Illuminating an industry leader

JDSU, a B2B technology leader, announced in 2014 that it planned to separate into two distinct companies. JDSU’s $800M optical components and lasers business would become its own, stand-alone, entity.

The JDSU name was well known, yet its brand had lost focus through a series of acquisitions spanning over thirty years. Increasing competition was also feeding perceptions of commoditization. The spin-off was an opportunity to reinvigorate an industry leader around a dynamic and attractive market opportunity.

JDSU’s new spin-off company composed of optical components, lasers, and 3D sensing technologies needed to tackle several key challenges:  redefining its focus, expanding into emerging/growing markets, and managing associations with legacy JDSU. Additionally, employees and vendors needed to understand and support the successful transition.

We developed a brand positioning, “Agility at scale,” that was both forward-looking and credible. It spoke to the company’s ability to help customers keep up with evolving needs, offering them both the agility of smaller competitors yet the critical scale of an industry leader. A messaging playbook was created to help articulate the story to key audiences.

The new name and logo tell a story of brilliance and momentum. Its two agile lines work together closely and dynamically, capturing the company’s focus on better solutions through partnership and expressing its ability to scale quickly and nimbly.  Finally, the color selections of the visual identity wink to the JDSU legacy and signal the breadth of tailored solutions they provide.

Our collaboration helped energize employees, who have embraced the new identity. Business performance is strong and leadership remains excited about the opportunities presented by their new brand story.