If someone asked you to list a few brands, your mind would likely start swimming with different examples: Coca-Cola, Apple Inc., Audi, and The North Face, to name a few.
What makes these brands stick out in your mind is that behind the scenes, the company has a team that has helped define them into recognizable personalities.
Like large companies, smaller businesses need to ensure that the public recognizes their product or service as a cohesive brand.
But what if you have a company and don’t know where to start? Cue Robin Read and Cheryl Rak, two creative local women who specialize in helping brick-and-mortar businesses transition to the online world and bring their brands to life.
ARC, otherwise known as Active Results Collaborative or “All Robin and Cheryl,” started their business collaboration in November 2019.
Cheryl and Robin met working on a project, the Milton Public Market. At the time, they both had their own businesses and were referring jobs back and forth to one another.
They created ARC when they decided to join forces and run workshops and training together for some of their clients. In July 2020, they officially incorporated their business after things started to take off.
“We really got our kickstart by helping Main Street businesses take their offline businesses online and helping them get started with an online presence with websites and social media, and so on,” Robin reflects.
By doing that, they really helped businesses stay alive during COVID.
One business success story they are most proud of is The Gallery Upstairs, a Milton business owned by local Hedi Nowak, who celebrates 49 years in business this year, despite the real fear that she would have to shut her doors due to the lockdowns. ARC helped get her business online, making it an e-commerce business that allows her to sell her paintings to a broader audience around the world.
They continued to help more businesses together. In a way, COVID pushed Robin and Cheryl to join forces. “We are very much yin and yang, which makes us excellent partners,” Robin explains.
While ARC is fully remote, allowing them to have clients across the Halton region, their digital marketing clients are primarily local. In that way, they can meet people, take pictures and videos, if necessary, and connect more with their clients.
When we asked about the typical jobs people come to them for, Robin explained, “A lot of clients come to us thinking they need one thing, but after a conversation with them, we learn that their needs expand much larger.”
Because of this, the ARC team pivoted to focus on brand management, which looks at the brand as a whole.
This encompasses a variety of needs such as website development and updating, social media management and training, marketing strategy, content writing for blogs or LinkedIn articles, podcast production, and even offline branded promotional products. They also help their clients with public relations, connecting them with events and building their awareness through these local networking and fundraising events.
ARC is particularly proud of their Sing For A Cause karaoke fundraising events. The first of which for 2025 will take place March 26 at Ned Devine’s Irish Pub in Milton. This event will fundraise for the MCRC She Can! Program.
With each Sing For A Cause or Network for a Cause, there is always an element of social good. That’s where community partners can come in and make a donation through the Canada Helps fundraising page. Not only will they get a tax receipt, but they will also receive PR for the event on social media, website, email newsletter, and local event listings.
Those interested in working with Robin and Cheryl can expect the following from their process.
First, they will learn more about you and your business in an exploratory phone call. They’ll also learn more about what you’re looking for, which, in many cases, is brand management.
Next, they recommend a Brand Strategy Session, which includes competitive analysis, SWOT analysis, and an audit of what you’re currently doing, what’s working and what’s not, and where your business should be going. A comprehensive summary of the strategy session and next steps is provided as a brand management and guideline for planning and execution.
While Robin and Cheryl can advise on many things, the plan moving forward will depend on your budget.
Payment options include a monthly retainer, which typically runs a minimum of six months or can go long-term. They also welcome a project-based option, such as a campaign, which would be quoted by project fee or at the hourly rate.
“The beautiful thing about ARC is people can work with us as much or as little as they want, Robin says.”
Once the client signs off on the strategy they want, the two will begin executing it.
This strategy can include many things, but a sample might be updating social media, adding SEO keywords, ensuring content moving forward has the correct image sizing and messaging, and focusing on a business goal.
Business goals can vary, from more visits to their physical store, more online sales, or increased social media followers, or the brand might need a fresh start for those who aren’t set up with it yet.
Those looking to contact the women behind ARC can find them on their website, Facebook, or Instagram.
As for future plans for ARC, “We would like to do more training sessions, workshops, and a speaker series in the next few years; provide more training for the small business community to empower business owners about their brands.”
Those looking to work with ARC may also be interested in purchasing branded promotional products or swag for events, corporate gifts and apparel, golf tournaments, and more! With local Canadian suppliers, many in the GTA production and delivery costs are less…just for keeping it local with ARC! They also offer a discount to local charities and fundraisers to help with branded event items.
And what would the brand-making company say about their own brand?“We are really passionate about the ‘support local movement.’ We believe in eating local, shopping local, drinking local, so, whenever possible to support local businesses, local events, that’s what we’re all about.”
