The journey behind our brand's punk-inspired transformation — fusing innovation, rebellion, and authenticity.
Rebranding is more than a facelift; it's a fundamental transformation of a brand’s soul and identity. For Journey, the leap from a quick solution logo to a symbol of exponential growth mirrors our own radical evolution. It's here where our rebranding story unfolds.
What began as a modest image refresh swiftly transformed into a profound self-examination of our identity, echoing the essence of Journey itself.
It started as a simple notion of 'let's tweak our image,' but quickly evolved into a profound introspection of who we truly serve and why.
This transformative journey was driven not just by our creative specialists but also by our founder, Trent, who questioned why a team of 20 innovative minds working for clients worldwide wouldn't leverage their own strengths. He emphasised the opportunity for deeper collaboration on a project close to our hearts.
I’ve always found it harder to design things for yourself. It’s hard to be objective, and the possibilities are endless.
Our new logo was more than a visual exercise; it was an embodiment of our mission and a symbol of the clients we proudly champion. Our logo's design is an exploration of the profound journey we undertake with our partners, and it carries a narrative that unfolds in layers of symbolism.
Embedded within our logo is the sequence of '1, 2, to 4,' a visual representation of exponential growth—a fundamental principle that drives our collaborative efforts with clients.
It’s a transition from the linear, step-by-step progression to a dynamic surge forward, readying our clients for a new chapter of expansion. This is where Journey steps in, ready to fuel the fire of growth with strategic marketing and creative innovation.
Our logo zooms out from the concept of a fixed destination.
The three dots serve as dynamic waypoints on an ever-evolving path that we go on with our clients.
In contrast to our previous 'X' marks the spot logo, the trio of dots symbolises an endless journey. It underscores our commitment to guiding our clients through transformative growth, not just to singular achievements but through the countless stages of their business evolution.
Our logo is more than just an image; it is a covenant — a promise that Journey is unwavering in catalysing and accelerating growth.
It is a pledge to assist our clients in not merely advancing but soaring to new heights.
A brand is more than just a logo, and our journey to a punk-inspired brand began with a simple idea: to create an identity that would resonate with both our team and our clients. We sought to capture the rebellious and innovative spirit that drives our founder-based audience, uniting us under a common philosophy.
As we embarked on the creative application of our new brand, we drew inspiration from the raw, DIY energy of 1970s punk posters.
These iconic visuals were more than just images; they were manifestos, declarations of independence, and fervent calls to action. Their boldness and urgency spoke to us, compelling us to infuse our brand with a similar sense of rebellion.
Inspired by punk poster art, we meticulously developed a visual language that honours the punk ethos while adapting it to the modern digital age.
One of the key elements we've embraced is Vintage Cut-outs, featuring carefully selected words and phrases from 1940s and 50s publications, adding a touch of curiosity and innovation to our brand while aligning with our founder-based audience.
These are all hand-cut phrases from magazine clippings I’ve discovered in antique stores and markets and kept aside over the years, waiting for the perfect opportunity to use for a project.
Similarly, we use Black Tape as a visual guide, signalling new sections in digital content, akin to labelling a guitar case or a toolbox, we use these elements for easy navigation on websites and within documents.
Our use of Black and White Halftone Cutouts pays tribute to halftone printing and the creative remixing of limited materials used by punk artists of the 70s. It also serves a practical purpose to unify visuals from varying sources (remote team!) and adding depth and intrigue.
Our Hand-drawn Marker and Pen elements inject a human touch into our digital designs, highlighting essential elements like CTA buttons and headline keywords.
These are just some of the elements that come together and infuse our brand with a sense of history, innovation, and a tactile dimension, bridging the past with the present.
In parallel, we cultivated our anti-agency approach, forged from our determination to challenge the conventional norms of the marketing industry.
Traditional agencies, often bound by rigid structures and slow response times, couldn't keep up with the dynamic landscape. Having witnessed these shortcomings firsthand, we set out to offer something different.
Our commitment to clients is unwavering. We integrate seamlessly into their teams, functioning as their outsourced growth marketing department.
