CASE STUDY
Embarc Collective
Creating a destination for diverse startup talent
Challenge
Tampa Bay is one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S. and has great potential to become a vital resource for innovation and technology. An innovation hub will be opened to serve as a central location to bring together startup founders, accelerators and incubators, mentors and other resources for the growth of new businesses in the region.
To ensure the success of the hub, as well as the revitalization and growth of the broader region, Prophet was asked to help build a unique brand identity, including a compelling brand story, directive brand persona and unique visual system.
Solutions
Prophet was retained to develop a new brand, name and visual system for the innovation hub. We started by conducting research to understand key success factors for startup ecosystems, touring other innovation hubs and interviewing key stakeholders. We also conducted research on the competitive landscape, aiming to understand the startup infrastructure, current unmet needs in the market and opportunities for differentiation.
The articulated brand narrative and key offerings allowed the innovation hub to take further shape and develop a sense of identity. Using Prophet’s rigorous creative and strategic process, we explored and selected a name and visual attributes for the hub. The process consisted of multiple rounds of name generation, screenings and filtering. Embarc Collective rose to the top as it perfectly represented the hub’s objectives: to be an inclusive community space for entrepreneurs and their teams to launch and build enduring businesses.
In developing the visual identity for Embarc Collective, their logo became the building blocks for the graphic system, celebrating the future-thinking mindset of the startup community. This foundation was used to inform the broader visual system, using rectangular forms to build a cohesive graphic language. The end result was a complete set of brand guidelines for the visual identity system, ensuring consistent execution of the brand across all touchpoints.
Results
Embarc Collective had a successful launch in 2019 with a distinct name, strategic approach and brand identity that differentiates them within their local Tampa Bay community.
This work received a bronze award for print collateral at the 2019 International Design Awards.