A brand that electrifies
What did we do:
Brand workshops | Consumer research | Brand research | Competitive Analysis | Positioning | Brand Strategy | Brand Naming | Brand Design | Website design and build
Niko
Project overview
Formerly known as Tesla Consultants, Niko is a company of electric power engineers and consultants. They had been trading under the Tesla name since 1995 –(‘Consultants’ had only been added in the 2000’s, after a trading agreement with an unknown US electric car company…)
The team came to us with an obvious problem – being named after the genius Czech inventor Nikola Tesla, they had to deal more and more with the confusion driven by Elon Musk’s EV global giant – Tesla.
They absolutely loved their name, which was so relevant to their industry and their way of thinking and working so they were unsure how to move forward. They knew they needed to change name but they wanted to retain the strong equity their current brand had, leveraging their reputation and position in their market, while evolving to a more recognisable identity.
We conducted a workshop with the SLT to understand their business history, future objectives and desires towards the new name and brand identity. We researched how the competition was operating in the market. We surveyed their staff to get engagement and involvement into the project. Lastly, and most importantly, we interviewed their clients to understand their needs of the industry, their thoughts and perceptions towards the current brand and services.
This extensive research phase efficiently informed our brand strategy. Our thinking was driven by the idea that complex problems need simple delivery. Because that’s what Tesla Consultants were doing, thanks to an unmatched level of expertise and experience in their field, in a genuinely friendly way.
As we focused on a simple way to convey this uniqueness, we asked the team to decide between starting fresh, exploring wider creative routes for their new name, or continuing, building on their strong link to the Tesla name and the inventor himself.
They chose the continuity route and, inspired by the famous inventor, we landed on “Niko”, standing for Nikola, Teslas’ first name. This was a modern and smart way to keep the reference to beloved Tesla, with no direct use of its patronym, it was bringing the sense of familiarity and approachability their clients praised.
Quickly, it became the most popular option across the SLT and staff, and Tesla Consultants became Niko.
Industry Context
The electric power design industry is a high-expertise driven market. With only a couple of players managing stations and substations, only the consultants who have the extensive knowledge and experience are considered for jobs.
Niko was definitely highly regarded within the industry, with some of their clients calling them “best of breed”. Tesla consultants also praise themselves for having the highest number of senior engineers able to think through durable and innovative designs across all aspects of the electric power industry.
The Challenge
Obvious confusion with EV global company Tesla Inc. was a major issue for the company who was seeing its equity shrink as “the other Tesla” was booming.
However, the strong attachment the full company, staff and board alike, had for their name was a real challenge to overcome. They needed a name that was able to tell their story just as well.
Moreover, as the industry is moving and evolving, they needed a name that would be future proof, and convey their very unique way of working – with expertise and approachability – even better than Tesla Consultants would have.
Strategy
Thanks to our thorough research process which involved in-depth assessment of their current brands and competitors, as well as qualitative interviews and surveys with stakeholders and staff, we managed to understand the big picture of the Tesla Consultants brand ecosystem.
We highlighted that the company was driven by a team of highly qualified and experienced engineers, ready to bring their clients innovative and high quality design for their high voltage jobs. Thanks to their extensive knowledge of the electric power industry, we understood they could address particularly complex jobs in an efficient manner. We also understood that the teams keep clients informed and aligned, working in partnership with project managers, in a very appreciated responsive and transparent manner.
Naming Process
All of this helped us shape our thinking, especially around naming. Working hand in hand with the Tesla Consultants board, we guided them to embrace the core element of their identity, which was informing all of the others: simplicity. Complex was made simple thanks to expertise. Complicated projects were made simple because of the approachable and helpful nature of their teams. The Tesla heritage was simply flowing through well shared innovative thinking.
Creative
The creative part was also driven by the need of preserving the continuity with Tesla Consultants. We therefore focused on evolving the Sine wave logo they had, turning it into a more stylised, less literal and more modern symbol.
We integrated it fully with the name rather than keeping it separate. To us, it was a great way to reinforce the high level of expertise that lay within the team (not aside!). The N of Niko was the perfect typographic element to bring this wave in.
In terms of colours, we fully embraced our clients preferences for simplicity and kept most of the collateral and website streamlined, echoing the logo colours for a stronger consistency and a serious look and feel.
Evolution of the sine wave symbol
Results
Tesla Consultants launched their new brand and identity in August 2023. They were proud to explain to their stakeholders that, transitioning to Niko, they were keeping the reference to the remarkable inventor, whose legacy continues to inspire them. The shift to Niko has allowed them to maintain this tribute while refreshing their brand for a new era.
Early feedback from the SLT is the new brand has been well received amongst staff and clients alike.
