I’m delighted to share my latest work with The AttoGroup and its family of brands: AttoLife, AttoSure, AttoDiagnostics, and AttoDNA - four laboratories dedicated to making the latest scientific advancements accessible to all.
This project did not begin with four companies called “Atto,” but rather a ‘house of brands’ featuring companies known as AngliaDNA, Claritest, Nkarrco and IDna Genetics, owned by The Thomas Endeavour.
But first, what is a branded house and a house of brands?
Explaining a Branded House
A "branded house" refers to a company that applies a single master brand across all its products or services. This approach leverages the brand equity of the master brand, making it easier for customers to understand and trust new offerings.
Example: FedEx
FedEx is a quintessential example of a branded house. All its services, such as FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Office, are marketed under the FedEx brand. This strategy reinforces the overall brand’s reliability, speed, and efficiency across all services.
Explaining a House of Brands
A "house of brands" refers to a company that markets a collection of individual brands, each with its own unique brand identity. This approach allows each brand to operate independently and target specific markets or customer segments without being tied to the reputation or constraints of the parent company.
Example: Procter & Gamble (P&G)
Procter & Gamble is a classic example of a house of brands. P&G owns a diverse portfolio of brands such as Tide, Pampers, Gillette, and Olay. Each brand is marketed separately and has its own distinct identity, positioning, and target audience. This strategy allows P&G to dominate various market segments and reduce risk by diversifying its brand portfolio.
Creating The AttoGroup
Joining the illustrious ranks of FedEx, Virgin and Apple in brand consultant’s go to examples for Branded Houses is now The AttoGroup. As the group embarks on a growth strategy, the first decision was to adopt this approach so that several leadership roles could be implemented at group level, with the inclusion of cultural and values exercises bringing together the teams in each of the businesses.
Our naming exercise concluded with Atto, a small unit of measurement. In fact, 1 attometer is a quintillionth of a metre. This name is a nod to accuracy of the instrumentation used in the laboratories.
We then had to position, brand and name each of the companies - no mean feat. For example, before AttoSure came to be, we bounced around AttoClear and AttoAnalytical as potential names. However, AttoSure had the connotations of “workplace safety” that would be relevant to that brand - a laboratory focused on “making workplaces and healthcare settings safer by reducing incidents and overdoses related to substance abuse.”
From a visual perspective, STANCE collaborated with Alex Johnston - 3D animation expert - to create an interesting spin on a helix, which would unify the brands in form, but allow for differentiation in colour.
The rest, as they say is history, with all brands now having a web presence. Please explore the brands: AttoLife, AttoSure, AttoDiagnostics and AttoDNA.
