Africana Fitness Retailer Merges Two Businesses into One Vibrant & Streamlined Brand
When I met Aimee Salmon, she was juggling two businesses, one selling Africana products and one offering African-inspired fitness classes. Simply put, she was overwhelmed! And although Aimee knew there had to be a better way, she wasn’t sure what that path was.
Boss Diplomat completely rebranded and merged Aimee’s two existing businesses into one. I conducted a Brand Analysis, walked her through my signature Brand Blueprint, and left her with many actionable ideas. By the time we were done, Aimee was empowered to relaunch her business with:
One powerful brand combining her Africana athleisure wear lines and skills as a fitness instructor
A brand narrative that weaves in the colorful tapestry of her Congolese culture and brings people together
New and enhanced services and product lines that capture Africana vibes
I can’t wait to see what Aimee does next!
Aimee Salmon
New logo for the newly merged business - Positively Africana
Before the Rebrand: Two Busy Businesses
When we met, Aimee was facing the growing challenge of managing her two businesses, The Africana Store and Africana Dance and Fitness. She was also a roving vendor in both ventures, attending events to sell her products and predominantly offering fitness classes to corporations and colleges who wanted her services.
No wonder Aimee was struggling to keep up! Her businesses:
Sucked up her time maintaining two websites and multiple social media profiles
Confused her audience because the two brands and offerings weren’t different enough
Limited her audience and sales channels because she could only sell at events
Aimee had two weak business brands and had never really built her personal brand. And as a solopreneur, your small business and personal brand must work together.
Aimee wanted to find a solution to merge them under one brand—although she didn't know this was what she needed until I came along! After our first conversation, she agreed that a rebrand was the best decision and entrusted me with this massive transformation.
Aimee’s Branding Goals
Objective #1: Develop a new brand strategy and identity. Merging Aimee’s two businesses would entail creating a new brand strategy and identity. I had big plans to make her stand out by spotlighting her unique offerings and designing a vibrant brand color palette and logo that honored her history, culture, and business’s social impact.
Objective #2: Highlight Aimee’s African heritage and embrace cultural diversity. In addition to telling her story, Aimee was very focused on telling the story of Africa to educate and unite people of all backgrounds. I would help her brainstorm creative, authentic ways she could not only work this into her narrative but feature other fun branded elements.
Objective #3: Expand and rebrand her products and services. With the rebrand, Aimee would need to create more robust, aligned offerings. We would work together to add new athleisure wear and fitness services and give them on-brand names that capture the Africana spirit.
Bringing It All Together
Since Aimee needed a full rebrand, the process took just under four months. However, I recommended that she take another six months to launch her brand properly, especially because her website was being developed externally. Plus, Aimee was in the process of setting up her first Positively Africana brick-and-mortar store!
We started with a Brand Analysis, during which I researched Aimee’s competitors. Shockingly, there were at least 49 direct competitors in the Africana athleisure industry within a 50-mile radius or online who were serious contenders! But as I reviewed Aimee’s competition with her, we found she had an edge as a fitness instructor who could model her own athleisure wear in class and on social media.
BOOM—this was a major win in uniquely positioning her small business and personal brand!
The competitive analysis also enabled Aimee and me to develop additional product lines that could further set her apart while aligning with her new business direction. We focused on athleisure options initially missing from her product line.
Behind the scenes, we carefully considered how to name each of Aimee’s services and clothing lines. We called one collection “Furaha,” which is her mother’s maiden name and the Swahili word for joy and happiness. Then we have the “Upendo” collection, named after the Swahili word for love, a reminder to love and express yourself.
Finally, there is the “Ujamaa Fitness” collection, using the Swahili word for community to describe Aimee’s activewear line. This ties in well with her inclusive, high-energy fitness classes, which include Strong Nation HIIT, Functional Strength Training, Zumba, and Afrobeats Dance Fitness.
Next, we worked on Aimee’s Brand Blueprint, which became the foundation of her new brand. I came up with the name Positively Africana, which truly embraced Aimee’s vision and culture while resonating with her American audience.
