WANdisco is a technology company based in San Francisco with a unique offer that required a more balanced approach to their brand positioning. They were seeking to create a coordinated visual and narrative platform on which to build their marketing. The main aim was to clarify what they do and to relate this directly to the needs of their audience.
Born from a scientific background WANdisco was communicating from a heavily rational perspective, relying only on the fact and reason behind its creation. This needed to be balanced with an emotional approach to help it relate more easily with its potential customers.
The starting point was to focus on the structure of the website to construct how this would be witnessed. Each and every aspect was considered to rebuild a new flow to their communications. A clear brand position and identity was born though a clean relatable narrative, consistent memorable visual style and an accessible structure.
During the course of the entire companies restructure the brand identity was broadened to allow greater flexibility, building into it a suite of graphic styling to strengthen its recognition across all communications.
An animated film was created to illustrate the need for Live Data and how it can change business operations across the globe.
This was featured on their website, across all social media platforms and presented on Exhibition stands.
Illustration stills were used to link the concept of the film with both online and print brand communications, including the Annual Report.
The new visual identity was reflected in office interiors, coordinated internationally across California, China and the United Kingdom. Staff gift packs and new starter packs were created to help connect the team with the improved brand values.
WANdisco invested in an extensive annual calendar of International events which required detailed planning and execution to ensure the brand was represented consistently. This included the coordination of a range of flexible stand designs, marketing materials, team uniforms and promotional giveaways. This was modified for each country to fit with behavioural changes between individual cultures.
One of the highlights of this extensive event programme was a 2m² illuminated iceberg commissioned, built and delivered to Las Vegas. This created an impressive talking point at the event itself as well as connecting the product messaging, presentations, promotional gifts and team uniforms. A fully coordinated communication programme which successfully attracted highly prized new prospects.
A short promotional film created for use on social media to promote attendance at Strata+Hadoop in New York.
The WANdisco exhibition calendar was supported with a series of ‘Breakfast Meetings’ hosted in both the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Marketing communications and event branding were simultaneously created for both American and British audiences. London events were supported by a fleet of branded black taxi cabs and New York had the same on their infamous yellow cabs alongside roadside digital advertising.
Film was utilised to help tell their story and to illustrate both the rational and emotional virtues of the brand. The website was populated with new material to explain the history of the company, the principles of the technology and individual case study examples. Animation was chosen to broaden the appeal of the brand and to expand the imagination of its customers. Creating stories that could be styled within the ‘WANdisco World’ and illustrating how these could become a reality.
