Rubisco
Developed a brand and growth strategy for New Zealand hemp: from the ingredient story and product innovation systems, to the commercial roadmap and international business strategy.
Project Information
Client New Zealand Natural Fibres
Industry Primary Industry
Services Building Brands & Storytelling, Design Research & Customer Insight
Key Outcomes
Created a business model for a new natural fibres company.
Generated the inspirational name.
Designed and delivered a full brand system.
Developed the pitch, commercial strategy and IM for capital raise.
Overview
Virtuo was contacted by NZ Natural Fibres to pioneer a strong growth strategy for the hemp fibre industry in New Zealand. As an early mover, the group was primed to lead the development of a new natural fibres industry.
A key focus area was to provide strategic-creative input and develop the vision, story, brand, and product roadmap for the company and industries growth. Throughout the course of the project, we also worked with the executive team, board, and PwC on the development of the business plan and capital raise materials for due diligence and growth capital being invested into the organisation.
Frame
This project aimed to explore the broader opportunities of hemp as an industry, as well as to understand how additional value streams could be created from the raw, core material. Early on, this opportunity was described as potentially creating an entirely new industry in New Zealand, similar to how the dairy sector produces raw milk, which then leads to multiple value streams such as cream, butter, cheese, and yogurt.
Our Approach
This exercise started by identifying where the real value lay, both in the short and long term. We also began by studying what makes hemp unique (what it is, what's in it, and what benefits these elements can bring to the world). Once this was understood, the objectives were to brand the space and bring the vision, story, and material potential to life.
We understood that the biggest driver for a new hemp industry would be to encourage the world to switch to better natural solutions. With climate change in mind, the big story is a carbon story. Hemp is one of the few tools we have to fight climate change. Hemp grows at an incredible rate and sequesters carbon at high rates. This growth cycle inspired our team to dive deeper to understand how this unique plant takes carbon out of the atmosphere and draws it down through its roots into the soil.
Botanical learning led us to an enzyme called RuBisCo, which is involved in the initial stages of carbon fixation. We believed this word captured the essence of our vision and the opportunity at hand. Following an international trademark assessment, formal applications were submitted to safeguard the word as it was adopted as the brand name.
To build the company's identity, we drew inspiration from the natural, energy-rich process of this plant. The company logo was designed to reflect the idea of growing hemp in order to reduce carbon emissions.
Outcome
Rubisco is a leader in natural and sustainable material technologies. The company is at the forefront of hemp production and the development of new materials. This brand innovation project has helped propel the company towards its growth vision.
Working closely with the directors, Virtuo supported the development of the company’s business plan and capital raise materials. This included a robust investment memorandum that was used to attract growth capital into the business.
Virtuo also helped Rubisco embody the new branding by creating company stationery, a photography kit, brochures, material sample kits, and the initial launch advertising and marketing campaigns to bring the brand to life.
NAMING MECHANISM
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase, commonly known by the abbreviations RuBisCo, rubisco, RuBPCase, or RuBPco, is an enzyme involved in the first major step of carbon fixation, a process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is converted by plants and other photosynthetic organisms to energy-rich molecules such as glucose.
IMAGE RESOURCES
Real materials as ingredients, for a better way of living.
Photography plays an important role in telling the Rubisco story. We created an image library for Rubisco to showcase the beauty of what they do, how the primary materials are grown naturally, and how these materials are processed into high quality sustainable solutions.
The image library can be broken into three themes: Nature (Growing), Technology (Processing) and Materials (Products).
