Marigold

Unifying six platforms into one premium brand

Marigold was created from the merger of Cheetah Digital, Sailthru, Selligent, Liveclicker, Emma, and Campaign Monitor. The brand had powerful technology but no unified identity. It looked like every other martech platform with stock photos, cluttered layouts, and feature-heavy messaging. In a market full of sameness, Marigold needed to look premium and claim distinct territory.

My approach

Reposition Marigold as the expert in customer loyalty by shifting the focus from product features to business outcomes. I built a design system anchored in Marigold’s evergreen color, using bold typography, clean grids, and authentic imagery from real implementations. The website became proof, not promises. Event spaces evolved into immersive brand environments with bold color, textured architecture, and confident storytelling.

The impact

The rebrand created clear market differentiation and elevated Marigold from vendor to strategic partner. The refined visual system supported enterprise positioning and helped drive a sale at twelve times EBITDA within months of launch, proving that in B2B, visual sophistication signals category leadership.

Event positioning

Before: When Presence Felt Like Permission

Event booths that asked to belong instead of owning the space

This booth communicates “vendor” rather than “category leader.” The white banners feel temporary, the messaging competes for attention, and the layout lacks spatial hierarchy. The KFC proof point, while strong, is lost in visual noise.

The French installation faces a similar challenge. The small footprint projects caution instead of confidence, and the counter graphic, while branded, reads as generic. The overall presence feels grateful to participate rather than certain it belongs.

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This rendering achieves scale but undermines authority with playful yellow stripes and inconsistent visual language. It is designed to attract attention rather than convey expertise, creating an aesthetic that contradicts the premium positioning.

Event positioning

The Design Strategy: Authority Through Detail

Translating brand strategy into spatial experience through material sophistication

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Color and material specifications define the system. Evergreen anchors the palette, with Dusk and Rosewood as refined accents and mid-grey carpet providing neutrality. The fluted MDF requires a painted finish, while the matte black compact laminate countertop introduces contrast. Every choice reinforces premium positioning.

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The material palette translates the brand’s editorial sophistication into tactile form. Fluted MDF panels add texture without decoration. Timber structures and semi-translucent walls bring warmth and dimension. Reeded glass film provides privacy while maintaining openness, creating the sense of confidence Marigold customers expect.

The floor plan establishes intentional zones for the coffee bar, lounge, demo station, and private meeting space. Each area supports a distinct stage of the sales journey while maintaining visual cohesion through the Evergreen enclosure and clean sight lines. The layout creates a natural flow that invites movement without directing it.

Event positioning

The Realized Vision: Strategy, Execution, Impact

Event presence that transforms attendees into brand ambassadors

The coffee bar isn't activation. It's positioning. Marigold customers expect relationship-based engagement, not transactional booth stops. The t-shirt customization creates dwell time and conversation opportunities while turning attendees into walking brand presence throughout the show. The space operates as relationship infrastructure, not lead capture.

A realized vision: bold color and texture creating presence without spectacle. The Evergreen anchor point cut through trade show chaos not by shouting, but by projecting the confidence enterprise buyers recognize. Attendees stopped repeatedly to comment on the cohesion. The way every element reinforced a singular story. The crowds weren't drawn by gimmicks but by curiosity.

The t-shirt customization wasn't swag. It was a way in. Free shirts with the gear brandmark and bespoke artwork created natural entry points for curious attendees to engage without sales pressure. The design spread across the show floor while giving staff room to talk about the rebrand story instead of features. When you give people something to notice, you earn the right to tell them why it matters.

Web site redesign

Before: When platforms compete on features, they fall into the noise

Repositioning through editorial design principles and strategic restraint

Standard hero layout with illustration-style graphics that feel consumer-facing rather than B2B premium. The yellow CTA button works, but the overall composition is safe and forgettable. The Evergreen is present but not commanding. This reads like any marketing platform's homepage.

