ITM
The Institute of Travel and Meetings becomes The Institute of Travel Management.
The Brief
Celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2016, the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM) felt the time was right to review their brand strategy, corporate identity and associated marketing assets and collateral. Fearing that their brand was old fashioned and lacking relevance to their industry and their members, ITM issued a competitive RFP to marketing and design agencies, inviting pitches for the re-brand commission.
Although our pitch included no actual design proposals, we won through because of the depth of understating demonstrated, not only of the industry (thanks to our award winning track record in working within the business travel industry), but also in our collaborative approach to brand development: consultation, creation and communication.
Square1 actually questioned a significant portion of the ITM briefing document, forcing them back to… square one(!) in terms of their thinking and requirements. Simply applying a fresh coat of paint to a tired logo would not achieve ITM’s objectives… the task was far more strategic than that.
“Working with Square1 was such an inspiring experience for everyone, we certainly got more than we bargained for! The lengths they went to in really getting to know us… even better than we do ourselves… was very impressive”
Simone Buckley, CEO, ITM
The solution
We began with our trademark Brand Audit and Analysis. This strategic review threw up several challenging questions around audience recognition, market empathy and targeted messaging. The depth of our strategic consultation paved the way for the creative process of then translating ITM’s newly identified core DNA into accurate and symbolic design. This research and consultation was the building blocks for our trademark Brand Books; a series of client specific documentation that defines the brand and how it should be used and applied. With a new corporate identity nailed, we then applied this across multiple applications before bringing the brand to life through various new assets and collateral.
“Square1 absolutely nailed it, not just on our new logo but on the entire ITM brand story. It’s a great way to mark our 60th birthday, by really setting us up for the future.”
Simone Buckley, CEO, ITM
Identifying and defining five core brand themes (or personality traits), the one which stood out was COMMUNITY. This brand DNA was then creatively interpreted in the shape of dynamic coloured pulses. The typeface uses very bold capital letters to show strength, authority and corporation. This is integrated into a series of three simple ‘pulse’ shapes, symbolising thought, communication and networking. On a parallel perspective, we have also used the three overlapping pulses to represent the interaction of the three target audiences of ITM: buyers, suppliers and sponsors – a visual brand promise of ITM on both a commercial and individual level.
The Results
The new ITM identity was launched to great fanfare on May 3rd 2016 at Celtic Manor (Wales), during the 60th ITM Annual Conference. The 400+ audience gave the new look a tremendous welcome and quickly embraced not just the new look, but also the new brand outlook of ITM.
The end result was a very happy client, a reinvigorated and empowered ITM management team and two comprehensive Brand Books.
“Square1 delivered on time, on budget and way beyond the brief.”
Simone Buckley, CEO, ITM
Client
ITM
ITM is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1956 to support the business travel industry. ITM is dedicated to promoting business travel as a profession. The association lobbies, and is consulted by, government departments, as well as educational establishments, the travel trade and the corporate sector in general.
