CASE STUDY: UNISON GLOBUS - BUILDING GLOBAL BRAND CONSISTENCY ACROSS MARKETS

How to Unify Brand Experience Across 3 Countries, 3 Languages, 3 Cultures

PROLOGUE: THE MOMENT THE PROBLEM BECAME CLEAR

I was sitting in a stakeholder meeting at Unison Globus in 2020, and someone asked a simple question:

"What does our brand actually look like?"

Silence.

Not because people didn't care. But because the answer was different depending on where you looked.

In India: One brand voice, one design language, one messaging approach. In the US: Completely different website, different visual identity, different tone. In Canada: Yet another interpretation, another design system.

Same company. Three completely different brand experiences.

This wasn't just a design problem. This was a business problem. It signaled confusion to our customers. It made us look disorganized. It made us look like three separate companies instead of one global firm.

Our challenge was clear: Make the world see us as ONE brand across THREE markets.

This is the story of how we did it.

PART 1: THE CHALLENGE — WHAT WE WERE REALLY FACING

The Surface Challenge

"Build a consistent brand experience across digital, marketing, and event touchpoints for global markets."

That's what the brief said. That's what leadership wanted.

But I quickly discovered: The real challenges were deeper.

The Real Challenges

Challenge 1: The Fragmentation Problem

The company had grown through acquisitions and expansion. By 2020:

• India office: Had built their own brand (Unison Globus)

• US office: Operating as their own entity with different branding (Initor Global)

• Canada office: Trying to figure out their identity

  
  

What this meant:

• 2 websites with 3 different designs

• 2 brand voices with different tones

• 2 color systems

• 2 logo interpretations

• Marketing materials that didn't align

• Customers confused about which company they're dealing with

The real problem: We looked like a fragmented collection of companies, not a unified global firm.

Challenge 2: The Cultural/Market Challenge

Financial outsourcing is a trust-based business. Clients need to feel:

• Professional

• Reliable

• Competent

• Aligned with their market expectations

  
  

But when a client in New York saw one version of our brand, and a client in Toronto saw another, it created cognitive dissonance.

"Are they the same company? Do they have different standards? Why don't they look consistent?"

The real problem: Inconsistency creates distrust in financial services.

Challenge 3: The Digital Experience Problem

Our websites were:

• Built on different platforms

• Had different navigation structures

• Featured different content hierarchies

• Had different conversion flows

• Didn't share a common design system

  
  

What customers experienced:

• Clicking from one to another felt jarring

• Different information architecture

• Hard to find the same service across sites

• Felt amateurish for a global financial firm

The real problem: First touchpoint (website) was sending mixed signals.

Challenge 4: The Internal Problem

Even our own teams didn't share:

• A common design system

• Shared brand guidelines

• Consistent language/terminology

• Aligned visual identity

• Same understanding of our value proposition

Marketing teams in different regions worked independently. Design teams didn't share assets. Sales teams used different collaterals.

The real problem: We couldn't scale because we weren't aligned internally.

Challenge 5: The Stakeholder Problem

Different regional leaders had different visions:

• India wanted local market feel

• US wanted global enterprise vibe

• Canada wanted to balance both

The tension:

• "But this works in our market!"

• "Our clients expect this look"

• "We built this way, why change?"

• Regional pride vs. global consistency

The real problem: Getting buy-in for global unification when regions felt their local approach was working.

Challenge 6: The Asset Proliferation Problem

Because we had no shared system, every project created new assets:

• Different email templates

• Different PowerPoint templates

• Different website components

• Different collateral designs

• Duplicated work across regions

What happened:

• Wasted time rebuilding the same thing

• Inconsistent quality

• No efficiency gains

• No leverage from one region to another

The real problem: We were working 3x harder to achieve fragmented results.

PART 2: THE STRATEGY — HOW WE APPROACHED THE PROBLEM

The Strategic Shift

Most companies approach global branding as a design problem:

• "Let's make everyone use the same logo"

• "Let's make everyone use the same colors"

• "Let's standardize the fonts"

We approached it as a systems and communication problem:

Question 1: "What is our actual value proposition across all three markets?"

Question 2: "What message do we need to send?"

Question 3: "How do we build systems that different regions can customize without losing consistency?"

Question 4: "How do we maintain local relevance while being globally unified?"

The insight: Global consistency doesn't mean global uniformity.

You can have:

• One brand voice (but localized expression)

• One visual system (but regional flexibility)

• One message (but market-appropriate delivery)

• One identity (but culturally sensitive application)

  
  

THE SOLUTION: A GLOBAL BRAND UNIFICATION SYSTEM

We didn't just redesign. We built a framework.

LAYER 1: GLOBAL BRAND FOUNDATION

Step 1: Define Core Brand Identity

We conducted stakeholder interviews across all three regions:

• What do we actually do? (Value proposition)

• Who do we serve? (Target customers)

• What makes us different? (Differentiation)

• How do we speak? (Brand voice)

• What do we look like? (Visual identity)

Output: One brand positioning document that all three regions could align to.

