Meketa Investment Group

Creating a dynamic brand to position a premier investment advisory firm in a crowded marketplace

After 40 years in business, and after growing to be one of the premier institutional and advisory businesses in the world, Meketa leadership recognized that their existing corporate brand was not an accurate reflection of the firm. Moreover, their different service areas were presenting themselves differently in their communications (even using different logos), making it difficult for clients and prospects to understand the full scope of the firm’s offerings—on top of creating operational inefficiencies. An exciting new acquisition in early 2019 also needed to be folded into Meketa’s brand architecture to make the most of an important opportunity.

Our collaboration began with a robust qualitative research engagement including one-on-one interviews and focus groups with internal stakeholders, as well as clients. We took a critical look at Meketa’s brand architecture—how the firm was presenting services and offerings externally. Additionally, we surveyed the competition to see where there were opportunities to differentiate Meketa through messages and visual design.

Out of this research came the recommendation to move the firm forward under a master brand strategy. However, to signal Meketa’s depth of expertise in different disciplines, we elevated the firm’s varied services within an intentional client-focused taxonomy to help prospects find what they are looking for quickly and intuitively. We also emphasized the range of clients Meketa serves so that different types of clients understand that Meketa is an option for them—and managed away some of the misperceptions that had clung to the firm. The verbal implementation of this brand strategy is captured in a messaging framework that includes key brand storylines articulating the firm’s value.

Further expressing the new brand strategy and the brand attributes we established, we developed an exuberant, distinctive visual system—including a new wordmark for the firm—that beautifully telegraphs the energy and dynamism of Meketa today. Within that system, we created a suite of templates for in-house design and production of the firm’s print and digital communications.

Meketa’s brand strategy, verbal brand expression, and visual brand expression, together now accurately and compellingly communicate who Meketa is today—and is becoming. Supported by the launch of a comprehensive reimagined website—that we planned, designed, and developed—the firm is now positioned to take best advantage of opportunities to advance their business.

Objectives

Position Meketa as an integrated, global investment consulting and advisory firm—differentiated within a crowded marketplace
Resolve a grab bag of different brands—for different lines of business—into an understandable, valuable whole
Integrate a new acquisition into the Meketa family
Standardize the look and tone of communications across the firm
Accurately reflect the dynamism and energy of Meketa’s business today

Collaboration

Executed a robust qualitative research engagement, including one-on-one interviews, focus groups, audit of current communications, and a comprehensive competitive audit
Developed a master brand strategy for the organization; executed transition plan to bring sub-brands under the Meketa umbrella
Articulated a client-focused taxonomy to signal strength in different disciplines and facilitate cross-selling
Established key brand attributes to reinforce—verbally and visually
Evolved a series of brand storylines: concepts that define the firm’s value
Created an innovative visual brand system, including a new corporate wordmark
Planned, designed, and developed a new firm website
Designed a system of templates for firm communications, including for thought leadership
Documented strategy, messaging, and visual system in a detailed brand book
Most recently, planned, designed, and developed a new, related site for Meketa Capital, the private market investments arm of the firm

Scope

Qualitative research
Internal / external communication audits
Brand strategy / architecture
Messaging
Brand identity
Visual system
Print collateral
Copywriting
User experience design
Web design
Web development
System documentation
Rollout / transition planning / execution

A refined identity to anchor a refreshed brand

The Meketa wordmark now projects a bold, modern approach to helping institutional investors achieve their financial goals. The bar under the “M” serves as a visual anchor, a connection to the firm’s original mark, and a unifying visual element across communications.

Master branding to build comprehension and heft

The new master brand strategy incorporates what were disparately presented sub-brands and builds equity across the firm’s offerings; paired taxonomies of services and client types elevate Meketa’s range of services and client constituencies in a way that makes it easy for prospects to find what they’re looking for—and confirm that Meketa is for them. The new website’s navigation, as displayed below, reflects their refined brand strategy.

The team at Sametz really got to know us—our business, clients, and culture; brought their wealth of experience working with other financial services organizations to our engagement; and did an excellent job engaging internal stakeholders in the rebranding process.”

Rita McCusker

Principal, Director of Client Service, Meketa Investment Group (former)

Cross-organizational business papers

A full suite of stationery brings the entire firm into alignment with the new brand. Meketa’s distinctive palette adds energy and dynamism to all communications, including vibrant business cards that feel fresh and modern.

Firm overview, area overviews, and thought leadership

The firm’s corporate overview—crafted with our support on strategy, writing, and design—provides a compelling look into Meketa’s leadership, culture, and achievements, alongside pieces for specific lines of business and timely thought leadership.

A comprehensive new web presence to provide a compelling first handshake

The website we planned, designed, and developed tells Meketa’s brand story through a clear and direct navigation structure, streamlined copy, and bold use of space, color, and both descriptive and documentary imagery. The site is user-focused, compelling, and delivers results, several years post-launch.

A website for a key subsidiary

We planned, designed, and developed a new website for a recently launched sub-brand, Meketa Capital. In addition to offering information on Meketa Capital’s fund offerings, the new site provides financial advisors with insights on private market strategies, including primers on key asset classes such as private equity and infrastructure. The site provides the appropriate amount of brand differentiation from the parent website, while also building equity in the Meketa brand.

A modern, elegant visual and verbal brand—documented to become a lasting asset

Curated choices across color, type, graphic elements, and a new suite of engaging imagery round out a visual system that sets Meketa confidently apart in a crowded competitive landscape.

Meketa’s entire brand system—including the new brand strategy, messaging, visual brand expression, and representative examples of the brand in action—is documented in a comprehensive brand book: an asset for the firm that will deliver results over the long term.

Now clients and prospects understand what Meketa has to offer in a way that’s intuitive; our print and digital materials are compellingly differentiated from those of our competition; misperceptions are being managed away; and we’re better positioned as an integrated financial services firm. Plus, we couldn’t be happier with our new website!”

Rita McCusker

Meketa Investment Group