Branding a global network event for startups

Client

Superconnectors is a new network-event format where selected startups pitch for game-changing connections from a highly-connected audience (the ‘Superconnectors’). As such, startups pitch for social capital instead of financial capital. Editions are hosted as exclusive side-events to startup conferences around the globe like Slush, WebSummit and SXSW. Visit site: superconnectors.io

Challenge

Since most startup pitch events focus on raising money and few are about finding the right people, the first editions of Superconnectors received overwhelmingly positive response. This urged it’s creators Jan Hein Hoogstad and Stein Fortuin - startup founders themselves - to make Superconnectors an independent organisation with its own team led by Alexander Broekman, with the ambition to become a scalable global event format like TED(x), Fuckup Nights and Pecha Kucha.

To support this ambition, they asked Elwin to create a solid Brand Strategy and translate it into all necessary brand assets; an iconic Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Copywriting, Event Concept, Website and Brand Video. This would need to happen on a startup budget, within a limited timeframe and most importantly; it needed to make them burst into the scene with a big bang.

Work

Fortunately a series of test-events were already running, allowing Elwin to study the audiences well - Startups, Superconnectors and the first Partners - combined with online and offline market- and competitor analysis. Based on the concept’s biggest USP’s to their audiences, Elwin formulated a Brand Strategy and created its consequent Visual Design briefing, Marketing Strategy, Event Concept, Copywriting, Website wireframe and Brand Video script. Based on the StoryBrand framework, all brand assets are optimised to trigger action, using a clear content hierarchy, minimal wording and “ruthlessly cutting away everything that doesn’t sell”.

Teaming up with the client’s designer Isis Dankers, the Brand Identity was created, incorporating as many as possible brand characteristics while maintaining a minimalist look. The Event Concept, in both it’s online- and offline experience components was refined, utilising Elwin’s experience in events, including the creation of a newly developed digital dashboard for the realtime ‘bidding of connections’. The website was created, merging the fresh Brand Identity, Wireframe and Copy. At the soonest event edition our videoteam recorded event-footage while interviewing the Superconnectors’ team and participants in an adjacent studio. The team explained the concept as snappy as possible, following a clear script and illustrated by the event footage, while participants shared their contagious excitement and thoughts on our event concept as well as stories on the over-all value of networking in their lives. This resulted in an eye-popping Brand Video and an added bonus of loads of extra recorded participant stories to use as website testimonials and social media content. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!