Step 2: Create Master Brand Guidelines

We built comprehensive global brand guidelines including:

Visual Identity:

• Logo system (with regional variations allowed)

• Color palette (primary + extended colors)

• Typography system (font families, sizes, weights)

• Imagery style (photography direction, illustration approach)

• Spacing and layout system

• Icon system

Brand Voice & Tone:

• How we speak (professional, approachable, expert)

• Tone for different contexts (marketing vs. internal vs. legal)

• Key messaging themes

• Terminology standardization

• Regional customization allowed

Application Standards:

• Website components and patterns

• Email templates

• PowerPoint presentation templates

• Marketing collateral guidelines

• Event signage specifications

• Social media templates

Key principle: "One system, multiple expressions" — regions could customize for their market while maintaining brand consistency.

LAYER 2: DIGITAL EXPERIENCE UNIFICATION

Step 1: Website Redesign Strategy

Instead of building 3 separate websites, we built:

• One design system (shared components)

• One CMS structure (shared foundation)

• Three customizable instances (regional content/expressions)

Website Architecture:

What this meant:

• Design consistency across all three sites

• Reduced development time (reusable components)

• Faster updates (change once, update all)

• Better user experience (familiar navigation everywhere)

• Scalability (easier to add new markets)

  
  

Step 2: Design System Creation

We built a comprehensive design system:

Components:

• Navigation bars (header, footer, sidebar)

• Hero sections (multiple variations)

• Card components (services, team, testimonials)

• Form elements (all input types)

• Buttons (multiple states)

• Typography components

• Image containers

• Call-to-action blocks

Tokens:

• Color system (primary, secondary, neutral, semantic)

• Typography scales

• Spacing scale (8px base)

• Border radius standards

• Shadow system

• Animation patterns

Patterns:

• Homepage layout

• Service page layout

• Team page layout

• Blog post layout

• Contact/inquiry flow

• Case study layout

Documentation:

• Usage guidelines for each component

• Do's and don'ts

• Code examples

• Accessibility standards

• Mobile responsive behavior

Step 3: Website Redesign Execution

We redesigned:

Homepage:

• Unified value proposition (but region-customizable hero)

• Consistent service overview

• Consistent trust signals (certifications, client logos)

• Consistent call-to-action pattern

Service Pages:

• Unified structure across all services

• Consistent information architecture

• Regional case studies integrated

• Consistent pricing/inquiry flow

Team Pages:

• Global team visibility

• Consistent design across regions

• Regional leadership featured

• Consistent trust-building

Contact/Inquiry Flow:

• Same experience across all three markets

• Consistent form design

• Same response time SLAs

• Same follow-up process

LAYER 3: MARKETING COLLATERAL UNIFICATION

Challenge: Different regions used completely different marketing materials.

Solution: Build master templates with regional customization.

What we created:

Email Templates:

• Newsletter template

• Campaign email template

• Promotional email template

• Transactional email template

• Each with regional customization capability

PowerPoint Templates:

• Presentation deck template (40+ slides)

• Proposal template (15+)

• Case study presentation(20+)

• Team introduction deck

• Product/service pitch deck(10+)

Marketing Collateral:

• One-pagers (services, capabilities)

• Brochures (company overview, service guides)

• Case study templates

• Whitepaper templates

• Social media templates (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)

Print Materials:

• Business card template

• Letterhead

• Envelope template

• Presentation folder design

• Event signage templates

Key benefit:

• Marketing teams could create assets in 30% less time

• Consistency improved across all regions

• Quality improved (standardized formats)

• Scalability increased (easy to create new materials)

  
  

LAYER 4: EVENT & ENGAGEMENT UNIFICATION

Challenge: Unison hosted webinars, conferences, events, and podcasts across three regions all with different production quality and branding.

Solution: Create event brand system.

What we built:

Event Visual Identity:

• Event template designs (slide decks for speakers)

• Webinar overlays and graphics

• Social media event graphics

• Email graphics for event promotion

• Signage and backdrop designs

• Virtual event backgrounds

Event Experience:

• Consistent registration experience

• Consistent email communications

• Consistent speaker platform setup

• Consistent follow-up sequence

• Consistent branded materials (name badges, programs, folders)

Podcast Branding:

• Consistent intro/outro design

• Episode artwork template

• Social media clip templates

• Transcript design template

Outcome:

• Events felt professional and organized

• Consistent brand presence across all events

• Easier event planning (templated process)

• Better attendance (clearer communication)

• More professional recording quality

LAYER 5: CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION SYSTEM

Challenge: Design/branding lived in one silo. Marketing lived in another. Business development had their own approach.

Solution: Create collaboration framework.

