Making the IMRIS Brand, Part 6: Brandguard

After launching the IMRIS brand, we grow it, guard it, and keep it at the forefront of the industry.

Launching the brand was just the beginning. Now that IMRIS’ new “Human Experience” brand is out in the wild, MACLYN’s creative team moves on to our final phase.

Join our Creative Warriors as we take you behind the scenes of the BrandGuard phase, where we curate organic content, continually evolve the IMRIS brand, and maintain a dynamic digital & physical presence.

 Ready?

Let’s get started.

Our story begins with a story wrapped in a story…

CURATING THE BRAND NARRATIVE.

Every story has its heroes. To bolster the brand narrative, MACLYN created a series of Leadership Videos, featuring prominent IMRIS leaders explaining what The Human Experience means to them.

Jay Paonessa, Creative Director, VP: “A brand is a story. And that story doesn’t stop after the first chapter. Good storytellers know that narratives are living, breathing things. The same goes for brands. They change over time. They evolve to stay relevant. As the public conversation shifts, the brand adapts to stay at the center of it. Good brands keep pace with what’s happening in the world around them.”

Bill Murphy, Agency President, Managing Partner: “At this point, the IMRIS brand is out there; we’ve established our position; we have the industry’s attention. Now, it’s time to capitalize on it.”

ALL HAIL THE BRAND.

We curate relevant, engaging brand content that establishes IMRIS as a thought-leader of the industry.

Troy Kelleher, Senior Copywriter: “When we’re building a brand, we immerse ourselves in the industry, and we become near-experts along the way.

“For IMRIS, we learned a ton about surgical technology, and also about the major industry trends, like artificial intelligence, machine-learning, big data – you know, the things everyone’s talking about. The ‘BrandGuard’ phase is where we use all that knowledge to grow the brand’s presence.”

Bill: “We write blogs on hot topics; we comment on related content; we follow major industry publications and raise the banner at trade shows. We’re curating content that’s relevant to IMRIS and relevant to The Human Experience.”

Troy: “Right now, for instance, IMRIS is constantly talking about ‘minimally invasive procedures,’ these surgeries that minimize trauma for the patient. It’s a groundbreaking innovation, and IMRIS technology has a critical role in making it possible. That’s the hot topic right now; and, since it’s about helping humans, it’s a perfect fit for the ‘Human Experience’ brand.”

Jay: “Brand is king. You always hear ‘content is king,’ but content is more like the loyal subject. It does things on behalf of the brand, the king. So, when we write content for IMRIS, we’re not just writing about artificial intelligence and surgical technology; we’re writing about those hot topics in the lens of ‘The Human Experience.’ How does AI impact patient lives? What does the latest advancement in surgical tech mean for surgeons? What do all these innovations mean for humanity?

“We’re not just building content. We’re writing the next chapter of the brand narrative, the story of ‘The Human Experience.’ The brand message permeates everything we do, and that’s critical to growing and strengthening its presence.”

ALL-ORGANIC, ALL THE TIME.

Heavy-lifting: MACLYN’s creative team weaves real-world events into organic brand content. 

Jay: “The sign of a strong brand is that it’s always relevant. It always resonates. The Human Experience is all about doing what’s best for humans – for patients, for surgeons, for hospital administrators. That’s an adaptable, malleable message that can work its way into every topic, every conversation. A new technology gets released; how does it affect the human experience? A new surgical theatre is built; again, what does that mean for the human experience?”

Troy: “The IMRIS brand allows us to be nimble. To act quickly and enter those conversations. We keep a finger on the industry pulse; so, we can publish organic content as real-world events unfold. Today, brand is still the MVP of the advertising game. But content that’s both organic and timely is the oxygen, the life-blood of brand.”

Johnny Tijerina, Senior Art Director: “When we get to MACLYN in the morning, the first thing we do is log onto Twitter and see what the big industry players are talking about. Whatever it is, IMRIS should be in that conversation. When there’s an advancement in minimally invasive procedures, we’re talking about it. A new installation’s built, we’re talking about it. We’re constantly pushing IMRIS to the forefront of that conversation.”

Bill: “You can’t let the brand sit stagnant. You have to move as fast as the industry around you. Faster, if possible.”

BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

When a major industry event is happening, MACLYN’s there, building the IMRIS presence in both the physical and the digital battlegrounds.

Bill: “In the medical world, tradeshows are critical. They’re the platforms where all the industry leaders meet and show-off their innovations. So, when RSNA and AANS roll around, it’s not enough for IMRIS to just show up. We have to make an impression.”

Jay: “Every tradeshow has 2 layers. There’s what you see: the exhibits, the discussions, the crowds. And then, there’s what you don’t see: the digital layer, where just as many (if not more) conversations are happening. There are 2 battlegrounds, and we’re owning them both.”

Troy: “There’s this social-media guru, Gary Vaynerchuk, and he always says, ‘Twitter is the cocktail party of the internet.’ When we’re representing IMRIS at the tradeshow, we have the physical booth, which is important; but we also have the digital presence. We’re live-tweeting. We’re commenting on what’s happening. We’re getting in the middle of that cocktail conversation and centering it on the Human Experience.”

Jay: “We’re building the brand. We’re protecting it. And, as the world changes, we’re evolving it.

“With the right creatives backing it up, the brand story never ends.”

THE END (sort of).

That’s the story of the IMRIS brand (so far).

What’s that?

You haven’t checked out Making the IMRIS Brand: Parts 1-5?

Well, what are you waiting for?

Get the rest of the story here.