Too much expertise

DNIV Group is a leading global integrated solutions provider and highservice distributor for industrial equipment and machinery. Established in 1995, the group came to be a valued partner trusted for innovative solutions, a wide network of equipment brands, and unparalleled product knowledge.

With four subsidiaries DNIV Electronics Trading (Shanghai) Pte Ltd, DNIV Test Service Pte Ltd, DNIV Systems Pte Ltd, and ABC Link Pte Ltd, DNIV sought to expand into the automotive and medical industries as well as move beyond existing markets, with China as the primary target.

The move was not without its challenges. Expansion meant intensified competition, with many similar companies offering products at a lower cost and faster turnaround times. Moreover, in these new markets, electrical component distributors were often perceived as middlemen of low value.

There was also the lack of distinctiveness between DNIV’s subsidiaries. Were they equipment distributors? Skilled installation engineers? Highly knowledgeable technical support? All of the above, of course, but markets did not perceive this end-to-end expertise. Addressing this became first on the agenda when we came aboard.

DNIV logo
Streamlining to grow: as contradictory as it sounds, uniting as one solid brand was exactly what an established equipment specialist needed for regional expansion

Better together

We spoke with people who’ve known the group for years, long-time equipment brand partners as well as repeat customers that make up 80% to 90% of DNIV’s client base.

We found clients that work and keep working with DNIV do so because they trust the group deeply, counting on solutions that are brand agnostic and always in their best interest. Equipment brands, on the other hand, love the group because they represent brands “as if they own the products themselves”.

With similar functions and overlapping areas of service, DNIV’s various subsidiaries could not stay as standalone brands. We recommended streamlining resources and processes, dropping descriptors, and adopting a Masterbrand approach: all subsidiaries would henceforth identify as one DNIV, anchored on the brand essence “Better together.”

The statement repositioned the brand and redefined DNIV’s real strength—its people. Areas of business were streamlined into an end-to-end service spectrum that highlighted DNIV’s approach to stewarding client projects and product brands with specialist knowledge, a symbiotic relationship defined by brand pillars knowledge, accessibility, and dependability.

DNIV website on laptop, ipad and mobile

Powered by stewardship

This message is unpacked throughout marketing and communications— most evidently by the company website. Communications strategy veered away from industry standard of “cold” machinery and technology, setting DNIV apart with bold messages, colours, and fluid shapes. The design system features animated elements fusing into a bigger whole —
“better together”— alongside dynamic images of people, the core of DNIV. A colour system anchors future-ready orange with fields of stable, technical blue.

The branding exercise concluded in a more efficient, high frequency brand with strong recall. Set apart from lower cost distributors, the rebranded DNIV was freed to create partnerships with even more quality brands and pursue new business and investments. As part of its expansion plan, DNIV undertook diversifying businesses in Indonesia and the Philippines, a move that was not previously possible. With a single strong brand reaching and penetrating new markets, DNIV is well on its way to establishing a higher level of expertise throughout the region.

DNIV graphic element

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