Name, brand strategy and identity for market leader in data centers
When the two dutch data centers, NLDC (previously KPuiN) and The Datacenter Group, merged, new owner and British investment company DWS from London turned to R&R Communication for an effective naming, brand strategy, and identity.
With ten data centers in the Netherlands, this became the biggest data center company in the country. The company stands out because of, among other things, a strong local presence in the different regions, high-quality services, and customization in the field of connectivity and hybrid cloud solutions.
The challenge
In a period of three months, a winning name, brand strategy, and brand identity had to be carried out, having to enable the Dutch market leader to fulfill its growing ambitions in the European data center sector, too. During inspiring workshops between our branding team, delegations of both data centers, and the British owner, the roadmap to building a brick house of a brand was drawn out.
Our solution
The new name, NorthC, was chosen out of five possible alternatives after an intense naming project. NorthC proved to be a particularly strong name that simply has it all. The proud Dutch roots are evident, as well as the link to connectivity and collocation. The name works across the country borders and thus fits the new owner's strive to be active in Europe in the short term.
The foundation for the new brand identity is formed by the most indispensable instrument in the maritime world: the compass.
NorthC's personal relationship and involvement in a digital environment are important pillars in the new brand strategy. No cold data center visuals and distant jargon, but accessibility, and above all, humaneness. This positioning is nicely worded in the tagline.
“NorthC Datacenters. Digital business, personal connections.”
The corporate colors for NorthC were selected after a careful color analysis of the global data center sector, which showed that both yellow and orange were hardly used in the color spectrum. And thus, yellow was chosen as the primary 'challenger' color, and orange was chosen as the secondary color, containing a visual reference to the Dutch roots.
The feedback
““The R&R team has helped us enormously in our rebranding process. Over a period of only three months, we had numerous brainstorming sessions in which we determined the final name of our new organization, including the associated strategy and visual identity. R&R Communication is a very professional and creative club that is extremely flexible. Thanks to R&R, we now have a brand identity that not only distinguishes itself from our competition in every respect but also a rock-solid name with a compelling story. ””