For the past several years we have been working with FDH on several initiatives. We walked through our branding process together and applied what we learned to revamp their appearance and their voice.
As we walked through the process, one point became very evident – FDH is a company that was truly founded on innovation. The three founders were academics that were approached by a state department asking if there was a way in which to test a concrete dam’s structure without drilling core (in essence, weakening the dam’s structure). At that time, there wasn’t a way, but the three put their heads together, devised a process, developed the equipment and FDH was born.
One of the deliverables for the rebrand was to deliver a tag line that encapsulated this origin and communicated to their clients and potential clients the fact that other firms may claim they are innovative, but we live it. It came down to two tag lines; “engineered to innovate” and “engineering innovation.” The latter won out due to its action-oriented approach.
WEBSITE AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
One of the cornerstone pieces to the new brand is their website. Early on we knew this site had to feel clean and innovative without being too complicated. The main device used to achieve those goals is a sliding accordion. Using this technology not only allowed us to present several photos/ideas on a page, but kept them neatly organized and provided some interactivity for the user. The back-end Content Management System was customized to facilitate easy entry of all the various types of content.
Additionally, FDH had a need for highly customized and branded PowerPoint templates and e-newsletter templates. These two pieces of their communication puzzle would help solidify the voice and unify their communications. Once the “corporate” template was created, separate “industry-specific” templates were rolled out. While different and unique by industry, they were also cohesive and tied directly back to the main brand vision.
Collateral
As part of our collaboration with FDH, we concepted and designed a flexible collateral system. The main piece of the package is a brochure/folder hybrid. It contains basic information about the company, their philosophy, etc. On the middle panel lives a custom pocket that will hold the various inserts we created for each of their practice areas.
The inserts are industry specific and are easily added, as needed, by their BD team. As a cost saving measure, the inserts were designed to be printed digitally (in short runs) to accommodate changes and any evolution in their messaging.