Factory of Futures

Getting the Innovation Factory off to a Good Start 

iF Home Page

 

IF Brand Architecture

iF's Brand system is organized around the ultimate goal of making Hamilton a "global centre of innovation." By defining the classes of programs and the classes of activities upporting each program, iF could:

  • Enable stakeholders to understand what iF is about
  • Set the parameters for program development and community engangement
  • Accomodate new programs and brands without causing confusion

 

Making It Happen In Hamilton

Newly established Innovation Factory (iF) was tasked with fostering an innovation community for the Greater Hamilton Area (GHA), fueling Hamilton’s post-industrial transformation.

To help make Hamilton a credible place for innovation, iF needed to:
• Inspire and rally the GHA’s diverse innovation community
• Present itself as a worthy peer to Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District and Kitchener-Waterloo’s Communitech

In true startup spirit, iF developed a profusion of novel programs and subbrands that made it hard to get a handle on the whole – an activity that promised not to stop.

Our task was to brand the Innovation Factory and bring the brand to life. This included:
• Logo and brand style
• Positioning and slogan
• Brand architecture
• Website creation
• Branding and communications for key events

Putting the DiF in Difference

The core of the solution was to build the identity and positioning around the idea of iF, a much handier, more playful word than Innovation Factory. And a word at the heart of innovation: “if we try this…”

The brand promise, “It begins with iF” signaled iF’s central role in fostering and accelerating innovation. The identity combined the optimism and élan of the startup spirit, with the solidity of experience and institutional credibility.

iF led to DiF – as in making a Difference. We began to deploy this language in copy and in subbranding, The Big DiF became one of iF signature events. The Mark Chamberlain DiFizen Award recognized the outstanding contribution if a community member to iF.

The Team

Brand Strategy, Copy, Creative Direction: Harry Cornelius, SIderen

Web Requirements and Implmentation:  Alies Maybee, Sideren

Identity and Communications Design: Dwane Brookson, Thrive Design