Storyboard: Rattling the cage of convention

A new brand that isn't afraid to roar helps two young bankers to stand out from the rest in the traditionally conservative financial services jungle.

The challenge

When Laetitia Peterson and Michael Lodge, two thirty-somethings with banking backgrounds, decided to set up a boutique international equities investment fund, they knew they would face more than just the usual new business start-up hurdles.

The financial services industry is dominated by big brands backed by tradition and a substantial "old boys" network.

Peterson and Lodge decided they had to get noticed, and quickly. They decided that their company's brand was going to be one of the most important ways to get recognition.

The strategy

As with any start-up, the temptation was to skimp on developing the brand. But Peterson and Lodge resolved that in the long-term interests of the business, its name, look and feel had to reflect the culture right from the start.

They approached Auckland design company Dow Design with this brief: the name needed to reflect the culture of the new business, which was about being quick and nimble compared with their competitors, taking a relaxed but efficient approach, and doing so without pomp or ceremony. They were new and proud of it.

Two lists of possible names were drawn up - list A containing "traditional" ideas and list B "braver" names.

They were drawn to "Liontamer", which sat at the top of list B.

The financial markets are often described as the "Lion" - because they can be volatile beasts.

Through their products, Peterson and Lodge were also providing investors with capital protection, taking the risk out of - or "taming" - the markets. So "Taming the Lion" was exactly what they did and what they wanted to convey.

The execution

The next step was to devise an overall design look and feel for the brand. Liontamer's bold, red colouring combined with a sharp and simple design to reflect the seriousness of financial services.

While the intention was to have a name that raised eyebrows, that needed to be tempered with the serious business of investing people's money.

"[The name] is deliberately unexpected and, therefore, grabs your attention," said Dow Design founder and director Annie Dow.

"The lion symbolises the world's sharemarkets - often volatile and aggressive. Our client is taming the volatility by protecting investors' capital and removing the fear factor from investing - that fear we all have of losing our money."

The result

Liontamer successfully launched eight funds in its first year in the retail market and, last November, was ranked third most exciting company in the financial sector in a survey by the National Business Review and New River.

"We're out there all right," Peterson said.

"The branding has provided a talking point from day one. There's no doubt our excellent visibility has been a factor in gaining the attention of prospective international partners for our investment products."

The lessons

Peterson and Lodge said one lesson they learned was the need to be prepared to listen and react to criticism when launching a brand.

Several financial advisers told them they were concerned the brand would raise eyebrows in the 50-to-65-plus-year-old target market. To counter this, and introduce the brand, the "Liontamer story" was included on all literature.

Dow Design's background is mainly in the fast-moving consumer goods area, so the firm was moving into new territory by taking on a client in the financial services arena.

But Peterson and Lodge said they also learned not to pre-judge an agency by its experience.

Taking the risk of employing a non-financial sector specialist design agency gave them a set of fresh eyes.

They enjoy telling people that their design agency designs milk bottles and beer bottles.