30 laboratories that become an umbrella brand

What happens when entrepreneurial growth overtakes your own identity?

Growth is good for any company. But it's rare to see a case like Limbach's: within just a few years, the owner-managed laboratory in Heidelberg has become a group operating throughout Germany with over 30 laboratories, 300 specialists and 5,000 employees. This rapid growth came at a price: The group had no uniform brand, no overarching values and no real identity. For us and the client, this meant that an exciting journey was about to begin: We set out to find nothing less than Limbach's identity. Who should the laboratory group be? How should it operate on the market and how should it be perceived by the target groups - i.e. medical specialists?

Key Facts

• Brand design
• Corporate design
• Web platform and rollout for 30 laboratories and clinics
• Digital diagnostic guidelines for hospitals, practices and specialists

Creating identity - with a unique design and a strong umbrella brand

Do you know what holds groups together? There are probably many things. But one thing is certain: Every group uses its own symbols. Think of a university, for example - it has a seal. Or think of the Christian religion. Its symbol is the cross. But what can be the symbol for a company like the Limbach Group? 
We'll tell you: a monovette. Because it is a carrier for medical samples. It symbolizes the products that doctors receive from the Limbach Group. As a symbol, it becomes the essence of the company. And in the graphic implementation of the brand, it is the basis of an identity-creating design that brings the various locations together.

The brand synchronization of laboratories, clinics and specialist practices

30 laboratories, clinics and medical practices throughout Germany ... How do you manage to get all groups and interests on board? The answer is as simple as it is challenging: collaboration is the only way. And the key to positive collaboration for us was joint workshops. The overall strategy was presented in these workshops - and the opinions of individuals were heard. That is change management in action. Every laboratory was able to contribute positively and constructively to the development process of the new umbrella brand. And shape the new brand and the new identity together with the others.

Digital platforms drive brand implementation ahead

We proved once again on this job just how quickly we can implement. We managed the design and media rollout for the Limbach Group in record time. We used a web-to-print solution as a tool for this. This means that laboratories, doctors and clinics had access to all materials on a digital platform. These could be individualized there, downloaded in the correct corporate design and sent to the print shop in the next step. This reduced the coordination effort enormously. At the same time, we standardized the Group's websites. To do this, we implemented a multi-site approach technologically. With this, the customer can now easily create individual content for every laboratory, every practice and every clinic.