In collaboration with Branding Business, we built the Ironside brand to help move the perception of the company from a Business Intelligence/IT/Cognos “vendor” to a Business Analytics/IT/IBM consultancy. This was achieved over time by the implementation of a set of—largely message-based—tactics. The strategy included creating a business analytics brand positioning, adding consulting to their name, creating a brand line with a business analytics focus and better communicating the benefits of its strong relationship with IBM.
With an updated brand strategy, we provided the Ironside Group with a system to maintain consistent communication of the brand promise across all target audiences, reinforcing existing relationships while capitalizing on new opportunities with prospective clients and additional geographic markets.
With a brand taken from the nickname of the famous frigate ship the USS Constitution, we had a strong history to build upon. The challenge was to turn it into the story of a modern, hight tech analytics company. The brand concept was inspired by the idea of consulting or guiding and directing. When this idea was filtered through the lens of the company’s namesake, we arrived at the idea of a ship’s rudder. Upon this concept we grew a brand. The mark itself is the most literal representation of the idea, but the theme of water flow or a ship’s wake is the core of the brand expression.
