IT consulting had become viewed as a commodity business with consultants seen as "plumbers" who were called in only to do jobs and evaluated based on price. HiQ sought to change this perception by positioning itself as a partner that brings specialized brainpower rather than just manpower to solve clients' problems in innovative ways. It created the concept of "toUnThink" which means delivering simpler, more effective solutions by going against common practices. This new brand platform led to increased revenue, margins and job applications as well as positive feedback from clients and industry colleagues.

2. IT used to be as exciting as NASA,

3. IT used to be as exciting as NASA,
but IT became commodity.

4. IT used to be as exciting as NASA,
but IT became commodity.
With IT consultants being regarded as plumbers.

5. Called in to do a job,

6. Called in to do a job, evaluated on price.

7. But HiQoffers more than ‘plumbing’…

8. With a history of developing
advanced simulators for jet
fighters, HiQ has been working
with the innovative side of IT.
And still is.

9. But, how do we make the
market get this?

10. We realized that we shouldn’t communicate the it
consultants as an individual, but as a part of something
greater..

11. Just as you would feel safe working with someone
coming from NASA, we made the name HiQ stand for
something greater than the individual consultant.

12. We set them aside from the competition, switching the focus
from ‘plumber’ to a partner who is brought in as a specialist.
Someone who, regardless who it is, would be perceived as a
problem solver as long as they came from HiQ.

13. We did this by saying one thing –
how HiQ’ers think:

14. Businesses and organizations don’t need
manpower, they need brainpower. That’s
why resources are getting cheaper, and
innovation remains priceless.
But innovation doesn’t happen by chance
– it requires a certain approach.

15. And from that we determined HiQ’s
approach and created a concept:

16. Many people have got a degree, competence and skill. But
unless you understand how technology affects, not only the
end result, but peoples’ interaction with it, or if you lack the
courage to go against common practice, the result will
usually be just another piece of over-complicated system
slowing us humans down.
Every day, in every project, in every solution we aim to
deliver simpler, more effective and better ways of doing
things. It is what we call toUnThink™.

17. We launched UnThink through a
number of initiatives:

18. Storytelling…

19. A new graphical identity…

21. New website…

22. Ads…

27. Effect
• Internal pride and new confidence after raving feedback on the brand platform from
client meetings, trade shows and industry colleagues and friends
• A shift in sales approach based on new brand promise pushing the consultant’s
ability to deliver true innovation instead of background and CV generating high
margin business critical assignments
• Q1 2011 was the best quarter in the history of HiQ with increasing revenue AND
margins as well as analysts recommending the HiQ share long term
Hard facts
The job applications increased with 250%, from approximately 100 to 400+ per
month. The conversion rate is up 40% due to high qualitative CVs dominated by
senior people on a management level.