Zix and Studio Science work together to craft a cohesive brand strategy after the acquisition of AppRiver.
Zix, a publicly-traded enterprise cloud security company, acquired AppRiver in 2019. AppRiver and Zix were a perfect match, as Zix shored up AppRiver’s software capabilities, and AppRiver was the key to bringing Zix into the SMB market. Each brand came with its own clients and brand identity. The companies needed a comprehensive brand strategy to maintain customer trust and brand equity.
Zix approached Studio Science to create a cohesive brand strategy. We began by visiting both companies’ offices, speaking with employees, and speaking with clients to understand the two companies’ personalities better. The two identities were drastically different. AppRiver, who primarily focused on the SMB market, approached their marketing with a campy and enthusiastic persona. This approach was extremely effective for their target audience, making IT feel approachable for technologically challenged small businesses. Zix, appealing towards more sophisticated enterprise-level businesses, came with a sleek, traditional IT brand, conveying expertise to the kinds of companies that have dedicated IT and change management departments.
Upon discovering the differences between the two brands, Studio Science determined that Zix would function best as a family of brands. Rather than merging the two disparate brands into one, to best preserve brand equity, AppRiver would position itself as a Zix company. Studio Science created new brand identities for both AppRiver and Zix, based on each brand’s aspects that established trust. We also made web experiences for both arms of the new Zix family, ensuring that they would feel connected through visual identity and ease of navigation between the two sites. We also ensured that both sites were managed under the same CMS, allowing for easy edits and continuity.
Zix family users can engage with and navigate a seamless experience across the two brands with ease and consistency. Employee experience has improved within the singular CMS. With the new comprehensive service model offering, Zix and Appriver positioned themselves for continued growth within the industry’s fastest-growing segment.
