It's time for evolution
Generally speaking, you want to offer your customers everything - a range of services that leaves nothing to be desired. But at some point you lose sight of what the company really is all about and where the journey should go. How is a customer or partner supposed to recognize our value if we don't communicate it ourselves? So, we had to give a proper stage to what we are good at and be clearly identifiable for our target group. Over the past years, we were mostly recognized as implementers. But that will change now, as we have so much more to offer.
The first is the worst
But let's start from the beginning. What is a brand and what makes it special? The answer is simple: A brand is a value proposition with functional and non-material use, for three decisive advantages: Differentiability, trust and continuity. So we had to reassess our brand and everything that goes with it – corporate identity, values, mission, vision and, accordingly, everything related to design. As a strategic consultant for our customers, we now had to switch roles. Together with various agencies, we carried out market, competition and positioning analyzes in order to make well-founded decisions for the future. Lea Ott, Marketing Specialist, explains: "The analyzes were indispensable for a strategic reorientation. Because a clear positioning requires a clear understanding of the market."
Step by step
After a year, we had finally reached the first milestones. Focus, continuity and emotionalization should help us to build up our brand professionally in the future. Finally, our mission was clear:
Mit unseren digitalen Lösungen reagieren wir auf die sich verändernden Erwartungshaltungen am Markt. Dabei hinterfragen wir unerschrocken und fokussieren in einem gemeinsamen Evolutionsprozess Ergebnisse, die einen unmittelbaren Kundenmehrwert schaffen. Wir entwickeln gemeinsam neue, digitale Geschäftsmodelle, basierend auf einem datengetriebenen Unternehmen, indem wir intelligente Prozesse aufsetzen, die Unternehmen schneller und reaktionsfähiger machen. Wir haben drei Grundpfeiler identifiziert, die über den strategischen Aufbau von Unternehmen in Zukunft entscheiden:
After having sorted that out, it was time to get down to business.
A new corporate identity
A brand is created through the interaction of its elements. It took some time to identify our B2B values, yet they are groundbreaking:
- Improved Top Line
With us you can increase your sales sustainably. - Vision
We help customers realign themselves for the future. - Expertise
We offer a wealth of know-how and many years of experience. - Scalability
We create scalable projects and successes. - Design & Aesthetics
We offer aesthetically pleasing services. - Simplification
We reduce complexity for everyone involved and keep things simple.
Two other aspects will play an integral part of the objective partner vocabulary in the future: Progression and seniority. "We align a company to meet the demands of the market at the speed required by today's world. This is how we create intelligent, agile and adaptive companies," says Michael Thron, co-founder and CEO.
It's time for evolution
Was wäre eine Marke ohne ihren passenden Claim? „Unser Claim, It’s time for evolution, spiegelt die Notwendigkeit für eine tatsächlich durchgängige und holistische, digitale Evolution. Aus Marketingsicht ein zentraler Schritt, um andere Botschaften und Aktivitäten klar an dieser Aussage auszurichten und somit ein konsistentes und eindeutiges Bild von objective partner zu erzeugen“, so Lea Ott, Marketing Specialist. Bei der digitalen Evolution fokussieren wir uns auf drei Kernbereiche: Digitalisierungsstrategie, SAP und Industrie 4.0. Ein intelligentes Unternehmen zu entwickeln, heißt Synergien erkennen, Silos aufbrechen und durchgängige, intelligente, digitale Prozesse umsetzen. „Unternehmen müssen jetzt etwas bewegen, denn die Evolution muss viel schneller gehen - hier agieren wir als partnerschaftlicher Enabler, können anstoßen, umsetzen und mitdenken“, meint Andreas Bader, Mitgründer und CEO. Die Zukunftsfähigkeit von Unternehmen steht und fällt mit dem digitalen Kern. Mit der richtigen Technologie bringen wir die Evolution in Gang und schaffen heute die neuen Geschäftsmodelle von morgen.
The last step: the ultimate Corporate Design
With Marian, our Head of Design, we were able to visually implement all of our values and the newly created corporate identity. The new logo stands for openness, value and clarity. Our competence and know-how should be accessible and approachable for customers. The associated new colors reinforce this. Where before classic black, red and maybe a blue tone were represented, we now communicate with lighter tones, lots of white mixed with gray and warmer colors. This also expresses our open and creative mindset. Customers should feel understood and get to know us as a team player, because we are so much more than just implementers.
The new typography helps to communicate more flexibly, with a range of font variations - without serifs and flourishes - to the point. In our visual language, too, we simply present ourselves the way we are – open, honest, empathetic and with a clear standing. The “iconic O”, a recurring design element that supports our messages, forms the round conclusion, as can be seen, for example, in our quotes. At the end of the day, our external appearance must reflect our expertise and know-how. “Value and sympathy define us. We not only deliver a functional product, but also a design that adds value, which supports our customers in their evolution," says Marian.
We set the course for our future. Reinvent yourself, from AZ. We made it. Can you also take the first step towards evolution?
