Udiri
THE ASK
Udiri is a values-led accessory and jewelry brand rooted in African craftsmanship, material innovation, and social impact. As the brand prepared for a new collection and international expansion, the founder sought strategic clarity around positioning, pricing, and storytelling. Despite a powerful mission and distinctive product — paper and brass jewelry crafted in collaboration with refugee women artisans — there was tension between price and perceived value, and a lack of cohesion across brand expression.
The goal was to build a strategic foundation that could support premium positioning and guide long-term growth across global markets.
THE RESPONSE
We began with deep strategic inquiry: a founder interview, brand and digital audit, and cohort analysis to understand where Udiri sat within the contemporary jewelry and ethical fashion landscape — and where it should sit. This revealed a critical opportunity: Udiri occupied a rare space between art jewelry and ethical fashion, yet its current expression did not fully communicate the emotional, cultural, or artistic value embedded in the work.
From this insight, we developed a comprehensive brand strategy that reframed Udiri not as an artisan product brand, but as a movement — one that transforms fragile materials into objects of permanence, and displacement into dignity. Central to this narrative was Njikota, the philosophy of coming together, and the Igbo-rooted understanding of form, substance, and becoming.
We articulated Udiri’s brand essence, audience, and voice, defining it as reflective, intentional, and editorial — grounded in craft, memory, and quiet resistance rather than trend or spectacle. Strategic recommendations addressed pricing architecture, market sequencing (prioritizing Europe and North America before Nigerian re-entry), and storytelling shifts from material cost to artistic and cultural value.
The engagement culminated in a clear strategic framework — positioning, messaging, pricing guidance, and creative direction — designed to de-risk Udiri’s marketing spend and serve as a blueprint for identity design, website redevelopment, packaging, and launch execution.
IMPACT
Repositioned Udiri as a premium, purpose-driven accessory brand operating between art jewelry and ethical luxury.
Clarified perceived value, addressing the gap between pricing and brand expression through strategy rather than discounting.
Defined a differentiated narrative rooted in African innovation, material transformation, and cultural memory.
Delivered a scalable strategic foundation to guide future identity design, packaging, and digital execution.
Equipped the founder with clear decision-making tools for launch strategy, market focus, and long-term growth.
CREDITS
Brand Strategy: Atelier Oluwatosin
Creative Direction: Atelier Oluwatosin
Atelier Oluwatosin Team: Tosin O. Hoskins, Samuel Sabastine, Anjay Seabrook