Spotlight on Transform Creative

Posted: 18 July 2017, in Member Spotlight

We’re delighted to be joined for our latest spotlight by Transform Creative, a specialist design and communications agency for the third sector. We caught up with Ana Soldatenko to find out more about the work they do, plans for the year and tips for other social enterprises.

Every few weeks we focus on a randomly selected social enterprise member for intense marketing support and promotion. Transform Creative will feature in all e-bulletins, on our website homepage and on all our social media, alongside other support, reaching thousands of people across Scotland and beyond. Want to star in the Spotlight? Email team@socialenterprise.scot

What’s your social and/or environmental mission? Transform Creative is the design arm of Transform Scotland, a sort of organisation within an organisation. All our profit gets funnelled into Transform Scotland’s charitable work. In that way we’re helping Scotland’s third sector stand out through design, and bolstering the ability of Transform Scotland to campaign for greener transport.

How do you do it? (Client group, practical daily work, customers) We’re a full-service design agency working on commissions large and small, from designing publications to websites and full rebrands. We’re a fairly small office-based team, but we’re able to draw on a team of our creative associates – all veteran freelancers – for input when necessary.

What’s your personal motivation for being a social entrepreneur? I believe that designers can make a positive impact on the world through their work. My colleagues at Transform Creative share this belief – all very successful in their freelance careers they don’t ‘need’ the extra work, yet they joined our team as a way of channeling their skills into something good.  

What are your current projects? Right now we’re developing an online resource for a social enterprise agency that will transform the way they take bookings and interact with clients; working on a brand for a campaign dedicated to ending violence against women; and working with an inspiring international development charity helping bring quality education to children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

What exciting things do you have coming up? Our parent organisation Transform Scotland is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, so we have volunteered some of our time to refresh their brand. Nothing like a birthday to kickstart a makeover! We’re very excited to help build the next 20-year chapter in the history Transform Scotland.
 
Who do you want to work with more? We’d love to do more work with the exiting start-ups from the social enterprise sector. We put together a fixed price ‘brand starter kit’ package, consisting of a logo & tagline, website, business cards and a brochure. You’ll be left with a beautiful and cohesive visual identity so that your customers can build a relationship with your brand right from the start.
 
What’s your biggest challenge? Getting the word out about our services. Over 90% of our clients keep coming back to work with us again. But we also keep encountering missed opportunities – a potential client who could be a great fit but they just didn’t know about us.

What top tips would you give to other social enterprises? There’s no reason why social enterprises shouldn’t have a sleek and cohesive branding comparable (or better than) commercial enterprises. Find your niche and own it confidently – social enterprises are shaking off old perceptions and are amongst Scotland’s most innovative and attention-grabbing organisations. Wear your social enterprise designation like a badge of honour!


For more information about Transform Creative, please visit their website and make sure to follow them on Twitter to keep updated with their work.

Want to read more Member Spotlights? Visit our blog. If you’d like to be featured, please email our Membership Manager Jayne at jayne.chappell@socialenterprise.scot.