LUXURY TRAVEL
ROAR AFRICA
BRAND DISCOVERY + STRATEGY, EXTERNAL MESSAGING + COMMUNICATIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL SALES TECHNIQUES, WEBSITE + SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTING, STRATEGIC RECRUITMENT + PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVIEWING
Living between NYC and SA for the past twenty years has given visionary ROAR AFRICA founder and owner Deb Calmeyer the deepest understanding of how discerning Americans want to travel in Africa. She and her US and South African staff provide a cultivated range of storybook experiences along with the ultimate in insider access, all married with an extraordinary dedication to making every detail perfect.
Mercurylab worked with ROAR AFRICA on deep brand excavation and strategy, guiding them in calibrating the company’s extraordinary “best of the best” positioning. Through their new positioning, we were able to bring the company’s bona fide commitment to the preservation and protection of Africa more front and center in their ethos and communications. We developed and wrote new external messaging and communications, as well as staff training and tools to use in a more psychologically based approach to sales, along with website and social media consultation
“Beth has a unique understanding of both the complexities of business and of human nature. Through her guidance and lens I have come to understand my own vision in a clearly defined way, enabling me to communicate to both my staff and my clientele with a deeper understanding of my business model, ethos and goals. Her direction and insight have been invaluable to me, and I would have no hesitation in recommending Mercurylab for those wishing to further their brand identity.”
DEBORAH CALMEYER – OWNER ROAR AFRICA, NY + CAPE TOWN
ARTIST REPRESENTATIVES
Pat Bates
and Associates
DISCOVERY + BRAND STRATEGY, EXTERNAL MESSAGING AND LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTING, CREATIVE DIRECTION DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN, STRATEGIC RECRUITMENT, PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVIEWING,
HIRING AND TRAINING
Pat Bates and Associates is a New York-based artist management agency with a laser focus on the interiors and lifestyle sectors. The agency Has become known for their forward thinking, curated roster of internationally based artists – tastemakers, stylists, photographers, and directors. Pat is a brilliant , plugged-in polymath who presciently created her interiors and home focused artist representative agency years ago, with an unusual equal focus on a roster of both exceptional photographers and stylists.
With a laser focus on the interiors and lifestyle sectors, the team at Pat Bates + Associates and the artists they represent bring a deep, holistic, international understanding of the differing viewpoints and facets of “how we live,” whether at home, in public, or in public/private spaces.
We continue to develop a variety of ongoing projects and initiatives for Pat Bates and Associates, ranging from core transformational brand strategy to forward-looking market positioning to digital and social media brand campaigns, roster development and psychologically oriented interviewing and coaching. Working with Pat is a true partnership, and it’s always a pleasure.
“Beth has the extraordinary ability to personalize complex systems for real growth. She is both a creative and a strategic partner. Beth gave me not just the vision I needed, but also the road map to help me put all the pieces in place. She listened and she heard me. Best of all, she gave me a new skill set for managing the change and capitalizing on my strengths in the market. Beth and the team at Mercurylab have had a profound influence on how I am working in my business and on my business. I could not have done it without them (and I wouldn’t want to!).”
PAT BATES
FOOD + RETAIL
Stop & Shop
BRAND STRATEGY + PERSONALITY; GRAPHIC DESIGN + BRAND APPLICATIONS
Pioneers of the superstore concept, Stop & Shop is a well-known US supermarket chain that has been in business for over 100 years. Originally based in New England, they introduced their brand into the tri-state area (NY, NJ, and CT), expanding their reach to 400 stores, while taking the opportunity to reimagine and design new store formats and to look more analytically at their brand positioning.
Working in conjunction with their retail design firm, Mercurylab conducted extensive external and internal research and developed fully conceived personality options and design directions to determine either a different or recalibrated personality for their brand. We brought the new direction to life through an updated identity, environmental signage, and brand standard recommendations for advertising and collateral materials, laying the foundation for Stop & Shop to be and express a friendlier, more inclusive brand with a delineated brand voice.
PRODUCTION + CONTENT
Creative Blood
DISCOVERY, BRAND STRATEGY + INTERNATIONAL MARKET EXPANSION, COACHING, MESSAGING + COMMUNICATIONS WRITING
New Channel
When we first met Creative Blood, they were already young rising stars on the international film and stills production scene, with a contemporary, integrated full-service commitment to producing, in-house art buying and content creation.
