Brand identity forms the baseline for everything your B2B business does. It speaks to who you are as a company, what you promise clients, and where you aim to go in the future.
And it’s for all of these reasons we’ve been doing a lot of thinking about our name. Dating back to our earliest conversations about starting a company, WebEnertia as a brand carries a deep emotional tie to all of us.
Our name pays tribute to where this business began, but with time it has fallen short of fully capturing who we are. So after more than 20 years, it’s time to bid goodbye to WebEnertia.
Say hello to Clear Digital.
Moving on from the name WebEnertia feels especially personal to me. Back in the late ‘90s, I was in a physics class with Valod, our co-founder and current Director of Technology, and we were fascinated with the concept of inertia. At the time, the property that keeps matter in motion struck us as a cool concept and inspiration for our company.
Then we followed a very ‘90s trend of putting an ‘E’ in front of any digital initiative (a move popularized by IBM) and spelled inertia with an “e.” And lastly, we added the term “Web” in front of “Enertia” since at the time, websites were our only focus.
After these short-sighted business-naming decisions, we launched WebEnertia!
Unfortunately, inertia is also the property that stops things at a standstill from moving forward, which isn’t a trait appropriate for who we are. WebEnertia is also not easily spelled or pronounced. And most importantly, it doesn’t speak to the breadth of solutions we offer our B2B clients today. And as much as our flawed name became endearing in our hearts, we knew it was time for a change.
More than just creating great websites, we help B2B companies navigate organizational change, whether it’s the arrival of a new CMO, repositioning the brand, growing customer base, improving lead capture, securing funding, moving into the next quadrant, or getting acquired.
This, in some ways, was a great opportunity to use the internal know-how to navigate our own change and ask ourselves the same tough questions we ask our clients. However, for a decision this pivotal, you need to inform your approach with research and data.
To help inform the new name and direction, we performed a competitive analysis, a crucial step for any company considering a rebranding initiative. The analysis, along with our brand audit and research, revealed that our name aligned us with smaller niche agencies rather than the best-in-class B2B digital brand experience provider we pride ourselves on being.
Through our brand messaging platform exercises, we established our agency’s purpose, positioning, and promise: To take clients to the next level with digital brand experiences that deliver impact. In a world that talks a lot about digital transformation, we actually deliver. Our digital experiences drive results. They deepen confidence. And they give our clients what it takes to reach the next level.
Our analysis found that our agency’s personality is “genuine,” “smart,” “supportive,” and “diligent.” Collaboration with clients and colleagues is at the heart of who we are. We ask questions. We invite input from every direction. We listen. We care. We build on ideas and are open to different approaches.
As we considered this new phase for our brand, we challenged our leadership team to look beyond the next six months. More than just great-looking design, compelling copy, and skillful programming, we use our solutions to deliver results that make a difference. We want to deepen confidence and set the standard for client experience. And we want to operate an agency that everyone is proud to be associated with.
We needed our name to capture who we are, and will be, for the next 5 to 10 years. In looking for a way to unify all our brand does heading into the future, the choice was, well, clear.
An effective brand identity satisfies an assortment of internal and external needs. We needed a name that set us up for growth and aligned with the internal culture we have worked very hard to create. Plus, we needed our brand to reflect all of our services in a way that sets us apart. With help of NameStormers, our naming agency partner, we evaluated hundreds of possibilities, conducted URL and trademark analysis, and shortlisted names that fit our leadership team’s vision for the next 5 to 10 years.
Clear Digital hit all the right notes.
On the surface, Clear Digital resolves several issues that had been plaguing our brand name. It’s easy to remember and far less confusing. It reflects greater maturity for our brand that’s consistent with who we are now while leaving room for us to create what’s next. Just as importantly, Clear Digital reflects the way we like to work. Transparency and authenticity are ingrained in everything we do, as is an approach that brings clarity in a constantly changing business landscape. With our new identity, we’re in a stronger position to move forward than ever.
Becoming Clear Digital doesn’t just mark a name change. It also marks a shift in our overall approach, which drives what we do for clients. We will still deliver the same services for B2B companies with the same strong drive toward collaboration and high standards for quality work. But with understanding the importance of navigating transformative shifts, we are connecting all of our capabilities to foster strong, lasting relationships that help businesses navigate change confidently.
As we begin our next phase as Clear Digital, I can’t help but remember that our brains cope with change similarly to how we cope with loss. Inevitably, moving away from the WebEnertia name does feel like losing something cherished. But it’s also the birth of something new — something better. Want to know more? Let’s talk about it.
Brand identity speaks to who you are as a company, what you promise clients, and where you aim to go in the future.
Clear Digital has been awarded 12 ADDYs by the American Advertising Federation of Silicon Valley, showcasing excellence in digital marketing and design across B2B sectors.
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