Stronger Brand Helps Distility 1day1brand Alumni Secure Contract to Develop Prototypes for Multi-Billion Dollar International Client
XYZ Interactive Technologies is a start-up research and development company headquartered at the MaRS Discovery District. The company has developed GestureSense technology that will enable you to control all the electronics in your home with a simple wave of your hand. The breakthrough technology will interpret your hand gestures, so buttons on lights and remotes will become a thing of the past. Even the touchscreens on your new iPads and mobile devices will be replaced by touchless screens.
XYZ Interactive Technologies launched this line of business in 2008 but found it challenging to talk about their brand. The company wanted a core message they could communicate to potential customers and partners.
“We were struggling with how to position our brand and how to succinctly tell others what we do,” says Michael Kosic, President of XYZ Interactive Technologies. “The lack of core messaging was probably visible to our audience and resulting in a fledgling view of our technology.”
They registered for Distility 1day1brand to get an outside view to help shape their brand personality, position and promise and come out with a shared vision of where to go and a brand to define how to get there. The team completed exercises to distill the essence of their brand, including one where each team member selected the images he or she felt best represented the brand.
“The words each person used to explain why they chose the pictures resonated throughout the day and helped us refine our positioning,” says Karen Bozynski, Vice President, Optoelectronics, at XYZ Interactive Technologies.
The process also gave the team insight about how they were confusing their messaging. By the end of the day, they understood what they needed to say and who to say it to. The XYZ team also developed a brand promise to guide their future communications.
“We took away a brand promise that brings clarity to our communications and strengthens our value proposition,” says Karen. “Our new brand promise is helping us get faster traction with customers, so they will clearly and quickly see how we can meet their needs.”
Shortly after the workshop, XYZ Interactive Technologies signed a contract to create prototypes for a multi-billion dollar international company. Karen attributes this success to their ability to better present their value proposition.
For more information about GestureSense technology, visit www.xyzinteractive.com.