Case 07 · River's Edge Hair & Wellness (Yarrow, Chilliwack BC)
A Five-Year Brand Relationship Through a Business Pivot
The business changed. The brand relationship held. Across five-plus years and two business-model chapters – a foundational identity in 2021 for River's Edge Hair Studio, then a 2023 pivot to River's Edge Hair & Wellness as a multi-vertical Collective with holistic nutritionist Elise Cochran – the studio needed someone who could carry the brand forward without starting over each time. We evolved the identity, web presence, and search footprint alongside the business, anchored by the line 'Elevate your style, cultivate your vitality.' The result: 60% branded search CTR and a balanced 41/31/28 organic/direct/social traffic mix through the pivot.
Results at a glance
Full numbers ↓- Continuous strategic partnership through two business chapters
- 5+ yrs
- Branded search CTR – the leading indicator of a recognized brand
- 60%
- Organic / direct / social – balanced footprint, no single-channel dependency
- 41/31/28
Tenure
Brand equity
Traffic mix
01 · Problem
The starting point.
Context
Ongoing RDCD-direct engagement, January 2021 to present – 5+ years. The longest continuous direct client relationship in the RDCD portfolio.
Chapter one (2021): build a foundational premium brand for owner and lead stylist Steph Murray's lived-in colour and high-end artistry studio in Yarrow (est. 2017).
Chapter two (2023): reposition the business as a multi-vertical wellness destination – merging Steph's low-tox hair services with holistic nutritionist Elise Cochran's integrative health offerings (whole-body cleansing, ionic detox). Brand, narrative, and the digital home at riversedgehairandwellness.ca all rebuilt around 'The Collective' positioning and the line 'Elevate your style, cultivate your vitality.'
Challenges to solve
- Foundational brand identity strong enough to anchor a premium artistry studio in 2021
- Comprehensive 2023 refresh that bridged two distinct verticals – hair services and integrative wellness – under one coherent narrative
- Digital rebuild at riversedgehairandwellness.ca structured around 'The Collective' positioning
- Ongoing strategic stewardship across both chapters, without forcing a new agency relationship at each evolution
02 · What I did
The plan, and the moves.
Plan
- 2021 goal: foundational brand identity for River's Edge Hair Studio
- 2023 goal: brand pivot to dual-vertical hair + wellness with multi-faceted website rebuild
- Narrative goal: strategic storytelling architecture organized around 'The Collective' positioning
- Stewardship goal: ongoing strategic partnership – longest direct RDCD relationship in portfolio
Actions & what changed
Action
Designed and shipped the foundational brand identity for River's Edge Hair Studio in 2021
What changed
Premium artistry studio launched with a brand system that carried the business through its first two years and set the foundation for everything after
Action
Led the comprehensive 2023 brand refresh that bridged hair services and integrative wellness under 'The Collective' positioning
What changed
Single coherent narrative across two verticals – no fork in the brand, no second-brand workaround required
Action
Rebuilt the digital home at riversedgehairandwellness.ca around the new positioning – treatments, wellness offerings, and brand story on one site
What changed
Branded search 'rivers edge hair studio' converts at 60% CTR (3 clicks / 5 impressions); traffic mix 41% organic, 31% direct, 28% social – the balanced footprint of an established brand
Action
Continued strategic stewardship across both chapters – not handed off, not re-pitched at each evolution
What changed
Half-decade of brand consistency through two distinct business models.
03 · Outcomes
Quantified results.
By the numbers
5+ yrs
Continuous partnership – longest direct RDCD client relationship
2
Distinct business-model chapters under one brand relationship (2021 studio launch, 2023 dual-vertical pivot)
60%
Branded 'rivers edge hair studio' search CTR
41 / 31 / 28
Traffic mix – organic / direct / social (the signature of an established brand)
83
Sessions in active 30-day funnel; 2 leads
Bottom line
Five-plus years in, the same brand relationship has carried this client through two business models – studio, then collective – without restarting the brand from scratch. The longest direct RDCD client relationship to date, and the partnership is ongoing.
A Five-Year Brand Relationship Through a Business Pivot – project gallery
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Brand Strategy & Identity
Foundational identity in 2021, then a dual-vertical pivot in 2023 – under one ongoing relationship.
Web Design & Development
Multi-faceted digital home structured around 'The Collective' positioning.
Retainers
Half-decade of strategic stewardship across two business-model chapters.
FAQ
Answers, briefly.
- What does a 5+ year partnership actually cover?
- Foundational brand identity in 2021 for the original studio. Comprehensive brand refresh and full website rebuild in 2023 when the business pivoted to a dual hair + wellness model. Ongoing strategic stewardship in between and since – the same relationship across two distinct business chapters.
- What changed in the 2023 pivot?
- The brand bridged two verticals – low-tox hair services and integrative wellness offerings like holistic nutrition and ionic detox cleanses – under a single coherent 'Collective' positioning. The website at riversedgehairandwellness.ca was rebuilt to carry both. No fork in the brand, no second-brand workaround.
- What does the digital footprint look like today?
- Branded search 'rivers edge hair studio' converts at 60% CTR. Traffic mix sits at 41% organic, 31% direct, 28% social – the balanced signature of an established brand with word-of-mouth, SEO, and content all contributing.