Hey there, it's been a hot minute since we've updated our blog, but we're back and better than ever! Last year was a huge year for us in terms of business growth. We had the pleasure of working with clients who needed full-scale brand strategies and identities built from the ground up, as well as established clients who were looking for ongoing social, blog, and website content to keep their audiences engaged. We're so grateful for these partnerships and the opportunities they've given us to flex our creative muscles. A couple of our notable clients include Aleem Yusuf (a Melbourne and Paris based fashion designer) and The Friendly Network (a startup social media app), but there are just too many to mention.

Aleem Yusuf Social Content, Blog Posts and Website Copy by Mariah Jade Studio

The Friendly Network Brand Identity and Website Design by Mariah Jade Studio

Now, onto what we've been up to over the past year. I (Mariah) have been hitting the road and immersing myself in the cultural scene across the United States. My main destination was New York, where I had the opportunity to meet with some of the top advertising agencies in the world. Visiting 1000 Heads gave insight into some of the latest and upcoming trends on social media for big brands, as well as the importance of leaning into social media listening to create better content. At 1000 Heads, they work with brands like Google and Snapchat to keep consumers engaged across all touch points in their journey. I also visited AKQA. Whilst having the most beautiful view of New York from their office in the One World Trade Centre, they work with brands like Lululemon, Volvo and Nike. I was lucky enough to spend the day with their strategy team, gaining insight into the thinking behind maintaining top of mind in these brands consumers thoughts. My time in New York was inspirational and pivotal in informing how our own work will change moving forward. In addition, I spent a lot of time road-tripping across the states exploring galleries and attending cultural events across the country. The chance to soak up inspiration from such a wide variety of sources was amazing.

Mariah Jade Studio in New York City, 2022

Upon returning from the states, I began looking inward and reviewing our own internal processes. We want to ensure that every piece of creative work we produce is aligned with our overall strategy and vision. We've been taking a critical look at our workflows and procedures to see where we can improve and streamline our approach. By doing so, we can ensure that everything we produce is the best it can be. We paused all work and created specific workflows for our strategy, branding, campaign and social packages. Although pausing work was tricky, we’re confident in having better work as a result of this effort. We’re already seeing this in some of the strategy work we’ve completed for Aleem Yusuf and The Friendly Network.

Aleem Yusuf Brand and Social Strategy Outtakes by Mariah Jade Studio

Now that processes are in place, we’re turning our attention to creativity - the fun stuff! Over the past few months, we've welcomed some new faces on board who are already making a big impact - from designers to photographers and copywriters, our network of Melbourne based creatives is growing. Our partnerships with those in the industry is pivotal for our business as they can help us take our work to the next level. By collaborating with a diverse range of people, we can create work that is even more impactful and innovative. This means that MJS can do what we do best - look at brands and campaigns as a whole, form a strategy and a creative vision, looping in specialists along the way to bring it to life.

Bye Bambi photoshoot behind the scenes by Mariah Jade Studio & Team

We've been doing a lot of thinking and brainstorming, too. We've been generating new creative ideas, exploring new directions for our work, and considering the types of clients we want to work with.

We believe that brand identity and campaigns are two areas where we can really push the boundaries of our creativity. That's why we've been focusing a lot of our energy on these areas over the past few months. We've been partnering with photographers and models to create new content that reflects our refreshed approach. You can expect to see some of this work on our social media channels in the coming weeks, so be sure to stay tuned.

So what's next? Get ready for larger-scale campaigns across social media, out-of-home advertising, and digital platforms. We're also excited to take on bigger and better branding projects with carefully crafted design. And we'll be forging even tighter partnerships with specialists like photographers, videographers, models, stylists, and content creators who can lend their expertise whenever we need it. In short, we're not slowing down anytime soon! Thanks for being part of the journey.