A unicorn success story, told well.
Australian design company Canva recently raised $200 million USD, bringing their market value to an eye-watering $40 billion, and the team announced the news in a Medium post written by founder Melanie Perkins. Here's why her post is a masterclass in brand storytelling:
1. Right off the bat, the tone is personal.
By addressing the community at large, it's easy for any Canva user to feel like you're part of the story. This is not a press release.
2. The company mission is presented in a super simple way.
The Canva community is diverse—they're not all marketers and business leaders, so it's important to speak in terms that resonate. I love how the message builds without revealing everything upfront. Curiosity, piqued. (Bonus points for using visuals that were clearly designed using Canva!).
3. It's authentic without being arrogant.
This isn't a made-up story. It's real. And despite the multiple big announcements revealed in the post, it's balanced by the acknowledgement that with their size and value comes great responsibility.
4. The product itself plays a key role in building the story out.
Owned data, when presented well, is fascinating. I love how various data points have been brought to life to show real progress—not just on how the product has evolved and the immense growth of their user base, but also in realising their 2-step mission.
5. I learned at least 4 new things about Canva.
And because each takeaway is clear and presented creatively, I've easily filed them in my brain for future reference.
And the best part? The story ends on the same note it started on. It goes back to the community, builds connection and humanises the brand. For me personally, it's refreshingly in contrast to many CEO fundraising announcements I've seen in the past.
I know I'll be following the Canva journey even more closely from now on—a real Australian success story that's just getting started.
