Walker Webcast walks away with the gold

Some long roads are worth traveling. It was a journey, but after matching strategy with design to deliver a new look for the Walker Webcast, our in-house creative agency was recognized as a Gold Winner in the 2024 Hermes Creative Awards. This international competition celebrates excellence in concept, writing, and design, recognizing creative professionals who push the boundaries of traditional and emerging media.

As the Creative Director and head of our in-house agency, I was privileged to lead the successful remodeling of the Walker Webcast. My team’s work earned this esteemed recognition on an international stage, standing out among over 6,500 global entries. Here’s an in-depth look at the Walker Webcast, the vision for its new look, and the significance of winning gold for W&D.

It’s never as easy as it looks

Refreshing an established brand while retaining its core can be daunting for any creative professional. My team embraced this challenge, understanding what had made the Walker Webcast a success and where there was room for change. The vision included a shift away from monochromatic imagery and the introduction of color that better represented the energy of the production.

The black-and-white approach gave us a distinctive look at the start. It was something to separate the initiative visually from the Walker & Dunlop brand and helped make the Webcast its own thing.

But as the production evolved, the palette became too sterile. Our guests' insights into the discussion with Willy bring a certain energy, and there is warmth in that connection. We wanted our audience to see and feel this, and color helps to connect those dots.

Originally conceived by our CEO, Willy Walker, as a grassroots initiative to stay connected with clients during the COVID pandemic, the Walker Webcast has evolved into a multifaceted, award-winning production encompassing webcasts, podcasts, and web articles. With over 10 million views and ranking in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally, our in-house agency helped to revitalize the brand and all its design across video, social media, email, and website integration.

This rebrand would have looked different if we’d been brought in to create something new. In some ways, that would have been easier. But we had something unique — a very well-liked, well-known webcast that had essentially become its own brand. We wanted to preserve the best attributes of the Walker Webcast while enhancing the user experience. It can be a delicate balance between old and new, but ultimately, even the smallest adjustments make a big impact.

Going for gold – and getting it!

To win gold in the Hermes Creative Awards, entries are determined to surpass the high standards of the industry. Our achievement was not solely judged on the rebranding effort but on the overall excellence of the webcast product.

The revitalization also highlights the intrinsic value the Walker Webcast offers to its audience. Each episode is meticulously crafted to maintain engagement and serve as a reliable information source. From the opening segments to guest features and promotional videos, the Walker Webcast operates as a sophisticated ecosystem, running seamlessly week after week, driven by a substantial dose of creativity.

This award is more than a creative accolade – it’s an honor we share with the entire Marketing team. So many factors had to come together to get this right across strategy, content, and design. This was more than messaging. This was an opportunity to shape the story – what the Walker Webcast is to our audience. All that input inspired our creative.

That includes the transition from our “Driven by Insights” tagline to the current “Insights for Life” mantra. The team also carefully threaded a “Watch. Listen. Read.” tagline through its collateral to emphasize that content was where the audience wanted it, when they wanted it.

Winning the gold means a lot to the organization and is not just a reflection of smart design. This award is a testament to everything, and everyone, that helps to drive the Webcast forward.

Check out our award-winning look and subscribe to the new Walker Webcast today.

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