Background
Dako is a global provider of premium cancer diagnostics products to anatomical pathology labs. In recent years, its core business of immunohistochemistry (IHC) has met strong competition. With an impressive pipeline of advances in IHC, Dako decided it was time to improve brand visibility and assert its leadership in the area.
The brief
UP was chosen to drive this change. Our brief was to establish Dako as the leader in IHC and to develop new core brand values for them.
The solution
Throughout the development and implementation we used our BASE UP Process. The first three parts of this step-wise project management approach covers a Briefing session, internal and external Audit, and Strategy development. Once this was signed off on, and agreed to, we move into the Execution phase, where we developed all the necessary on and offline communication and design elements. We followed up with a final check back after an appropriate period of time with our Follow-UP phase to make sure everything is working and to adjust things as needed.
Following the briefing and audit phase, we set about the job of developing a new position for Dako, we carried out in depth research and interviews. Once a direction was determined and approved by Dako’s management, we prepared the key internal launch event to ensure that senior management was engaged and ready to drive the new brand identity to all corners of the business, as well as all customer touch points.
The initial steps involved working closely with the Dako senior management team to create a set of new core brand values. Over several weeks and high level sessions, the values of Certainty, Lasting Partnerships and Scientific Advancement were developed and tested both internally with senior people as well as externally with key opinion leaders. Once this was done a distinct new brand identity and positioning was created with the tag line: Dako – A Better Path™. This line alluded to the core business of the company, working with pathology, and developing new and improved diagnostic tools and methodologies. This was a big change for the company, and the reasons for it had to be made clear to everyone involved.
With that in mind we interviewed both customers and the senior management team and prepared an emotive story, on film, about this new positioning. We also prepared panels, banners and presentations for an internal event that would launch the new graphic identity.
The event was designed to be an immersive experience for Dako’s hundred strong business leadership team. We added in several surprise elements to make the event even more memorable. For example, the conference room was totally transformed to the new brand while participants were at lunch. As they returned, it felt like entering a new world, and a new Dako.
