NAMING. POSITIONING. STORYTELLING. 

Emblematica develops fully-integrated brand solutions by collaborating with you to tell your story
and deliver a brand identity that is emblematic of your “DNA.”

Our
Approach
Your brand is your story. People are hardwired for stories. Every company, product, service, place and person has a story and the Emblematica process is designed to discover, understand and tell that story.

THE EMBLEMATICA
APPROACH TO BRANDING

Our approach is designed to ensure you have the strongest possible platform for strategic communications, one that has been shaped by your objectives and goals. We deliver a practical and purposeful brand communications style guide to empower leaders and stakeholders with an efficient and streamlined resource.
The Emblematica signature brand development process covers three phases in which the context, narrative and voice of your story – your brand -- are established.

Setting your context

Assessment of the sector in which you operate - background, history and current reality.

Creating your narrative

Review and/or creation of the mission, vision, values and offerings of your organization.

Articulating your voice

Style of strategic creative and tactical tools for telling your story – your brand.

Services

NAMING. POSITIONING. STORYTELLING.

Emblematica has been structured to provide fully-integrated brand management and business development solutions, tailored to the needs of each specific client, we deliver fully integrated results including: Creative Direction on Brand implementation including video, web, media relations and overall brand based marketing and communications from brand launch to media training to crisis communications and beyond – Storytelling.
  • Naming
  • Emblems
  • Visioning & Mission statements
  • Place & Product names and brand architecture
  • Program & Service names and brand architecture
  • Website domain names and design
  • Visual identity, themes and colours
  • Audio identity
Branding Team

YOUR BRANDING TEAM

Our approach necessitates that our principals are involved in all branding projects. Building on that consistency we identify and assemble teams of trusted and proven experts in the area of graphic design, web development, video production, whatever is required – forming focused and committed project production teams as you would to produce a movie. 

This keeps our branding fresh and benefits clients by incorporating varied design sensibilities, challenging status quo thinking to deliver vibrant and unique brand outcomes without burdening clients with overhead costs.

Anthony Abrahams Principal

Anthony's body of work in marketing & communications, including cause marketing spans the environmental, business, educational, health, media and sport sectors.  A principal in Emblematica, Abrahams has developed and implemented over $100 million worth of brand based strategic partnerships, sponsorships and capital fundraising initiatives.

Tom Mayenknecht Principal

Tom is a Vancouver-based marketing communications leader best-known for his nationally-recognized work in media and brand management. The scope of Tom’s experience spans newspaper journalism, television, professional tennis, and executive management leadership.

Results
Think Tank
Connect
Results

Three of Vancouver’s longest-standing soccer clubs – Dunbar, Kerrisdale and Point Grey -- agreed to merge to form one of the largest community soccer organizations in Western Canada. The new integrated club required a brand name that brought together the existing clubs and their combined rep teams under a new colour scheme and jersey kit design. 

We worked with board leadership and selected club members to develop a brand-based merger plan under the name “Vancouver United FC”. We established a new club credo – Game. Club. Community. – designed to help create a culture of inclusiveness, excellence and leadership. We developed the new mission and vision statements for Vancouver United FC, along with club qualities, characteristics and player-centered values.

Our Vision: A community-based soccer development system built on best-of-class programs for players, coaches and referees.

Our Mission: To create new levels of community participation, activity and spirit on the strength of the most inclusive club and comprehensive programs for players, coaches, officials and families.

We produced the new corporate identity and rep team jersey kit design for Vancouver United FC, helping to establish the aspirational association with Right To Play as the national charitable partner of the club. “Game. Club. Community.” was incorporated into all major communications applications, including the jersey design. The iconic image of the Burrard Street Bridge was incorporated into the new club shield in the west coast colours of blue and green and tones of grey and white. We arrived at the primary short-form branding of “Van U” and also named the Van U Academy.

Results

The not-for-profit society was challenged by low public recognition -- especially its acronym “ADABC”. It sought a higher media profile, greater public recognition and more accessible platforms upon which to deliver its educational resources. 

We advocated for the re-naming of the society to “Anxiety BC”, aligning the new corporate brand with its web site; the major gateway to its educational resources. We collaborated with society leadership and consultants to establish the mantra “Resources. Results. Relief.” to clearly establish the society as a “resource centre” for people living with anxiety disorders. We worked with the Board of Directors to simplify a clear role, mission and vision for the organization.

Mission: To provide positive solutions for those living with anxiety by increasing awareness, promoting education and improving access to effective treatments.

Vision: Anxiety BC is committed to building a provincial resource network through which reliable medical and psychological information and services are accessible by those impacted by anxiety disorders.

We developed the word mark for Anxiety BC and its signature butterfly icon. We produced all organizational stationery and letterhead, a promotional flyer template and worked with web developers to enhance the capacity of the organization to deliver its resources, advocating for a strategy of web-based videos and tips on managing anxiety.