This integration allows us to provide the expertise of strategists, specialists, and executors—all at the cost of a single full-time hire. We prioritise communication, participation in stand-ups, and rapid responsiveness. We're not just a service provider; we're partners, invested in our clients' success.
"I love our new brand and identity. I’ve always been the guy scrapping his way through his career, a rebel with a cause, building the car while we’re driving it.
Our new brand encapsulates our attitude and approach to guerrilla marketing and problem-solving.
While it's visually polished, it intentionally showcases a punk aesthetic.
I was the guy wearing ripped jeans at a keynote in Latvia in front of 800 accountants—ripped jeans was the brand.
For me, it was a way to project a bit of a bad-boy persona, someone confident, unafraid to break the rules, and think outside the box to execute some of the most unorthodox campaigns in the accounting SaaS industry.
We were always finding ways to growth hack our way through problems and we created a space where it was okay to break stuff if it meant we were learning and pushing for a bigger goal—break it, learn from it, go again, adapt, adapt, adapt.
Then COVID happened, and guess what? We had one of our biggest sales years ever. We challenged ourselves, picked up our tools, and got to work with what we had in front of us.
I love the new brand; I think it’s a great representation of who we are and what clients can expect when working with us."
"My approach to branding is all about exploring the abstract, turning over stones that others may not, and communicating those ideas in a simple way.
The intersection of different branches of thinking is where genius happens. This is where brands create new categories for themselves, cutting their own path. Iconic brands are born by appealing to those who resonate with bold decisions and leadership.
The punk idea refused to go away, persisting under many stones despite my attempts to set it aside. It evolved and moulded into what it is now—a handsome brand with many paths leading back to the original nucleus of the idea. At its core, it embodies an authentic, rebellious spirit of innovation.
There’s always risk in doing something new, but there’s also risk in doing the same old thing. I could talk about this endlessly, but suffice it to say that we chose to bet the house on authenticity and swinging big.
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Why do so many accounting tech vendors struggle to achieve consistent growth? Here's how to combat it...
Why do so many accounting tech vendors struggle to achieve consistent growth?
You may have noticed that your pipeline surges during major conferences or trade shows, then drops steeply afterwards. This uneven cycle not only creates stress but also prevents sustained progress.
If you recognise these ups and downs in your own marketing, you’re not alone. Many SaaS companies targeting accounting and bookkeeping firms fall into the same pattern. They invest in big events, collect leads, scramble to follow up, and watch interest fade until the next event. Meanwhile, large segments of the market remain unaware of their solution.
Does this sound familiar?
There are a few factors which cause this, which can ultimately be boiled down to one core problem…
A lack of investment in Brand Marketing.
Enter the Brand, Demand, Expand framework. This approach balances long-term brand awareness with short-term demand generation and ongoing customer growth.
In the sections that follow, we’ll explore how to apply this framework in accounting tech, ensuring you maintain a more stable, dependable, and profitable pipeline.
Have you heard of the 95/5 rule? It proposes that at any given time, only about 5% of your target market is actively looking to buy. The other 95% isn’t in the market yet, and might not be for months, years, or even at all!
When that moment comes, they already have a shortlist of vendors in mind. How do they compile this list?
They do it through ongoing exposure to brands, content, and recommendations.
In accounting-tech, this trend is especially strong. Accountants and bookkeepers usually rely on referrals, peer feedback in Facebook communities, and brands they’ve come to trust well before they speak with sales.
If you delay brand-building until prospects are in-market, you’re too late. By that point, they already have their favourites. That’s why brand marketing - the steady effort to be known, trusted, and remembered - matters so much.
Without it, you’ll likely compete on price or features alone, starting the race from behind.
Essentially, Brand, Demand, Expand recognises the different objectives and timelines in marketing:
Below is a visual representation of how these elements connect, the goals they set out to achieve, and the metrics and channels that support you in getting there.
Sense check - how many of you are only focused on one part i.e. Demand, and measuring all success from that? It’s a trap many fall into, so let’s look at how we can flip the table to focus more on Brand…
Brand marketing is misunderstood by many. It goes far beyond good-looking logos and catchy headlines.
