How Decoded helped Rainforest rebuild its brand and drive 157% growth in monthly contacts

The Decoded Magic

When Rainforest felt like its brand no longer reflected who the company had become, they knew they needed more than a messaging update. They needed a full reset.

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The Challenges They Were Up Against

Rainforest had undergone significant evolution since its founding in 2012.

The market had changed. The company had changed. Leadership had changed. But the brand hadn’t kept pace.

The team needed to step back, redefine who they are, who they are best for, and how to communicate that clearly to the market.

That challenge was even more critical because Rainforest sells to a highly technical audience. QA engineers are intelligent and highly skeptical of anything that smells like marketing. No vague claims or overly polished language allowed.

Rainforest needed a partner who could get past surface-level marketing speak, understand the nuance of the category, and help the team find a sharper, more credible way to talk about what they do.

“We originally reached out to Decoded because we felt like the brand had kind of lost its soul.” - Lauren Harold, COO, Rainforest

Rainforest QA

Decoded brings clarity, strategy, and execution to complex B2B tech companies.

We help turn marketing into a high-performing growth engine. For companies like Rainforest, that means starting with messaging, tying every initiative back to business goals, and building on a foundation the entire organization can actually use.

“We walked away from that meeting feeling energized and motivated and rejuvenated rather than exhausted.”

Decoded helped Rainforest reconnect with its story and build a stronger growth foundation

Decoded went deeper than slogans and surface-level brand work

The Rainforest team came into the partnership knowing they needed help, but wary of wasting time with taglines or homepage banners. Decoded earned their trust through a different approach. Instead of the usual marketing fluff, we immediately focused on the substance: who Rainforest is, what differentiates the company, and what technical buyers actually need to understand. That approach resonated with a team that wanted real clarity, not just prettier language.

Decoded quickly learned the nuance of a complex category

QA isn’t the easiest category to market. It’s technical, detailed, and full of nuance that matters deeply to the buyer. Decoded didn’t try to flatten that complexity or gloss over it. Annie, Kristin, and the whole team asked smart questions, picked up the language quickly, and became strong thought partners in the process. That made it easier for Rainforest to feel understood and to trust the work.

Decoded created a framework that Rainforest could build on across the business

The engagement produced more than a messaging update. It gave Rainforest a clearer sense of identity, focus, and direction. The team walked away with a brand messaging guide that clarified who Rainforest is, who it is good for, and how to talk about its value with more precision. That framework became a central reference point not only for marketing but also for sales outreach, founder-led content, and collaboration with outside partners.

“It was really obvious from the beginning that Annie and Kristen were doing something different.”

How we helped

Rainforest QA

A strategy session that turned scattered nuance into sharp messaging

Rainforest and Decoded kicked off the engagement with a full-day in-person strategy session. Rainforest went in expecting a long, draining day. Instead, the session became one of the most energizing parts of the engagement. By the end of it, Decoded had translated hours of technical discussion into a StoryBrand-style framework that felt immediately right to the team.

Deliverable:

A messaging foundation that narrowed the focus

Before working with Decoded, Rainforest’s messaging was too broad. The company was trying to be too many things to too many people. Decoded helped narrow the ICP, define the focus zone, and create clearer pillars for how Rainforest should show up in the market. That clarity made it easier to simplify the homepage, focus the story, and make better decisions across channels.

Deliverable:

A way to preserve founder voice without fragmenting the brand

Rainforest’s co-founder and CEO has a strong point of view, and that voice matters to the brand. Before Decoded, there was a disconnect between founder-led content, SEO content, and site messaging. We helped Rainforest integrate that strong POV into a more cohesive brand framework, so the company could keep a sharp perspective without sounding scattered.

Deliverable:

Content that finally resonated with technical buyers

One of the biggest breakthroughs came through content. Rainforest had assumed that their audience simply didn’t engage with LinkedIn. Decoded helped prove otherwise. The team created a paid social asset around doing QA without a dedicated QE team, and it became Rainforest’s top performer. More importantly, it didn’t just drive downloads. It drove conversations, opportunities, and customers.

Deliverable:

“Decoded gave us that clarity of: this is who we are. This is our message. This is what we care about.”