"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." This saying rings true in the world of business, where collaboration often proves to be the key to long-term success. For packaging company Aeris Dynamics, a global leader in cold chain solutions, this quote encapsulates their journey towards growth with the support of IPI.

 

The Singapore-based company was on the cusp of embarking on a reinvention plan before engaging IPI - Innovation Advisors Programme. Rather than executing it right away, they took the time to seek external expertise to inject more structure into their business roadmap and ensure that their rebranding efforts aligned with the company's goals. Their search for experts led them to enlist the help of seasoned innovation advisors Albert Pozo and Mike Amour, who bring years of experience in the information technology and branding fields, respectively.

The team at Aeris Dynamics initially sought IA Albert's expertise as a Chief Technology Officer. However, they quickly realised that he was equally adept at giving advice from a Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer perspective, which proved even more valuable to the company since they were also seeking help on the development of a 5-year strategic business growth plan.

As they worked together to map out the year-on-year execution plan, Simon Loh, from Aeris Dynamics' Corporate Affairs team, noticed that IA Albert's C-level experience easily shone through. He added that Albert's holistic perspective helped guide them towards better assessing the company’s current business model, partnerships model, growth potential and more.

"Textbook knowledge is an inadequate substitute for real-world experience, and Albert has both," said Loh.

Loh encourages those who are also set on consulting with IPI not to pigeonhole the innovation advisors. "They have more to offer, especially on the soft aspects of business management. For this reason, I commend IPI for getting experienced C-suites to become advisors,” he said.

On the rebranding front, IA Mike’s experience as a CEO for major global marketing communications companies played a pivotal role in redefining Aeris Dynamics’ identity and company purpose. As Mike observes, most companies have a great story to tell, but few know how to tell it well, or even how to tell it at all. Therefore identifying - or rediscovering - Aeris’ unique company purpose, or 'strategic leadership narrative', was a crucial point as the Aeris team was determined to position themselves competitively as they continue to scale operations. 

However, adopting a new identity is rarely an easy process to go through, which was evident after IA Mike had worked with the team to draw out the new Aeris story. Colin Lee, Aeris Dynamics' in-house marketing manager, shared that the team was not initially fully confident in the changes the proposed rebranding would entail. Thankfully, this seemed to be nothing new to Mike and he easily guided the team through the process to get them on board with the rebrand.

"Mike sat us down and explained that this rebranding will help us understand what we are, who we are and why we do what we do," Lee shared. "He helped to be a mediator between marketing and the rest of the company, voicing out our objectives clearly."

Along with conducting sessions with the team to decide on what their final refreshed image would look like, Lee mentions that IA Mike taught the Aeris Dynamics team to "realise that branding is not just an exercise to go through but also a process" that makes the company zoom in on their purpose and the reason behind their rebrand.

Following their successful collaboration with the Innovation Advisors, Aeris Dynamics now has their sights set on strengthening their marketing efforts and expanding their presence in global markets. The renewed identity also puts Aeris Dynamics in an ideal position to capitalise on emerging opportunities and solidify their position as an industry leader.

The key takeaway from Aeris Dynamics' journey is clear: Innovation is not a solitary endeavour, but a collaborative effort fuelled by diverse perspectives and expertise. By embracing strategic partnerships and harnessing the collective wisdom of industry experts, businesses can overcome challenges and achieve sustainable growth in today's competitive landscape.


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