The aim was to inspire veterans starting or growing their ventures to do so with grounded resources, confidence and ongoing support. Further, Citi wanted the brand to highlight the contributions veterans make to the USA through their service, and to the health of the economy. Ideon jumped on the opportunity to position Citi as the go-to small business partner for veterans and their families. We created an aspirational name—Realizing Your Dream—and flexible brand story that both speak directly to the gumption of America’s veterans. Working with our design partner OrangeYouGlad, a fresh visual identity underlines the brand’s approachability and spirit across all new marketing materials while adhering to Citigroup’s corporate brand.
The new Citi Salutes: Realizing Your Dream brand launched on Sunday, May 5 at a conference for Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE), a training program of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF). The launch coincided with the announcement of a new Citi Foundation-funded Realizing Your Dream Business Competition for V-WISE graduates and other veterans who have participated in the Boots to Business training program, also led by the IVMF in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Having laid a solid brand foundation for Citi, Ideon looks forward to saluting the dreams of successful veterans for years to come.
Strategy: Andrea Katz Verbal: David Miles/Janet Kim Design: OrangeYouGlad
REDEFINING HOME
The housing and community development industry’s main advocacy group came to Ideon with the goal of putting Home on the national agenda via a new movement called Home Matters.
The brand would call attention to the essential role Home plays in American life, and shed light on the connections between stable housing and other areas vital to society like jobs, education, health, the economy and public safety. Ideon took Home Matters from being a loosely defined concept into a bold and tangible, public-facing brand and movement. We created a brand positioning that transcends the fragmented and opaque industry by tapping into the universal, emotive appeal of Home, and created a voice and story that speaks boldly and broadly to all Americans. The design shows an energizing, warm and vibrant visual identity to emphasize the brand’s fearless commitment to its cause. The new brand is reorienting the industry to address the broader public for the very first time.
The Home Matters movement launched March 12 on Capitol Hill and online, though the website and a user-generated social media content campaign to bring Home to life. Simple yet influential, the Home Matters brand will see ultimate success when Americans truly recognize the power of Home.
Strategy: Andrea Katz Verbal: David Miles/Janet Kim Design: OrangeYouGlad Public Relations: Goodman Media
HUNTING CULTURE
The original city scavenger hunt company sought to stand out among a new competitive set of high-tech upstarts and startups. Over the course of nearly a decade, Ideon’s strategic counsel boosted Watson Adventures’ brand story, crystalizing a uniquely intellectual and witty personality into a strategic market position. Ideon’s verbal work clarified the brand’s offer language, tailoring navigation and relevance for the brand’s distinct audiences (public, private and corporate) to drive sales and bolster online presence. Strategic media pushes and digital initiatives (including an award-winning website) have brought coverage from outlets such as Bloomberg BusinessWeek, garnering additional attention for Watson Adventures and allowing the brand to decrease advertising spend and focus on delivering top-of-the-line scavenger hunt experiences for corporate clients and the public alike.
Strategy: Andrea Katz/Jane Fischer Verbal: David Miles PR: Janet Kim Design: Objective Subject SEO: Liqui-Site Designs
INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURS
A well-respected leader in global and domestic microfinance wanted to reach more borrowers by forging stronger lending ties to small US entrepreneurs and drive greater donations to fund global lending operations. Ideon’s expertise showed how to masterbrand an organization that both “solves for poverty” globally and lends up to $350,000 locally to American entrepreneurs. The new brand helps Accion reach mainstream relevance as a microfinance powerhouse, backed by knowledge and expertise far beyond its prior charitable mission. With a recent website re-skin, lining up with a major partnership with NYSE, and a full-scale launch planned for mid-year 2012, Accion is now poised to grow small businesses, in America and around the world.
Strategy: Andrea Katz and Valerie Garral Verbal: David Miles Design: Studio of Joshua Levi
ENGAGING SPONSORSHIP
A pioneer and standard-setter in the sponsorship industry was determined to regain its prior leadership position, having lost ground to savvy media agencies and sports and entertainment marketers. Ideon’s team leveraged IEG’s legacy brand equity into a more powerful, forward-looking consultancy with special relevance to Fortune 1,000 CMOs. From its bold new logo to its gravitas-infused brand messages, IEG is set to stand out again. The new brand just launched to engagement, excitement and pride from brands, properties and employees.
Strategy: Andrea Katz/Valerie Garral Verbal: David Miles Design: Studio of Joshua Levi
Identifying Audiences
A 100-year-old family-owned supermarket with an unimpeachable New York heritage came to Ideon wondering how to win in the new competitive landscape, with Whole Foods and Fresh Direct overtaking the grocery market. Ideon’s deep digging revealed a newly minted generation of New York foodies for whom the brand had no relevant voice or message. We created a bold brand story and merchandising strategy to return the brand to its rightful market position. Ideon’s work has built unprecedented strategic vision and internal alignment; now client service teams are being trained to once again speak to all the brand’s valuable audiences.
Strategy: Andrea Katz/Valerie Garral Verbal: David Miles
Crystalizing Impressions
A natural beauty company needed to focus its future and drive creative customer strategies during the recession. Ideon’s expertise in growing brands shaped the unique Hamptons-based beauty line into a “A Better Beauty” brand with a new online, retail and wholesale presence, based on a credible brand voice. Now, Naturopathica delivers beauty and Zen wellness, netting sales and enriched brand awareness in stories from Vanity Fair to Departures and Yahoo’s Shine—delivering more than 100 million impressions.
Strategy: Andrea Katz Verbal: David Miles
Envisioning Growth
A new online health insurance company required a brand 3.0 positioning strategy, including campaign ideas and a digital footprint strategy, based on insightful account planning and project orchestration excellence. Ideon’s braintrust managed and optimized teams from multiple agencies, and led a workshop to uncover a go-to-market strategy in 9 hours. In fact, discovery, research and development were executed in just 30 days, the many teams working in harmony. Ideon experts project that the aggregator will surpass competitors’ numbers within 18 months, using our ideas and social media strategies.
Raising Exposure
One of the largest education publishers wanted to know what education blogs are chatting about and to raise their exposure across education social networks. Ideon’s marketing strategy carves into the blogosphere monthly, revealing key social media topics, and education trends that range from funding to assessment or even new crucial 21st century skills. Ideon delivers shrewd tactics to navigate the blogosphere’s treacherous waters, while winning the hearts and minds of passionate blogging teachers.
Developing a Dialog
A savvy international airline wanted to forge a better dialog with its frequent flyers. Ideon created an active, ongoing conversation with members, truly one of a kind in the industry. Ideon’s account planning demonstrated how the airline could use this member-contributed intelligence to ignite and lift lifetime member value and evolve brand loyalty. Response rates are groundbreaking, ranging to 76%.
