Northcote Rise

Ultimately, the aim was to attract visitation from surrounding suburbs, support local traders and redefine Northcote as a destination place once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. We needed to establish an identity that would cater to over 200 traders, all with completely different offerings, by finding cohesion in both language and visual communication to represent the array of businesses on the strip. We also needed to develop an online portal that was considerate of the different levels of digital literacy amongst the traders themselves to ensure it was inclusive, practical and easy for them to use.

Our solution is centred around the voices of the people of High St. We engaged with hundreds of traders, in person and online via questionnaires, to give them an opportunity to be heard. Understanding their wants and needs served as the foundation for all of our creative work. It helped us establish a common thread between the traders through their shared values of community, diversity, warmth and acceptance rather than the goods and services they have to offer. These shared values became the cohesive voice behind the brand identity which was further incorporated into a campaign, website and traders’ portal.

“The lockdowns had a seriously negative effect on our community of traders. Shops were shut, the street was quiet, and the acting board members of Northcote Business Association resigned from their volunteer positions… That’s when we decided a rebrand was essential. “The rebrand has united our traders and given the precinct a purpose. We now have a name to the place and a digital presence to drive traffic too. The new identity reflects the overall culture and authenticity of Northcote, and we couldn’t be happier with the logistical and emotional outcome of the project.” - Zowie, President of Northcote Business Association

Extensive consultation involving in-person workshops, online questionnaires, and social media polls have been conducted on a monthly basis since launch to assess the effectiveness of the identity and campaign within the trader and broader Northcote community. These insights are then used to enhance, tweak, and continue development of the brand on an on-going basis.