IRI

IRI

We built a brand to shepherd an association through a transformation they were already preparing for. As a legacy association founded in 1938, the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) has historically served Chief Technology Officers and R&D leaders from large U.S.-based manufacturing companies – those in charge of innovation management that led to new growth. Through the decades, innovation leadership and practices have changed dramatically with talent and functions becoming more distributed, and emerging industries bringing new models and methodologies into the mix. The term “industrial” became anachronistic and off-putting to the many of the audiences IRI served and engaged. Furthermore, the association’s portfolio of offerings had become stale, and in some cases, irrelevant. For a member-driven organization that primarily delivers value through highly participatory programs, this scenario was detrimental.

Armed with robust data and a wealth of experience, and through the extensive teaming of staff and volunteer leaders, IRI spent 18 months responding to market changes and audience needs in an effort to develop an entirely new value proposition for innovation leaders. They sought out Mekanic in preparation to launch an entirely new organization and had a palate for a rebrand on another level. A very exciting challenge for our team!

We started by uncovering the perceptions of those involved in the heavy lifting, as well as members, non-members, and organizational partners to better understand the motivations, desires, and barriers to participating in IRI. Our team conducted substantial market research to analyze a very crowded space of competing forces positioned to serve innovation leaders. These insights, and numerous rounds of creative concepting, led to a differentiated brand voice that aligned with the vision of a transformed organization. A new name emerged – the Innovation Research Interchange – that kept the reputable acronym while reflecting a modern and inclusive organization, and one attractive to leaders of all ages. We continued our work to position the suite of new offerings, and created complementary sub-brand names that aligned with the brand tone, identity, and story. A visual identity was shaped by the organization’s promise to advance the field of innovation management through high-level interchanges of knowledge, experiences, research, trends, and training opportunities. IRI launched its rebrand at a highly-attended annual Member Summit with an energizing video and on-stage delivery of the story behind the sea change. The well-received debut was supported with brand adoption materials that were provided to the membership, both to encourage pride in their profession and guide the way in which they speak about the new IRI.