Is brand design worth the cost? A successfully launched IT company thinks so.
Two years ago, Living Stone was selected to develop a brand design and overall strategic rollout for a new technology company created by the merger of Belgian IT consultants Tobius and SAGA Consulting Group. Called Tobania, the merger was finalized in December 2014. Tobania is nowadays recognized as one of the nation’s largest networks of ICT specialists.
The first step in creating Tobania’s new brand design was defining its business story and affirming a strong, compelling message from it before delving into logos, colors, designs and similar visual tools to drive the rollout. Ample on-site research during the Summer of 2014 was budgeted as an investment to accurately assess the key rationales propelling both companies to merge. Other Researches conveyed: what is the benefit of this newly founded merger for customers, and what made the merger stand out from competitors?
The result of this overall evaluation was a clearly written business identity for the new Tobania brand that guided a subsequent brand design scheme that vibrantly conveyed the company’s benefits in design, color and layout for optimal display on a range of digital devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.). A visual revamp of each company’s existing communications tools (website; print brochures; etc.) also resulted based on the new business identity, not just for the rollout, but also for future use throughout the months and years thereafter.
Is there a ROI for business and brand design?
Lode Peeters, CEO, Tobania, says yes. “The insight gained that summer resulted in a persuasive house style expressing our culture and values that showed how we’re different from other IT companies. For example, the new logo’s clean functional look and bold colors are brilliant on a digital screen, which communicates the strength of our brand in the mode we do best – digital.”
He concludes, “It’s why these upfront efforts are worth the money.”