Background

Big Fish Communications, Inc. (Big Fish) was a provider of enterprise-level email protection and message management services. Privately held, the company’s solutions protected corporations from spam and other computer virus attacks. Big Fish operated in a market that was experiencing accelerated category expansion. In an attempt to keep pace with the category, Big Fish Communications engaged RiechesBaird in a brand development initiative designed to maximize their value in the marketplace and position them for acquisition.

Issue

Like the rest of the technology industry, Big Fish operated in a category that was rapidly evolving. Further complicating matters, there was not a clear definition of the category in which Big Fish operated. They identified themselves in the anti-spam market, but their product offering was much broader than this classification.

In addition, Big Fish was not a well-established brand, and the name of the company did not convey the security or legitimacy required to be considered a serious competitor in the industry.

Strategic Insight

Through our brand development process, RiechesBaird identified three major insights to be addressed through the initiative:
(1) A a clear definition of Big Fish’s category,
(2) further development of the brand identity and
(3) development of an aggressive go-to-market plan in order to establish Big Fish as a competitor in the industry.

Result

RiechesBaird helped Big Fish redefine its category by moving away from the singular anti-spam space and broadening their stated purpose to claim ownership of enterprise email management services.

Additionally, RiechesBaird created a new brand identity that included renaming and logo development. Big Fish was renamed FrontBridge to reflect its front-line defense of enterprise email systems. As the company was positioning itself for sale, the name FrontBridge established more credibility against other potential players that might be acquired.

Lastly, RiechesBaird created a go-to-market plan that was implemented in conjunction with the new brand identity, allowing FrontBridge to go from less than $1 million in sales to over $20 million in just a few years. The brand development efforts conducted by RiechesBaird ultimately positioned FrontBridge for sale. In 2005, three years after the initial engagement with FrontBridge, the company was acquired by Microsoft for an unprecedented sum.