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:
With our digital solutions, we are responding to the changing expectations of the market. In doing so, we fearlessly question and, in a joint evolution process, focus on results that create immediate added value for the customer. Together we develop new, digital business models based on a data-driven company by setting up intelligent processes that make companies more agile and responsive. We identified three pillars determining the strategic structure of companies in the future:
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
What would a brand be without a suitable claim? "Our claim, It's time for evolution, reflects the need for a truly consistent and holistic digital evolution. From a marketing perspective, this is a key step in clearly aligning other messages and activities with this statement and thus creating a consistent and clear image of objective partner," says Lea Ott, Marketing Specialist. In the digital evolution, we are focusing on three core areas: Digitalization strategy, SAP and Industry 4.0. Developing an intelligent company means identifying synergies, breaking down silos and implementing end-to-end, intelligent, digital processes. "Companies need to get things moving now, because evolution needs to happen much faster - this is where we act as a partnership enabler and can initiate, implement and think along with them," says Andreas Bader, co-founder and CEO. The future viability of companies stands and falls with their digital core. With the right technology, we can set the evolution in motion and create tomorrow's new business models today.
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?
