Mark’s branding and website weren’t performing for him. He had copy that didn’t do justice to his business, his values and the services he offers. There were only generic stock images of London scenes on his website, and he didn’t know where to start building his social media presence – all of which are disastrous for making that great first impression on new prospects, building trust with existing ones. 

To address all these issues, you would normally need to find five different experts. You’d need to get to know each one, feel confident that they understand what you do and what you offer, and can deliver the job you want. You would need to brief all of them separately, and co-ordinate their availability to produce what you need – which could mean waiting months for results. 

Unless, like Mark, you choose to become Elite in a Week… 

The Problem

Mark Hook is a cost lawyer, and specialises in the complex law around agreeing the legal cost of a case up front, and then retrieving those costs when a case is closed. He’s been doing this for 35 years, and set up his own business in 2023. 

Mark’s MDH Legal Costs Ltd website was created by an acquaintance some time ago, but it wasn’t working for him as it should. He has plans to expand the business, and the website just wasn’t equipped to support that. It was difficult to navigate, his expertise and personality weren’t coming through, and it wasn’t even clear on the home page what his overall offering was. 

Mark came to us not knowing where to begin. Should he have a new website? Post on social media more? Get a new logo? When you don’t know what needs attention the most, our Elite Review is the place to begin – so that’s what we did. 

The Review 

The Elite Review looks at each aspect of your brand – your branding, website, images, copy and social media data – and gives you a traffic-light dashboard to determine how well that aspect is working for you, along with our recommended actions for turning all of your categories Green. 

Unsurprisingly, Mark’s Elite Review revealed that his website wasn’t doing the job he wanted; but it went deeper than that. The brand image he had out there wasn’t in harmony at all with the business he runs: the values at its heart, the personality, Mark’s ambition for the business, and his expertise. Putting these brand traits out there is vital for attracting the people you want – because if you don’t, the risk is that they will move on to a business that does. 

Tinkering around the edges of the website wasn’t going to be enough to make the changes Mark needed. To make his future plans a reality, his whole brand needed an overhaul – so that he could be clear in his mind about the direction of the business, the clients he wants to attract, and the areas he wants to operate in. 

We gave him options for this brand overhaul: 

• Elite in a Week: giving him a brand new website, logo, copy, images and a bespoke social media strategy in just five days; 
• Elite Transformation: giving him the same results, but over a longer period of time. 

Mark chose Elite in a Week – and so we got to work.

The Elite Strategy Day

The first stage of any transformation is the Elite Strategy Day, and we took Mark to London for his. It was a time to focus entirely on Mark, and gather the information we all needed to transform his brand. The morning would be focused on his business, his vision and his brand; and the afternoon would be dedicated to a photoshoot in handpicked London locations that would provide the perfect backdrop to Mark’s new suite of brand images. 

We booked a venue in Threadneedle Street <<insert link?>>, and all five of us took Mark through a structured morning session of setting brand values, typical client profiles, the services he provides, and his brand personality.  

With all of this established, Rebecca and Sarah were able to propose Mark’s new website structure, copy and tone; and Charlotte began mapping out Mark’s first social media strategy with him. Natalie had all she needed to begin drafting new logo options and Mark’s brand guidelines, and Suzanne could refine the shots, angles and personality she wanted to focus on that afternoon. 

After a delicious lunch together, it was time to hit the streets for Mark’s bespoke photoshoot, with Suzanne’s expert direction behind the camera. Lots of poses, places  and laughs later, and the Elite Strategy Day was a wrap! 

Elite – in a Week

The last piece of business on the Strategy Day was to agree the week for Mark’s transformation. It’s five days of highly-focused, fast-moving effort and production, and we need our client to be available every day to see and approve the different aspects of what we produce – so it had to be a week that Mark could manage. We settled on the first week in November. 

The Week had a schedule of daily update meetings for Mark with different members of the team, depending on what was being presented to him. As each day passed and Mark approved the different aspects of his brand – from choosing a new logo and his favourite images, to reviewing the accuracy and tone of the copy – we worked together behind the scenes to bring it all together in his new website, brand guidelines, and social media strategy. 

On Friday, we held a final call with him, presenting the finished website and our recommended next steps. With everything signed off with Mark’s approval, Sarah had the go-ahead she needed to push the button, and his new-look website was live – along with his new branding, copy, images and social media plan. 

The Elite in a Week Effect

Mark didn’t know where to turn for the help he needed. But once he’d found Elite in a Week, he could put it all in our hands. We took care of every aspect of his rebrand, and all he had to do was review and approve each aspect as we produced it. The beauty of it is that he was in control every step of the way, without having to do any of the production and co-ordination work between suppliers himself.

Mark’s rebrand has transformed how his business appears, wherever it appears. His website showcases everything he offers, how he likes to operate, and what clients can expect. His logo conveys his experience and values, and appeals to the clients he wants to reach. His social media is mapped out to support what he wants to achieve in the short, medium and long term. 

We achieved that transformation for him in just one week, and we’re delighted with the results it’s bringing him; not just more clients, but a deeper understanding for Mark of the brand identity that will support and achieve that vision he has for the business over the months and years to come.