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The hexagonal green border treatment feels arbitrary. Decoration without purpose. The SMS notification mockup is generic stock imagery that could represent any platform. The page lacks hierarchy, with body copy and headlines fighting for equal weight. Nothing here communicates category leadership.

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The gear icon surrounded by platform logos tries to show unity but reads as visual chaos. Too many elements compete: diverse faces in circles, product names, the central gear. None given proper emphasis. The typography is timid. This looks like a slide deck, not a brand experience worth paying for.

Web site redesign

After: When design owns the outcome, attention becomes inevitable

Strategic clarity and sophistication translate brand positioning into digital presence

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The gradient color blocking creates architectural quality. Angular planes of Evergreen, Dusk, and Rosewood intersect and overlap, suggesting layers of complexity resolved into elegant simplicity. It's a visual metaphor for what the platform does: takes fragmented customer data and creates unified understanding.

Clean layout with generous white space allows the headline to command attention. The two-column body copy creates readable rhythm without feeling dense. Partner logos at the bottom are presented simply, without trying too hard. They're evidence, not the hero. The Dusk CTA button provides the only warm accent.

The horizontal navigation shows clear information architecture. Product UI mockups demonstrate actual functionality. A real use case, not generic placeholder content. Left-aligned body copy with bold subheads creates scannable hierarchy. White background lets the Evergreen accents in the UI carry brand presence. The design knows when to step back.

Asset redesign

Before: When design owns outcomes, attention becomes inevitable

Strategic clarity and sophistication translate brand positioning into digital presence

The yellow takeover feels celebratory rather than authoritative. Evergreen shapes appear ornamental instead of functioning as the geometric planes that should define the system. Yellow name boxes placed on yellow backgrounds create visibility issues. The Forrester partnership is buried under decorative typography that prioritizes style over clarity. Circular headshots with thick borders resemble social media avatars instead of executive portraits that convey leadership and credibility.

The Mist gradient introduces a visual softness that subtly but noticeably weakens the authority and clarity the brand needs to project. Organic background shapes feel decorative rather than structural, filling space without purpose or hierarchy. Typography mixes serif and italic treatments inconsistently with brand standards. Circular headshots float without visual connection to other elements. The oversized “2025” background adds noise rather than meaning or compositional balance.

The Evergreen background competes with consumer-style illustrated icons that dilute credibility. The yellow call-to-action box shouts rather than invites engagement. Circular headshots with white borders feel like generic LinkedIn avatars dropped into a template. Typography lacks hierarchy, with the “Webinar” label competing against the actual headline. The illustrated icons are undifferentiated clip art that could belong to any platform, eroding brand distinctiveness.

Asset redesign

After: When design owns the outcome, attention becomes inevitable

Strategic clarity and sophistication translate brand positioning into digital presence

The gradient system now functions with purpose. Angular Evergreen and Rosewood planes create dimensional depth without decoration. Typography is bold and structured with clear hierarchy that guides the eye naturally. The executive portrait sits in clean negative space, free of distractions. Event details are presented in crisp, legible type that communicates professionalism. The composition commands attention through balance rather than competition.

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The gradient now flows intentionally, creating cinematic depth and dimension. Bold headline typography uses generous spacing and clear hierarchy for maximum readability. The customer proof statement leads with measurable results instead of vague claims. Geometric planes provide structure and clarity without clutter. There are no decorative icons, no filler elements, and no visual noise competing for focus.

Angular planes intersect deliberately to create a sense of precision and sophistication. The gradient system adds visual depth while reinforcing strong brand consistency. Typography is large, confident, and balanced with precise, consistent spacing throughout. The black call-to-action button holds presence without relying on loud, distracting color. Every element serves the typographic hierarchy, guiding attention with intention and control.

The future vision

A forward-looking concept for transforming Marigold’s visual foundation into a living brand system powered by motion, narrative, and design continuity across all experiences

Marigold

@tjberk.photo