Liquorice

What Liquorice does

Liquorice (legal entity LIQUORICE BRAND AND DIGITAL PTY LTD) is an independent brand and digital agency headquartered in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, founded in 2008 by Managing Director Scott Bonanno. The firm operates with a team of approximately 15 multidisciplinary experts spanning research, strategy, design, and development, and is organised around three core service lines: Branding (strategy, research, storytelling, identity design, and graphic design), UX & UI Design (user research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing), and Web & App Development (front-end and back-end engineering). Liquorice's underlying technology stack centres on Wagtail headless CMS paired with VueJS frontends for speed and security (used on Kolmeo, Kingfisher, and Craft Victoria), Shopify for e-commerce integrations (Twinings, Craft Victoria), Squarespace (YANA FVS), and Squiz Matrix for Victorian Government-mandated builds (Creative Victoria). The agency builds accessible, SEO-optimised digital products compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

Liquorice generates revenue primarily through project-based professional services engagements, with a documented recurring component via creative services and SEO retainers (e.g., Twinings). Pricing is quote-based and scoped per project, with no public pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led, driven by direct client engagement (phone, email, website inquiry), referrals, and content marketing through a journal/blog and Instagram/LinkedIn presence. The agency operates from L8, 607 Bourke St, Melbourne, with a registered business address at 1/184 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

The firm targets three primary customer segments: purpose-driven businesses, government agencies, and not-for-profit organisations, with secondary depth in healthcare/community health and cultural institutions. Named clients include Nike, ACMI, RMIT, Twinings, Yooralla, GenWest, Alcohol & Drug Foundation, Western Health Foundation, Craft Victoria, Kolmeo, and Kingfisher, spanning retail, cultural, education, F&B, disability services, healthcare, government, and proptech sectors. Notable recognition includes 2019 AGDA Distinctions and Judges Choice awards plus a 2019 MADC award for the Pentridge Cellars brand identity project.

Name

Liquorice

Legal name

LIQUORICE BRAND AND DIGITAL PTY LTD

Website

https://liquorice.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Liquorice is an independent brand and digital agency in Naarm/Melbourne offering branding, UX/UI design, and web/app development services to purpose-driven businesses, government agencies, and not-for-profit organisations across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Brand Strategy and Identity Services: Project-based consulting engagements for brand strategy, research, positioning, and identity design. Includes brand audits, market research, stakeholder workshops, naming, messaging, and visual identity development.
2. UX/UI Design and Web Development: Custom website and application design and development services. Includes UX research, wireframing, prototyping, visual design, front-end and back-end development, and ongoing maintenance.
3. Creative Services Retainers: Ongoing retainer arrangements for continuous creative support, content production, and digital strategy services. Examples include Twinings SEO retainer for regular content planning and production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Liquorice is an independent brand and digital agency in Naarm/Melbourne offering three core service lines: Branding (brand strategy, research, identity design, copywriting, and graphic design), UX & UI Design (user research, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design), and Web & App Development (front-end and back-end development, CMS implementation, and technical delivery). The agency serves purpose-driven businesses, governments, and not-for-profits, delivering projects via consultancy engagements, retainers, and sprint-based approaches.

Product overview

Liquorice is an independent brand and digital agency in Naarm / Melbourne offering three core service lines — Branding (strategy, research, and storytelling), UX & UI Design, and Web & App Development. The agency's offering is structured as a unified services practice, not a software product platform. Within its branding services, Liquorice provides brand strategy, brand identity design, graphic design, copywriting, and tone of voice development. Its digital services cover UX research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and full-stack web development. The agency also produces client-specific digital products — notably the Path2Help self-assessment tool and Help & Support Directory for the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, the Kolmeo proptech brand and marketing platform, the Kingfisher brand and website, Craft Victoria's e-commerce site, Western Health Foundation's fundraising platform, Yooralla's accessible digital platform, and ACMI's immersive online experience. A free Design for Accessibility guide is available as a publicly downloadable resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding Services Brand strategy, research, and storytelling services for businesses, governments, and not-for-profits. Includes brand and competitor audits, market and audience research, brand architecture, naming, vision/mission/values, positioning and messaging, tone of voice, brand identity design, copywriting, art direction, packaging, signage and wayfinding, advertising, and social media. Available on per-project or retainer basis.
• UX & UI Design Services User experience and interface design services including user research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and visual design for websites and applications. Targets organisations needing user-centred digital design across web, app, and platform projects.
• Web & App Development Services Custom website and application development services including front-end and back-end development, CMS implementation (Wagtail, Shopify, Squiz Matrix, Squarespace), accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1), SEO optimisation, and ongoing technical maintenance. Delivers digital platforms for clients across government, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pentridge Cellars won two Distinctions and two Judges Choice awards at the 2019 AGDA Awards, and a MADC award for Design and Photography

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• InfoxchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit social enterprise that uses technology to make community services more efficient. Partnered with Liquorice on the Alcohol & Drug Foundation Help & Support Directory project, providing the database infrastructure that Liquorice redesigned and integrated.
• King & SobeyminorOthersPhotography studio engaged for Twinings product photography and stop motion clips. Creative collaboration for styling and shooting Twinings products for the new website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hulsbosch: Sydney-based independent brand and design agency with deep experience in identity, packaging, and digital across consumer and government clients. Comparable service offering with a different geographic centre.
• Thinkerbell: Australian independent agency with brand strategy, creative, and digital capabilities serving a mix of consumer, government, and NFP clients. Comparable Australian agency model, though broader in scale and channel mix.
• Today: Australian independent brand and digital agency offering strategy, design, and digital production to similar purpose-driven and enterprise clients. Directly comparable in size, geography, and service mix to Liquorice.
• The Royals: Melbourne-based independent brand and creative agency serving purpose-led, cultural, and corporate clients with strategy, identity, and digital work. Comparable in size, location, and client profile to Liquorice.
• Folke: Melbourne-based brand and digital studio working with purpose-driven organisations on identity, web, and digital strategy. Closely comparable in service scope, geography, and target verticals.
• Maud: Independent Australian brand and digital agency providing brand strategy, design, and digital services across NFP, government, and commercial sectors. Direct competitor in the same geography and segment as Liquorice.
• Re: Australian brand and digital agency offering strategy, identity, and digital production to enterprise and government clients. Overlaps with Liquorice in capability set and Australian enterprise/NFP targeting.

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: Global brand consultancy with full-service strategy, identity, and digital practices. Comparable offering at much larger scale; serves as the incumbent benchmark Liquorice competes against on enterprise pitches.
• Pentagram: Global independent design partnership specialising in brand identity, digital, and editorial design. Comparable craft-led model but with international scale and far broader partner bench than Liquorice.

Regional players

• AnalogFolk: Independent digital creative agency with brand, experience design, and digital product capabilities. Comparable service mix but UK-rooted and primarily serves European and global clients rather than Australian NFP/government.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liquorice-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/liquoricestudio
• Xx.com/liquoricestudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liquorice