Do you know how much pressure there is when you’re creating a brand for marketers?
Knowing hundreds of eyes are going to be analysing your logo, your colour palette, your website, your socials?
It’s a lot of pressure.
And, I’ve received my fair share of stick for the sad excuse of a logo I made on Canva back in 2021 for the East Anglian Marketing Awards’ parent company – Norfolk Women’s Marketing Network.
(It’s bad, I know, everyone tells me as much.)
So, pretty much the only thing I knew for certain when I started brainstorming the East Anglian Marketing Awards, was that I needed to find a damn good designer.
And they needed to be local. And brilliant.
Enter: Elizabeth (otherwise known as Ello Design Studio).
I was lucky enough to meet Elizabeth during my agency days. She’s all of the things I was looking for and more.
She took my scatty thoughts and ran with them. And the final concept we went with is something I’m so incredibly proud of.
So much so that I wanted to take this time – this exciting time in between the launch of the thing and the doing of the thing – to explore her work properly.
Because, when you’re building a brand for marketers, you’re not just asking will people like this? You’re asking:
Will this pass the vibe check of an entire industry built on subjective judgment?
Elizabeth didn’t flinch. She took the brief I gave her – which, let’s be honest, was more of a glorified stream-of-consciousness than a proper design spec – and turned it into something with real depth, clarity and meaning.
What we wanted the brand to feel like
The Norfolk Women’s Marketing Awards brand is playful, energetic, a bit DIY – and that’s part of its charm. But the EAMAs needed to grow up.
Still creative, yes. Still welcoming. But also:
- More grown-up – not so cuddly and cute that people wouldn’t take it seriously
- Professionally done – a far cry from our Canva history
- Industry impressive – something marketers would actually admire
It also had to be inclusive (for all genders), regional (for all of East Anglia), and work just as well for businesses and agencies alike.
The Outcome
Elizabeth created a brand identity that does all of that and then some.
One of the key brand colours – a bold, confident red – is a subtle evolution from the coral used in Norfolk Women’s Marketing Network. It ties the two together without replicating. Think: older sibling energy.
The logo marks? Each one draws from real places across East Anglia. There are nods to:
- The many bicycle wheels you’ll see in Cambridge
- The spire of Norwich Cathedral
- The arch of Colchester’s water tower
- The rivers of the Waveney
- Even Framlingham Castle in Suffolk makes an appearance
They’re small touches, but meaningful ones. The kind of design details that show intention, craft and a love for place – all values I want the EAMAs to represent.
But, let’s hear from the expert – we sat down with Elizabeth to hear about her process.
What was your initial reaction to the brief – and what excited you most about it?
“When I first received the brief, I was instantly excited by the ambition behind the rebrand. Taking an already meaningful initiative and expanding its reach to become more inclusive felt like a bold and necessary step. I loved the challenge of creating something that honoured its roots while confidently moving into a new, broader space.”
How did you interpret the shift from the Norfolk Women’s Marketing Awards to a wider, all-gender, regional celebration?
“The shift felt like a natural evolution – one that opens up the conversation around recognition in the marketing industry. It was important that the identity felt celebratory, energising and reflective of the creative variety in the region, while being inclusive and accessible to everyone. We wanted to move away from any gendered visuals and instead focus on bold, uplifting elements that felt universally inspiring.”
What do you think makes the EAMA identity stand out from other awards branding?
“Many awards identities lean into corporate or overly polished aesthetics, but with the EAMAs we wanted to inject personality and movement. The varied colour palette and use of abstract shapes across different touch points help the EAMAs feel vibrant, dynamic and genuinely creative. It’s a visual identity that doesn’t take itself too seriously – it celebrates bold thinking and originality.”
Can you walk us through any specific design elements?
“The acronym EAMA was used as the central typographic mark, allowing us to build strong brand recall with a punchy, recognisable shorthand. The stacked format lets the mark adapt flexibly across digital and print. The colour palette is intentionally broad, representing diversity and energy – with a suite of textures and East-Anglian inspired patterns subtly woven into the visuals to keep things fresh and varied.”
What’s Next?
Right now, we’re in that exciting (and slightly terrifying) window between launching the brand and delivering the first ever East Anglian Marketing Awards.
There’s so much to do, but I didn’t want to rush past this moment without properly acknowledging what’s been created – and the talent behind it.
So thank you, Elizabeth. You’ve taken something that existed only in my head (and a chaotic brief) and made it real.
I hope the rest of East Anglia loves it as much as I do.
Get in touch
We don’t bite.