A customised programme of work 

Each programme of work identifies critical areas of focus depending on the stage of brand development.

Early-stage brands will often need:

- Brand positioning

- Brand naming

- Brand identity and design

- Brand experience, on and off-product

Scaling brands may need to shift, evolve or pivot whilst pulling focus on: 

- Marketing strategy for scale

- Developing new products or channels

- Digital strategy for greater return on brand

- Media and communications strategy

- Creative content strategy

The programme is primarily for consumer brands, technology and B2B2C. As part of the programme, And Rising also offers an opportunity for co-investment. 

Brands are an energy that change everything

There's no such thing as market disruption - there is only brand adoption. Brands open the minds to the future, inspire people to try new things and provide a shortcut to new behaviours.

When a new product is given a strong brand energy, it cultivates a deeper connection with its audience, fosters value and opens the door for wider success at scale. 

The goal

AR is centred around helping brands to really take off.

They arrive at AR at various junctures in their journey; some are mere sketches on paper, while others have already carved a footprint in the market. Regardless of where they begin, the experience is shaped to ensure they are in a significantly stronger place when they step out.

For most, this evolution means a stand-out brand identity and a strategy for scaling, investment, and market penetration.

The ambience at And Rising is one of quiet passion and focus. For the duration of the programme, it's all about brand, round the clock. Every individual you encounter here—our team, fellow brand architects, seasoned advisors, and potential investors—is unreservedly invested in your brand's ascent. 

Many founders recall their time with And Rising as an intense phase of collaboration and enlightenment. Beyond the programme itself, the connections and learnings accrued remain invaluable.

The AR journey is uniquely designed to create a brand and unleash its potential for investment and scale. And more often than not, brands are astonished at the magnitude of their own capabilities when openly imagined. 

The funding

AR programmes range from $50,000 to $200,000, and engagement varies according to investment stage and needs. 

AR uses an advanced subscription agreement to invest up to $150k of creative capital in each brand on standard terms. Creative capital means services-for-equity. Read more about why you should use creative capital here. 

Groups

Throughout the year, AR brands are thoughtfully clustered into helpful cohorts. Founders and teammates get the opportunity to meet with one another. The community approach facilitates in-depth learning and paves the way for meaningful connections, allowing brands to co-collaborations, share insights, and amplify their growth journeys together.

The benefits

For startups and emerging companies, standout brand design usually embodies a story, values and mission. It expresses an experience, an expectation; it makes things usable and resonates emotionally.

For consumer product scaleups, the brand is the alchemy of packaging, distribution and an e-commerce presence. 

Elevation

The AR brand family is inherently lifted by a collective spirit: when one of us shines, we all feel the glow. And Rising, buoyed by its initial brand exits, is on its own upward trajectory with you. Early adopters, investors, and the media have already taken keen notice of the momentum we're building together. 

The process

Our brand development journey is a unique mix of introspection, imagination and actionable strategy. 

The first phase, Grounding, is an immersion into the present moment. By deeply looking at the market and the current situation, but also getting ourselves centred and setting intentions for what's ahead. We then transition into Connecting, an expansive phase where we foster a profound empathy not only for our end-users but also for each other and the broader environment we operate in.

The heart of our journey is the Growing stage. This is where creative exploration meets rigorous strategy. Here, we don't just focus on any strategy but on the challenging paths less travelled by others—those that provide true differentiation and 'fit' our intentions.

Finally, the last stage Rising, converges all we've learned and the final outputs into a cohesive brand blueprint, creative asset bank and marketing strategy for investment at scale. This is our portfolio so far. 

And Rising has scaled brands to over $1.7 billion in combined value. While we bring that creative experience and expertise directly, we are facilitators first. We believe in holding the space, gently guiding, providing stimuli, and strategically steering. The answers and insights emerge organically from our combined energies in this collaborative arena.

The experience echoes familiar workshop sessions: intensive approach yet relaxed delivery. But don't be surprised if we weave in some breathwork, stretching, and moments in nature, embracing the undeniable truth that genuine creativity is intrinsically linked to nature and our human selves.

Launch

At the nascent stage, our sessions concentrate on crafting an identity that can scale from 'before day one' with a clear brand proposition for impactful market entry. Together, we'll develop a strategy for the brand as a content publisher, ensuring your initial outreach gains the right momentum and developing a direct relationship with early adopters.

Growth

For brands in the midst of growth, our sessions cater to the unique challenges that come with early success - sometimes, the brand has lacked attention and isn't providing the acceleration it should. We provide the space to reassess, evolve or refine your brand strategy and identity, honing in on deepening those crucial connections with your evolving audience.

Scale

For those preparing to scale up, wider associations for future innovation are as important as current upward growth. Our sessions dive deeper into preparing your brand for new audiences and greater media investment. By now, your strategy, identity, content and comms planning must resonate across varied market opportunities and new product development. We have a specific full-funnel capability to guide your media investment at £1m plus. 

Weekly exhales

Much of what happens on the AR journey occurs outside of the process itself. We have our own weekly open-door session when we're available to meet and chat about whatever's on your mind.

Held every Friday as the day ebbs towards a close, often socially, it's a space carved out for brands to share and seek guidance.

What comes up in these sessions hinges on where a brand finds itself in that moment and the challenges that loom. It's a collective exhale to the week, where possibilities and pathways emerge amid laughter and safe, candid conversation. 

Retreat

Each AR-backed brand is granted an exclusive place on "Retreat & Rise Up." Held four times a year and set in the tranquil heart of Cabilla, Cornwall, this transformative experience merges wellness retreat with brand and venture planning. Over two immersive days, participants will rejuvenate amidst Cabilla's stunning landscapes and connect, collaborate, and engage with a select group of forward-thinking leaders, founders, and marketers.

It's a unique opportunity to align personal well-being with brand evolution, ensuring both you and your venture are poised for success. Dive deep into nature, inspiration, and strategy, ensuring the next stages of your journey are infused with clarity and purpose. 

Wider aspirations of the programme

Our creative capital fund will selectively support just thirty brands within three years. Like any fund, our primary objective is meaningful returns, but we will prioritise brands with conscious outlooks and specific impact goals. Our investment philosophy can be seen here. 

Brands matter as we evolve, improve, and even change our consumer-driven world. We aspire to be 'the container' that gives new and better ideas the chance they deserve.

Together, we rise.