Over lunch the other day, I showed Ashley, a friend of mine, a sneak preview of our brand re-launch. As I explained the concepts, key messaging, and our overarching purpose, he grasped it all in seconds. However, his curiosity led him to ask why we embarked on this rebranding journey, what triggered it, and why we invested so much in the process. His questioning lead me to reflect on our decision and prompted me to share the story behind our brand, our mission, and how we got to where we are today. So, here is the tale of 6clicks' rebranding journey, a story I hope you will enjoy.
Like most startups, our initial brand was little more than a logo and a color palette designed by a freelancer. The primary goal was simple: convey the name, create a favicon for our app, establish a basic color palette, and select a font. This allowed us to launch a website, develop a style slide deck, and lay the foundation for our identity.
For those who haven't read it, I encourage you to check out the backstory of the name 6clicks. In short, the name represented a design principle we embraced when building the app: making it easy and intuitive for people. However, we didn't delve much deeper into the broad concept of our brand at that time, mainly because we hadn't spent enough time in the market to fully grasp its significance and, naturally were focused on developing the essential aspects of the product.
As 2020 progressed, we found product-market fit, but our brand became somewhat disoriented, further exacerbated by the creation of several sub-brands. We failed to clean up and align our brand with the evolving market needs, leading to what economists would call a "high cost of regret." It was frustrating as through our own efforts we'd essentially lost our branding way.
During 2021 and 2022, we started to rein in the creatives and limit the uncontrolled use of the brand. An agency helped us to refine with background images, expanded style options, and a broader color palette. We began to see some improvements, but limitations still emerged blue-washed images, inconsistent language, varying use of visuals, and overall inconsistency.
At the start of 2023, our leadership team met in person for the first time since the pandemic, using the opportunity to workshop our plans for the year ahead and refine our go-to-market strategy and mission. It was during this gathering that we crystallized our brand essence: "GRC software that's smart. Not complicated." This phrase encapsulated everything we stood for — innovation, thought intelligence, ease of use, and more. It took the initial concept of 6clicks to the next level; our brand was maturing.
From that point on, my co-founder Louis and I collaborated with our agency to peel back the brand and scope, allowing the creative juices to flow. Everything was on the table for exploration. This time was different, and the process was brief. We had grown over 200% in the previous year and were gaining traction in markets around the world. We wanted to overcome limitations and establish a foundation for our ambition to become a billion-dollar business.
Throughout the rebranding process, we meticulously examined our competition, studying both industry giants and disruptive newcomers. We sought inspiration from a wide range of sources to ensure our brand would stand out in the market. We wanted our community to connect with our brand, not just our product.
It took us approximately four months and countless iterations to arrive at the final brand concept. The abstract images played a crucial role in conveying not just our product but also our aspiration to challenge the norm, have the confidence to be different, and embrace our shared humanity. While our software is used by thousands of users globally, what we promise goes beyond functionality. We promise to innovate, move swiftly, think deeply, and have confidence to push boundaries on every front. The abstract images also serve as a reminder that we are all human. We recognize the beauty of being human. We understand that great software serves as an enabler, but it is humans who ultimately make it all work, humans who inspire us, and humans who ensure our safety.
The journey of rebranding 6clicks has been a labor of love, driven by our mission to simplify and enhance risk and compliance management. We have come a long way from our humble beginnings, continuously learning and evolving along the way. Our new brand is not just a visual representation; it is a reflection of our purpose and commitment to empower people and organizations worldwide. It represents our growth and commitment to delivering exceptional solutions. We invite you to join us on this next step in our journey as we strive to make risk and compliance management smarter and simpler for everyone.
Remember, great things can happen with just a few clicks. Explore our new website
here.