At KOPE, we recently went through an exciting rebrand, transitioning from our previous name ‘matterlab’ to our new name KOPE. After operating under matterlab for four years, we decided it was time for a change to better represent our company's mission and vision. In this post, I'll walk through our rebranding process and some lessons learnt from the process.
We initially launched as matterlab because our focus was on our high-quality consultancy services such as Computational Design and Building Information Modelling (BIM). The team grew in expertise to have some of the best, most talented people at the forefront of both areas. As we evolved, our vision expanded beyond just consultancy, and we started to develop software solutions that helped digitise early-stage housing feasibility studies. We have developed again and now provide a software solution for Offsite and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) delivery called KOPE Construct.
If you weren’t aware, KOPE stands for Kit Of Products Engine and we are the only purpose-built software platform for offsite construction. We enable the transition from traditional construction by integrating offsite processes and products. We felt our old name no longer encapsulated the full scope of what we aimed to provide. We wanted a name that was unique and representative of us as a startup in Construction Technology (also known as ConTech).
Rebranding Exercise
Our rebrand process started with brainstorming sessions to identify values we wanted our new name to reflect: collaboration, technology, innovation, and leading change in construction. After reviewing many alternatives, we landed on KOPE as the best fit. We are a ConTech company producing a Kit Of Products Engine to drive the construction industry forward. We unveiled KOPE via our new website, www.kope.ai, and our new branding in September to our team internally and then launched this for the world in October. Leading up to this, we gradually transitioned our web presence, social media, marketing materials, internal documentation, and emails to feature the new KOPE name and logo. Internally, we worked to align employees around the rebrand, with some realignment of teams into a better, more flexible arrangement which works across the organisation, and the teams now work alongside the external brands they represent – Construct, Market and Lab.
What we learnt
Now that some time has passed since transitioning from matterlab to KOPE, we can look back on the rebranding process with greater perspective. Here are our five top tips;
- Resource time is required to plan, manage, and create new website, documentation and content.
- The checking process is extensive - no one wants to have spelling mistakes in front of potential clients! This takes a long period of time to iterate, refine, and sign off. And even then, mistakes happen.
- A name change impacts both external and internal systems. Updating URLs, social media profiles, and marketing materials was expected. Plan additional time to update internal databases, documentation (i.e. employee handbook), and templates.
- You will ALWAYS miss at least one software or website account where you forget you are registered.
- The most important takeaway is to ensure staff and key stakeholders are looped in early and often, so they can inform the process and are on the journey with you.
Overall, this rebrand is an evolution for us as a ConTech start-up which is focused on growing and developing over the next two years. We're proud of the bold change for construction represented by our new name and look forward to building upon it in the years ahead. The transition from matterlab to KOPE wasn't straightforward, but it was a valuable process to clarify our vision and ready ourselves for the future.
Want to find out more?
Sign Up to the world's first MMC marketplace: www.mmc.market
Want to try Construct?– Contact us here: https://www.kope.ai/get-started
About Us:
As KOPE, we are excited to continue pursuing our mission of making offsite and MMC accessible to all. We have three areas that work together to achieve our aims:
KOPE Construct software enables you to easily adopt and benefit from offsite construction. A platform where you can digitally integrate prefabricated products and systems directly within your projects. Thus, saving considerable time and effort when designing and pricing buildings.
KOPE Market website provides a hub for builders, suppliers, and consultants to connect and collaborate. It allows these key players to share information, learn from each other, and identify new opportunities. Additionally, it provides a forum for showcasing the positive outcomes achieved by high quality projects and products.
KOPE Lab team underpins our technology by supporting the implementation of innovation within the construction industry. To truly engage with technology, businesses need a guiding hand and a trusted team built on decades of experience.
