We revolutionized the Universal Foods Brand to align it with its business. We created a new positioning, new name, new identity and a tagline to accurately capture and express the differentiating characteristics of the organization.

Situation

In the 1990s, Universal Foods Corporation underwent a significant shift, expanding into global, higher-growth markets through improved capabilities and carefully selected acquisitions. No longer a food company, UFC developed unique formulations and ingredients, including cosmetics and pharmaceutical additives and a full range of ink-jet inks. The company had become a high-tech specialty ingredient manufacturer whose colors, flavors and fragrances enhance some of the world’s most recognized brands.

In business for more than 100 years, Universal Foods Corporation had outgrown its name.

Solution

The first step was developing a brand positioning to inspire a new corporate name and corporate identity. As we immersed ourselves in the business, it became clear that the essence of the brand was about engaging the senses: UFC’s formulations and ingredients improve how products taste, smell, look and feel. The corporate name we created­ — Sensient Technologies — and the fluid but precise corporate logo capture the promise of enhanced sensory experience delivered via proprietary technologies.

The We bring life to products tagline and global brand architecture aligned the company’s communications behind its business focus, improving Sensient’s analyst coverage and stock valuation.