What we implemented:

Design Request Process:

1. Request submitted (form-based)

2. Design team reviews (feasibility check)

3. Design created (using system)

4. Stakeholder review (region + global)

5. Asset delivered + documented

6. Archive + reusability assessment

Asset Management:

• Centralized asset library

• Organized by region + category

• Version control (always latest)

• Usage tracking

• Reusability scoring

Collaboration Meetings:

• Monthly brand alignment (all regions)

• Quarterly strategy review (leadership)

• Ad-hoc creative reviews (as needed)

• Annual brand health assessment

Outcome:

• Faster turnaround on design requests

• Better quality (centralized expertise)

• More reusability (shared asset library)

• Better alignment (regular communication)

• Less duplicated work

  
  

PART 3: THE OUTCOMES — WHAT CHANGED

The Transformation

What Changed for Customers

Before:

• Website experience was inconsistent

• Branding looked fragmented

• Messaging was different across regions

• Felt like multiple companies

• Trust signals were weak

• Hard to find information

• Conversion flows were confusing

After:

• One cohesive brand experience

• Professional, unified presentation

• Consistent messaging across regions

• Clear that it's one global company

• Strong trust signals

• Easy information discovery

• Clear, consistent conversion flows

Customer feedback:

• "You look like a real global firm now"

• "Professional and trustworthy"

• "Easy to navigate, clear what you offer"

• "Same experience whether I'm in New York or Toronto"

What Changed for the Organization

Before:

• Marketing teams worked independently

• Design requests had long turnaround

• No design leverage across regions

• Different quality standards

• Duplicated work and effort

• No efficiency gains from growth

• Brand diluted by regional independence

After:

• Marketing teams collaborate and share

• Design requests have fast turnaround (templated)

• Design leverage across all regions (reusable components)

• Consistent quality standards

• No duplicated work (shared templates)

• Efficiency gains as volume increases

• Brand strengthened through consistency

Team feedback:

• "Creating materials is so much faster now"

• "I can focus on strategy instead of design mechanics"

• "The templates give us flexibility without losing consistency"

• "Easy to maintain brand standards"

The Qualitative Impact

Before/After Comparison

BEFORE: What It Felt Like

A new client in Toronto visiting our website saw one brand. The same client checking our US site saw something different. Internal memo from India team used yet another design. Webinar looked professional in some regions, inconsistent in others. Proposal materials varied in quality and design. Prospective hire was confused about company culture.

"Are they organized? Do they have their act together? Why don't they look like one company?"

AFTER: What It Feels Like

A new client visits any regional website and experiences:

• Same professional visual identity

• Same clear navigation structure

• Same compelling messaging

• Same trust signals

• Same conversion experience

  
  

Internal memo uses same templates as external materials. Webinar looks polished and professional across regions. Proposal materials are consistently excellent quality. Prospective hire sees cohesive, professional organization.

"This is a real global firm. They're organized. They're professional. They're trustworthy."

PART 4: THE FRAMEWORKS — WHAT WE LEARNED

Framework 1: The Global Brand Unification Model

How to maintain consistency while allowing regional flexibility

Key principle: "Consistency in system, flexibility in expression"

Framework 2: The Design System Hierarchy

How to organize components for scalability:

Each level builds on the previous, maintaining consistency while reducing redundancy.

Framework 3: The Regional Customization Matrix

How to decide what's global vs. regional:

Element	Global?	Regional?	How?
Logo	✅ Global	Limited	Can adjust size/spacing per market
Colors	✅ Global	No	Same palette everywhere
Typography	✅ Global	Limited	Same fonts, different sizing for markets
Imagery	Limited	✅ Regional	Same style, different subjects per market
Case Studies	No	✅ Regional	Regional examples, same template
Services	Partial	✅ Regional	Core services global, local services regional
Messaging	Global	✅ Tone	Same message, different language/tone
Navigation	✅ Global	No	Same structure, different content

Rule of thumb: Global system, regional content.

Framework 4: The Collaboration Operating Model

How to align teams across regions:

Cadence ensures alignment without over-communicating.

Framework 5: The Asset Management System

How to create leverage from your design work:

Every asset created becomes a template for future use.

Framework 6: The Global Consistency Scorecard

How to measure and maintain consistency:

Measure quarterly to ensure system is working.

FINAL THOUGHT

Building a global brand isn't about making everything look the same.

It's about creating a system that allows your organization to:

• Scale efficiently

• Maintain quality

• Allow regional flexibility

• Build customer trust

• Enable team collaboration

  
  

That's what a global brand system really is: operational infrastructure that creates business value.

Surbhi Kashyap Senior UI & Graphic Designer → Strategic Brand Lead | Global Brand Unification Specialist

2020-2023 | Unison Globus Case Study

APPENDIX: THE FRAMEWORKS (Quick Reference)

Global Brand Unification Model

Global layer (non-negotiable) + Regional customization layer (flexible)

Design System Hierarchy

Tokens → Components → Patterns → Templates → Experiences

Regional Customization Matrix

What's global, what's regional, how to balance

Collaboration Operating Model

Monthly reviews, quarterly business reviews, annual strategy

Asset Management System

Request → Create → Review → Deliver → Reuse

Global Consistency Scorecard

Visual (40%) + Messaging (30%) + Experience (20%) + Operational (10%)