2ND EDITION | ISSUE #157

Framed in rosy fading hydrangeas, overlooking the valley below, with fall-hued hills rolling around it, sat a graveyard with roughly 30 matching headstones inside.

A small pilgrimage of sweater-clad travelers wound their way up the path, me being just one of them.

But this wasn't any old graveyard.

It was a graveyard of failures.

But failures that were being celebrated. Failures that had become part of the attraction.

At this point, you are probably wondering just what the heckkkk this graveyard is.

So let me fill you in.

It’s a graveyard.

In Vermont.

But there are no bodies there - instead, it’s a graveyard of the flavors that Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream has “killed off” over the years. The flavors that were limited edition or just didn’t sell very well to begin with.

And this one section of their factory & brand homebase in Waterbury, Vermont, was one of the biggest draws, attractions, and well-known aspects of the experience.

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And then it hit me.

If this brand could celebrate their imperfections, what didn't work—and build a community around it—why the hell do I feel the need to be SO secretive? Ashamed? Stressed?

That realization got me thinking about all the lessons we can learn from embracing our "failure graveyards." The power of transparency, of leaning into what makes us human.

I've been chewing on this idea a lot lately, especially as I navigate what feels like the messiest middle of my own brand evolution. Part of me wants to be honest about how frustrated I am with what I haven’t done yet. The other part of me knows I have done soooo much work behind the scenes that will make the finished product (aka the website that my brain sees as the cherry on top of a year-long brand repositioning).

Because let's be real: building a brand is messy. Timelines shift, plans change, progress ebbs and flows. It's easy to get frustrated when things don't move as quickly as we think they "should." (I covered some of this in last week's newsletter and why I was running away for the weekend to Vermont (if you missed it.)

A big part of building in public effectively means instead hiding that process, we celebrate it.

What if we took a page from Ben & Jerry's book and built communities around our own "flavor graveyard" moments?

So in the spirit of imperfect transparency, I wanted to share my top 10 sellers since starting Cedar June & my own graveyard of failures.

I had been at the home of Ben & Jerry's for about 5 minutes by the time I knew it would be this week's Brand Highlight. Because they were taking their brand identity and embodying it in such a way that it became an experience. A full-circle moment for a brand.

Now maybe (probably) you don't have an in-person experience element to your brand or a property bordering the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont (but if you do, ummm HI, let's work together). Granted, I built one of my current retainer clients, The Painted Horse Winery's website, based on the in-person experience they had created—in an effort to reflect that experience online.

That's the key parallel here: Embodying your branding isn't just for physical spaces. It's about infusing that same level of intention and identity into your digital presence—your website, your content, your Instagram feed.

In Ben & Jerry's case, I think their website could certainly be doing MORE to reflect the in-person brand experience. (For example, I was surprised there wasn't an easy-to-find "Plan Your Visit" section, despite it being such a tourist attraction.) But there is still a lot to learn from how everything at Ben & Jerry's is a branded experience...

Infuse your core values into every touchpoint

From a storytelling and strategy perspective, Ben & Jerry's is known for their social activism and the missions they stand behind. In a world where most major food brands don't take a stand for fear of turning customers away, it is the cornerstone of Ben & Jerry's brand story and radiates through their identity.

Before you even get out of the car, you can see peace signs on the buildings and a giant banner on the factory that reads "One World One Heart." Their website drives this home with entire sections devoted to their values, the issues they care about, and how they do business.

Ben & Jerry's commitment to social activism radiates through everything from their packaging to their physical spaces. How can you weave your "why" into unexpected places?

Embrace the power of repetition Speaking of brand identity—from a designer's point of view—that was the most impressive part of the experience. They went hard on branding. Things they didn't have to do but still did. Blank walls and free space were covered in murals. Even the outside of the bathrooms were painted in their signature green and blue. From the Flavor Graveyard to the chairs overlooking the actual cows (my bestie's favorite) to the clouds on the freakin' fence—everything at Ben & Jerry's is branded. Even their silos are in their brand font. The rolling hills, cows, and blue skies that grace their walls and ice cream truck mirror the hills behind them. Embrace the power of repetition. Seeing those signature Ben & Jerry's colors, fonts, and visual elements repeatedly creates an immersive experience. Where can you amplify your core brand elements for maximum impact? Having a set of brand guidelines is a great way to get started on this: If you want to DIY them, check out the 2D design masterclass, or if you want a comprehensive illustration-based DFY brand identity + the guidelines on wtf to do with them, check out Brand Brushstrokes.

Look for missed opportunities By leaving no touchpoint unbranded, Ben & Jerry's proves the power of embodied identity in creating an unforgettable experience—whether that's in-person or online. Nothing went overlooked, not even the gazebo next to the graveyard. It could have been white, but why NOT make it Ben & Jerry's Blue? The Adirondack chairs could have been wood or one color, but why not make them rainbow? The tables in the tour waiting area inside were cloud-shaped. The ceilings could have been white and no one would have blinked an eye—but why not use them as prime real estate to paint a bold color or hang a trippy upside-down cow installation? Ben & Jerry's could easily leave their ceilings white or their chairs plain wood—but they choose to brand those too. Where are you leaving touchpoints undesigned in your own business? The footer? The 404 page? Your email opt in? Newsletter Template? Creating a cross platform branded experience means implementing your brand identity even in unexpected places. Ready to embrace the messy middle of your brand evolution? Wish you had a strategic co-pilot to help you navigate the twists and turns? I've got just the thing. Studio Sessions: Your Brand Pivot Partner Studio Sessions are 60-minute strategy calls designed to help you untangle the knots in your rebrand journey. You'll brain dump all the overwhelming details, half-baked ideas, and "this might be crazy but..." visions—and together, we'll turn that beautiful mess into a step-by-step action plan. In our strategy sesh, we'll cover: What's working in your brand (so you can amplify it) What's not quite hitting the mark (and how to refresh or retire it) The next 3 moves to make your pivot plan a reality How to stay sane (and even have some fun) in the process Within 48 hours of our call, you'll get a Notion Doc with your full brand pivot roadmap, including: A prioritized to-do list (so you know exactly what to tackle first) Resource recs for the techy stuff you'd rather outsource Personalized pep talks for when things get sticky It's time to embrace the mess, celebrate the journey, and turn those "failures" into the lessons behind your your next brand evolution. Ready to map out your messy middle? Book your Studio Session here for $131 (just 3 spots left at this beta price) book your studio sesh