FIRST
Empowering and re-Imagining
live experiences for major brands

Experience your event like never before

Problem

Chief Marketing Officers are constantly seeking the best practices for staying ahead of the competition. In recent years, that has resulted in a tremendous amount of agencies offering complex services such as business-to-business live events, launch events, sports and music event planning, technology showcasing and product demonstration parties. Considering the tremendous amount of effort that goes into each project, it is nearly impossible to describe all that goes into a full event cycle.

Challenges

How best to revamp this global events agency that, for years, was known throughout the world as First Protocol. OGK needed to re-brand First Protocol and help them reveal their ongoing growth, position amongst their peers, outstanding customer service, unique talents and long-standing commitment to put their clients first.

Solution

The first steps were assessing which services the agency excelled at. Since it was apparent the First Protocol agency consistently stayed ahead of industry trends and market changes, we began sharing client success stories and vendor relationships. The next phase was to work on their new corporate identity, since the original name left prospects with a stodgy feeling. By removing the word “Protocol,” we were able to tell an improved story, upgrade their essence and develop creative campaigns that would improve the overall brand system.

Naming Transition

The re-branding exercise began with several research and strategic workshops, which was a challenge for our team since the client’s key decision makers where located in various parts of the world, working in different time zones and engrained in different cultures. The transition included reviewing brand perceptions, interviewing audiences and discussing what the future objectives of this global organization would be.

Brand Transition Strategy

For years, the world knew this organization as First Protocol. We knew we had to make a sincere change, one which would allow for growth while creating a new essence. The OGKrew decided that, in order to convince these discerning leaders, we had to provide examples of recognizable icons that took major chances and succeeded. Our intention from the start was to set up a relationship that focused on close collaboration between all the CEOs in the various offices, the key marketing leaders, and our agency. Our process of weekly sync meetings and frequent video conference calls ensured the collaboration went smoothly. This allowed us to make decisions quicker, keep everyone informed throughout the process, and manage accountability on all fronts.

Brand Usage

Since First operated in so many diverse platforms, it was imperative that we produced various brand marks to fit into their company cultures and company offerings. Due to their efforts in the traditional, experiential and digital environments, preparing scalable sub-brand marks for multiple campaigns and geographic positioning was going to be game-changer.

Brand Messaging

Through multiple brainstorm sessions and collaborative mood boards, we discovered a prolific communication First could call their own — one that would connect with their clients, leaders and  new staff. This enhanced design language lives at the intersection of experience and artistic expression. The content we created needed to illustrate ways in which their clients could differentiate their business, engage their customers and become more agile.

Global Design System

As we designed their worldwide system, we established the brand guidelines and standards that communicate how to best represent the First brand across all channels. The new guidelines helped express their positioning, personality and beliefs. It also provides direction for social media, marketing brochures, trade show banners, video and photography, as well as the the visual and verbal standards that we refined to define their new brand identity.

Brand Ecosystem

We worked alongside the team at First to establish a unified global platform that aligned with the brand’s ambition and their audience’s desires. From identity and messaging to the digital platform and content within it, we brought their personality forward to establish an experience that expresses their brand point of view: We put our client’s FIRST.

Company Culture

Since First worked with various conservative industries — such as the financial community — for years, developing a new culture that would fit within their DNA was a daunting task. After all, it had to honestly and accurately reflect where they were heading. Everything they do feels real and unforced, but with hundreds of employees, we needed universal buy in. Our creative team developed a back story and environment in which brand inspiration, brand experience and the First community could come together.

Unified Brand Guidelines

OGK was tasked with creating a vast number of branded deliverables to enable the launch of the transformed brand. From corporate stationery, branded new business forms, brochures, internal office graphics, trade show banners and giveaway swag, we handled everything from design to delivery. It was essential to provide all the guidelines for not just the initial launch, but for the future of the brand as it matured.

New Design Language

Leveraging our award-winning creative squad along with our vast design expertise, we showed the senior management at First how the new logo mark would transition over time. This would place an emphasis on how to transform the company name and allow it to blossom. We began by exploring engaging visual design concepts to communicate this unique business. The final layout uses a robust artistic slash with cut-out photography space to insert a specific iconic location, representing the region they are working in.

Digital Experience

We had a ton of services, imagery, content, case studies, bios and celebrity power to utilize on the new First website. Our agency worked closely with their in-house team to filter through the five types of services they offer. OGK felt is was necessary to foster a winning user experience for the prospect, ensuring it was uncomplicated to discover targeted client stories and pertinent info for decision making and valuation.

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We partner with brands of all sizes at every stage of their journey.