MOVE TO ENTERPRISE
Soon after joining Malwarebytes I was asked to redesign the logo. By the time the project was done Malwarebytes would have a completely new identity, eCommerce and product experience, and corporate website.
Soon after joining Malwarebytes I was asked to redesign the logo. By the time the project was done Malwarebytes would have a completely new identity, eCommerce and product experience, and corporate website.
Marcin Kleczynski, the CEO and founder, started the company when 14 years old. Malwarebytes quickly developed a fan base and are considered the "cool kids" of Cyber Security. Customers love the company
and the employees love working there.
and the employees love working there.
Malwarebytes was looking to attract enterprise customers but was known in the industry as a consumer brand. Updating the identity was the first step in repositioning them as ready to serve the enterprise market.
The logo, or specifically the icon, was created for $100 dollars on 99designs. It was plagued by reproduction issues, and most (customers and employees included) thought it looked dated, while not realizing it was a letter "M".
Malwarebytes employees believe they are superheroes "ridding the world of the internet's most harmful threats," I looked to superhero icons and badges as a source of inspiration with the goal to create a logo that was appropriate in an enterprise setting, and more importantly, one that the employees would embrace as their own badge.
The Robot Situation
The Robot became the Malwarebytes Mascot though happenstance. Malwarebytes worked with an outside vendor to create a video about how Malware works. The video's main character was a Robot (above) and the CEO wanted to run optimizations tests featuring said robot as part of the design. Over the next couple of years, the Robot would win every. Single. Time. People love robots.
But, the robot was divisive. Sales and some of the marketing team believed the Robot was unprofessional and sent the wrong message to enterprise customers. Others on the marketing team, Support team, and the CEO loved the Robot. And they were supported by the results of the optimization tests. The robot wasn't going anywhere but it was under constant discussion.
After conducting interviews with members of Sales, Marketing, Support and customers, I came to the conclusion that we could update the Robot and make both sides happier. The issues with the robot seemed to boil down to one thing. Production quality.
The original asset was pulled for a low-res video. Most people were unsure where the head was. Some believed it was a Samurai. Team members would occasionally add to the robot over the years, adding to the confusion.
Upgraded
I worked with Brian Miller (Orlin Culture Shop) to help us bring the mascot into the present day. Not only did he create and iconic and powerful Robot, he envisioned the world in which he exists. One that is rich with color, depths to explore and dangers lurking in the shadows. Not unlike the Internet we explore every day.
Brian's creation became an integral part of the overall identity. It was featured on both consumer and business facing marketing. Eventually, two ten-foot versions were created (IRL) to travel the world and draw in guests at cyber security tradeshows.
Malwarebytes.com Overhaul
Part marketing, part eCom, part product, after numerous years of unchecked optimization, the Malwarebytes website was beyond confusing and whatever the opposite of mobile friendly is.
We started with interviews of customers, sales and support team members. We did user tests of the existing site and combed through the data from the previous year of optimization tests. With this information, we created 8 customer avatars and started to build a site centered around their needs. We set out to create an experience that was in line with the Malwarebytes current customers know and love while establishing trust with new visitors and enterprise leads.
Within one month of launch, all metrics climbed (downloads, consumer purchase, direct to cart, lead submission) and all SEM was turned off. Sales qualified leads increased by 202% percent.
Part marketing, part eCom, part product, after numerous years of unchecked optimization, the Malwarebytes website was beyond confusing and whatever the opposite of mobile friendly is.
We started with interviews of customers, sales and support team members. We did user tests of the existing site and combed through the data from the previous year of optimization tests. With this information, we created 8 customer avatars and started to build a site centered around their needs. We set out to create an experience that was in line with the Malwarebytes current customers know and love while establishing trust with new visitors and enterprise leads.
Within one month of launch, all metrics climbed (downloads, consumer purchase, direct to cart, lead submission) and all SEM was turned off. Sales qualified leads increased by 202% percent.
