The Project
To reposition the brand, from product-led to corporate-led, putting the business in the strongest position possible to accelerate growth.
The Background
Founded in 2003, Veryan Medical had designed, patented, and commercialised a pioneering, ground-breaking new medical device, a 3D peripheral vascular stent, and had taken the sector by storm. A one product company, Veryan was acquired by Otsuka Medical Devices in 2018. The small company, already punching well above its weight, was set to launch its existing product offer in the US. It was also looking to extend its innovative and design-led product portfolio through strong in-house NPD, joint innovation projects and distribution of partner products, with similar disruptive technologies.
The Challenge
&Wilder was appointed to re-imagine the corporate brand. To develop an authentic and differentiated brand strategy and to elevate the status of the corporate brand reflecting its entrepreneurial heritage. Based on Veryan’s success in the incredibly, fast-moving medical devices sector and following its commercialisation and subsequent acquisition by the global multinational, Otsuka, the Executive Team came together to develop their strategic plan. Part of that plan was a vision statement describing what the company would look like in the future and what it would stand for. This corporate ambition would focus efforts, motivate and provide direction to everyone in the organisation and drive how Veryan was perceived by KOL’s, customers and the global medical devices sector.
A key objective was to leverage the new relationship between Veryan and Otsuka Medical Devices and harness the powerful market impact that being part of the global Otsuka Group could bring, specifically for the up-coming launch in the US.
The Solution
Partnering with the CEO and Head of Marketing, we built close relationships with key stakeholders in the UK, Europe, the US, and Japan, and led a strategic and creative corporate re-positioning programme, designed to allow the corporate brand to step out from behind the incredibly successful product brand and to spearhead future growth.
From initial research and analysis, through stakeholder, customer and KOL interviews and brand strategy workshops, we set out to bring the fast-growing senior management team together. Through a series of iterative workshops and working sessions, we facilitated discussion and defined and agreed their WHY, articulating a unique and ownable strategic brand platform that became the brief for the design of the new corporate identity.
This inside out approach helped shape the format and content for key brand-led communications including a new global website, corporate presentation, corporate and product brochures, and internal communications. Bringing in a London-based, creative partner, we worked closely to design the new logo, look and feel and key messaging that informed all applications and launch communications.
To support and enhance credibility in Veryan’s ability to deliver on its new brand positioning of ‘Design Intelligence’, we structured the approach for a company-wide, ‘Culture of Innovation Programme’ that dramatically increased internal engagement and strengthened the Employer Brand, helping drive talent acquisition and increase employee retention.
