Case Study
A rebrand brings customer-first thinking to a 30-year-old networking company
Does rebranding and a strong brand positively impact a company's valuation and attractiveness to investors? The acquisition of Men&Mice, a 30-year-old Icelandic tech company, by the Canadian multinational BlueCat, for 29 million US dollars, is an example of this.
Svetlana Graudt & Men&Mice
- Brand strategy
- Mission, vision, positioning, TONE OF VOICE
- Copywriting
- DIGITAL MARKETING
- Internal messaging
- Finalist of Lúðurinn, the Icelandic Advertising Awards
Telling a brand new story
With a legacy of robust network management solutions, Men&Mice stood as a critical player in the global IT infrastructure landscape. Their innovative approach to DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (DDI) empowered enterprises to navigate the complexities of modern networks.
In 2020-2021, I contributed strategic direction to Men&Mice's inaugural top-to-tail rebrand.
Through a bold, new visual identity, redesigned website, and approachable corporate voice, developed in partnership with a world-class Icelandic agency Kontor, we transformed the Men&Mice brand, leveraging their strong name to showcase their innovative and human-first network management philosophy and position them for the future.
With a legacy of robust network management solutions, Men&Mice stood as a critical player in the global IT infrastructure landscape. Their innovative approach to DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (DDI) empowered enterprises to navigate the complexities of modern networks.
In 2020-2021, I contributed strategic direction to Men&Mice's inaugural top-to-tail rebrand.
Through a bold, new visual identity, redesigned website, and approachable corporate voice, developed in partnership with a world-class Icelandic agency Kontor, we transformed the Men&Mice brand, leveraging their strong name to showcase their innovative and human-first network management philosophy and position them for the future.
Strategic rebrand delivers results
We were shortlisted as finalists in the 2020 Icelandic Advertising Awards.
After 3 years, the company was acquired by BlueCat Networks for USD$29m.
We were shortlisted as finalists in the 2020 Icelandic Advertising Awards.
After 3 years, the company was acquired by BlueCat Networks for USD$29m.
The process: From Strategy to Visual Identity
I led the brand strategy, defining core messaging and value propositions, while providing actionable solutions for enhancing user experience and market positioning. I also directed the development of a refined tone of voice, working closely with copywriters to ensure clarity and impact.
Building on my strategy, Kontor created a design system that emphasised clarity and accessibility, reflecting the simplicity Men&Mice brings to complex network management.
The new brand purpose helped maintain internal focus on technological advancement while shaping external communication around the core benefit of simplified network management.
The visual language highlighted the precision and clarity that Men&Mice brings to every network operation, and the people behind it.
I led the brand strategy, defining core messaging and value propositions, while providing actionable solutions for enhancing user experience and market positioning. I also directed the development of a refined tone of voice, working closely with copywriters to ensure clarity and impact.
Building on my strategy, Kontor created a design system that emphasised clarity and accessibility, reflecting the simplicity Men&Mice brings to complex network management.
The new brand purpose helped maintain internal focus on technological advancement while shaping external communication around the core benefit of simplified network management.
The visual language highlighted the precision and clarity that Men&Mice brings to every network operation, and the people behind it.
- 1
Website migrated - 3
Collaborated with a team of 3 experts and external providers to design content for the new website, migrate the website to a new platform and optimise SEO, enhancing online visibility and user experience. - USD$29m
Sold to BlueCat Networks, post rebrand
Brand with a strong visual language
We knew we needed to strike a perfect balance when designing for the future: leaving intact our award-winning solution and customer service, and also honouring our deep technical roots, but introducing a new brand that would change our entire image and launch us forward into growth. From an original typeface and bold colours and imagery to more user-friendly licensing and new product names – we changed it all! There’s even a fun mascot, Amper.
“We decided to try to convey deeply technical concepts with easy-to-understand imagery, like dots, and play with them,” said Elsa Nielsen, the design director at Kontor Reykjavik. “We wanted to make the new design clean, human, and modern so that it could live now and through many changes in the future.”
