Ocean Ink

Ocean Ink, a respected and long-standing tattoo studio, faced a unique challenge. While their reputation within the tattoo community was strong, they struggled to craft a Marketing Strategy that aligned with their core values and resonated authentically with their audience.

The studio’s team understood the importance of modernising their approach to marketing, but they were wary of appearing overly commercial or disconnected from the authentic, edgy identity that had defined their success. Without a cohesive strategy, their efforts were fragmented, leading to missed opportunities to connect with both loyal clients and a new generation of tattoo enthusiasts.

Additionally, the time spent trying to navigate marketing internally became a distraction from their creative work, leaving them feeling stretched thin and uncertain about how to elevate their brand without compromising their identity.

Recognising the importance of maintaining authenticity within the tattoo culture, Ocean Ink partnered with COG Marketing for a tailored Marketing Strategy. Leveraging our expertise in youth culture, action sports, and niche communities, we developed a plan that honoured Ocean Ink’s heritage while addressing the evolving needs of their audience. Our team conducted a deep dive into Ocean Ink’s brand identity, target audience, and market positioning. This allowed us to create a strategy that:

• Clarified their brand story while ensuring it stayed rooted in the tattoo culture.
• Identified untapped opportunities for growth, such as collaborations, events, and social media content that resonated with their core audience.
• Established a framework for consistent messaging across all touchpoints, from their studio to their digital presence.

We presented the strategy to Ocean Ink’s leadership, demonstrating how they could embrace advanced marketing techniques without diluting their identity. The plan was built to provide a balance of professionalism and authenticity, enabling Ocean Ink to stand out in a competitive market while staying true to their roots.

In this instance, COG Marketing provided Ocean Ink with the Marketing Strategy product. By outsourcing this specialist marketing discipline to COG, Ocean Ink was able to reduce the time invested by their own internal team by a large enough margin that basically equaled the COG Marketing product fee itself. Not only that, the result was professional, and supported and pushed into business development initiatives and paid performance campaigns.

By entrusting their marketing needs to COG Marketing, Ocean Ink gained a strategy that was both effective and respectful of their unique culture. The tailored approach allowed them to:

• Amplify their brand without losing the authenticity that sets them apart.
• Engage their audience with relevant, high-impact content.
• Save valuable time and resources, enabling their team to focus on what they do best—creating world-class tattoos.

The collaboration with COG Marketing resulted in a clear, actionable plan that aligned with Ocean Ink’s vision and strengthened their connection to their core audience. With a strategy that honored their identity and pushed them forward, Ocean Ink found the perfect balance between growth and staying true to their roots.