EP Martial Arts
Project Duration November 2024 – ONGOING
Studio Services: Branding | Website Design | Content Marketing Design | Copywriting
Special Thanks & Credits To:
Motion Graphics: NewTake Media
Project Information
Background
East Providence Martial Arts, better known as EP Martial Arts, was started by three colleagues who wanted to spread their passion of learning martial arts to the community around them. Having incorporated in 2012 as Sanshou Fighting & Fitness, LLC, they eventually adopted the name EP Martial Arts to better signify their dedication towards martial arts instruction across competition and self-defense purposes. Since their humble beginnings, they’ve gone on to coach many students through local and national competitions.
With over 10 martial arts programs run by highly-specialized and accredited instructors, EP Martial Arts offers the full spectrum of martial arts education to Rhode Island’s aspiring martial artists and their families.
The Challenge
After 15 years with a boot-strapped branding and website presence, EP Martial Arts needed a completely new brand strategy, identity system and website that would help them stand their ground in a highly-saturated competitive landscape. With their broad portfolio of martial arts programs, they needed a way to help streamline the sales conversations and make it known that the programs are a part of the EP Martial Arts brand. Additionally, even with a dedicated community of members, EP Martial Arts wanted to increase monthly revenue with new students and steady customer retention rates.
Our Solution
Engaging them within our Brand & Website Essentials project package, we worked with EP Martial Arts to create an emboldened brand strategy, a streamlined brand architecture and sharpened visual identity system that sought to unify the brands and boost the community morale at large. We also created an immersive and compelling website experience that streamlined the class booking process for both students and instructors, diversified streams of monthly income with a full-fledged e-commerce experience, and engaged members via email marketing automation.
Motion graphics by NewTake Media
Brand Strategy
At the start of our Discovery Phase, we assessed the gym and community needs through questionnaires and conversations with instructors and members. The gym offered many programs, each with its own brand and online presence, causing confusion due to no clear brand architecture. This lack of cohesion weakened the gym’s ability to stand out against local competitors with clearer, bolder messaging.
We worked with EP Martial Arts’ lead instructors to create main buyer profiles based on their typical prospects. This helped us focus on different age groups and understand how the gym can better serve them through its brand and business. From the young Ambitious Athlete to the Engaged Practitioner and Supportive Parent, we knew the gym needed to be a motivating, welcoming place where people feel safe and encouraged to train fully.
A central part of our brand strategy was the essence: “A Community of Champions.” We wanted to show that anyone wanting to learn martial arts can find their “inner champion” in EP Martial Arts’ friendly and supportive community. We challenged the idea that only pro fighters with winning records are champions. Key words for the brand were “Dynamic,” “Welcoming,” and “Mentoring.”
Brand Identity
With 15 years in the public eye and a loyal community, we knew the EP Martial Arts logo was valuable and shouldn’t be changed too much. Our main goals were to modernize and expand the visual identity to better organize their different programs.
Improving the logo for better quality and readability helped us build a clear brand framework. The new layouts let each program have its own identity while still feeling part of the whole family. We also chose stronger fonts and updated the color palette to be more flexible and accessible, meeting WCAG standards.
With a clear brand structure, we created a new look that could be used on many items, especially merchandise and clothing. This was important for long-time EP Martial Arts Fight Team members who wanted to show off their gym in a fresh, updated style.
With a clear brand structure, we created a new look that could be used on many items, especially merchandise and clothing.
Interactive
During our Discovery Phase, we reviewed the site for problems in user experience, writing/SEO, and design. The original WordPress site had issues like a broken e-commerce flow, outdated links and gym info, an old-looking design that didn’t meet accessibility standards, and unclear content across pages. Instructors couldn’t see how many students signed up for their classes, causing low attendance and frustration. The new website needed to: A) let members book classes and buy gear; B) show instructors their class attendance clearly; and C) improve sales and marketing to boost brand awareness, engagement, and conversions.
For any e-commerce site, whether selling products, classes, or memberships, we needed a clear and simple path to guide users toward their goals. We also aimed to streamline operations and remove unnecessary tech complications. Moving from a basic WordPress site, we chose Squarespace for its easy e-commerce tools, built-in email campaigns, and automations, plus Acuity Scheduling to improve booking for students and instructors. The design and content followed our brand strategy, inspiring martial artists to join EP’s “Community of Champions.”