Crucially, it means being remembered for the right things. Generating clicks or views might make you known, but are you aligning your brand with the category entry points that matter? These are the cues that prompt buyers to recall your brand when they need a specific solution.
If we look at a category like Practice Management, a few examples of Category Entry Points could be:
Brand marketing is about creating connections of your brand with these various category entry points so that when a cue presents itself, your brand is remembered and considered.
However many get this wrong by focusing on the wrong things…
Here’s a real-world example of how many are getting this wrong in accounting-tech today:
Right now, everyone’s talking about AI in their content because it gets high engagement. But do prospective customers link you to the actual challenges they face, or do they simply remember you as another AI-hype brand?
If your content doesn’t align with the problems you truly solve, you could be well-known for the wrong reasons. This means that when prospects do move in-market for a specific category, they don’t remember you.
The real goal is creating mental availability so that prospects naturally think of you when they need what you offer.
In the accounting sphere, where trust is paramount, brand awareness underpins reliable growth.
Why do certain vendors attract large crowds at events while others struggle?
Often, the successful ones have invested in brand awareness beforehand. Their name is familiar because they’ve published articles in popular accounting blogs, sponsored relevant webinars, or built alliances with respected figures.
So when event attendees spot their logo, they’re already curious.
Unfortunately, many vendors measure brand-building with short-term demand metrics. If you rely on immediate leads to gauge brand success, you’ll be disappointed. While brand initiatives can generate some near-term results, they’re fundamentally about long-range impact.
Look instead at branded search volume, direct site traffic, and share of voice to assess progress.
Remember: brand-building rarely feels urgent, but it’s essential. If you only chase immediate demand, you’ll constantly scramble for the next event or campaign, without compounding results.
Now, let’s consider the 5% who are actively shopping. Demand marketing aims to capture these prospects and guide them to purchase.
Here, you’ll use tactics like paid search, retargeting, email campaigns, and product demos.
Conferences and trade shows often support both Brand and Demand. They’re excellent for meeting buyers who are ready to act, but they also promote brand visibility to those who aren’t quite there yet.
However, if you rely on events alone, you might struggle. Without prior brand awareness, you’ll see sparse booth traffic and fewer qualified leads.
When assessing event outcomes, don’t focus solely on ROI and customers won. Also consider the awareness aspects i.e. how many new contacts did you meet that might convert in the next 6, 12 or 18 months. How many more people saw your brand and it reinforced an existing connection?
Demand marketing becomes much more effective if you’ve already built brand familiarity. If you exclusively pursue the 5%, your sales might spike during event season and drop outside it.
Pair this with brand-focused activities, though, and you’ll nurture a smoother, more consistent pipeline.
You’ve won new accounting and bookkeeping clients—what now?
This is where Expand comes into play. It involves retaining and increasing value from your existing customers. In the tight-knit accounting community, satisfied users can become your biggest advocates.
Take the example of a forecasting app. A practice might adopt it first for a few clients. As they see positive outcomes, they extend usage across more clients.
That’s an upsell opportunity. And if these users refer colleagues at a local meet-up or industry event, that’s advocacy in action.
Effective expansion strategies include:
In accounting-tech, positive word-of-mouth travels fast. If you maximise your existing customer relationships, you’ll reduce churn, boost revenue, and generate warm leads - all from your core user base.
Some companies ask whether they should prioritise brand or demand first. The truth is, you need both.
If you invest in brand marketing, your demand campaigns perform better because prospects already recognise you. Conversely, robust demand efforts bring in new clients who can become vocal supporters and reinforce your brand.
It’s a virtuous loop, but ignoring brand can create a vicious one. Invest only in short-term demand tactics, and you’ll pay more for each lead and risk losing momentum when you pause spending.
Alternatively, pouring resources into brand alone without a plan to guide potential buyers means missed sales. People might know you, but they won’t know how to engage or purchase.
In short:
How can you implement these ideas concretely?
Sustainable growth in the accounting-tech channel may feel challenging, but it’s within reach if you balance your focus.
Relying solely on the 5% of in-market buyers leads to an uneven pipeline. By investing in Brand for the 95% who aren’t ready yet, Demand for those actively seeking a solution, and Expand to retain and grow current clients, you can build a steadier, long-lasting revenue engine.
