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DeakinBio had a breakthrough ceramic technology but no commercial-facing brand. No name that communicated the product, no messaging, and a home made website. The company was entering commercialisation with no way for buyers to find or evaluate it.
Created the new company name, brand identity, and messaging for two distinct buyer audiences, then designed and wrote a website with separate paths for tile manufacturers and architects.
Dekiln develops bio-inspired ceramic technology that eliminates kiln-firing from tile manufacturing - removing the most energy-intensive step in the process. Their patented Eralith material can be produced at room temperature using waste materials, with a 94% lower carbon footprint and 99% lower particulate emissions than conventional ceramic tiles. The technology has attracted interest from tile manufacturers, architects, and research institutions across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
The company started in a basement laboratory during COVID-19. By the time Adopter came on board, the technology was proven, investment was secured, and early conversations with manufacturers were underway.
The brand and online presence hadn't kept pace. The company was still called DeakinBio - a name that said nothing about ceramics, tiles, or manufacturing. There was no messaging, no visual identity, just a home made website. A tile manufacturer looking for production data and a London architect searching for sustainable materials would both land on the same page - and neither would find what they needed to take the next step.
Adopter started with DeakinBio's existing research and technical documentation - patents, test results, production data - and worked out what mattered to each audience. A manufacturer evaluating BioSintering® cared about production economics, line integration, and industrial scale. An architect specifying Eralith tiles cared about performance data, sustainability credentials for project specifications, and whether the tiles matched conventional ceramics on aesthetics and durability. Generic messaging about "sustainable tiles" would have spoken to neither.
The 94% carbon reduction meant a competitive edge to a manufacturer whose customers were demanding lower-carbon supply chains. To an architect, the same figure was a specification credential for sustainability assessments. Waste-material sourcing meant lower input costs to one and circular-economy compliance to the other. Every piece of technical evidence carried two different arguments, and the messaging had to make both without diluting either.
With the messaging established, the name had to do a specific job. DeakinBio said nothing about ceramics, tiles, or manufacturing - and nothing about what made the technology different.
Dekiln says what the technology does: it removes the kiln from ceramic manufacturing. One word, immediately legible to anyone in the tile industry, easy to pronounce across languages, and available as a domain. A name a buyer in Turkey or Belgium types correctly the first time.
The visual identity told the rest of the story. The brand was built around the concept of tiles themselves - earthy tones drawn from clay, warm and immediately recognisable as ceramics. The four stages of Dekiln's process - grinding, formulation with a proprietary bio-binder, forming, and drying - became a visual system running through the brand, showing buyers exactly how different this manufacturing process was without needing a word of explanation.
"The fact they were willing to visit us in person and take the time to walk us through the process really made a difference. That kind of flexibility and hands-on support is hard to find with other suppliers." - Dr Aled Roberts, Founder, Dekiln
Phase 3 ended with a brand showing buyers exactly how different the manufacturing process was. The website had to take that a step further - not just show the difference, but give each buyer the specific evidence they'd need to act on it.
A tile manufacturer arriving at dekiln.com lands on a page built around their concerns - production integration, scalability, cost economics, supply chain. An architect arrives at their own page - material performance, sustainability specifications, design options. Each finds content written for the decision they're actually making.
The deeper pages do heavier work. BioSintering is explained in enough detail for a materials engineer to evaluate the process. Product imagery and specifications are presentation-ready for an architect pitching sustainable materials to a client. Grant awards, TEDx, and independent press coverage round out the picture - evidence from voices outside Dekiln that sits alongside every product page and specification.
The enquiries started within weeks of launch. Manufacturers contacted Dekiln about production integration and licensing. Architectural practices across the UK and Europe requested samples and specifications for live projects. A materials sourcing specialist from one of the world's largest material libraries asked to add Eralith to their collection. A technology provider working with some of the world's biggest ceramic producers reached out to explore BioSintering®. Investors, trade journalists, and academic researchers followed - from four continents, in four languages. The site Adopter built became Dekiln's key commercial channel - generating conversations the company couldn't have started on its own.
Manufacturers exploring production integration and licensing. Architectural practices requesting samples for live projects. A global material library adding Eralith to their collection. Trade press, investment firms, academic researchers. Enquiries from across Europe and globally, in multiple languages, all through organic discovery.
The website and brand Adopter built are generating the commercial conversations Dekiln needs to commercialise - without paid promotion or outbound sales.
"The team was friendly, professional, and brought great energy to the process - especially on the design side, where we were all blown away by the final outcome. What stood out most was the two-way nature of the partnership. It never felt like a 'take it or leave it' agency relationship - there were real conversations, questions, and thoughtful pushback that helped us make better decisions. The team listened, gave us clear choices, and moved things along with momentum from start to finish. Adopter's team was responsive, easy to work with, and flexible throughout, from the weekly check-ins to the on-site support for our photoshoot. The fact they were willing to visit us in person and take the time to walk us through the process really made a difference. That kind of flexibility and hands-on support is hard to find with other suppliers. It felt like they were fully invested in our success from the start. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others."
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