Third-party vendors don’t have to be frighteningly monstrous
//
Third-party vendors don’t have to be frighteningly monstrous //
Venminder's Venmonsters:
A Fun Rebranding and Marketing Transformation
I reimagined third-party risk management with vibrant, engaging branding that brings life to every element—from logos and datasheets to educational materials and digital applications.
A key part of this transformation was the creation of Venmonsters, a series of characters designed to stand out from our competitors. These characters illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of different vendor types, adding a unique and memorable touch to our brand. Check it out!
-
![]()
The Happy Vendor
Always on top of their due diligence
-
![]()
The Lost Vendor
Not always prepared
-
![The Struggling Vendor]()
The Struggling Vendor
A nice vendor that can be struggling
-
![]()
The Spot On Vendor
Always on top of their due diligence
-
![]()
The Leaky Vendor
Be aware about this vendor. Always leaking your data
-
![]()
The Nice Vendor
Our favorite vendor! Always willing to work with you and make the relationship stronger
-
![]()
The Helpful Monster
Always available to help if you may have any questions
TPRM doesn’t have to be scary!
One of Venminder’s main goals was to alleviate any fear or intimidation that customers might have felt when approaching our company. By presenting our vendors as friendly Monsters, we aimed to demonstrate that they were approachable and not as scary or unattainable as they may have believed.
Venminder needed a compelling way to convey the complexities of vendor management while making their website more relatable and user-friendly. They wanted to highlight both the benefits and challenges of vendor interactions through a creative approach.
The Solution
Venmonster Characters: Designed a diverse cast of Venmonsters to represent various vendor scenarios, from reliable partners to problematic vendors. These characters were integrated throughout the website to provide visual and interactive storytelling.
Interactive Elements: Implemented animations and interactive features where Venmonsters interacted with real people and other characters, showcasing Venminder’s solutions in action.
Narrative Integration: Placed Venmonsters in real-life contexts such as meetings and assessments to clearly demonstrate how Venminder’s platform addresses different vendor management challenges.
The Brand Challenge
Increased Engagement: The interactive Venmonsters made the website more engaging, leading to longer visit durations and higher user interaction.
Clearer Messaging: The visual and relatable depiction of vendor scenarios helped users better understand Venminder’s value proposition.
Stronger Brand Identity: Venmonsters became a memorable part of Venminder’s brand, enhancing their presence as a user-friendly, innovative solution provider.
The Venmonsters have effectively transformed venminder.com, making the platform’s strengths clear while engaging users in a fun and memorable way.
Venmonsters - The Results
Did you know?
Venmonsters go camping just like the rest of us.
To elevate the TPRM Bootcamp—Venminder’s key event for third-party risk management professionals—we introduced the Venmonsters, engaging mascots that went camping to represent various TPRM concepts. Just like campers facing unpredictable risks, these characters navigated challenges similar to real-world TPRM and cybersecurity concerns. The Venmonsters brought complex topics to life in an interactive and memorable way, enhancing attendee engagement and solidifying the bootcamp’s role as a vital resource in the TPRM community.
TPRM Bootcamp
These captivating creatures not only served our external branding purposes but also became a powerful tool for internal culture and talent recruiting.
We found that associating our employees with these characters allowed them to connect with the positive traits represented by each monster.
However, we also wanted to ensure that the Monsters reflected the real experiences of our employees, so we included traits like tiredness, confusion, and struggles with tasks. This humanized the Monsters and made them relatable to both our employees and our customers.
Employee Culture
Interact with Venmonsters with a holiday card game
The execution of this concept was exceptionally well received. The positive impact was evident across various aspects of our business.
It is safe to say that Venmonsters have become an integral part of the Venminder identity and branding. They continue to be a powerful tool for both external and internal purposes, capturing the imagination of our customers and fostering a positive company culture. I’m proud to have created a unique, relatable, and enduring concept that sets Venminder apart in the market.
It is safe to say that our Monsters have become an integral part of our identity and branding. They continue to be a powerful tool for both external and internal purposes, capturing the imagination of our customers and fostering a positive company culture. We are proud to have created a unique, relatable, and enduring concept that sets us apart in the market.
With Venmonsters, we transformed Venminder into a powerful brand, both externally and internally. We became recognized as experts in third-party risk management, while remaining approachable and fun.
Challenges
Enhance brand visibility and user engagement
Simplify complex topics for better understanding
Generate leads for B2B customers
Improve client retention
Solution
Creative Direction
Built, led, and mentored a dynamic creative team.
Delivered cutting-edge branding solutions, including websites, ads, and videos.
Integrated AI tools for competitive analysis and innovative imagery.
Marketing Campaigns:
Developed B2B marketing campaigns targeting SME and Enterprise audiences.
Created impactful product-focused datasheets, brochures, videos, presentations, and educational materials.
Implemented an inbound marketing approach to generate MQLs and support sales.
Branding Strategies:
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to craft branding strategies.
Ensured cohesive branding across Venminder’s application, HubSpot inbound marketing pages, and sub-brands.
Enhanced user experience with consistent brand image.
Introduced Venmonsters to the world.
Product Marketing:
Co-led product marketing with a detailed project roadmap.
Focused on creative assets for weekly go-to-market (GTM) activities.
Managed the creation of sales datasheets, interactive product tours, in-app announcements, and walkthroughs.
Educational Materials:
Worked with TPRM, BCP, cybersecurity, and compliance experts.
Created visually impactful materials for B2B and B2C audiences, simplifying complex topics into infographics, eBooks, whitepapers, videos, and webinars.
Developed a new look for the financial health assessment, one of Venminder's best-selling products.
User Support:
Led the creation of a comprehensive user support site.
Included help articles, video tutorials, and in-app walkthroughs.
Used storyboards and research to understand user pain points and streamline communication and support via Zendesk and Pendo.
Results
Increased annual revenue from $7M to $47M.
Enhanced brand visibility and engagement.
Improved user experience and client retention.
Successfully stood out in the competitive compliance and financial sectors.
This transformation at Venminder showcases my ability to lead creative teams, drive innovative design, and deliver impactful marketing strategies that achieve measurable results.
