Brand Overhaul
How I drove the Varsity Tutors rebrand, moving from sales-first to human-first, and helped it become the #1 live online tutoring platform.
My Role
Brand Frameworks | Brand Storytelling
Creative Direction | Content & Copy
The Problem
We didn't have a brand.
We had a sales pitch.
Varsity Tutors had a brand awareness problem. Less than 19% of people knew who we were. But the bigger issue was how we talked to the people who did know us. Everything sounded like a sales pitch. "Sign up now." "Limited time offer."
And because we didn’t have a defined brand voice, every team and channel had its own way of describing who we were. It was rudderless chaos.
The Approach
Listen first.
Then build something true.
Before I wrote a single word of brand copy, I ran brand perception surveys and customer interviews to understand what people actually wanted. The insights were clear: parents were looking for real help from someone who gets their kid. Deals are great, but a good tutor who gets results matters more.
I set up internal workshops to align all stakeholders on what the VT brand should feel like. Giving each team a say in the new brand gave everyone ownership. I then wrote a manifesto that reframed the narrative around the learner instead of the service.
The Work
After getting leadership buy-in, I collaborated with designers to build brand guidelines. We then worked with internal teams and agency partners to apply the new voice and brand to every touchpoint.
While the old voice was transactional, the new voice and messaging spoke to parents like people and with empathy. We still drove conversion, but we also built brand loyalty by starting with connection and trust.
Same goal. New voice.
The new brand started with a new brand guide.
BEFORE the rebrand.
Copy never addressed the needs of the audience.
Landing pages were SEO wastelands with no substance.
Page designs were all over the place.
AFTER the rebrand.
I focused our message on the needs of our audience and the benefits we provided.
Our brand framework enabled us to launch new products quickly and keep up with changing needs during the pandemic.
We could safely experiment with new designs without losing our identity.
With the new brand in place, we developed a series of 30-sec spots to promote online camps and classes.
The Result
Varsity Tutors brand awareness went from 19% to 87%, helping make it the #1 live online tutoring platform in the U.S.
Content consistency improved across every channel. Teams that used to wing it now had a shared language and a shared standard.
But the result I’m most proud of is the cultural shift. The company moved from a mindset of sales-first to customer-first. People started asking, “How does this help a student learn?” before they asked, “Will this convert?”