Thinque

Rebrand Positions Start-Up for Success

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Category: B2B

Type: Branding

Channel: All

Industry: Technology

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Challenge:

In 1998 Thinque was a start-up software company that had devoted all of its resources into developing new products. Thinque was in dire need of branding and was poorly positioned to go up against much bigger competitors such as Siebel. During my first two months at Thinque Systems, I was tasked with re-branding the company along with developing a new trade show exhibit.

Solution:

We greatly simplified the logo and dropped the “systems” to create more visual impact. The large graphical triangle was reduced to the dot above the “I.” The chunky font and drop shadow were also dropped to provide a cleaner, more contemporary look. The new design worked well with both print and digital, plus it translated well into signage.

For the trade show exhibit, we partnered with Exhibitree of Irvine, CA to custom design a 20x20 modular booth (expandible to 40x40) that would be easily transported and would provide four demo stations as well as a studio presentation area. Most importantly, it would be inviting for attendees to enter. We chose a modern palette of brushed aluminum, light maple and black to complement the new black and red logo. The ample use of lightboxes, murals, flatscreen monitors and tower signage created a very contemporary look.

Demo stations were positioned near the perimeter of the layout to project the sales people out towards the aisle. This design encouraged interaction with visitors as well as allowed passersby to “eavesdrop” on demos.

In Q3 1998, we updated the website and sales collateral to provide a cohesive brand experience.

Result:

The brand re-design and new exhibit was completed ahead of schedule and 10% under budget. Thinque immediately gained brand awareness at our first trade show which had close to 7,000 attendees. Although Thinque had been around for over five years, most booth visitors thought we were a brand new company. Leads increased more than 200%, but more importantly the quality of the leads improved dramatically. Within in a year, we added several Fortune 500 clients stemming from initial discussions at trade shows, including Colgate-Palmolive, SC Johnson, Hasbro, Maybelline and Taco Bell.

A secondary benefit of the brand re-design was to boost recruitment. The start-up company was rapidly growing and we were able to attract new talent from competitors. It had a clear impact on helping to expand the sales and product team.