voestalpine Railway Systems is the global leader for railway infrastructure system solutions, offering outstanding products, logistics and services for rails, turnouts, signaling and monitoring applications. Creating maximum customer benefit is the driving force behind all activities of the group.
The new brand was supposed to both transform the internal cultural as well as the external perception of voestalpine Railway Systems itself. In order to do so, the industry analysis showed clear trends within the larger global players – resulting in a global field of flat brands, without clear differentiation in neither design, name or communication. A position was ready for the taking.
Developing a new brand to represent immediate leadership, building on legacy competence, and existing brand equity demanded a process of strategic brand development and onboarding of all leadership levels of the corporate global giant. Mostly run out of Vienna, Austria, the project demanded identification of strategic transformations, focus on the brands peak performances, and translating these into an archetype that enables naming and design.
Finding a name in 2023 is limited by rough estimate of more than 500 Million active and recognizable brands in the world, supported by more than 250 Million .com addresses that are occupied.
Regardles, with new tools like NLMs and deep-tech analytics at our hands, paired with the much needed human creativity a two name shortlist was developed out of more than 650 shortlisted suggestions that could be “on strategy” of creating a human-like technology brand that encompasses the intelligence and creativity of the human mind, with the power of high-end technology. And Zen is the highest state of the human mind:
A closer look at the name:
voestalpine Railway Systems have been at the forefront of railway technology for more than 100 years. Developing a leading ecosystem brand to strengthen the future offering, as well as claiming the leading position – for both software and hardware demands a clear mandate:
Create an aligned technology brand to replace the current trilogy of hardware + software brands that supports and enables the equity of Railway Systems as a whole – all the while improving and simplifying existing structures wherever possible.
The process:
A closer look at the name:
zentrak by itself has no obvious direct meaning. Apart from the obvious Zen perspective, the word “zentra” is derived from the German word “zentral”, which means “central” or “core”, enforcing the mastermind, and intelligent, overarching, and central operating system the brand will represent in the future.
zen describes a feeling of peace and represents the human side of the brand. Incorporating the word zen communicates that the customer’s can count on the brand to provide peace of mind in terms of reliability and safety.
trak represents the industry focus on Railway Systems. Incorporating trak will help reduce any ambiguity related to the new name.
zentrak, the intelligent, digital brain of a conscious and living railway ecosystem. Connecting everything. Providing scalability, availability, durability, and true peace of mind.
Designing the identity for a forward leaning technology brand needed to adhere to a set of corporate guidelines, yet explore new directions, become an immediate hero, and define a new direction for the brand.
Incorporating speed, as well as the negative space railroad became the guiding principle of the identity, defining a possible brand icon, as well as a logo that would not need any additional graphic when used in its full form.
The negative space icon:
Variations:
The font is based on the voestalpine corporate font, securing familiarity and easy integration into existing content, and backgrounds are modified from the existing tech-family of images of voestalpine.
Thus creating something completely new, yet familiar.
Application examples, eye catcher exhibition:
Exhibition version 2:
Background exhibition corporate group focus:
voestalpine is a globally leading steel and technology group with a unique combination of materials and processing expertise.
voestalpine, which operates globally, has around 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries on all five continents. It has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995.
With its premium products and system solutions, voestalpine is a leading partner to the automotive and consumer goods industries, as well as to the aerospace and oil & natural gas industries. The company is also the global market leader in railway systems, tool steel, and special sections. voestalpine is committed to the global climate goals and has a clear plan for decarbonizing steel production with its greentec steel program.