CASE STUDY
G7 Connect
Uniting Two Giants to Digitally Transform the Freight Industry in China
Challenge
The logistics industry in China is hugely complex in scale, yet highly traditional in its operations. Most freight companies operate under the same conventional labor-intensive model with low efficiency.
G7 and E6 Technology are both leading IoT SaaS providers striving to transform the road freight industry through “smart logistics” software services based on the Internet of Things. In Q1 2022, G7 and E6 announced their merger. Despite the completion of the initial stage of integration, employees and customers were still uncertain about the direction of the new company.
To further accelerate the integration process, NewCo urgently needed a unified brand strategy. However, as the two companies were both industry leaders, it was important to retain the legacy equities that G7 and E6 established in the market.
Solutions
Prophet’s team started with a series of in-depth interviews with internal and external stakeholders to understand the unique DNA of both G7 and E6. It was crucial to identify the synergies of each organization – the common DNA.
Having gained a deep understanding of the business, we then defined a distinctive and unifying brand strategy: propel the productivity of the logistics industry with IoT SaaS technology and innovations to bring beautiful changes to all industry stakeholders. It clearly defines NewCo’s frame of reference as an IoT SaaS provider in the logistics industry, while creating broader connections with various types of audiences, from big owners of cargo and small logistic company owners to finance managers and truck drivers, by demonstrating a compelling purpose. A powerful tagline was also created to encapsulate the strategy – “Beautiful Changes Happens Now.”
With a robust brand strategy in place, we recommended the Chinese name “G7易流” (G7 Yiliu) that fuses the two names to retain the legacy brand assets from both G7 and E6.
Inspired by the essence of connectivity of logistics networks, our design team developed a unique creative concept of “Unlocking the new pathway together.” The new visual identity adopted the core visual elements from the two companies – the purple arrow from G7 and the green dash from E6. These elements came together to symbolize flowing “turns” and harmonizing “roads”, telling a confident story of how G7 and E6 intersect to form greatness. The newly designed logo and visual system represent human-centered innovation, speed and precision. The color palette was updated, adding turquoise, to give the brand a smart and modern element.
Through this new visual identity system, we successfully maximized both brands’ visual equity while crafting a new way forward to reflect the new company’s new purpose, frame of reference and direction.
Results
The new brand strategy and visual system of G7 Connect, introduced a clear purpose and direction to the business, reassuring employees and customers about the future of the newly merged company. It also served as a guide for external communications across multiple touchpoints, including the CEO’s announcement speech to the theme of its annual client conference.
“It is uncommon and more difficult for a B2B or industrial company to market its strengths in data and technology through a human-centric lens. However, with such strategic guidance, every touch of our communications feels deeply authentic, results-driven and compelling,” expressed Yayun Guo, head of brand communications and marketing at G7 Connect.
“We’d like to thank Prophet for its strong expertise, insights and methodologies that helped accelerate our merger. It allowed us to assess G7 Connect’s strengths and equities in a more thoughtful way while being committed to human-centricity in our long-term strategy. Moreover, the precision in Prophet’s design capabilities lent to creative expressions that embody our brand perfectly.”
“Everyone (within our organization) resonates greatly with the new brand. Our work throughout the year has been centered around how we are bringing beautiful changes to the industry and the organization – the new slogan has become an important anchor point for the whole company.”
Xuehun Zhai
Founder and CEO of G7 Connect