A small software and web development company called acumentiy asked me for a logo. They thought they couldn't afford a strategy, but I helped them understand that strategy was essential. If acumenity wanted to compete with global brands, they needed a strong strategy behind their communications. So, on a shoestring budget we struck out together to develop a way communicate that would help make this small company competitive.

The Solution

We began with discovery. Then we moved on to identify their value proposition in the development market. They differentiate themselves by using the tech saavy of one partner and the consulting and educational skills of the other. They imagine and build online communities for their clients and deliver far more than just code. I presented two strategic options.

Brand Strategy: Ownership = Duality

I developed language and visual devices that represented duality. The design element of contrast serves this idea perfectly. Perspective also served as a visual device that could communicate their value proposition, referencing their skillset.

Brand Strategy: Against-Positioning

They chose the second option. I developed their positioning statement, which was the first chapter of the story acumenity would tell.

"We don't build websites. We build communities."

Pixels became the visual device we pursued. "Pixels are our building blocks for your community." You could say that acumentiy builds communities literally out of pixels and figuratively out of people."

The acumenity "a"

The acumenity "a" was inspired by Dali's "Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea...". It transforms from a pixelated visual of Abramham Lincoln into a portrait of Dali's wife, Gala. The cryptic nature of the pixels in the "a" draws people in and inspires them to ask questions. This is the opportunity to tell the brand story, an essential tool of the brand.

The Impact

The company came away with a solid framework of a brand: value proposition, positioning statement, a visual device including a logo, and a brand story that explains the acumenity brand promise, which the company leveraged to win a major partnership with Intuit which enabled them to build their signature CRM product called Cinch.

This case study is the basic process I use to develop a brand.

Contact me if you'd like to see my full acumenity brand presentation.