the messaging hierarchy that translated this positioning across every touchpoint - from the confident, human-centered headlines ("Machine Learning, Humans Teaching") to enterprise sales materials and lead generation content.
The outcome
Three years on, Hyperscience still leads with this positioning. They've since been named a Forrester Wave Leader, raised $439M in funding, and count American Express, Charles Schwab, and HMRC among their clients.
Formalizing a brand voice without losing scene credibility
The challenge
RA Tickets had operated for nearly a decade on trust alone - promoters chose it because of Resident Advisor's editorial credibility, not because of slick sales materials. But as competition from DICE, Eventbrite, and Skiddle intensified, RA needed to professionalise its B2B promoter-facing communications without sounding like every other ticketing platform.
The approach
Working with RA's internal team, I developed a tone of voice system rooted in the language of dance music itself - using terms like EQ and breakdown as conceptual anchors for how the brand communicates. This gave the team a framework that could scale across touchpoints while staying unmistakably RA.
Deliverables
TOV guidelines, website UX and copy, product sheets, and a sales presentation deck for promoters - all reinforcing RA's position as the ticketing platform built for the culture, not bolted onto it.
Portfolio coherence without killing tribal loyalty
The challenge
Live Nation needed a unified brand architecture across four flagship UK festivals - Wireless, Download, Hard Rock Calling, and BluesFest. The tension: create portfolio coherence for the parent brand while protecting the fierce tribal identity each festival had built with its audience. Download fans don't want to feel like Wireless fans, and vice versa.
The approach
Working with a design team, I led brand positioning and tone of voice for each property. We immersed in each festival's culture to understand what made it iconic, evolving the brands rather than flattening them into a system.
Deliverables
Brand guidelines, positioning lines, outdoor campaigns, and supporting creative for each festival - a framework that gave Live Nation consistency without homogeneity.
The outcome
The Download visual identity is still in use today, over a decade later. One fan had the totem creative tattooed - arguably the ultimate sign-off on brand work.
Challenger brand launch against Spotify
Agency: pd3
The brief
Establish Deezer as the UK's challenger to Spotify when the brand was virtually unknown.
The approach
A 360° integrated campaign targeting young primetime audiences on the UK’s Channel 4 and Channel 5, built around a deliberately catchy TV spot designed to make the name impossible to forget.
The outcome
Registrations up 300%. Deezer firmly placed on the UK music-streaming map.
Founder-stage brand strategy for a sustainable fine art shipping startup
I worked with founder Hugo Cooke to develop brand positioning and messaging for Tokoney, a fine art and collectibles shipping service with a sustainability focus - helping translate his vision into a market-ready brand.
"Jo took my original ideas and probed with different angles for our brand identity. What I most enjoyed was how Jo turned my vision into a real brand that now brings me confidence going out to market." — Hugo Cooke, Founder
Full brand build for a B2B project management consultancy
The challenge
Virtu delivers complex transformation programmes for enterprises including Samsung, NHS, and 20th Century Fox. Founder Simon Gallini - former Head of Consulting at Vodafone Enterprise - needed a brand that matched the calibre of clients he was serving, but traditional agencies were quoting packages that didn't make sense for a specialist consultancy.
The approach
I developed the complete brand from positioning through to visual identity - defining how Virtu communicates its value to enterprise clients who need complex, business-critical projects delivered without risk.
Deliverables
Brand positioning, messaging, and design - the full system.
"I honestly feel that we got more attention and focus from Jo than we would have from a brick and mortar branding company, and the work she did was outstanding." — Simon Gallini, Founder & Delivery Director
