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Cymba: a new look for a new chapter

November 30, 2022

Here at ClearCourse, we love businesses that have a real, very genuine sense of purpose. 


Businesses that contribute positively to not only their customers but the world around them, too. And one business that certainly typifies that is Cymba


Cymba, a small business that primarily works with charities to help increase fundraising and donations, joined ClearCourse in 2021 after almost 20 years helping the likes of Macmillan Cancer Support, UNICEF, RSPCA and Marie Curie increase donations via mobile payments and messaging. 


The business also works with household brand names – think Uncle Ben’s, Cadbury, Heineken, M&M’s, and Marvel – to generate competition entries and generally engage their audiences. 


Cymba’s tech platform, where clients can manage their campaigns and access real-time data, is just one part of the Cymba proposition. 


The Cymba team has always prioritised customer service – and, as a long-serving team, it’s those one-on-one relationships, strategic advice and invaluable guidance that clients value more than anything else. 

Cymba Actionaid mobile screenshots

The value of people


Businesses that joins ClearCourse undergoe a branding refresh. It’s good to revisit the key messages that we want audiences to understand. It’s important to sense-check the brand proposition and how the visuals connect with the audience. 


After all, brands and the products and services they offer often evolve and mature organically, but branding, websites and other marketing collateral rarely evolve at the same pace. 


When working with the Cymba team, one thing became abundantly clear. 


The business is about people. 


The people within Cymba and the charities and businesses they work with. 


The people who the brand connects with via text-to-win competitions. 


And crucially, the people – and causes – that are helped because the brand has worked to increase charitable donations. 


That’s why, across the new Cymba website, people feature heavily – not only in the imagery used but also in the library of case studies you’ll now find. 


The faces of the Cymba team are all on the site too. They’re there because these are the people clients will be working with – clients won’t be outsourced to a call centre where it’s potluck who they speak to; they get to connect directly with members of that small team. 

Cymba mobile messaging platform

Creating relevancy for today


Of course, people are just one aspect of a brand – the product has to stand up to scrutiny, and keep on innovating. 

With the cost of living crisis, rising costs and other financial pressures, the vast majority of people have less disposable cash than a year or two ago – so creating a compelling case to donate to charities, and make it as simple as possible, is more important than ever before. 


And that’s where Cymba really comes into its own. 


The brand has been at the forefront of mobile giving technology for two decades, helps charities get a direct response from TV commercials, display advertising and billboards. The new logo, website and brand positioning reflects the confidence and knowledge that this experience brings. 


It also reflects the backing and scale Cymba now has as part of ClearCourse. 


In an increasingly challenging market for charities, Cymba’s incredibly well placed to help them achieve whatever they need to. 


And it certainly looks the part as it enters the next chapter of its evolution.


Dan Barber, Director of Brand Strategy at ClearCourse, commented:

 

"We’ve created an overarching brand identity for ClearCourse, built from a foundation of clean lines, space and execution of typography. Cymba has adopted this brand architecture. Additionally, we’re slowly collating our image library to showcase real people in real situations, be that our customers or our teams - and it’s that inclusion of people-led imagery that helps us connect. Many people support our software and payment solutions, and those solutions give power to the people who use and interact with them. Cymba is a benchmark in terms of people - they’re a great team, and we’re proud to have worked together to produce their new go-to-market messaging, brand identity and website."


