2021 has been a big year for us – we refreshed and relaunched our brand for the first time in over two decades. Needless to say, it dominated our minds and our calendars. In the last few months, we have been asked several times how we pulled this off because clearly, we were hard at work as a global pandemic unfolded, staking and dramatically disrupting the lives of our team. Admittedly, we were flummoxed. By now, we don’t think we need to explain why we halted our plans and felt the need to take stock and reorient ourselves before picking up pace again.
The pandemic impacted the initial timeline we had in mind to unveil our brand transformation. We did not cancel any of our plans outright, but we paused to dwell on questions and reassess how to move forward.
We had already committed to an evidence-based process and conducted a brand evaluation exercise, which identified an undisputable discrepancy between our capabilities and our market perception. We learned that several of our stakeholders were unclear about who we were and what we valued. Our brand had not kept pace with our services, expertise, and portfolio. We wanted to change that. The ask was urgent but could not be rushed. Of course, at the time, we didn’t predict that our living rooms would become our offices for the foreseeable future, but we knew that the world was changing in unprecedented ways. We had to consider evolving conditions, so we first requalified our market research to ensure we were equipped with an up-to-date approach.
Here are some of the questions we asked before proceeding:
01. Will our brand research findings be relevant in a vastly changed world?
02. Will our brand language affect people differently because of new circumstances?
03. Are the recommended brand activities and activations still feasible with remote work?
04. Will the market take note of our new brand? Or will the relaunch be lost in a sea of information flooding the world?
Think Velocity. Think Zensar.
We understand the need for urgent transformation, but we also acknowledge that change is complex, so simply adopting solutions at speed is not enough. Rather, applying speed with direction creates tangible, effective results. This does not mean we advocate pursuing a rigid path. Organizations must be nimble and respond to technological, cultural, and regulatory headwinds but in ways that do not deviate from their strategic vision.
Three strategies that led to a winning brand relaunch - Think Velocity - is the cornerstone of our brand, so, understandably we have a lot of experiential learnings we want to share about how to practice applying velocity in day-to-day activities. In fact, we recently published an Enterprise Velocity survey, which delves into the business impact velocity can create.
1
The idea of getting it done vs. getting it done right
Choosing the right moment was tough. Budgets and deadlines were adjusted, but sharpening focus on the right goal was useful as our team moved to remote work almost overnight.
2
A commitment toward the right digital capabilities
It’s not as though we did not have to think about our digital capabilities. However, the inherent digital maturity of systems allowed us to switch gears with minimal friction.
3
Never compromising on core values
The logo exemplifies our belief that velocity becomes tangible only when technology works in tandem with people, processes, and culture.