Consider your current mix. Are you dedicating all resources to events season? Are your brand activities sporadic? Have you outlined a clear plan for nurturing and expanding existing customers?
By using the Brand, Demand, Expand framework wisely, you’ll stand out from competitors and lay the groundwork for consistent results.
Need help with this? It’s what we live and breathe at Journey. Get in touch today to see how we can support you with growth.
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How we launched Vinyl with 320+ waitlist signups, 180+ leads, and zero ads — all before day one. Here's how we did it.
How we created hype, demand, and real ROI — Before day one.
Most SaaS founders wait.
They wait for the product to be perfect. Wait for all the bugs to be fixed. Wait until “everything’s ready.”
Then launch day arrives… and nothing happens.
We took a different route with Vinyl, a new meeting AI tool built specifically for accountants and bookkeepers.
At Journey, we’re the go-to-market agency powering Vinyl’s growth - and from day one, we knew the goal wasn’t just to launch a product. It was to build awareness, create demand, and get the right firms lining up before we ever went live.
Vinyl is an AI notetaker for accountants and bookkeepers. This is a SaaS product we're bootstrapping alongside the work we do at Journey. This blog is a case study on what we've been doing so far to help Vinyl become a known brand in the industry in a short period of time.
We didn’t wait for perfect. We launched with momentum.
Here’s exactly how we did it - step-by-step - and how you can do the same.
Consider working with Journey this year if you're looking to replicate these kinds of results.
Most people wait until they’ve got a polished product and a full demo before they talk publicly. We didn’t.
In late 2024, Vinyl was still just an idea — a concept scribbled out on slides and whiteboards. But instead of keeping it under wraps, we decided to go public. We started talking about what we were building and why it mattered.
Vinyl is a meeting tool made for accountants and bookkeepers. It records your calls, creates summaries, pulls out action items, and turns meetings into usable, trackable outputs — so nothing gets lost and no one wastes time rewriting notes or chasing clients.
But instead of focusing on all those features upfront, we led with the problem:
“Accountants are spending hours after every meeting chasing actions and writing follow-up emails. What if you never had to do that again?”
That message landed. It wasn’t about AI, automation, or fancy dashboards. It was about giving accounting professionals their time back.
The reaction was immediate: DMs, comments, shares. People tagged their team members. Early adopters started following the journey and asking when they could try it.
We didn’t have a product yet — but we had interest, conversations, and market pull. All because we told people what we were solving, not what we were building.
Lesson: Don’t wait for perfect. Start the conversation early. Talk about the pain, not the product.
Once we’d announced Vinyl, we didn’t disappear for six months to go build it behind closed doors. We kept the conversation going — and brought people along for the ride.
Every week, we shared something.
Sometimes it was a new screen design.
Sometimes it was a progress update, a brand direction, or a question we were still figuring out.
Sometimes it was us being honest about what wasn’t working.
We didn’t overthink the content. It was raw, real, and consistent. That was the point. It showed we were actually doing the work, not just hyping something that didn’t exist.
People started to engage. They replied with feedback. They tagged colleagues. They started to feel like they were in on something early — because they were.
One of the smartest moves we made during this phase was launching a problem validation survey. Over 200 people took the time to fill it out. It wasn’t just valuable research — it was another opportunity to build trust and involvement.
That feedback shaped how Vinyl works. It influenced our roadmap, our messaging, and even how we structured the user journey. Because we weren’t guessing — we were co-creating it with the people who’d eventually use it.
And the side effect of all this? The audience grew. We weren’t shouting into the void. We were building a community that cared about the outcome and wanted to be there on launch day.
Lesson: Building in public builds both a better product and a more invested audience. Don’t just share the wins — share the journey.
We’ve all seen those empty waitlist pages with a single line of text and a form. Most of the time, they don’t convert — because they don’t mean anything.
From day one, we knew if we were going to create a waitlist, it had to have purpose.
So when we launched the Vinyl waitlist, we told people exactly what they were signing up for:
Early access to the product.
The chance to help shape features.
A seat at the table as we solved one of the biggest admin headaches in the industry.
