The average American spends about 7 minutes a year thinking about their energy provider. We use it – to power our lights, our computers, our smartphones, our devices – and then we pay for it. And there’s not a whole lot we can do to control how much we pay for our energy.
Except, at Brightergy, we see it differently. We see a better way. We see the convergence of market forces such as advances in technology, rising electric rates, and the rapid growth of internet-connected devices – changes that together are transforming electric energy from a commodity to a customized value-added service. This transformation is disrupting old business models and creating new ones.
Since Brightergy was founded in 2010, we’ve built a business and a team that has helped bring the power of solar energy to more than 600 commercial and tax exempt organizations like yourself through more than 1,200 projects.
Technologies like solar energy are not only viable but also cost-effective, and make it possible for us to generate energy where we need it – at our buildings.
However, solar alone isn’t enough to reshape energy. Last year, we formed alliances with global engineering company Black & Veatch and with Capstone Turbine Corporation to expand our impact – which is now poised to be larger than ever as we continue to develop a comprehensive suite of energy solutions. This is necessary for us to serve as our clients’ energy partner, and as energy company of the future.
As these initiatives formed, the next question was what does the evolved Brightergy look and feel like?
We can own our energy in a way that’s never been possible before, and through a multitude of solutions. Yet Brightergy has still been known primarily for one solution: solar energy. It was becoming clear to us that our brand and identity needed to evolve along with us so that the story and the truth that we share is as evident to our clients and partners as it is to us here.
Step One: What Story Are We Telling?
Our Marketing Team took a close look not just at the logo and other visual brand attributes, but at the story we share as well. Over the last few years at Brightergy, we have evolved from solar to energy company; from project company to energy technology company. The result has been some confusion, internally and in the marketplace, about who we are, what we do, and most importantly, why we do what we do.
In our world, where energy is not only an operating cost, but a liability, we’re empowering organizations to take control of their energy. This isn’t a solution. It’s not even a brand: it’s a movement.
Step Two: The Essence of a Movement
We previously evolved from ‘solar solutions’ to ‘Clean Energy. Clear Choice.’ Our new tagline needed to be bigger than solutions. Through a series of conversations around what we do and how we add value to our clients, we were able to clearly articulate what we work to do: Reimagine Energy.
Why Reimagine Energy? Why a movement?
Movements empower their stakeholders – to “think different” (Apple), to “solve the world’s greatest problems” (Palantir).
At Brightergy, we want to empower our stakeholders to Reimagine Energy.
Our Marketing Team saw a clear difference in taglines that communicate big ideas, and those that communicate solutions.
Under the Big Ideas category, we have the aforementioned Apple and Palantir, along with G.E. – Imagination at Work, NRG – Power to Be Free, and Google – Don’t Be Evil.
Under Solutions, well, we had Brightergy solar solutions.
Reimagine Energy is big. It casts vision. It’s open to possibility and to flexibility, just like our company. It leads with our our “Why,” instead of our “What.” It is product- and service-agnostic, because as we grow to better serve our clients as energy partner and as energy company of the future, we will continue to evaluate new technology and continue to add new solutions that empower our clients to take control of their energy.
It also tells a story – a story about thinking around and disrupting the status quo. About the way we get, use, and pay for our energy now, and about how we see that changing.
Step Three: Visualization
A brand is far more encompassing than a logo, but a brand’s logo is the visual representation of the brand. A logo, be it for a website or a physical shop, can form the identity of a brand. Hence, it needs to be designed well and should help send across its core message to its potential customers. On that note, many businesses may consider visually appealing, unique signs for logo display, designed and manufactured by a houston sign company or a similar firm in a different city. After the rebranding, we might consider getting some signs for our logo, too.
We needed a logo that communicated a few key ideas: simplicity, choice, control, modernity, innovation, and trust. While we’re not yet at a point where we could describe our colors as iconic, the term ‘Brightergy orange’ is pretty common around the office, and our colors were chosen because they convey both energy and trustworthiness. So we voted to keep them.
If you look at our new mark, you’ll see 6 circles grouped together to form one. They represent the energy that is in us, and all around us. They are controlled. You see the blue and orange interchanging, the mark and the logo working together, and you see choice. And most of all, the circle represents the continual process that is reimagining.
Now, we invite you to join us in the movement to Reimagine Energy.
– Adam Blake, Brightergy CEO