What They Got Right About Building a Brand
Client: alcheMe, Australia)
Service: Social Media, Content Library, Photos and Reels
“alcheMe is skincare made to be mixed, matched and made your own. Blend your favourite scents, layer your routine and experiment to find the combinations that feel right for you. Whether you stick to one favourite or create a new mix every day, our gentle, barrier‑supporting skincare makes it easy to personalise your routine without overcomplicating it. Simple steps, thoughtful ingredients and routines that grow with you — because skincare should feel personal, fun and easy to stick with.” https://alcheme.store/
I've worked with the founders of alcheMe before, creating video and photo content for their social media and website ahead of their launch.
But today isn't really about me.
It's about what I think alcheMe can teach us about building a brand.
Because the more I looked at what they were doing, the more I realised that they seemed to have thought through almost everything.
And I mean everything.
The name.
The colours.
The way they communicate.
The way they bring people together.
The way the brand makes skincare feel.
So I thought I'd share four things I think they're doing particularly well.
We did a website banner video
1. alcheMe, With Strong Emphasis on ME
Yes.
It's about me.
My routine.
My beauty.
My skin.
And somehow, I already feel a little proud of that.
I think there's something incredibly powerful about a brand name that makes you feel something before you've even tried the product.
The name alcheMe puts "ME" right there in front of you.
And suddenly, the brand isn't just talking about skincare.
It's talking about you.
I think that's one of the things that makes strong wordplay so memorable.
People remember stories.
They remember phrases that make them stop for a second.
And when a brand name has a meaning that people can immediately understand or relate to, it gives everything else that follows a little more weight.
The name becomes the starting point.
From there, the content, the visuals and the messaging can all build around the same idea.
In alcheMe's case, it's about making skincare your own.
And the more you see the brand, the more you start to see yourself in it.
2. Colours That Almost Have a Taste
One of the first things I noticed about alcheMe was the colour.
Each product has its own personality.
The colours help communicate the scent and feeling of the product before you've even opened the bottle.
Vanilla comes in creamy, warm tones.
Strawberry?
Well, you can probably guess.
There's a splash of pink.
And somehow, before even trying them, you almost feel like you know what they're going to taste or smell like.
That's what I love about thoughtful branding.
Sometimes, you don't need to explain everything.
You can let people feel it.
Colour is a huge part of that.
The right combination of colours can completely change how a brand feels.
It can make something feel playful.
Luxurious.
Calm.
Energetic.
Or, in alcheMe's case, a little bit fun.
And when the colours, packaging, photography and content all speak the same visual language, the brand becomes much easier to recognise.
You might not remember exactly what you saw.
But you remember how it felt.
3. Building a Community, Not Just Selling Products
When we start a brand, especially one that sells physical products, we immediately enter a crowded room.
There are already hundreds, sometimes thousands, of businesses doing something similar.
So the default approach is often to talk about the product.
What it does.
What's inside it.
Why it's better.
Why it's scientifically proven.
And sure, those things matter.
But here's the problem.
Almost every brand is saying something similar.
You sell organic skincare?
Someone else does too.
Clinically tested?
So are plenty of others.
Gentle ingredients?
You get the idea.
At some point, the product itself isn't enough to make people choose you.
So what else can you build?
A community.
People want to feel like they're part of something.
That can happen through collaborations, partnerships, shared experiences, gifting, events, conversations or simply creating content that people enjoy being around.
And when people begin to feel connected to a brand, something interesting happens.
They start talking about it.
They share it.
They introduce it to their friends.
The brand slowly becomes bigger than the product sitting on the shelf.
Think about brands like Red Bull or Dove.
People don't just buy a drink or a bottle of soap.
They buy into a feeling, a lifestyle or a belief.
And I think that's something alcheMe understands well.
Instead of constantly telling people why they should buy, give people something they want to be part of.
Sometimes, the best person to tell your story isn't you.
It's your community.
4. Being Relatable
I think one of the easiest ways to make people interested in your brand is to help them imagine themselves in it.
That's why relatable content works.
When someone sees a product being used in a way that feels familiar, they can immediately picture themselves doing the same thing.
For alcheMe, that might mean seeing happy kids fooling around.
Creamy foam gently squeezing out of a bottle.
Colourful visuals.
Playful moments.
Simple skincare routines.
It all comes together to create a feeling.
And I think that's important.
Because sometimes, we spend so much time trying to make our brands look impressive that we forget to make them feel familiar.
One valuable lesson I learned from a friend is this:
People should understand what your brand is about within seconds of landing on your social media or website.
I think alcheMe does that particularly well.
You don't have to spend five minutes studying the brand to understand that it's personal, playful and made to be enjoyed.
You just get it.
And when you get it, you remember it.
The Takeaway
I think there's a lot we can learn from alcheMe.
A strong name can make people curious.
A thoughtful visual identity can make people feel something.
A community can make people want to stay.
And relatable content can help people see themselves in your brand.
But perhaps the biggest lesson is this:
Your product isn't always the thing people remember.
They remember how you made them feel.
They remember the story.
They remember the experience.
And eventually, they remember the brand.
I've had the opportunity to work with the founders of alcheMe behind the scenes, but what I find most interesting isn't the content we created together.
It's what happens when all the little pieces of a brand begin to work together.
The name.
The colours.
The people.
The community.
The stories.
Suddenly, you're no longer just selling skincare.
You're creating something people can see themselves in.
And I think that's when a brand starts to become memorable.
Thanks for reading.