Another vital part of this process was telling Aimee’s story, which needed to reflect both her business mission and personal brand. Now, her audience can understand Aimee’s inspiration behind her business and see that her positivity is genuine, as is her drive to give back to her home country!
Inspired by Aimee’s focus on highlighting her heritage and cultural diversity in general, we also built on her idea for a black doll. She is passionate about every home having one, and I mentioned that the doll needed a name—so we named her “Aimee”. The Aimee doll will serve as a one-of-a-kind social media mascot representing Positively Africana and Aimee online. Now, she just needs purple hair like the real Aimee!
The logo was also a significant part of the branding process. Considering that Aimee’s rebranded business focuses on athleisure wear, I designed a simple logo that still upheld African culture. Looking closely, you’ll see the letters of the word “Positively” represent beautiful African kitenge fabric!
The Brand Blueprint also included a website concept that Aimee could hand off to her web developer. This ensured her new site would feature the fonts and color palette I created for her and provided the designer with inspiration for imagery. Additionally, it offered a starting point for the website layout and structure.
Aimee Salmon's brand blueprint
Aimee Salmon's brand blueprint
Aimee Salmon's brand blueprint
Positively Africana After the Rebrand
Positively Africana now sells goods made in the Congo and Kenya and offers in-person and virtual fitness classes based on Africana dance and strength training. Her products and services are clear and fit her brand, giving her a clear direction.
Aimee’s backstory now sheds light on her purpose-driven small business and personal brand. She connects with and brings together people of all cultures by sharing her narrative. From struggling through poverty and political turmoil to moving to America, where she had to learn English and the culture from scratch—with many more obstacles in between—Aimee has overcome great adversity without becoming the victim, always managing a smile.
Positively Africana is a groundbreaking movement and an exuberant celebration of Africa’s beauty, creativity, and cultural heritage. Aimee wishes to spread the message and values of Ubuntu leadership, which prioritizes community and resilience.
Best of all, Aimee is making her mission a reality by putting a portion of her proceeds toward supporting women entrepreneurs and artists in the Congo!
“One of the things I appreciated most about working with Talyn was her ability to remind me of my true potential. Prior to our collaboration, I hesitated to express myself and showcase my capabilities to the world fully. However, through the branding process, Talyn instilled in me the confidence to boldly share my unique qualities and contributions. I now have a clear vision of what my business represents and the value it brings to the table.” - Aimee Salmon, Founder, Positively Africana
How It’s Going
As part of this process, it was important that Aimee was fully onboard with her rebrand and felt empowered to guide her marketing and website team when bringing her new brand to life. She used the information she learned from the Brand Analysis to stick with her newly found mission and her Brand Blueprint to guide the formation of her online brand. All of these elements ensure consistency in how she markets and talks about her business—and as we know, showing up consistently is key!
Aimee was also well-prepared to secure her new store in Thornes Marketplace in Northampton, Massachusetts, a highly coveted retail area. She explains that her rebrand was critical in helping her pivot her business.
Our hard work and the clarity it provided gave Aimee confidence in her unique qualities and skills, along with strategies to combine them to make her business successful.
Looking Ahead
Aimee is excited about her business's future now that she clearly understands her brand identity and purpose. Our work together empowered her to communicate her unique story of coming from the Congo to US-based customers who will fully support her.
Today, Positively Africana is more than a shop or a fitness studio—it’s a cultural experience showcasing Africa's artistic spirit in New England and beyond with an actual in-person store too!
If you’re looking for fresh, fun, vibrant styles and ways to stay fit, check out Positively Africana to learn more about Aimee and her offerings on the Positively Africana website or Instagram! Or shop her complete collections today. Remember, every purchase supports women entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
“Not only does Talyn possess an incredible work ethic and a passion for what she does, but she is also a fun and engaging person to collaborate with. Her cultural sensitivity and awareness are exceptional, making her an ideal partner for businesses operating in diverse environments.” - Aimee Salmon, Founder, Positively Africana
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