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Cherry Group

In search of a leader – how do you pick the cherries from the cake?

Optimum Executives, founded by five experienced professionals, had been up and running for only about half a year when it became clear that the brand concept needed sharpening.

The service itself was straightforward and functional. Experienced business professionals are placed with companies as a service, not as employees. The idea resonated well whenever they got to talk about it – but the name and brand weren't telling the story quite right.

– The name was quite long and positioned the service at the top end of the spectrum. It sounded a lot like the competition – a bit generic," recalls Blink's Timo Vennonen.

Partner Samppa Seppälä admits there were misunderstandings: – Clients imagined the pool consisted purely of top-tier executives, when it was really about doers – seasoned professionals who want to roll up their sleeves and deliver results.

Results… and that was precisely where the differentiation lay.

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For whom, why, and how?

Who is the service for? What does the buyer think before making a decision – when do they need reassurance, and when do they just need clarity? The answers emerged from a joint process of defining customer personas and their buying journeys. From there, we built a shared vision of the means to reach the goals.

The brand concept clarification kicked off in three phases. First, we unpacked what the service really is and who it's for. This formed the message hierarchy, brand core and positioning – the foundation for everything else.

On top of that, we built three completely different approaches, each with its own brand story and visual language. The safe direction leaned on the existing Optimum Executives name, while the other two brought new names and bold visual departures to the table.

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One above the rest

The name was the sticking point.

– The word 'Executives' was problematic, 'talent' felt wrong, and even a Finnish name didn't seem quite right. Blink presented three concept proposals. Fortunately, one of them was clearly superior, Samppa Seppälä recalls.

The partners decided quickly. The name Cherry said what it needed to say – in the positive sense of cherry picking – without convolution or unnecessary flair.

– The metaphor works on two levels: first, Cherry itself picks the raisins from the bun for its pool – the best talent – and then the client picks exactly what they need from that pool. At the same time, the tagline was updated. 'Executives on demand' stepped aside, and 'Leaders on demand' took its place, Seppälä explains.

Standing out from the grey

The world of executive recruitment is traditional and visually grey. The goal was to stand out – not through loudness, but through personality. Cherry's visual identity was built to be appropriately playful yet credible. The colour palette drew directly from the name's metaphor – cherry cake tones, where warm reds and bright accents combine into a fresh, modern whole. The result clearly differentiates itself from the industry norm without sacrificing credibility.

– We wanted to stand out through our messages – to be clear and simple. Credibility was built by having the pool's own experts stand behind the message with their own faces and voices, not just the company, Samppa explains.

Finally, the consultant jargon was stripped from the messages and tone of voice.

Everything was implemented as a website in HubSpot, where the brand, messages and buying journeys meet in practice.

The ROI of executive recruitment

Working on the project produced a significant insight: Cherry's concept dramatically improves the ROI of leadership. At the same time, the traditional executive recruitment model – where enormous time and resources are spent searching for a needle in a haystack – risks becoming obsolete. The payback period on the investment isn't measured in weeks but, in the worst case, in years.

Cherry helps you pick the cherries from the leadership cake.

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– We wanted to stand out through our messages – to be clear and simple. Credibility was built by having the pool's own experts stand behind the message with their own faces and voices, not just the company.

Samppa Seppälä Partner, Cherry Group

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Cherry provides companies with fast and flexible leadership solutions from the best talent pool on the market. Their experienced team efficiently finds the right person for situations such as organisational change and growth needs – saving both time and costs.

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Services used:

  • Buyer Personas

    Buyer Personas

    With buyer personas, you know your customers better, know who you are marketing to and why, influence your target audience and drive real sales results.
    Read more
  • Buyer Journeys

    Buyer Journeys

    Defining buyer's journeys help a company to understand how customers move through the purchase process from start to finish.
    Read more
  • Brand & Identity

    Brand & Identity

    Building and maintaining a brand is an important part of a company's marketing and business growth strategy. 
    Read more
  • Website Projects

    Website Projects

    The right kind of website supports your company's brand, generates more leads and improves search engine findability.
    Read more
Does your brand need sharpening?

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Antti Tolonen Managing Director antti@blinkhelsinki.fi +358 50 348 0347

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