Branding: Transforming an International Business Organization
CASE STUDY
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PARIS/FRANCE A huge project that kept us busy (and excited) for over a year. While I cannot reveal the organization's name (we're under NDA), I can still talk about the process.
We were hired to examine the various presentations of a company based in Paris that has been around for over 100 years, boasting dozens of departments and offices worldwide. Despite operating somewhat independently, there was a need for a cohesive and unifying brand message to present the company as a whole, addressing the challenges ahead and the imperative to grow and expand into emerging markets.
Our process involves identifying flaws in a company's presentations that don't align with their mission. Even defining that mission or creating clarity around a unified "battle cry" is often part of our assignment. Sometimes, we are hired under the premise of providing a solution through visual presentation that may not address an underlying problem. That's why a discovery session is so important.
We quickly identified a prevailing stigma of "Male, Pale, Yale" hindering their growth. With global markets gaining significance and new entrants seeking a place at the table, the outdated paradigm of "West vs. the Rest" was no longer sustainable. Customers and clients in emerging countries are demanding to be treated as equal partners, being sensitive towards an attitude that is often perceived as post-colonial.
Our mission became transforming the organization from a European legacy consulting firm into a global powerhouse with a forward-looking attitude and values centered around respect for other cultures. We successfully extracted and translated the new vision into a visual language that permeated the entire organization.
THE RESULT: Two years later, the organization hired a full-time consultant for compliance and cultural affairs.
It was a very transformative project, not only for the client but also for us. We recognized that we had to change too to remain relevant and move from visual design to a new definition of brand development: Consulting based on experience, accumulated industry expertise, and creativity that promotes innovation and growth.
OUR PROCESS: When we engage with a new project, the first step is to discuss a client's situation and what problems need to be solved. Our branding process often touches on issues that require a change of thinking or calibration of goals and efforts that eventually lead to the desired outcome; often, it unveils a need for innovation.
Branding is not about applying a fresh coat of paint; branding is about transformation, about uncovering structural issues that may stand in the way of innovation and growth.
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