We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christy Mack. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christy below.

Christy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

I learned from early branding projects with employers like Nokia and McAfee about the power of brand. I learned that no matter the size or type of organization people can – and should be – at the center of brand. This approach is not only good for people and our planet, but good for a company’s bottom line, standing and impact in the world.

I transitioned from working exclusively with global corporations to establishing a freelance practice that allowed me to add hyper local organizations and initiatives to my world. I went from being a client to providing for clients, from hiring global research agencies to conducting my own research, and from having multimillion-dollar brand budgets to working with budgets on a totally different scale.

It was a big change. It taught me to hone in on what was most important for developing these creatively beautiful for good brands that I envisioned. I also learned how to get super imaginative to make things happen at a local level. I helped redefine the identity for a Children’s Museum after a $5 million dollar rebuild and transformed an Art Center to a region’s first Art Museum under a three-year James Irvine grant. I made sure the brands we were creating removed the distance I saw coming in between the public and cultural, educational experiences. I saw the outcome – we re-engaged people with these wonderful museums right in their own backyards,

Seeing this shift helped solidify my concept that almost any brand can change entire experiences and outcomes for people. I discovered brands are even more powerful when they are beautiful too and I launched Bess, my brand studio, from there.

I get joy from artistically and creatively using brand for good. I use branding as my form of art and activism. It’s my dream come true to create human centric brands under these tenants. I see Bess as a haven for making brands and collaborations of any origin stand up beautifully for good, just like the studio’s namesake, my great Aunt Bess.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In 2020, I combined my decade-long arts and culture freelance practice with my consumer brand experience and created Bess Brand Studio. I created Bess to be a special space for leveraging the phenomenal – and beautiful – power of branding to give rise to the societal outcomes we want to see.

I named the studio after my Great Aunt Bess. She was a unifier, caretaker and maker. The name Bess is a constant reminder that the best, most authentically inspired + impactful work transpires when we unite, look after one another and create together.

I bring this approach to everything single thing do for and with our clients, who are non-profits and cause-driven creative entrepreneurs.

Through Bess, I make sure we are offering strategic thinking and creative partnership. We do our best on our client’s behalf always, choreographing all that is possible as we build client’s stories and identities and secure the interest and funding to launch their work into the world. There is nothing better than making our clients dreams come.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my social media presence for Bess just like I do for Bess clients – authentically and through storytelling. I love visual communication, especially in a world that’s full of clutter. I feel there’s nothing better than beautiful photography that shares who you are and what you are about. Through photos, people can feel and connect to you. I also feature words in social posts; again in a beautifully designed format. I find the combinations of photos and words makes for powerful storytelling that unfolds over time. This will help you grow audience over time in a way that’s aligned with your mission and vision.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love being able to create something that never existed before and launch it into the world. Or, to redefine and relaunch something that existed, but wasn’t having the impact it could make.

With branding, you can create entire identities that become the vehicles in which organizations introduce themselves and carry out their mission. Through my creative work, I have developed non-profit brands that created art museums, children’s museums, public art projects, homeless shelters and services, and food pantries for communities. I have also had the privilege of helping artists from musicians, choreographers, poets, and painters to mixed media and sound artists build their identities and get their work seen and heard.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bessbrand.studio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bessbrandstudio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-mack/

Image Credits
Christy Mack, Bess Brand Studio