Standards Australia

How do you unleash the power of a brand that’s been part of Australian life for 100 years but is virtually invisible?

Expertise Areas

Brand Research & Diagnostics
Corporate Purpose & Purpose Led Transformation
Corporate Brand Strategy
Brand Idea, Identity & Naming

Project Partners

Identity Design: ET Collective

From the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow, everyone in Australia is impacted by the work of Standards Australia, but understanding and awareness is extremely low. Standards Australia’s work ensures communities can go about their lives without having to worry about safety or quality. Everything from the mattress you sleep on, the kitchen kettle, child car seats, how houses are built, skin care ingredients – you name it, and there’s likely a standard for it – all thanks to Standards Australia.

A brand that’s invisible yet everywhere

Employees, contributors and standards development committee members are experts and deeply passionate about the work they do; but the lack of public recognition coupled with the enormous breadth of expertise can make the brand feel unknown, undefined and unvalued. Looking to acknowledge the 100 years of invaluable contribution made to Australian life, whilst ensuring the increased impact on the future, Standards Australia was seeking a brand strategy to drive greater public recognition, employee engagement and pride, whilst building a more emotional and inspiring brand personality for the future. A strategy that would capture the broader purpose that Standards Australia plays for local and international communities and industries.

Setting the standard for the future Standards Australia organisation.

To develop the Standards Australia corporate purpose and strategy, it was essential to gain a deep understanding of how the organisation works, how it’s viewed, and its ambitions for the future. To build the brand strategy from the inside out and the outside in.

Through in-depth qualitative research and diagnostics, it became clear the organisation needed a compelling platform to rightfully claim its leadership position in Australia whilst better reflecting its role on the global stage.

We needed to develop a strategy that shifted the positioning from being perceived as ‘writing standards documents’ to one where Standards Australia is an ‘active driver of Australia’s imagination and innovation’. A growth enabler.

From standards publisher to engine of imagination and innovation

A clear brand strategy, corporate purpose, secondary visual language, and compelling EVP were developed to position the organisation as an innovative growth enabler.

The purpose Setting the standards to empower Australia today and into the future builds on the rich history and is actively forward looking – relevant across industries, communities, government and international partners.

The purpose:

Speaks to the various dimensions of empowerment –imagination, innovation, research & development, sustainability, safety & quality.
Elevates the work that employees, contributors and committee members do – their expertise, experience, dedication, curiosity and humanity.
Creates a tool to attract high-calibre and diverse talent to the organisation.
Shifts positioning from being perceived as outputting standards documents to one where Standards Australia is the driver of Australia’s imagination and innovation.

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