case studies | brendle group
Engineering sustainable change
Brendle Group

The sustainability-focused engineering firm needed a brand that made them look as forward-thinking as they really are.

Assess
We dove deep to uncover why those who love Brendle Group love them.
Refresh
A decade after we developed the logo, it was time to refresh the brand identity.
BrandUp
A firm that thinks outside the box deserved a web identity that didn’t box them in.
Engineering sustainable change

Since 2008, Toolbox has been a proud branding partner of Brendle Group, an engineering and planning firm that helps their clients solve complex climate, energy and water problems while creating lasting impacts for sustainability. A decade after we initially developed their brand identity, it was time to reassess.

The first step in Brand Assessment is to discover and document what’s changed, what’s remained consistent, what’s working, what’s not and what can be improved upon.

What’s working

The logo had performed well, established considerable brand equity and become an indelible part of Brendle Group’s identity. Corporate colors were still on target, but it was a good time to build upon the existing palette.

New logo
Old logo
Identity crisis

When Brendle Group first approached Toolbox, they found themselves in a position similar to many of our CleanTech clients: they had been quietly kicking ass in their industry but did not look and sound as good as they truly were. They had gotten by with a homemade brand identity and website for 12 years, but it was time for a change.

To take their business to the next level, the group understood they needed a corporate identity as dynamic as the company.

Toolbox dove in, starting with an in-depth brand assessment, because you can’t get where you want to go until you know where you stand.

Brand engineering

Early on in the Brand Assessment process, it became clear that Brendle Group had a compelling origin story and a fundamentally different approach to engineering sustainable solutions.

Founder and chief engineer Judy Dorsey named the company after her mother Eileen Brendle-Dorsey, a leading-edge architect who promoted green building techniques as early as the 1950s.

That spirit of innovation and smart, sustainable engineering is programmed into the DNA of the company — they deserved an identity as unique as their history and as bright as the future they’re helping build.

It was during this process that we earned our nickname, engineer whisperers.

The takeaway
While the foundation of Brendle Group’s brand identity was sound, it was clear their positioning and web identity needed to be refreshed.
Defining greatness

The existing positioning language was focused more on specific verticals they serve and less on the unique kinds of problems they help solve. This order of emphasis needed to be reversed. Revisiting positioning was a good opportunity to distill their corporate language down to its most basic elements. In a word, Brendle Group is about Sustainability. In a few words, the sustainability challenges they help their clients solve all exist at the vital intersection of climate, energy and water.

Defining greatness

The existing positioning language was focused more on specific verticals they serve and less on the unique kinds of problems they help solve. This order of emphasis needed to be reversed. Revisiting positioning was a good opportunity to distill their corporate language down to its most basic elements. In a word, Brendle Group is about Sustainability. In a few words, the sustainability challenges they help their clients solve all exist at the vital intersection of climate, energy and water.

Marketing, sustainably

Brendle Group backs up their mission of sustainability with their actions. So when it came time to design a tradeshow display, it was time to think differently.

The display needed to speak to the breadth of services Brendle provides, be customizable for a variety of market-specific tradeshows and reflect the group’s passion for sustainably produced and recyclable materials.

Toolbox sourced a tradeshow display made of modular, interchangeable corrugated cardboard. Replaceable panels extended the life and usefulness of the display. After it served its purpose, they tossed it in the recycle bin.

National recognition

In 2015, Brendle Group was featured in Smithsonian Institute’s Places of Invention exhibition. We couldn’t be more proud of them, and we’re doubly proud that five of the six Fort Collins companies featured were Toolbox CleanTech clients. (The sixth was our favorite brewery.)

Brandup
Our work with Brendle Group over the years is a good reminder that even if your brand identity is strong, it’s good to step back and reassess from time to time.

Take the time to document where you are, where you’re going, and how your brand identity and marketing materials can help you get there. It’s worth the effort, and you just might have some fun along the way.

Client
Brendle Group
Industry
CleanTech
Services
Website Design
Website
www.brendlegroup.com
Questions? Call Us.
Contact us today and get started.
970.493.5755