Work

Situation: For over 30 years Dundee Precious Metals had a long, storied history as an closed-end mutual fund. In 2003, the company transformed itself into an operating entity with the purchase of a copper gold mine in Chelopech, Bulgaria. Three years later another mining asset was added in Kapan, Armenia and in 2010 the company expanded globally into Africa with the purchase of a specialized smelter operation in Tsumeb, Namibia. While the company had developed a culture founded on Western values, the identity of the various units around the world remained fragmented – each had retained their original name and historical approaches.

Insight: Initially, Dundee asked Sklar Wilton to help design a new logo. Rather than ‘taking the order’, Sklar Wilton posed a simple question: ‘what makes you different from other mining companies?’ In discussions with key stakeholders of Dundee, it became clear that the unity and cohesiveness of a common brand identity offered considerable, untapped potential. Sklar Wilton started the journey by posing a simple question: What makes you different from other mining companies? Over the course of a one-day work session in Bulgaria, Sklar Wilton facilitated the senior team towards unanimity around their brand promise.

Impact: While this work became the foundation for a new logo, more importantly, the brand promise explicitly articulated for the first time, the approach that the company and its employees use in its dealings with its key stakeholders.