What do you do when you have countless burning questions and an insatiable hunger to know more? This was the question that started our transformative journey with Carishma Basday, a South African TV presenter and actress.
Carishma found herself in the privileged position of meeting and interviewing many incredible human beings during her time as a TV presenter on one of SABC3’s hottest shows. However, there was one interview in particular that set her on a mission for more… igniting this insatiable hunger for connection and shared knowledge.
Client Overview
Name: Carishma Basday
Focus: To build a platform to feed the hunger for knowledge that many women have.
Goal: To build a tribe of fierce women who aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo.
Project Scope
- Brand Strategy
- Full Logo Suite
- Brand Visuals
The brand birthing journey
The idea for the Chat & Chai podcast was sparked by a brief 10-minute interview Carishma had with the founder of The Beauty Revolution. Carishma felt impacted in such a profound way that she had countless burning questions and an insatiable hunger to know more. More of this woman’s story. More of her values. More of her mission. She wanted more! More than scripted broadcasting guidelines would allow.
From this moment, the vision of Chat and Chai was born. Carishma decided she needed to build a platform that would satisfy the hunger for knowledge that many women experience. To create a community that exposes women to different paths and answers the tough questions that many of us are hesitant to ask. A space for women to come together and share in sisterhood, growing stronger through the example of others.
Brands are constantly evolving, and it is crucial to create a brand strategy that aligns with future goals. So, we began with a deep dive into Carishma’s essence, crafting a strategy that reflected her mission and vision.
Brand Goals
Carishma wanted to inspire and empower women through powerful stories. To create a podcast for curious women who are ready to question tradition and step into a new territory of sisterhood. To create a tribe that could provide the knowledge and tools to empower one another through experience and sharing.
Dive deep into the magic in women’s lives to uncover the layers that confine humanity to tradition, and empower women to explore their options.
Inspire, motivate, support, and share with a new generation of females who live unapologetically in their truth, letting their lights shine to guide and support the next generation.
Crafting the Brand
Carishma yearned for a brand that exudes supportive, feminine, authentic vibes—so we created just that. We honed in on Carishma’s ability to inspire, crafting messaging centered on personal growth through the sharing of real stories.
We focused on fostering community and connection with pink and purple tones, striking a balance between excitement and natural authority within the brand.
Through our clarity questionnaire and subsequent clarity call, we collaborated with Carishma to articulate the identity of the Chat & Chai brand. Illuminating a set of ideas, emotions, and associations that resonate whenever anyone thinks about Chat and Chai. Establishing this voice and messaging enabled us to ensure consistency in every communication from the brand and its interactions with the world. This created unity, identity, and pride internally, while projecting a clear, cohesive, and appealing profile externally. Collaboratively, we distilled Carishma’s inspiration into the goals and vision she had for this brand.
We identified empathy as a core brand value. Recognizing that women often feel ashamed or too self-conscious to openly discuss their beliefs, especially if they challenge traditional thinking. Chat & Chai wants women to feel proud of their individuality and experience the freedom and liberation that comes from embracing alternative paths to find a lifestyle that authentically suits them.
Logo Suite
We knew the logo had to visually convey Carishma’s aim of illuminating lives through shared experiences and support. Thus, we created an impactful and inspirational icon where the magic of Chat & Chai spills out of the cup, evoking a feeling of being held and supported. The Lotus, a symbol rooted in inner strength, resilience, and rebirth, resonates with the podcast’s vision of helping women grow and expand their knowledge and horizons. It symbolizes illuminating lives by creating an inspiring space where women sharing their stories can help others bloom and rise above life’s challenges, demonstrating that alternative paths exist.
Inspired by Carishma’s passion and excitement, we also crafted a family of supportive brand marks that further embody the sense of personal growth through sharing that Chat & Chai brings to women’s lives.
The Result
When Carishma saw her new brand come to life, she was elated. Her feedback deeply touched us and affirmed our mission when she shared the following:
“I cannot express enough how wonderful Terri and Storm are. I am consistently amazed by their working process and how they have helped me hone the true magical essence of my brand. They are more than digital creators—they are brand birthers, magical midwives of brand strategies.” — Carishma Basday.
Carishma walked away with clear messaging, design direction, and brand graphics that were aligned and ready to be shared with the world, leaving a lasting impression of the magic born from women sharing and supporting each other. As for us, being dubbed brand birthers and magical midwives of brand strategies was the ultimate validation of job satisfaction and purpose in our work!
