Cactus
Overview
Cactus came to us with an airtight vision for how they intended to future-proof their business. After over a decade of working as growth advisors for thousands of agencies—and publishing content that became iconic in the sector—it was time to diversify.
With the expertise, network, and community they’d acquired from helping agencies grow, they were now ready to help agencies (and other businesses) get acquired. They were moving upstream—going from leaders to challengers—and seeking a brand that supports them to compete against the largest M&A and corporate advisory consultancies in the world.
Their energy and bravery were infectious and powered one of our most dynamic projects to date.
The M&A sector is mostly shaped by facts and figures, filled with discussions of multiples, exit values, and financial modelling. This is a significant part of the puzzle, but what about the people? The minds that drive those multiples, exit values and financial models? They are the engine room of any successful business, and eventual acquisition—so why is no one talking about them?
Using this as a springboard, we uncovered their defining idea: that selling your business is more than a transaction.
We then set about reframing M&A by considering it from the inside-out and focusing on founders and their teams: let’s acknowledge the grit, support teams through the complex transition, and celebrate the fact that this is not an ‘exit’ but a new era.
We opted for a refined, mature visual language—authority matters—but punctuated it with playful elements, such as the expressive C’s, and a slightly asymmetric ‘t’ in the logo. With a more neutral colour palette, dynamic imagery of teams hard at work became a central component for injecting humanity. The overall effect was to create a global, polished identity that could rival incumbents, without losing the human touch and remembering Cactus’ past as hands-on, sleeves rolled up growth advisors.
Overview
Cactus came to us with an airtight vision for how they intended to future-proof their business. After over a decade of working as growth advisors for thousands of agencies—and publishing content that became iconic in the sector—it was time to diversify.
With the expertise, network, and community they’d acquired from helping agencies grow, they were now ready to help agencies (and other businesses) get acquired. They were moving upstream—going from leaders to challengers—and seeking a brand that supports them to compete against the largest M&A and corporate advisory consultancies in the world.
Their energy and bravery were infectious and powered one of our most dynamic projects to date.
The M&A sector is mostly shaped by facts and figures, filled with discussions of multiples, exit values, and financial modelling. This is a significant part of the puzzle, but what about the people? The minds that drive those multiples, exit values and financial models? They are the engine room of any successful business, and eventual acquisition—so why is no one talking about them?
Using this as a springboard, we uncovered their defining idea: that selling your business is more than a transaction.
We then set about reframing M&A by considering it from the inside-out and focusing on founders and their teams: let’s acknowledge the grit, support teams through the complex transition, and celebrate the fact that this is not an ‘exit’ but a new era.
We opted for a refined, mature visual language—authority matters—but punctuated it with playful elements, such as the expressive C’s, and a slightly asymmetric ‘t’ in the logo. With a more neutral colour palette, dynamic imagery of teams hard at work became a central component for injecting humanity. The overall effect was to create a global, polished identity that could rival incumbents, without losing the human touch and remembering Cactus’ past as hands-on, sleeves rolled up growth advisors.
