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Re-branding high/techs
Creating an image that means business

Victoria BC Canada, September 22, 2003: The dot.com crash has forced many high-tech companies to re-evaluate the way they do business. In the pre-crash world where jeans and T shirts were the standard business attire and presenting a somewhat weird image was the norm, having a business like image didn’t matter that much.

Creating the impression that geniuses were at work was acceptable if not desirable. Churning out new technology regardless of whether it eventually sold anything; other than itself, seemed to be the end game. As long as the cash was flowing even the bankers and corporate accountants seemed to be satisfied.

Crash!

Today, particularly for High-Tech companies branding is everything. Brands are not simply products or services. Brands are the sum total of all the images that people have in their minds and can experience emotionally about a particular company or product.

Branding and re-branding rank right at the top of the most important investments managers will ever make in their companies.

Case study

Great care must be employed in establishing a brand. In re-branding of high/tech companies there are two primary objectives.

1. Clearly establish that the company is run by experienced managers with a
   track record of success in business.
2. Ensure the brand drives corporate marketing objectives.

In the case study that follows we’ve outlined the rationalization for re-branding Exile Interactive Ltd. We’ve identified who the target markets are for this company, established the brand fundamentals and provided an outline of the process as Exile Interactive was re-branded.

Exile Interactive Inc. is in the multi-billion dollar interactive video game industry. Located in the “ocean playground” of Parksville on Vancouver Island, Exile Interactive is a premier developer of entertainment software and co-developer of such best selling titles as Sega’s World Series Baseball line™, Toxic Grind™ and T.J. Lavin’s Ultimate BMX™.

The organization is experienced, aggressive and successful. Re-branding Exile was not about the way they make games. They do that extremely well, in fact so well, they were recently awarded the contract (top secret) to develop the next great game. Re-branding Exile is about bringing the company’s image into line with the reality of who they have become as a game developer and as a business.

Why re-brand Exile?

As Exile Interactive President Dan Tudge worked to grow his business the focus was on creating games and building a first class team.

Before re-branding, the overall look of the brand tended to be dark and somewhat foreboding. While the photos of the staff were light-hearted and in keeping with what was acceptable in the industry at the time, the overall image did not portray a company that wanted to be known as an industry leader.

Back to Business

As Tudge assessed the industry and planned where he wanted Exile to be in five years, he realized that Exile needed re-branding. Tudge decided that he would place Exile on the cutting edge of the “back to business movement” but within the context of the entertainment industry.

Editors: Before continuing it’s suggested that you assess the old brand then review the re-branded Exile Interactive

Before rebranding www.exileinteractive.com/old

After rebranding www.exileinteractive.com

Exile President Dan Tudge: “We do business with some of the largest companies in the world including the Japanese who can be very traditional. I wanted our corporate image to reflect that we are experienced and successful business practitioners. At the same time, we develop games, and so at the end of the day, our image had to have a fun aspect to it. In addition, I wanted it to attract the very best talent in the interactive gaming industry.”

Ian Macaulay of the Macaulay Communications Group had already been doing some public relations work with Exile and so Tudge asked him for a re-branding plan. Tudge found Macaulay’s proposal was very close to his own vision of what he wanted Exile to be and so, work began on re-branding the company.

Macaulay Group Senior Partner, Ian Macaulay: “I knew from the start the challenge was going to be in achieving the right balance between corporate image, business acumen, trustworthiness and the fact that Exile is in the entertainment industry.”

Macaulay created a strategic plan which established the overall guidelines for re-branding the company.

Here are the action steps that were taken in the re-branding of Exile Interactive.

Guidelines: Keep it simple – ensure consistency and continuity of message. Be corporate - be fun - demonstrate successful management practices.

Primary delivery system – Website: The team wanted to do more than just offer information about Exile Interactive. They felt that it was imperative that the Website demonstrate product. In short, provide proof of performance.

Web strategy: Use photo and video material from games Exile has developed as proof of performance.

Target markets:

(1) Game publishers (Nintendo – Microsoft – Sega)

(2) Game programmers, artists and technicians (potential employees).

Exile brand fundamentals: Experienced business managers - A record of success - proven reliability - some of the most talented artists and programmers in the gaming industry - outstanding people working in an exceptional environment, having fun, making money, making games

Slogan: Macaulay created a slogan that embodied the essence of what Exile wants publishers to know about the company. “Great Games Start Here” positions the company as a leader in the interactive gaming industry and therefore, a desirable place to work.

Visual image - Logo: A signature graphic was created that demonstrates the company’s business expertise and professionalism while at the same time emphasizing the fact that Exile develops games.

A professional photography was engaged to shoot a full set of photographs that would capture in a natural way, Exile’s management team at work and at play.

Copy: Macaulay wrote copy that acted as the common link that would ensure consistency and continuity of message. The copy also reinforced the brand fundamentals while finding a way to integrate “great games start here” at the end of each text message. Copy was carefully crafted to support Exile’s people, their work environment and the video and photographic elements.

Project management: Macaulay recalls. “Having a clear vision of what I wanted the end product to accomplish, my main task was to ensure consistency of message from start to finish. This was particularly important because team members were also busy on other projects and so, there were periods of time when only one member might be working on the project.”

“Branding,” says Macaulay, “is very much like directing a film. Scenes are shot out of sequence. Bits and pieces are worked on by a number of people in different places at different times. Periodic team meetings pulled the work together ensuring the consistency we were looking for.”

As the work neared completion on the Website, the logo, mark and slogan were put to work on new business cards and stationary. With the website now launched, the focus has shifted to presenting the “new” Exile Interactive to game publishers and selected media around the world.

Reviewing the results - Dan Tudge: “I had a very clear idea of what I wanted the re-branding process of Exile Interactive to accomplish: Create an image that portrays solid business practices while maintaining a playful and fun image (the hallmark of our industry). This can be a difficult task as the two images traditionally contradict each other. The re-branding process of Exile interactive succeeded in walking this fine line and successfully moved Exile's image more in line with what it truly is: A solid, successful developer of world class AAA games”

In summing up, as high/tech companies integrate themselves into mainstream business, they will continue to provide the technical innovations which are changing the very way business does business.

Companies that recognize the necessity of proving they have fully accepted the need to be more business like in both performance and image can expect to survive and thrive.

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