Brand stories for a braver world
Plus brand-led messaging, positioning, and strategies that transcend the Document Graveyard and turn into marketing moments your customers will love.
Our secret sauce
We’ve spent the past 15 years building remarkable brands in-house at some of the fastest-growing tech startups around. Now, we’re doing the same for up-and-comers, unicorns-in-waiting, and those daring to be different.
So here’s what makes us a little different:
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In-house outlook
We’ve all been in-house operators, so when we say we get it, we seriously do.
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Flexible frameworks
We provide strategic frameworks that flex with you long after we deliver ’em.
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Creativity + cunning
We’ve got artsy-fartsy B2C souls with B2B know-how for the best of both worlds.
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Impactful outcomes
No dusty docs that sit unread. We translate strategies into tangible actions and outcomes.
How we work
Brand analysis and audit
An inside-out review of your brand as it’s perceived by others with clear recommendations for what to do next and better.
Messaging & positioning
We’ve got the wheelhouse, the bible, the playbook—you name it. We’ll tell you how to clarify your brand story for your team and the most effective ways to talk about your brand to your audiences.
Brand foundations
Get your story straight with a brand purpose, mission, and values that stand out amid all the blah-blah with authenticity and humanity.
Landmark brand assets
Homepage copy, pitch deck slides, boilerplate and About Us pages... We help you put it all together in the places it matters most!
Brand narratives & channel plan
Bring your brand to life with a step-by-step and channel-by-channel approach to taking your shiny new story to market.
Plus, we do stuff like:
- Naming
- Brand architecture
- Brand identity & expression
- Brand communication strategy
- SEO & content strategy
- Balloon animals & origami (really!)
Need ongoing support?
Get a fractional marketing leadership team for a fraction of the cost, or a veritable studio of excellent executors with one simple point of contact.
Kind words from cool people
Here are some nice things our clients, collaborators, and connections we admire have said about us.
Hi! We’re Bonfire.
We are creatives at heart (and by profession!) who have been lucky to get to ply our trade at some pretty cool companies and meet some pretty cool people all around the world.
Shannon Deep
Co-Founder (& C-Suite-n-Sour)
Where: Pittsburgher turned New Yorker now living in and loving Paris, France
Experience: 18 years as a professional writer and interdisciplinary storyteller, 10 years in brand marketing, and 6 as an in-house startup marketer. (Those years overlap; headshot is current.) From dramaturge and script consultant in the mean (non-profit theater) streets of New York to brand strategist, editorial director, and brand director at unicorns and up-and-comers alike, Shannon and Kevan started Bonfire in 2023 to do brand work that matters with integrity, curiosity, and heart.
Hot take: Everyone should take August off like the French do. (Did we mention we close for 2 weeks in August?)
Known for: Pausing internal Zoom calls because one of her 3 cats is destroying something important
Kevan Lee
Co-Founder (& C-Suite, C-Biscuit)
Where: Boise, Idaho, USA
Experience: Over 15 years in tech, working as a head of marketing for brand-oriented, high-growth, innovative startups like Buffer, Oyster, and Vox. Kevan got his start as a journalist, writing stories for the sports section of newspapers before switching gears to startup marketing where the storytelling remained but the 2:00 a.m. deadlines went away (mostly). He’s been building startup brands ever since, whether in-house for soon-to-be unicorns or now at Bonfire where he works with Shannon to invest in the creative work they love.
Hot take: You should be able to touch the art at museums. (Kevan is on a list now.)
Known for: Making Notion pages that he never tells anyone about
Ayesha Renyard
Lead Brand Strategist
Where: Vancouver, BC
Experience: 8+ years experience in content and brand, working in-house for B2B tech, marketing agencies, and as a freelance copywriter.
Passionate about: Building a bridge between product and brand positioning
Known for: Oversharing about her dog’s gastro issues and complaining about Vancouver weather
Nicky Idika Daly
Lead Brand Strategist
Where: Dublin, Ireland
Experience: 10+ years in content production and marketing working primarily in editorial, tech, and as an in-house brand marketer.
Passionate about: Brand storytelling and the Bravo cinematic universe
Known for: A good podcast recommendation
