Helping a value-added reseller differentiate in a sea of competition.

Harborcoat

Challenge

Harborcoat is a new value-added cyber security reseller partnering with several different types of digital and telecom brands for launch. The main challenge a value-added reseller (VAR) brand faces is the reality that other competitors have access to many of the same products, meaning that differentiation doesn’t often come from the products themselves. This meant looking beyond the products and finding out why a consumer would choose Harborcoat over another VAR.

Approach

We worked closely with Harborcoat’s founding team members to understand what was driving them to start a new VAR company and why they chose cyber security. We also explored the industry as a whole and analyzed competitors to understand where Harborcoat fit into the landscape - searching for specifics that didn’t fit into the mold of the other large VAR companies.

Services

Branding, UX/UI Design

Year

2022

Technology

Wordpress

Website

https://harborcoattech.com/

Branded Symbology

The brand leverages the symbology of a lighthouse, which typically marks a harbor entry (the protective location) but also protects the boats from the terrain that could be dangerous upon their approach. We also tied the “H” from “Harborcoat” into the mark, helping customers quickly identify with the brand and tie the name and symbology together nicely.

Responsive Branding

A visual identity is only as good as its application across different media and contexts. We looked at ways the brand could express itself in collateral, their digital presence, and more physical customer touchpoints. Together, they help create a strong brand image for any customer, one they feel like they can count on when they need them - a true partner to help protect them against the outside world.

Making more of a brand name

Harborcoat’s name comes from a REM song title, and even their company slogan “safety from less tangible things” comes from the lyrics themselves. The song talks about a feeling of protection, which correlated with the founder’s interest in a harbor’s ability to protect boats and a town from the ocean. This provided our team with a natural jumping-off point, but we still wanted the brand to convey a feeling of strength and become a foundation for their customers given they’re in a protective industry.

Safety in security

We wanted to tie the idea of protection to our customers in a real way. Through our discovery process, we realized that many VARs sell their products to customers, but that is where the relationship ends. Harborcoat continues its relationship with customers - a true protective result and one we wanted to convey in how the brand represented itself.