Our brand is a springboard. We want to change the world… or, at the very least, to impact the future of renewable energy in our corner of the globe. As a finalist in the 2021 Charge Energy Branding Awards, we had to prepare a case study on our brand and brand journey. We have pulled out some of the highlights (it was a big document!) to share with you our approach and thinking.
Geothermal: The Next Generation is a five-year government-funded research programme, but we wanted to create something that would endure beyond the defined contract term. Like many research programs, we built a website to share research results, but we also set out to build a brand, born from our vision for the future — where the people and natural environmental of Aotearoa New Zealand are healthy and thriving. To achieve this requires realising energy opportunities that are local, abundant and renewable.
A brand is more than a logo. A strong brand differentiates and clearly identifies us, and is how our stakeholders recognise and experience this journey to supercritical.
‘The Next Generation’ refers to the need to look forward and build the next generation of scientists, decision-makers, research methods and innovative technologies. The journey to a supercritical New Zealand will be long. We will need to provide future leaders with the information, insights and ability to find, access and utilise supercritical geothermal energy.
To inform decision making, our brand must be a trusted source of information. Supercritical geothermal has many unknowns and we don’t have all the answers, but we are sharing what we do know and learn. We have committed to publishing regular ‘updates’ posts (like the one you are reading now!), covering basic explanations of scientific concepts, sharing research findings, and providing an assortment of information to engage our stakeholders. We share these posts to social media platforms, primarily LinkedIn and Facebook, to gain wider reach.
By curating information, we’re aiming to ensure quality, build more meaningful connections, and to play our part in creating a more prosperous Aotearoa New Zealand. We’ll know we’re successful when others embrace a supercritical geothermal future and champion it in their space.
