Social Chain has reshaped its business proposition, restructured and redesigned its team, and refreshed its visual identity.
The rebrand marks a new era for SocialChain, and perhaps the most immediately striking difference is that Social Chain is now SocialChain, with the space resigned to the dustbin of agency history.
The agency, which has offices in Manchester, London and New York, will turn 10 in 2024, and the rebrand seeks to “solve the rapid evolution of social and the marketing innovations that have taken place in the space.”
SocialChain says that it will offer a radical shift from agency models of the past, with its new proposition of “building stronger connections between people and brands by strengthening your SocialChain”, and centred around the agency’s core belief of putting people before platforms.
SocialChain added that it is not content simply chasing algorithms, new platforms and trends and is instead putting the emphasis on the audience. This is coupled with an understanding of how brands can, and should, show up in a way that is meaningful, including a clear strategy and a collaborative approach with creators.
SocialChain will continue to operate a creator-led model, putting talent from both within and outside the agency, creativity, insight and outcomes at the heart of its content output while rejecting traditional hierarchies, restructuring teams, and redesigning specialist roles. Creators “won’t be restricted to specific fields and will come together cross-agency to achieve client goals. Due to this, the agency aims to build the multi-skilled agency creators of the future.”
The proposition has been road-tested in recent pitches resulting in high-profile client wins with John Lewis Partnership (including Waitrose & Partners), Holland & Barrett, and the British Army, all of whom have been added to the agency’s portfolio in recent months.
SocialChain’s new brand identity follows its acquisition by Brave Bison in February, and half year results last week which revealed that the parent company had laid off a quarter of staff and slipped to a pre-tax loss of £200k since the takeover. Brave Bison simultaneously increased revenue by 15% to £16.9m, with Social Chain contributing £3.6m.
Brave Bison executive chairman Oliver Green said at the time that he believed Social Chain, now SocialChain, has the “potential to become one of Brave Bison’s strongest brands.”
The rebrand and new brand proposition have been developed by a new senior leadership team which includes a blend of legacy Social Chain creators (Charlotte Bowker, operations director; Lauren Howson, people director, and Mark Farrelly, finance director) and new market-leading talent (Tom Bellamy, executive creator director who joins from Ogilvy; Kyle Pyne-James, growth director who joins from the GOAT agency, and Ric Hayes, group strategy director who joins from Carat). Pete Metcalfe, CEO, will head the collective.
Metcalfe said: “SocialChain is extremely proud of where we came from and what we have achieved to date. But now we are looking to the future. It’s time for the next era of the agency. As such, we have to acknowledge that we are no longer that spirited start-up. We’ve grown up. SocialChain is a multi award-winning agency focused on building stronger connections between people and brands.
“Our new visual identity and proposition reflects this perfectly. What’s more, our revolutionary creator–led model and forward-facing approach, delivered by a talented team with exceptional leadership at the helm, is exactly what brands need to succeed right now. This is why leading brands, including John Lewis and Waitrose, as well as Holland & Barrett, have chosen to work with us. We have serious momentum behind us right now and an enviable roster of current and new clients. It’s only a matter of time before we welcome others into the fold.”
Sarah Moores, head of marketing communications at Holland & Barrett, added: “As a company committed to delivering personalised wellness journeys through social, it’s vital that our content cuts through the noise, resonates with, and captures the attention of, a switched-on and active wellness community. SocialChain’s new proposition and people first approach made the agency stand out from the crowd, ensuring our SocialChain is built out with bespoke content created for our audience. Added to this was the agency’s passion, creativity, and collaborative approach that fits perfectly with our team. We can’t wait to get started.”
