Gepeto Inc.
I helped Canadian children’s interactive start-up, Gepeto Inc., with their brand marketing strategy and product development. We raised over $1.2 million in funding for their “Next Generation Storytelling” apps.
Scope
Client
Duration
Year
Creating meaningful, commercially viable screen experiences for kids.
With Gepeto, I had two big challenges:
How do you brand and launch a purpose-driven digital literacy start-up with little to no initial funding?
How do you create engaging, profitable apps for children aged 5-8 that not only entertain but also develop essential skills like reading and problem-solving?
Reveal Gepeto's unique mission and on-screen experience. Position the brand to secure funding.
Play-based learning drives the Gepeto mission. Using pioneering augmented reality technology—they were first to use an iPad's front-facing camera to control on-screen action with physical cards and puppets—the team combined professional storytelling with contemporary game design to create a unique digital experience for children aged 5 to 8.
sequenceDM's mandate: position Gepeto to secure funding, build the master brand and product sub-brands (like Rubu, the playful robot game), and increase market awareness.
We built the brand experience around Gepeto's playful creative direction and the apps' distinctive blend of physical play and imaginative storytelling.
A key challenge: Gepeto (named for the famous puppet) served as both company name and product name, requiring careful clarity. As a from-scratch brand with no existing awareness, we paired the name with descriptive taglines—"Next-generation storytelling" or "stories that you play"—that resonated with audiences and explained the mission.
I developed comprehensive strategic marketing and go-to-market plans, including tactical roadmaps and ROAS forecasts, which Gepeto used to secure funding from the Canadian Media Fund, Ontario Media Development Corporation, and Ontario Creates.
Post-funding, I directed all marketing activities: paid and organic advertising, websites, landing pages, email campaigns, demo videos, focus groups, product testing, brand awareness campaigns, and PR.
Over $1.2 million in funding for marketing and production.
Secured $1.2 million in funding support from the Canadian Media Fund, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Ontario Creates and third-party funders.
Aided brand awareness recall rose by 34% after only six months with a very modest (initial) marketing and advertising budget.
Social channels quickly reached 15K engagements in the first four months, and website growth was 20% month-over-month within the first three quarters after brand launch.
Fun fact. After working with Gepeto, I was retained by Relish Studios, another leader in the children's digital entertainment space, to assist with their digital marketing, PR, website, and marketing of their award-winning Weirdwood Manor books series.
A curated selection of projects that reflect our commitment to simplicity and purposeful design.
