When we launched Dapper in 2021, we had just one product: the Dapper 9 (albeit an earlier version of what the product is today).
We quickly realised that it’s not practical to develop a founder or leader’s brand in isolation, as it’s inextricably linked to their company brand, and impacts their team.
As Michael Eisner, former chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company aptly said, “A brand is a living entity, and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.”
This makes a lot of sense if you think about it – once everyone is aligned and working towards a shared vision, it’s much easier to build a collective brand that is memorable, authentic, and resilient. And that’s exactly what we do for our retainer clients.
Typically the key players in their team have already completed one of our professional personal brand development programmes – the Dapper 9, Digital Fix, or Brand Yourself – and see the value in extending the benefits across their leadership and management teams. They’ve realised that we all have a personal brand, it’s just a case of when and how we own that narrative.
So what sets us apart from a typical retainer with an agency?
At Dapper, we sit at the intersection of self-discovery and brand development. This encompasses developing more self-awareness, delving into the world of personal development, authentic brand building, design, and content creation. It’s all part of forming a solid foundation for your brand, to use as a springboard for whatever you’d like to do next.
What we don’t do is marketing, advertising, or sales, as we like to stick to our lane, and refer this work to trusted partners. This approach ensures that clients get to work with experts in each field, leading to the best ROI.
As your strategic brand partner, we create and hold space for ideation and strategic input. We’ll empower you and give you headspace, but also hold you accountable for key goals we set together.
As your outsourced creative director, we’ll fill in gaps between in-house teams and agencies, to ensure everyone is aligned and your brand is elevated where it matters. The idea here is to build an intentional, authentic, relatable brand that supports your vision and objectives… and one that can evolve with you.
A great example to demonstrate this is our retainer with Outsourced CFO. Co-founders Louw Barnardt and Dana Pretorius went through the Dapper 9 process and then signed up for a monthly retainer which includes 1-on-1 sessions with their leadership team and future leaders, creative input on their company brand direction, and video content creation. This is what Louw has to say about working with Team Dapper:
I’ve worked with Emma in various capacities over the years. She has a fierce passion for people and connection, which is reflected in the great work she does at Dapper. Raising up the online profiles of founders is such an overlooked opportunity, which Emma has now grabbed with two hands.
Commenting on the creative side of the retainer, Michael Botha, head of growth at Outsourced CFO, says:
“Doing what we’re good at is one thing, but capturing the essence of what we do can be tricky. Dapper has become the wind in our sails, guiding us through uncharted waters with their expertise, creativity, and dedication.”
With a Dapper retainer, you get the peace of mind that objective, focused experts have a bird’s eye view of the bigger brand picture, while you navigate the daily rapids. So if you’re feeling stretched and wearing too many hats, feel free to reach out to me directly, or find out more on our Retainer page.