Our Work
Our work tells our story best.
Case Studies
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We help world-leading businesses, startups and nonprofits articulate their visions, frame key missions and claim the space where their brands create value. And we communicate these messages to customers, employees, investors, and partners.
Microsoft
The Windows Commercial team wanted to tell a better story
Microsoft’s Windows Commercial team was looking to tell a more powerful story to small and medium sized businesses. We developed the new tagline and updated brand pillars for Windows 10 Pro, and rewrote the Windows Commercial Storybook, the authoritative resource and creative bible for Windows 10 Pro OEM hardware and marketing partners.
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Steelcase
Steelcase needed to evolve in a radically changing industry
We helped the Steelcase team create a new strategic brand framework that positions the company for continued leadership in the future of work and workplace design. Building on that foundation, we established a more emotive, relatable brand voice and composed the company’s strategic messaging, including a powerful new brand line, to invite greater connection with its customers. That work has extended into an ongoing engagement to develop content strategy, guidelines, and creative brand writing across the organization. We currently support many divisions, owned brands, platforms, partnerships, and collection launches, including a new strategy and brand storytelling for the company’s ambitious People and Planet (ESG) programs.
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Propio
Proprio wanted to show the world a new way to see
Proprio is using computer vision and AI to reinvent the way surgery is done. One of the challenges with truly ground-breaking technology is that you need to explain both how it works and how it will change the world. We delivered the new enterprise a comprehensive brand strategy including key messaging, web copy and the company story for investors and institutional partners.
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Every project is Djinn in its own way.
International Futures
iF called on us for an outside perspective
Intentional Futures is an innovation studio that works visionary leaders to solve hard problems that matter. We've been friends and collaborators for decades. During a recent period of reorganization and growth, the founders asked us to help them see their company with fresh eyes. We conducted extensive research, delivered key messaging, and helped iF evolve its brand direction.
Topcoder
Topcoder wanted to tell the story of who they were becoming
Topcoder is a legendary technology company whose innovations in motivating performance and delivering results with coding challenges 25 years ago honed the skills today’s top technologists. A new executive team noticed a pattern in the way customers understood them. Returning customers loved them, but today’s market at large didn’t understand them. We developed a new category thesis and conducted validation interviews with Topcoder’s most engaged customers. Based on validation we delivered a powerful brand strategy and updated messaging framework that redefined Topcoder’s market category and positioned the company to win it.
Anonymous Family Famoundation
The foundation was looking for ideas to support their mission with data
One of the world's most influential family foundations wanted help re-thinking the role of digital communications, data and collaboration in the future of philanthropy. We partnered with Intentional Futures to synthesize inputs from a range of sources and internal stakeholders. Working together with cross-company teams for intrapreneurial envisioning is a great way to build energy while generating creative (and testable) value propositions.
Skype
Skype needed new insight, positioning and partnerships at a pivotal point in its evolution
Microsoft brought us in to help illuminate the soul of Skype, one of the most iconic brands in the world of technology. We worked with their team to develop a story that would bring Skype into a new era while also developing a partnerships strategy to bring other brands into Skype. As part of this project, we also rewrote all consumer-facing copy to bring both loyal and lapsed fans along on the journey.
Naming
Naming is magic plus laws.
A name is the shortest, most memorable, expression of a brand strategy. Finding the right name is essential—and should be fun. Our naming practice is balanced between the creative and analytic. We combine poetic wordcraft, widespread subject exploration and a deep, playful knowledge of language on one side; trademark, linguistic, and competitive research and validation, on the other. The right name builds belief. Like nothing else can.
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