People always talk about the importance of relationships in business. Strong working relationships built on mutual respect, trust, and collaboration are the bedrock of so many successful stories.
From worlds as diverse as non-profit, life science, F&B, financial services, sport and property – it is through these enduring relationships that We Launch has grown, learned and delivered over the years.
Tim George and Atech personify this more than any other. We first met at an event back in 2013. Our businesses were at a similar stage – albeit in very different sectors. But there were many shared experiences and perspectives. Soon after, we worked closely together to shape their brand – helping to define all that was unique and special about their IT technology company. They had developed a fantastic product and service – and matched that with just as lofty ambitions. Over the course of five months, we created a multi-channel brand that was totally different to others in their space, and which reflected all that the founders stood for.
But as some challenger brands are prone to do – as their team grew, so did their desire to take all aspects of the brand in-house. We kept in touch, but on a more social level. Their internal teams were taking care of everything. And it continued this way until 2021, when Tim gave me a call.
"We were at a pivotal growth period for Atech and needed to urgently revisit the brand. It had become diluted and didn’t shout about what we had really created behind the scenes. As a fast paced, cutting edge, cloud services business - serving some very exciting mid-market clients, the legacy brand had served its purpose, it was time for a complete redesign.
The ‘IT Support Provider’ of then… had now become nearly 100 colleagues, providing mission-critical technology to a global client base. We had mainly been providing support to SMBs, and the previous brand matched this, however, in recent years the client profile grew considerably, with a clear concentration of mid-market and enterprise clients. We required a refreshed and modern brand, that not only provided confidence to the mid-market, it also needed to shout about our advanced skills in serving these markets."
Tim George, Chairman & Co-Founder - Atech
In the intervening seven years, the brand had become diluted. Whilst the business was thriving, the brand had lost its way. Where the Atech of 2013/4 had a clear positioning and identity, the Atech of 2020/1 was a mishmash of styles and sentiments. Where we had created a uniquely bespoke bank of illustrations – each borne out of a clear idea inspired by the subject matter, the internal teams had reverted back to using irreverent stock imagery everywhere. Where our messaging was short, sharp and punchy – their words had become generic and expected. Many different internal people had put their own spin on things over the years, and it showed.
And Tim saw all of this. It was his growing frustration with the brand that compelled him to get back in touch. Because he knew that the last time he felt totally proud about his brand was when we had worked together.
"Our clients were regularly telling us that our brand didn’t differentiate us in a crowded marketplace, nor did it really show the thought-leadership and incredible technical delivery our team had become known for. I was becoming more and more frustrated to see so many variants of our style appearing both internally, and externally.
I pondered over the history of Atech, and got back to basics - what worked well for us in the past? where did we get it so wrong with our brand along the way? Ultimately, it was simple – when we initially worked with We Launch, they managed to define Atech with a unique, and compelling identity – something we were proud of. Immediately picking up the phone to Stu, I told him our problems, and with sincerity said nothing was off the table in terms of pushing the brand in a unique and visionary direction.
I also ensured our mutual trust was aligned, and no ‘one person’ would have an overruling decision on the direction, it was to be a small team decision, and remove single minded opinions – including my own. Having seen what ‘good’ looked like and having also seen what ‘diluted and dull’ looked like - it was time to see what ‘modern and visionary’ could look like!"
Tim George
So we set to work again. His unfaltering trust in us gave us incredible confidence to push and challenge every single aspect of their brand. We picked it all apart. We analysed every piece of communication. We spoke to a huge number of internal stakeholders and external clients to get a real understanding of all that was great – and not so great – about the Atech of 2021. Tim gave us the blank canvas to paint an entirely new picture – and from a strategic and creative perspective, that was so empowering.
With some clients, you get an immediate feel for their boundaries. You know which creative routes would push them too far – no matter how relevant and fresh those solutions would be for their industry. In somewhat understandable ways, they are too afraid to take the giant leap that is really needed. But this isn’t Tim George.
"When we said to Stuart that nothing was off the table, we sincerely meant it – that even went as far as the company name(!). No ego’s allowed, we were willing to suffer the pain of a company name change to get this right. Knowing how We Launch operate, and also understanding the importance of service partnership in the same way we work with our clients, I reassured Stuart that we were not after a ‘quick win’ that so many of our competitors had created, it was a complete overhaul to create something that will survive long into our visionary thinking. It needed to push all of us out of our comfort zone, and ultimately provide us a disruptive, but professional platform to operate from."
Tim George
Spurred on by his faith in us, we took all of our research, learnings and conversations and shaped a new strategic positioning for the brand – Atech. Technology Transformed. In tandem, we developed a groundbreaking new visual identity – collaborating with legendary 3D artist Peter Crowther to create a suite of digital illustrations that demonstrate each of their core services and USPs. The colours, typefaces, messaging and overall design aesthetic all come together with these images to deliver a new vision for the Atech brand that is both disruptive and surprising.
But we went further. We brought in our studio partners – the award-winning WordPress design & build team Mallard & Claret – to overhaul and revolutionise the Atech website. Their digital expertise and forward-thinking approach has resulted in an incredible solution – and one which has been designed with all audiences, users and devices in mind.
"As a business, we have never taken the easy route… it’s always a case of do it right, first time. Always more time consuming, complex, and more costly – but ultimately the ROI on the effort of building solid foundations, only serves to set us apart for scale, and provide confidence to our planned acquisitions and rapid organic growth.
Without the basic trust, and open communication between Atech and We Launch, there would have been no way we could have completely overhauled our image. On the horizon of our 15th anniversary, we now have a brand that’s modern, exciting and completely unique in a crowded market – it was a six-month journey to get this far, and in the spirit of true partnership, I’m super excited to see what the next phase, and beyond, can bring us.
This is just the start. Our clients trust us 24 x 7 x 365 with their technology. It was time to pass some of that trust onto our own partners."
Tim George
Without doubt – it is one of the most exciting projects we’ve launched. Ever.
And it’s all testament to trusting one another. To mutual respect. To understanding. And how, when you put all of those things together, the best results come. For the long-term.