Our biggest change to announce is probably the name of our product and how we deliver the solution to the world. Formerly called the Men&Mice Suite, Micetro by Men&Mice is a play on the word ‘maestro’ as all elements of an enterprise’s network require a ‘conductor’ to orchestrate each individual element into a cohesive whole to perform at their best.
We knew we needed to strike a perfect balance when designing for the future: leaving intact our award-winning solution and customer service, and also honouring our deep technical roots, but introducing a new brand that would change our entire image and launch us forward into growth. From an original typeface and bold colours and imagery to more user-friendly licensing and new product names – we changed it all! There’s even a fun mascot, Amper.
“We decided to try to convey deeply technical concepts with easy-to-understand imagery, like dots, and play with them,” said Elsa Nielsen, the design director at Kontor Reykjavik. “We wanted to make the new design clean, human, and modern so that it could live now and through many changes in the future.”
Our biggest change to announce is probably the name of our product and how we deliver the solution to the world. Formerly called the Men&Mice Suite, Micetro by Men&Mice is a play on the word ‘maestro’ as all elements of an enterprise’s network require a ‘conductor’ to orchestrate each individual element into a cohesive whole to perform at their best.
“
“We decided to try to convey deeply technical concepts with easy-to-understand imagery, like dots, and play with them, setting the dots in motion.
We wanted to make the new design clean, human, and modern so that it could live now and through many changes in the future.”
We wanted to make the new design clean, human, and modern so that it could live now and through many changes in the future.”
Logo
The inspiration for the new Men&Mice logo is multi-pronged: our famous ampersand, IP addresses, our unique overlay solution, to name a few. The three overlapping circles are reimagined dots from an IP address, overlaying one another in harmonious concert, to create an ampersand that used in tandem with our new typeface. And yes, there’s a playful wink to our mouse origins.
Amper
The mascot, Amper, was born out of the ampersand in the logo. Used as a standalone graphic on-screen as a chatbot, on merchandise and social channels, Amper adds a sense of humanity and playfulness to the brand.
Colour palette
An audit of companies working in the same technological space revealed their preferred colour scheme – grey and blue. So, we made the decision to focus on bright RGB colours that really popped on computer screens. School bus Yellow and Black are the primary colours, while Rose and Blue Gem play a supporting role and appear in icons.
Images
A pattern of dots was layered over all black-and-white images as a reference again to the IP address.
Fonts
The new typeface, Apercu Pro, is highly legible and a little playful. Used in four weights across, its rounded forms, including dots and letters, match Men&Mice’s new character.
Icons
Kontor developed a series of icons that brought simplicity to the complex technology, as seen across the new company website. Every icon features a mobile overlay, one of the main characteristics of the Men&Mice network management tool, Micetro.
The inspiration for the new Men&Mice logo is multi-pronged: our famous ampersand, IP addresses, our unique overlay solution, to name a few. The three overlapping circles are reimagined dots from an IP address, overlaying one another in harmonious concert, to create an ampersand that used in tandem with our new typeface. And yes, there’s a playful wink to our mouse origins.
Amper
The mascot, Amper, was born out of the ampersand in the logo. Used as a standalone graphic on-screen as a chatbot, on merchandise and social channels, Amper adds a sense of humanity and playfulness to the brand.
Colour palette
An audit of companies working in the same technological space revealed their preferred colour scheme – grey and blue. So, we made the decision to focus on bright RGB colours that really popped on computer screens. School bus Yellow and Black are the primary colours, while Rose and Blue Gem play a supporting role and appear in icons.
Images
A pattern of dots was layered over all black-and-white images as a reference again to the IP address.
Fonts
The new typeface, Apercu Pro, is highly legible and a little playful. Used in four weights across, its rounded forms, including dots and letters, match Men&Mice’s new character.
Icons
Kontor developed a series of icons that brought simplicity to the complex technology, as seen across the new company website. Every icon features a mobile overlay, one of the main characteristics of the Men&Mice network management tool, Micetro.
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