Creative Blood’s plugged-in founders, Harriet Cauthery and Laura Conway, were interested in market expansion from their UK base to the US, requiring brand definition, strategy and messaging that would allow for a successful, high-level entrance into the US market. It was critical that the brand maintain their position as counsel and resources for some of the most influential and respected brands and editorial outlets in the world. As we wrote for them, “We work small and nimble, and large and nimble, knowing that the details are always paramount” The same was true of our work together, and getting the detailed strategic and messaging foundation right has been a major aspect of their profile and success.
CHARITY
Peconic Baykeeper
BRAND STRATEGY
Peconic Baykeeper is dedicated to protecting and restoring Long Island's swimmable, drinkable and fishable waters. A member of the international Waterkeeper movement founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the organization was established in 1998 as an important clean water advocate using science, education and law to defend critical watersheds from the Peconic Estuary through the South Shore Bays.
When Mercurylab began working with Peconic Baykeeper, they were engaged in a series of David vs. Goliath struggles, seeing themselves as the only truthtellers carrying the torch for clean water in their geographic region. We needed to help them authentically shift the beliefs that created the adversarial perception surrounding the organization, to make their ability to litigate into a positive, and to clarify their goals, positioning and messaging. We helped them to shift the internal culture of the organization, developing a focused strategy to enable effective fundraising, community cooperation and engagement, and lay the foundation through educational activities for young people to become advocates for the future health of the Peconic Bays.
FINE ART
Claire Rosen
DISCOVERY, BRAND STRATEGY, PHOTO DIRECTION, FINE ART STRATEGY, EDITING, COACHING, MARKETING + MORE
Claire is an extraordinary, prolific young artist who has already won enormous acclaim in the United States and throughout the world for her magical realist images. Her narratives frequently involve live or stuffed birds and animals, and she is an animal whisperer with an uncanny ability to connect with all kinds of creatures. Her gothic imaginings frequently reference an exotic and poetic past coupled with a deep understanding of the cultural desire to dominate, anthropomorphize and put these “specimens” “under glass."
We have been working with Claire for quite some time on brand strategy and consulting, photo direction, editing, and marketing. We have worked with her to steadily build audience perception about her fine art on a national and international level while expanding the scope of her exhibits. Claire adroitly and consistently uses the press to increase her brand awareness and reach. and uses juried exhibits as a springboard to gain gallery representation and commissions as well as commercial projects rooted in her lush, Victorian vision.
2018 saw the release of her book, Imaginarium. Beth was thrilled to be asked to write a chapter on the proprietary Mercurylab approach to psychological and transformational brand strategy for artists and creatives. The book has been a great success for Claire, bringing even more positive interest in her work and worldwide workshops.
Claire’s work is sought after by collectors and continues to win awards. She maintains her presence in global shows including Only When I Dream, curated by Beth Taubner and Andrew Coningsby, opening late August 2022 in London’s Coningsby Gallery.
PHOTOGRAPHER + DIRECTOR
Chris Craymer
DISCOVERY + BRAND STRATEGY, PHOTO DIRECTION + EDITING, BOOK DEVELOPMENT + DESIGN, BRAND COPYWRITING, ON-GOING MARKETING COLLATERAL CREATIVE DIRECTION + GRAPHIC DESIGN
We have worked on brand development, portfolio editing, book projects for publication, language communications, marketing collateral and packaging with the wonderfully gifted and highly productive photographer Chris Craymer for a number of years.
His acclaimed work, rooted in his tender, whimsical, and very English view of the world, spans all categories. Over the years, we have established a promotional system that clearly communicates the emotional and visual connections between all of the strands of his brand and work. The first campaign, which spanned three years, was a series of signed posters that link his categories together – “fashionbeautylifestyleportraits”.
One recent promotional system is comprised of packaging for large limited edition prints from his “Romance” project, plus a series of beautiful art cards with romantic typography and a playful hand-drawn crown. The system showcases the joyous and deeply English sensibilities of this incredibly successful, popular US, UK and globetrotting photographer and director.
“For me, the really special thing is that Beth starts with getting to know one as a person. This is on a deep and meaningful level. From there she develops a clear perspective of what is important in one’s work. It is a very enlightening process and one I would highly recommend. Armed with this information, I have felt confident to take my career on to the next level. I have also made a valued and trusted friend.”
CHRIS CRAYMER, PHOTOGRAPHER + DIRECTOR
