It is the summer of 2012 and watching the Spanish evening news is as depressing as it gets: the banking system is on the brink of financial collapse, youth unemployment levels exceed 50% and the EU is about to rescue the country from an inexorable bankruptcy.
Under this gloomy scenario, a small team of spirited women and men decided to ignite a well-needed spark of encouragement and hope. At this point, South Summit is born as a big wave of support for the innovators and entrepreneurs of this country.
They say the world belongs to the brave and South Summit might well be a proof of that concept. Today, their world-class events serve as a showcase for the most innovative startups in the planet and their business ecosystem is home for one of the most incredibly valuable networks for entrepreneurship and business.
And yet this is not the end of the story. Growth means evolution and evolution means change. South Summit faces the next 10 years with renewed hopes and motivations, but also with a whole new set of challenges and a requirement for their brand to stay relevant to a fast-changing world of business, innovation, technology, and human relationships.
It is time for a brand renovation that can support a new era for South Summit and welcome the new and exciting challenges that are soon to come.
CONNECTING PEOPLE, THE SOUTHERN WAY
At Hanzo, we believe that brands are powerful tools to reimagine the future of a business, as well as a fantastic way to lay grounds for a guided path towards our desired destiny. A brand should not be only about representation, but about purpose, aspiration and elevation too. As I always say: 80% of who we are, 20% of who we want to be.
For South Summit, this means capitalizing on what they already do best: creating valuable connections for businesses and entrepreneurs. But equally important, projecting their very unique way to go about those connections; strongly anchored in the most southern tradition of nurturing relationships.
A way that celebrates people and social life, and it is full of character, positivity and courage. Connecting people through positivity, courage and collaboration in order to build the most valuable network for entrepreneurship and business will be our new brand strategy.
MEETING AT THE SUMMIT
To represent the new brand, nothing better than the concept of the summit. 50% of the brand name. 100% of the purpose.
The summit is a highly symbolic concept that represents achievement and success. The top.
But it is also a point of convergence, affordable to anyone who is willing to put what is needed. Only the best connections at the summit. And as a reward: The best place to look beyond and shape the future together.
A SUMMIT LIKE NO OTHER
The summit, therefore, encapsulates the core attributes of South Summit:
connection, optimism and determination.
But remember, this is a summit like no other. It is the South Summit. It is simple and modern. It has vibrant and futuristic colors. It is full of the type of warmth and liveliness that southern cultures offer to people from all around the world. And it represents the energy and vitality that you will find if you are lucky enough to attend one of the events.
A whole new brand for South Summit, together with an entire universe of brand assets – from a brand new logo or a brand symbol, to a new typography or a unique collection of brand icons – to help the new brand to cover any communication aspect that South Summit might require now and in the future.
But above all, a new brand for a new time. And a companion to hope for the future, one full of optimism, courage and collaboration.