And we didn’t just launch it and move on. We made it part of the narrative.
Each week, we shared updates about how many people had joined.
We celebrated hitting milestones: 50 signups, 100, 200… all the way to 320+.
That public momentum acted as social proof — and helped fuel more growth.
People wanted in, not just because they were curious about the product, but because they felt like they were part of something new and built for them.
We also made it easy for them to invite others. We encouraged people to tag colleagues or share it with their team if they were sick of spending hours every week writing follow-up emails after meetings. And they did.
It was never about building a huge list for the sake of it. It was about building the right list — people who understood the pain we were solving and were ready to use Vinyl the second we opened access.
Lesson: A waitlist isn’t a placeholder — it’s an opportunity. Give people a clear reason to join, and keep them involved after they do.
You can only launch once, so it’s worth making it count. For us, that meant tying our public debut of Vinyl to a real-world moment — not just a date on a calendar.
We chose the Digital Accountancy Show (DAS) in London as our launch event.
It was the perfect setting: the right people, the right conversations, and the right timing. A room full of accountants, bookkeepers, tech companies, and decision-makers.
We didn’t just “show up” at DAS. We made it the centrepiece of our go-to-market plan. Everything we did — from brand reveals and social campaigns to product demos and pre-event comms — was designed to build up to that week.
By the time the event rolled around, we weren’t just another name in the exhibitor list. People had already seen the brand. They’d read the posts. They’d signed up to the waitlist. Some had even contributed to the survey or shared our early product screens.
At DAS, Vinyl had presence.
We had a stand with consistent branding. We had team members on the floor who knew the audience inside out. We had a clear message, a defined pitch, and a reason to stop by.
The results?
This wasn’t the first time people were hearing about Vinyl — and that was exactly the point.
Lesson: Don’t treat launch like a switch you flip. Choose a moment, build anticipation, and show up with intent.
A lot of brands rely on the event itself to generate all the excitement.
They assume people will stumble across their stand, hear their pitch, and sign up on the spot.
That’s not how it works.
If you want people to care at the event, they need to be primed before they walk through the door. And that’s exactly what we did in the lead-up to DAS.
We kicked things off by hosting a pre-conference party the night before. It wasn’t a last-minute drinks catch-up — it was a planned experience. Branded, deliberate, and high energy.
Over 240 people RSVPed. Some were already on our waitlist. Others came because they were curious or had been hearing about Vinyl online. It created conversations before the expo even opened.
At the actual event, we made sure Vinyl wasn’t just a booth — it was part of the wider conversation.
We joined AI panels that directly aligned with the problems Vinyl solves. Instead of pitching the product, we talked about the challenges firms are facing with admin overload, unstructured meeting data, and post-meeting follow-ups — and how AI can step in and fix that.
Because people had seen the brand before, and heard the problem articulated clearly, they came to the booth with context. We weren’t starting cold — we were continuing a conversation.
By the time DAS opened its doors, we’d already created momentum. And people showed up ready.
Lesson: Your event ROI is won or lost in the weeks beforehand. Buzz isn’t something you hope for — it’s something you build deliberately.
We knew from the start that we didn’t want to be the only ones talking about Vinyl. If you want to build fast, you need other people telling your story too — and ideally, people your audience already trusts.
So we teamed up with industry creators and influencers — people already speaking to accountants, bookkeepers, and SaaS leaders on their own platforms.
In February, we joined webinars and podcasts, not to pitch, but to share the problem we were solving and how we were approaching it differently. No sales talk, just practical insight.
These sessions did two things:
It was low-effort, high-trust visibility — and it worked.
At the same time, we were meeting with integration partners across the ecosystem. We showed them what we were building, how we’d integrate with their stack, and how we could help their users too.
The result? Some of those partners started referring people to Vinyl.
We now get referrals every week, including from top 100 accounting firms and global networks. And we haven’t even launched publicly yet.
It’s a strong early signal — not just that people are interested, but that they believe in the value of what we’re doing enough to recommend it.
Lesson: If you’re the only one saying how good your product is, people tune out. Partner with others who already have trust and influence in your market — and give them a story worth sharing.
