Otava
Learning: For Impactful Teachers

If a brand is not able to bring added value to customers, it won’t stand out. Sounds simple – but that’s exactly what Otava Learning was struggling with. However, competitor analysis proved that other brands in the learning materials business in Finland were also lacking a strong identity. Thus, there was a a clear void to be filled: whoever could define their added value effectively and communicate it in an engaging style, would be able to take a strong lead in the market.

Research experts at Asiakastutkimusakatemia conducted a thorough look into the everyday realities of Finnish teachers. This ‘Teachers Today’ report revealed a stark reality: a teacher’s workday is very fragmented and the majority of it is anything else than actual teaching. In these circumstances, the Otava Learning brand had to find a credible way to connect with teachers – and to revise its own identity both externally and internally.

Duran’s aim was to build a brand that would speak to the teachers and place Otava Learning firmly on their side. This wasn’t merely about external modifications, but a reboot of the entire way of thinking at Otava Learning.

The brand refresh project started with the basics: formulating a brand strategy and updating the visual identity, to better align with other brands in the Otava publishing family. These changes would make the brand distinguishable and approachable in the future. Simplifying the brand hierarchy within the entire Otava organization would also lead to cost and time savings in the future by making brand management more straightforward.

On a strategic level, the change was even more significant. In the process, we anchored the new brand strategy to link closely with the existing business strategy. The business strategy had already placed customer centricity at its core, but thus far this idea wasn’t effectively communicated by the brand.

The new brand promise ‘For Impactful Teachers’ became the guiding idea for the brand. The brand promise is not a mere slogan, but a clear objective for every customer contact and a driver for business development.

In addition to communicating Otava Learning’s added value externally, the refreshed brand can improve internal operations. Because the internal launch was conducted systematically and in a manner that took into account all staff members’ individual roles, everyone in the company now understands the part they play in making the brand promise come true every day. This means the brand assists in decision-making at all levels of the organization.

The brand work was put into practice in multiple applications and channels. The website was updated to communicate the new visual and verbal style; photographer Jan Lönnberg created new images that focus on the teachers; and PowerPoint templates, social media imagery, and other applications were switched to line up with the refreshed brand.

The new Otava Learning was also embodied in a new brand film, directed by internationally renowned Finnish film director Klaus Härö. The film puts the spotlight on the most impressive people: the teachers.