Consilient was built to transform how the world prevents financial crime, by creating a federated learning solution for anti-money laundering.
They are determined to make a difference through their innovative technology and game-changing approach and earlier this year, appointed OB Brand Consulting to create a bold transformational brand that matched their ambitious business plans.
We spoke to the OB team, Julian Atkins (Director), Vanessa Marchant (Creative Lead) and Debbie Gossington (Design Lead), about their approach to the project, their thoughts on the challenges involved and also what other businesses can expect to gain from our experience.
Q. What was the biggest challenge in developing a stand-out brand in a crowded marketplace?
A. (Julian)
“Even though the people behind the business are recognised experts in this field, as a relatively new brand, it was about building a brand identity to convey that established depth of experience and expertise whilst still being stand-out in the marketplace – being bold was our mantra”.
A. (Vanessa)
“Identifying their point-of-difference and empowering them to step into that space. They are doing something special and they needed the confidence to shout it from the rooftops”.
A. (Debbie)
“To create an identity which embodies the Consilient values, rejects cliches and elevates Consilient into an industry leading space”.
Q. Out of all the things you worked on with Consilient, what was the most rewarding?
A. (Julian)
“It was the evolution in thinking and approach, in appreciating the power of a well crafted brand identity, in what a brand can do, from across the business from both stakeholders and the wider team”.
A. (Vanessa)
“To see the Consilient team’s pride in their brand develop as the project progressed”.
A. (Debbie)
“Developing a cut-through and meaningful brand, with integrity”.
Q. How do you feel the new branding will help Consilient meet their business ambitions?
A. (Julian)
“Articulating the business mission, vision and values, and putting them front and centre, is a key differentiator in the market – backed up by consistent bold branding and implementation across all platforms will help cut-through the noise.”
A. (Vanessa)
“Their previous brand was fussy and apologetic, neither of which fitted the product. The new brand clearly communicates all the core values and the USP of the product. Before any meetings take place any prospective client can now see that Consilient is a serious contender in the market”.
A. (Debbie)
“The new branding will help Consilient to tell their story clearly and communicate effectively”.
Q. What other work are you doing with Consilient to help push the brand even further?
A. (Julian)
“We are providing ongoing support across sales and digital marketing as well as evolving the brand and visual identity. A brand should never stand still”.
A. (Vanessa)
“Brand guardianship and consistency across all touchpoints are really important in the first few months after a brand launch. It’s the time to mop up any legacy communications to ensure a unified and cohesive brand presence is out there”.
A. (Debbie)
“Actively using video and animation to enhance the brand”.
Q. What could other businesses planning on rebranding gain from our experience?
A. (Julian)
“I think it’s our tendency to challenge what a business wants to do, both commercially and with their brand and identity. We ask the obvious but often discarded questions – what’s their purpose, why do it this way and how do they tell their story? Is it fit for purpose and is it fit for their audience? The ‘so what’ questions? Once armed with this key insight, we can build a brand which everything else hangs off”.
A. (Vanessa)
“We don’t just create a carbon copy brand that could be one of a hundred that has been grabbed off the peg. We get under the skin of the project, really understand where the company is going, who their audience is, what their communication needs are, what the customer journey is and will be in the future. We then design a brand that is robust enough to handle that and to also be as flexible and as future proof as we can”.