December 11, 2024
11 December 2024, London, UK: ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and payments for UK SMEs, is pleased to announce the appointment of FinTech, Software and Payments veteran Simon Black as Non-Executive Director. Simon has a track record of leading technology companies through rapid periods of growth and brings a wealth of experience in strategy, branding, M&A and fundraising. Simon has over three decades of experience in Fintech software and Payments. He is the former CEO of PPRO which he transformed from a German start-up into a global leader in alternative payments, via international expansion and multiple successful funding rounds. Prior to PPRO, Simon was CEO of SagePay, where he led the business to 10x revenue growth. Simon currently advises growth-stage companies and private equity investors on driving innovation, market disruption and long-term growth. This appointment comes at an exciting time for ClearCourse, as the company expands its UK market presence while continuing to provide mission-critical products and services to help customers manage and grow their businesses. Throughout 2024, ClearCourse acquired an additional 4 businesses in ThinkSmart, CSY, Gob2b and Harbour Assist as part of its strategy to build a strong presence in key vertical markets characterised by high digital adoption and establishing itself in the fast-growing online and mobile payments space. Christina Hamilton, CEO of ClearCourse, said: “ I am delighted to welcome Simon to the ClearCourse board at a pivotal stage of our growth journey. He shares our ambition of building the business into a major actor in the embedded fintech space. Simon’s impressive track record of scaling payment businesses will be invaluable in supporting ClearCourse grow further in the UK and beyond and we look forward to working closely with him. ” Simon Black, incoming Non-Executive Director, added: “ I am delighted to be joining the board of ClearCourse, an exciting, innovative business with many opportunities as the high demand for embedded payments from SMBs continues unabated. I have known Christina and the Aquiline team for some time, and I have been impressed by ClearCourse’s rapid growth to date. The Group’s winning combination of deep vertical domain expertise and seamless integrated payments is truly market leading. I look forward to supporting ClearCourse’s continued leadership in attractive key sector verticals. ”
October 17, 2024
London, 17 October 2024 – ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs and targeted enterprises, announces the acquisition of Harbour Assist. Founded in 2013 and based in Cornwall, Harbour Assist is a leading cloud-based marina management system that integrates customer relations, communications, asset management, invoicing and reporting into a single, easy-to-use software package. Harbour Assist serves a diverse range of marina and harbour clients across the UK, Canada, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, US, Australia, and the Middle East. Their clients include independent operators and multi-site organisations, Trust Ports and public sector such as Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour, Lakeland Leisure Estates, Fowey Harbour, Port of Ramsgate. Harbour Assist’s reach extends to some of the world’s most prominent marinas and harbours. Harbour Assist’s industry-specific software focuses on enhancing administrative efficiency, improving customer service, and providing robust tools for managing moorings, berths, billing, and communication with boat owners. With ClearCourse, the platform will gain access to embedded payment tools as well as additional development resources, enhancing its capability to deliver a greater quantity of features at pace. Christina Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer of ClearCourse, said : “We are delighted to welcome Harbour Assist into the ClearCourse Group. As a market leader and disrupter in marine and harbour software, Harbour Assist acquisition underscores our aim for success in 2024. This collaboration will not only enhance the service, and solutions offered to Harbour Assist’s customers but also provide them with access to a broader range of resources and expertise. We eagerly anticipate working with Nick, Graham, and the team to explore new markets, improve operational efficiencies, and deliver an integrated offering to our customers.” Nick Gill and Graham Laidler Co-founders of Harbour Assist said : “It’s very exciting to join the ClearCourse group at this crucial stage in our growth journey. For over a decade, we've earned our reputation by delivering mission-critical software designed and developed by a team of maritime professionals. Leveraging years of practical experience and ongoing customer feedback. Partnering with ClearCourse enables us to expand further and future proof our business by adding a range of innovative and efficient payments solutions, something we are incredibly excited about.” Harbour Assist will be part of the ClearCourse Sports and Leisure division. This announcement follows the recent acquisitions of B2B eCommerce platform GOb2b and retail EPOS solutions provider CSY. With these strategic additions, ClearCourse is poised to leverage enhanced capabilities and resources, driving innovation and delivering superior features to its users. Established in London in 2018, ClearCourse is a leading software and embedded payment specialist. The group’s vertical software solutions provide essential, industry-specific technology to help their customers manage and grow their businesses. Since inception, the company has undergone rapid growth by acquiring over 40 leading software and payments solutions in its core market verticals which are all underpinned by ClearCourse Payments and Services. The terms of the deal are undisclosed.
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