PUTTING IT OUT THERE, GETTING A TARGET ACQUIRED
How we helped Crux establish a compelling brand and get bought.
How we helped Crux establish a compelling brand and get bought.
Crux Biomedical developed a novel and much needed filter technology for dealing with dangerous blood clots in the leg. The filter had a brilliant design, and it worked. So Crux had a decision to make: They could add manufacturing capabilities and produce the filter themselves, or they could sell the technology to someone who could. Crux chose the latter.
Here’s how we helped Crux develop a strong identity, solidify their brand and be the belle of the ball.
Identity
Event Graphics
Collateral
Brand Strategy
They say that if you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door. What they don’t tell you is that no one will do anything if A) they don’t know you exist, B) you can’t adequately explain your mousetrap, or C) your mousetrap concept appears unfinished. Crux had a wonderful product, but no identity, inconsistent technical materials and zero narrative. All of this made them at best: invisible.
How could we help Crux develop a polished brand and tell their story with a clear voice that would attract suitors?
It was immediately clear that a strong brand needed to be developed. This would start with a logo and basic collateral. But they also needed a slogan, which would be the entrée into a product story that would tie everything together and form a mature and appealing brand.
What made the Crux filter so innovative was its design. Traditional vena cava filters must be removed from the leg via the…neck(!), while their filter could be placed AND removed from the leg.
Once the brand was established, we had to find a way to get it in front of as many people as possible so that they would learn the Crux story.
Clearly vena cava filters, by definition, offer protection for the recipients. They do this by blocking large and dangerous blood clots from migrating to places they shouldn’t, like the lungs, or brain, or heart…. What made the Crux filter different was that its physical design made it extremely easy to place and remove from a patient. This is a significant innovation since both procedures done in a traditional way carry risks, and are painful for a patient.
When we then considered what best described the Crux filter, three main attributes rose to the top: filtration, protection and innovation. This succinct list sounded like a perfect slogan. Just three words. Simple. We reordered the list and put innovation first, while making protection the last word…clearly…after all, that’s what it’s all about. Crux IS the last word in protection.