Solutions That Drive Results

Breathing New Life Into a Brand to Revitalize Competitive Edge

Innovation Networks is a managed services company specializing in managed IT, cloud and network services. In 2008, new ownership sought to bring the old brand into alignment with the energetic culture of its new leadership. This needed to happen without alienating the existing team or clients.

Together with the company’s Marketing Director and with input from managers and staff, we set out to capture the essence of the new owner’s vision alongside the existing team culture. The overall objective beyond rebranding was to ensure that client and employee retention remained strong through this brand and ownership transition.

Information and insights gleaned from this process went into the creation of a differentiated positioning and a stand-out visual identity.

 

PROBLEMS & CHALLENGES:

  • A tired brand lacking inspiration and energy

  • Fear of alienating staff and existing clients with a rebrand

  • Unsure of how to differentiate in a crowded marketplace

  • The desire to stop competing on price

  • Lacking the ability to start conversations with the right people

PROJECT SCOPE:

  • Brand positioning & strategy

  • Team discovery facilitation

  • Visual identity rebrand

  • Launch strategy development

  • Website strategy & design

  • Marketing & sales collateral

  • Print management

Approach & Solution:

A series of workshop sessions allowed us to work with the Innovation Networks team to craft the vision, mission and values that would propel the company forward. Working with the marketing and sales teams we developed a crystal clear picture of the company’s ideal clients and developed concise profiles to make it easy to target the business owners they wanted to start conversations with.

Next up, we developed a differentiation strategy. What made the company stand out, we learned was their energetic and extra-passionate people-oriented team that is focused on relationships and level of client care. They understand that in a very technical, hardware focussed industry it is very easy for a business owner to be overwhelmed and purchase unnecessary equipment and services. The Innovation team was committed to helping business owners understand and make educated decisions regarding their IT needs.

The core messaging and the revitalization of the tired visual identity, sales and marketing tools emerged from this story-line. The Innovation approach is akin to a breath of fresh air for business owners. Our goal was to convey this through the design, colours, fonts and overall feel when designing their new brand identity, which was enthusiastically received by the whole innovation team. It was something they could all be proud of.

Impact:

The Innovation Network’s revitalized brand was launched and brought to life by their people. Existing clients embraced the brand and could see that the team was re-energized in their commitment to do what they did best: build authentic relationships and deliver next-level service.

Equipped with a targeted set of marketing and sales tools, the company’s sales team stepped out confidently into the market to start new conversations. The inclusive approach to this project and resulting in new bold, energetic brand and identity provided the confidence this company needed to step up as a serious competitor in their market.

ROI:

  • A revitalized brand that created a fresh new look, inspiring their team and existing clients

  • Increased in sales team confidence and credibility

  • Moved Innovation Networks back into a competitive position in the market

  • Sales team is equipped with marketing and sales collateral to make it easier to close sales

  • Market share & new customer acquisitions increasing year over year

“They created a brand that speaks to the people we want to be in conversation with. We came in with a different set of expectations than what we were left with. We thought we just needed to “spruce up” our logo, sales tools and website. Karley helped us see the value of brand strategy and get clear on how we wanted to be positioned in our crowded market space. Seven years later, we still turn to Karley for strategic advice and we still get compliments on our logo, business cards and unique presentation materials. Call Karley, she’s the best!”

Andreas Karakas, President, Innovation Networks