In late 2022, Friends X Family contacted Grass about breaking their dependence on word-of-mouth client acquisition. F X F was in a transition period. The studio was working on large-scale retail and hospitality projects across the US, while building a portfolio of high-end residential work for A-listers in LA. Not only were they looking to expand their client base, they also needed a talent pool of craftspeople to help staff future projects.
FRIENDS X FAMILY
BUILDING A BRAND TO SCALE
Fabricators come and go, but Friends x Family is forever.
🖤
Fabricators come and go, but Friends x Family is forever. 🖤
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Friends X Family is a woman-owned custom fabrication and millwork studio specializing in retail, hospitality, and luxury residential spaces.
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Creative directors, designers, and project managers. Educated, high-earning, city-dwelling tastemakers.
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Friends X Family’s founder, Brooke Little, contacted The Grass Agency in 2022, looking to harness the studio’s unique position in a male-dominated industry. F X F was dependent on word-of-mouth lead generation, limiting its visibility. Little sought to attract new high-end retail and hospitality clients with a brand built on long-lasting, custom craftwork.
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Under my direction, Grass recommended a hybrid brand and content strategy aimed at awareness and client conversion. The subsequent brand book laid the groundwork for sustainable, long-term marketing initiatives by leveraging F X F’s unique story and rich client portfolio.
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Competitive Analysis • Brand Persona • Brand Positioning • Mission, Vision, Values • Brand Story • Tagline • Voice • SEO Audit and Best Practices • Website Redesign • Platform Analytics Audit • Social Media Strategy • Platform-Specific Posting Guidelines (Themes, Scheduling, Content, Dos and Don’ts)
Brand Strategy \ Establishing a Solid Foundation
Following interviews with key stakeholders, we recommended a comprehensive brand and digital marketing strategy aimed at client and talent acquisition. F X F already had a solid visual foundation, a strong reputation for quality work, and a unique backstory. They just needed help telling their story and finding the right people to tell it to.
After a month of in-depth discovery, which included interviews with clients and staff, a thorough competitive analysis, curated brand exercises, and independent audience research, we delivered a marketing playbook that targeted designers and project managers looking for an alternative to the roughness of male-dominated woodshops.
The resulting identity centered creativity, craft, and a proven ability to develop beautiful things that last. These pillars drove a social media strategy centering “process porn” and DIY instruction from the shop’s master craftswoman; IRL events focused on increasing industry visibility; and a newsletter marketing plan to encourage client retention.
Brand Story \ Grand Beginnings for a Luxury Studio
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In addition to being one of the only woman-owned shops operating at its scale, Friends x Family had a grand origin story to tell. I drew on the studio’s early work as an in-house restoration team for a fashionable, high-profile hotel as a way to connect with the target audience’s interest in luxury travel and design. The tagline, “Fabricators come and go, but Friends x Family is forever,” plays on the studio’s commitment to inclusivity and craft.