St. Eval have been making candles in North Cornwall for a quarter of a century. By 2023 they’d grown to the point that they were able to build a beautiful, sustainable, state-of-the-art new factory, become a B Corp, and diversify into several different product lines.

These firm foundations gave St. Eval the opportunity to grow beyond their regional heartland in the South West of England, going not just national but international. They also faced the need to transition gradually from the leadership of founder Sarah and MD Ian, both of whom had spend over twenty years in the business, to a new generation headed by Sarah’s son, Harry.

It felt like a crucial milestone in the company’s long journey, and one that could be acknowledged by taking a step back and communicating St. Eval’s vision and ambition for the decades to come.

I worked on the up-front commercial strategy to help St. Eval understand how the market was shifting, what the opportunities were, what their core competencies were, and what their future direction should be if they wanted to achieve their ambitions.

Working with agency big fish, I then led the work on developing St. Eval’s brand strategy and positioning. I worked on the creative strategy for a refresh of the St. Eval brand identity, giving them a distinctive, ownable brand within the category.

In the subsequent months and years I’ve continued to work with St. Eval’s management team. I run quarterly and annual off-sites to plan where the business is going next, and build excitement and alignment within the various parts of the business.

• Commercial strategy and an understanding of where growth would come from
• Stakeholder alignment on the vision and future direction of the business
• Brand strategy
• Ongoing consultancy
• Quarterly and annual off-sites