A lot of SaaS teams wait until after launch to measure results.
We didn’t.
Because when you build interest early, traction starts before the product goes live — and we’ve seen that play out across every part of Vinyl’s go-to-market journey.
Here’s what we achieved before public release:
This didn’t happen by chance. There were no paid ads. No cold outreach campaigns.
This happened because we showed up early. We built in public. We invited people into the process. We picked our moment — and we owned it.
Vinyl wasn’t just a product launch. It became something people wanted to be part of. And that momentum has carried into everything we’ve done since.
Lesson: ROI doesn’t begin after launch — it starts when you show up consistently with something that matters.
Most SaaS companies focus all their energy on the product. Then they quietly launch and hope people notice.
That’s not how we do things at Journey.
With Vinyl, we built a brand before we launched the product. We created anticipation, not just features. We built community, not just a campaign. And the results speak for themselves — hundreds of firms on the waitlist, partner referrals, industry visibility, and actual momentum.
If you’re building something for the accounting and bookkeeping industry — and you’re serious about scaling — you don’t just need a GTM plan. You need attention. You need buy-in. You need a story people want to follow.
Journey is the go-to-market agency that helps accounting SaaS companies scale brand awareness and growth — fast.
We know the industry. We know the people. And we know how to get your product in front of the right firms, at the right time, with the right message.
Let’s make your next launch the one everyone talks about.
Contact us today, let's chat and see if we can help your brand become a household name in the accounting industry.
The best SaaS products have control points—features that make switching impossible. Learn how to build and market them to drive retention and growth.
At Journey, we worked with 44 accounting SaaS companies last year, helping them sharpen their positioning, build strategic marketing campaigns, and create stronger connections with their audience. One of the biggest differentiators between SaaS companies that thrive and those that struggle is control points - the unique aspects of a product that make it indispensable to users.
While many SaaS companies focus on new feature releases or competitive pricing, the real power lies in control points - the things that keep customers locked in, drive retention, and ultimately increase lifetime value.
A control point is a feature, integration, or functionality that makes your product a core part of a user’s workflow - something they can’t easily remove without significant disruption. These create stickiness, ensuring that once a customer starts using your software, it becomes incredibly difficult for them to switch to something else.
In the accounting SaaS space, common control points include:
At Journey, we’ve seen the best accounting SaaS companies leverage control points to drive growth, reduce churn, and protect their market position. Some real-world examples include:
ApprovalMax integrates deeply with Xero and QuickBooks, ensuring businesses stay compliant with financial approval processes. Because compliance is not optional, ApprovalMax becomes a key control point for businesses that need structured approval workflows. Once an accountant or bookkeeper builds their approval hierarchy in ApprovalMax, switching away would require recreating an entire compliance framework from scratch - making it unlikely they’ll ever leave.
Pinch payments doesn’t just process payments—it integrates directly into accounting workflows, ensuring recurring payments, direct debits, and reconciliation happen automatically. Because payments are tied to cash flow and client relationships, moving away from Pinch would mean retraining staff, adjusting workflows, and dealing with potential disruptions to billing.
Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) processes invoices, receipts, and bank statements, pushing clean data into accounting systems. Their AI-driven automation, historical transaction data, and workflow dependencies mean that once a firm starts using Dext, switching to a competitor would be a major disruption, requiring staff retraining and risking potential errors.
It’s not enough to simply have control points - you need to market them effectively. Here’s how leading SaaS companies ensure their control points are front and centre in their sales and marketing efforts.
Many SaaS companies focus too much on features rather than the unique value they provide. Your messaging should highlight why your product is essential rather than just "nice to have."
Reinforce that your control points aren’t just a convenience—they’re the expected way of doing business in the industry.
If you’re not already using control points to your advantage, now is the time to start. Here’s a simple framework to assess and leverage them:
At Journey, we’ve seen firsthand how control points can be the deciding factor in whether a SaaS company scales efficiently or struggles with churn. Accounting SaaS companies that build strong control points—through integrations, automation, compliance, and workflow dependencies—will own their space, reduce competition, and create lasting customer relationships.
If you’re an accounting SaaS company, ask yourself: Are you making the most of your control points?
