Traditionally, the banking industry is depicted as cold and faceless, a perception at odds with the emotions inherent to entrepreneurship and the passion that drives small businesses to succeed. Recognizing this, BCMS Advisors not only wanted to shift perceptions, but also separate from its affiliate in the UK to become its own stand-alone entity designed to serve these needs. Looking to rethink its brand as it declared its independence, it partnered with creative studio High Tide to relaunch as Northern Edge, a boutique investment bank committed to a more human approach to supporting middle market businesses.

With Northern Edge, High Tide wanted to go beyond creating differentiation by simply giving the brand a different look. Rather, they wanted to build out a full brand strategy to re-envision what a bank or advisor could become in the eyes of their core audience – North American SME business owners looking to sell or raise capital.

“We saw a big opportunity for Northern Edge to create an emotional connection with their audience, one that expresses humanity and warmth,” explains High Tide Founder and Creative Director Danny Miller. High Tide worked with the Northern Edge team to create a brand that allowed it to be more approachable and inviting with its audience. Everything from the name “Northern Edge”, to the website design and development, to the visuals and brand identity, to messaging and strategy was developed by the studio in close collaboration with the client to evoke a journey of discovery, revealing the vast opportunities selling a business can provide, whether it’s enabling another venture, retiring early, traveling more or buying that dream car.

By using warmer and more engaging photography and messaging, High Tide’s work lets the audience know that Northern Edge is interacting with their clients with the utmost empathy and care. The deliberately aspirational, grand and breathtaking imagery also showcases a variety of eclectic and captivating landscapes from across North America, symbolizing the paths along that journey that Northern Edge can unlock for its clients.

Through its new branding and site, Northern Edge is able to demonstrate that while it is a boutique investment bank that provides financial advisory services, the emotional benefit it provides is far richer and more compelling. “This project really demonstrates High Tide’s ability to create a fresh and ownable identity in a space that traditionally shies away from the unexpected,” says Miller. “By building a unified identity that has a cohesive throughline from the name, strategy, all the way to the visual and messaging, we were able to cement a reputation for credibility and trustworthiness that we think will help Northern Edge support small businesses for years to come.”