Candriam
Conviction and responsibility in asset management
One of Europe's most respected asset management firms, Candriam ("Conviction and Responsibility in Asset Management") is part of the AAA-rated New York Life Group and ranks among the world's largest life insurance companies. Candriam offers innovative and diversified investment solutions in several areas: bonds, equities, absolute return strategies, asset allocation and more recently, real estate.
The context
Emakina and Candriam have been collaborating for more than 7 years. Undergoing rapid change, the asset management company mandated us to help it build its brand identity and provide strategic support for product development and 360° communication.
In this context, Emakina has been delivering Candriam all the services required for its development and communication, from global strategic support and website development to the production of videos and print material, creation of content, creative design and campaigns.
The challenge
At the beginning of its collaboration with Candriam, Emakina identified a series of challenges to be met in order to propose the most relevant approach possible for the creation of the various campaigns and content:
- Stand out from the competition: in a highly competitive sector such as asset management, brands need to be able to differentiate and assert themselves, so it was vital to give Candriam a strong identity.
- Acquire the business expertise to convey the right message: the challenge with a client like Candriam lies in the complexity of the subject at hand. To identify the right message to convey and the right way to do it according to the target (Candriam employees, partners, general public, etc.), you need to have real expertise and master the subject matter.
- Responding to the multiplicity of requests: a major client such as Candriam multiplies the requests for the creation of content and campaigns, and addresses a variety of audiences in different markets. It requires a graphic and strategic approach that ensures consistency between all messages.
Our methodology
From the outset, we wanted to combine the expertise of both teams by setting up a close collaboration with Candriam. This allowed us to quickly learn and understand the meaning of the values of conviction and responsibility on which Candriam is based and to grasp the complexities and subtleties of the investment industry in order to convey accurate and authentic messages, adapted to the targets and their level of investment knowledge.
We have set up a stable, dedicated team, bringing together all the expertise: from insight and strategy to creativity and copywriting, design (digital, print, 3D, motion) and development. The knowledge accumulated by these different contributors about Candriam, its work and its values allows Emakina to respond quickly to requests and brainstorm effectively with the client.
Our Answers
We have developed our approach in such a way that we can respond to different challenges across all campaigns. This is based on the following principles:
1
Less is more
In order to offer a clearly recognisable identity to
Candriam, Emakina proposed a refined and coherent
graphic vision, adaptable to all communication channels.
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2
Knowing your subject matter
Before we start designing a campaign, we make sure that we have mastered
the subject matter by collecting as much information, observations, survey
results and experiments as possible. This allows us to build an information
base on which to create campaigns that respond directly to client needs.
3
User centricity
By providing a better understanding of consumer needs, Emakina's
user-oriented approach succeeds in attracting attention and
communicating in an effective and relevant manner.
4
Flexibility & recognisibility
In order to respond quickly and efficiently to Candriam's numerous
requests and to be able to meet often short deadlines, we have opted
for a flexible visual approach, which at the same time ensures
consistency across all campaigns and media.
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Thanks to the refined and clear graphic style and the simplified visual device proposed by our teams, we are able to adapt the iconography to each message and to quickly decline the proposals, whatever the constraints of time and budget.
The results
If the approach has matured over time, we always find the same fundamentals in the campaigns we produce for Candriam, whether digital or print: disturbing visuals, punchy titles, all with a minimalist approach to bring clarity to the message.
Whatever the message, the target, or the media, the graphic mechanism we have put in place avoids any dissonance with the rest of the communication while allowing Candriam to clearly differentiate itself from the competition. It can adapt to a variety of demands and evolve, while keeping a common thread. This is how we strive, day after day, to make Candriam a "future-proof" brand.