Rebranding CSI

When you're the organization that guides how buildings are built in America, your brand needs to connect intelligence with inspiration.

The Challenge

Since 1948, CSI has been the association that creates and maintains the standards that guide America’s construction industry. Under dynamic new leadership, the association wanted to bring that rich legacy front and center in their brand to address a number of challenges: membership was graying, certifications needed updating, and the organization needed to attract more diverse construction professionals.

Insight

CSI serves members in two distinct ways — Life Projects and Life Goals. The former addresses urgent professional needs for the latest information on construction materials and assemblies, including proper installation and emerging technologies. The latter addresses the need for personal and professional validation and advancement through an accepting professional community, certifications, and mentorship.

The Answer

Build the new brand around the key touchstones of CSI (Trusted Advisor, Project Delivery Community, Friendship, Mentorship, Chapter, and Institute Experience) to connect every communication with the core needs of members.

As part of our Brand Discovery analyzing the entire universe of CSI, its members and its competitors, Silva Brand engaged an internationally renowned anthropologist to work with us. She completed a large survey of current and prospective members in order to identify the most important features of CSI’s product and service offering.

Our qualitative research clearly revealed that there was consensus around what CSI members derive from the organization. These touchstones became the pillars of the new brand.

In order to design the new CSI logo, we started with extensive research on the visual universe of the construction world, from photography styles to fonts to design geometry.

Silva Brand mobilized its award-winning creative team – four designers across three continents – to explore every conceivable direction for the new CSI logo.

The very first time the logo appeared was in a stylish animated sequence that played to a standing-room-only convention hall and a national live stream audience.

We staged the introduction of the new brand to drive anticipation and excitement. It started with a teaser campaign that extended across digital and print channels, followed by the official unveiling at the CSI National Conference.

CSI's suite of new collateral is designed to feel cohesive, while still creating visual variety across the different products and services.

We rebranded CSI’s National Conference with a stunning honeycomb set, new step-and-repeats and a lighting design that evoked innovation.

In addition to the logo reveal, we re-engineered the set for CSI’s video channel with new standing banners, a lighted gobo, and a three-camera stage on the convention floor.

“Silva Brand has been a true partner in every sense of the word – they took their time to fully understand our business, members, and industry – delivering a new brand that is fresh, unique, and truly represents our association. They are not only professional, knowledgeable, and creative but they are a true extension of our marketing department.”

MELANIE TRINGALI
Director of Marketing Communications, CSI

Other Projects

CCIM Institute A 50-year old brand needed to be recast for millennials and Gen Z audiences.

Pentavirate The gateway for global investment into North America, Pentavirate's brand needed to travel across continents.