Results

M Pharmaceutical Inc. required a brand name to market its drug free, biomedical technology designed for users who want to lose weight. There was little understanding of the term “pseudobezoars”.

We worked with senior leadership to develop the M Pharmaceutical, Inc. mission statement and product descriptions, helping to guide decision making and the company’s commitment to “providing biomedical technologies that improve the health and quality of life for people affected by obesity and diabetes.” We developed the product names Trimeo and Trimtec. The company adopted the mantra “Better Health. Better Life.”

The M Pharmaceutical identity is incorporated into its products; tied together in a brand family with the circle of life around the M and consistent application of the mantra. A fully-integrated corporate brand and product family. New product names, including the Trimeo weight loss capsule, wherein the words “trim” and “me” are brought together to deliver an aspirational brand that in one word speaks to the intended, positive outcome.

Results

Bringing together the fields of sport and health, the MultiSport Centre of Excellence was made possible by the leadership of a visionary practitioner team and the philanthropy of Vancouver businessman Scott Cousens. It required a community partnership strategy and a brand name to better represent its vision of innovation.    

Working directly with the sport medical and business leadership of the start-up organization, we developed the brand name “Fortius Sport & Health” to convey the power of sport (Fortius is latin for strength) and the integration of sport and health. We reflected the unique organizational structure in the naming of the Fortius Institute (sport medicine & exercise science practice), Fortius Athlete Development Centre (not-for-profit facility) and Fortius Foundation (charitable arm). We led a process which resulted in the mantra (“Game Changing. Life Changing.”) and the organizational mission.

 Mission: Fortius Sport & Health is an integrated athlete development centre strengthened through philanthropy and focused on optimizing human performance for life.

We served as executive producers of the web site  HYPERLINK "http://www.fortiussport.com" www.fortiussport.com and developed the comprehensive corporate identity for Fortius Sport & Health, including the animation of the world-class facility through functional amenities such as “The Training Centre @ Fortius”, “The Lodge @ Fortius”, “The Gymnasium @ Fortius” and “The Bistro at Fortius” and branded areas such as the Barcelona Boardroom, Beijing Studio, Lillehammer Lounge and Athens Patio, along with the Sydney Landing & Oslo Landing for resident partner provincial sport organizations. 

Results

Headquartered in Burnaby, B.C., HUB International TOS is one of more than a dozen regional “hubs” making up Canada’s largest insurance brokerage and one of North America’s top-5. The company required client-centered marketing strategies and tactics to increase its overall brand awareness and a stronger recognition of its specialty practices in areas such as Mining, Marine and Transportation. 

Collaborating with company leadership and management, we developed a brand-based strategic plan for HUB International in 2010. We established a series of mantra taglines designed to invoke the HUB International “advantage”: 

Our Insurance. Your Advantage.

Our People. Your Advantage.

Our Communities. Your Advantage.

Our Knowledge. Your Advantage.

 

We developed key messaging for HUB International as a company that combined its “vast global resources with solid local relationships” and offered clients the “best coverage, value and service”. 

Working with in-house resources, we produced sell sheets, flyers and magazine advertising for the company, including annual campaigns for its marine insurance practice in publications such as Pacific Yachting. All points of contact incorporated the “Your Advantage” series and key value propositions. We also consulted on the development of microsites for its leading specialty practices.

Results

The International Financial Centre – British Columbia required a simplified brand name that avoided users defaulting to the acronym “IFCBC”. It also sought a clearer, simplified approach to marketing the corporate tax and employee tax benefits available to global companies doing business from British Columbia under the International Business Activity Incentive (IBA).

We collaborated closely with board leadership, staff and stakeholders to develop the new corporate name “Advantage BC” and the qualifier “International Business Centre – Vancouver”. We arrived at the mantra “Gateway for Global Business”, along with the simplified descriptor of Advantage BC as a non-profit society established to promote international business in BC. We developed the new role, mission and vision statements for Advantage BC.

  • Our Goal: To promote the legislated fiscal incentives designed to attract global business to British Columbia.

  • Our Mission: To help generate new levels of global business in British Columbia by promoting the many advantages the province offers through competitive tax rates, business climate, work force, modern infrastructure and geography. 

  • Our Vision: British Columbia as a global gateway for business. 

We produced the new corporate identity for Advantage BC, including the new brand name (invoking the growing global influence of Vancouver and British Columbia and an immediate association with Canada on the strength of a stylized maple leaf). We established the mantra promoting BC as a “Gateway for Global Business” as a prominent element in all applications. All major communications platforms were fully-aligned with the new brand name (including  HYPERLINK "http://www.advantagebc.ca" www.advantagebc.ca and @advantagebc).