Case Study: Vimma Energy

Client name: Vimma 

Industry: Home energy 

Service: Fun brand voice playbook 

Vimma are a brand-new start up in the home energy sector, looking to bring a super exciting and competitive proposition to a crowded market. To support them through the very beginning of their business journey and beyond, they wanted a clear brand identity that brought fun and personality to a traditionally “dull” topic. 

The struggles: what challenges were they facing? 

• Making home energy fun! 

• Standing out in a competitive market 

• Finding messaging that appealed to customers, not just businesses 

• Balancing being eye-catching and fun, without being over the top or “in your face” 

What did they need? 

• A name for the business 

• A clear brand tone of voice 

• An ownable definition of fun and humour 

• Guidelines on how to create consistent, fun, and on-brand copy across a range of scenarios 

The Process 

Step 1: Workshop 

• Did this in partnership with Fliss Lee (brand GENIUS).

• Together we teased out all the info they had in their brains about their new business. 

• We then looked at humour and fun specifically, and got a feel for what definition they wanted to create. 

Step 2: Initial presentation & feedback 

• Fliss and I pitched our initial direction to the gang, to make sure we were all on the same page before cracking on with our deliverables 

Step 3: Naming process 

• From the info we uncovered in the workshop, I then went through a process of refining different words, language and vocab associated with the core elements of the brand 

• I broke down this process in a bit more detail in a LinkedIn post, if you’re into that sort of thing. 

Step 4: Guideline development 

• Vimma went for the maxi package, which included: 

What difference did it make? 

With every new person brought into their start-up team (brand designers, strategists), there was a really clear, codified definition of the brand that everyone could hook into and understand. 

This made their go-to-market experience a lot smoother right from the get-go, giving them everything they need to nail that first impression with their target audience.  

But was it any good? 

You’ll have to ask Thomas Newby, Co-Founder of Vimma Energy

“Hoot Copy are a pleasure to work with. From initial workshop to understand our requirements, through to delivery of our brand tone of voice guidelines, Gina was professional, punctual, and thorough throughout. We're very pleased with the output and wouldn't hesitate to recommend.”